Revenue and Expense Recognition

6 Months Ended

May 31, 2020

Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]

Revenue and Expense Recognition

Revenue and Expense Recognition

Guest cruise deposits are initially included in customer deposit liabilities when received. Customer deposits are subsequently recognized as cruise revenues, together with revenues from onboard and other activities, and all associated direct costs and expenses of a voyage are recognized as cruise costs and expenses, upon completion of voyages with durations of ten nights or less and on a pro rata basis for voyages in excess of ten nights. The impact of recognizing these shorter duration cruise revenues and costs and expenses on a completed voyage basis versus on a pro rata basis is not significant. Certain of our product offerings are bundled and we allocate the value of the bundled services and goods between passenger ticket revenues and onboard and other revenues based upon the estimated standalone selling prices of those goods and services. Guest cancellation fees, when applicable, are recognized in cruise passenger ticket revenues at the time of cancellation.

Our sales to guests of air and other transportation to and from airports near the home ports of our ships are included in passenger ticket revenues, and the related costs of purchasing these services are included in transportation costs. The proceeds that we collect from the sales of third-party shore excursions are included in onboard and other revenues and the related costs are included in onboard and other costs. The amounts collected on behalf of our onboard concessionaires, net of the amounts remitted to them, are included in onboard and other revenues as concession revenues. All of these amounts are recognized on a completed voyage or pro rata basis as discussed above.

Passenger ticket revenues include fees, taxes and charges collected by us from our guests. A portion of these fees, taxes and charges vary with guest head counts and are directly imposed on a revenue-producing arrangement. This portion of the fees, taxes and charges is expensed in commissions, transportation and other costs when the corresponding revenues are recognized. For the three and six months ended May 31, fees, taxes and charges included in commissions, transportation and other costs were $41 million and $215 million in 2020 and $154 million and $317 million in 2019. The remaining portion of fees, taxes and charges are expensed in other operating expenses when the corresponding revenues are recognized.

Revenues and expenses from our hotel and transportation operations, which are included in our Tour and Other segment, are recognized at the time the services are performed. Revenues from the long-term leasing of ships, which are also included in our Tour and Other segment, are recognized ratably over the term of the agreement.

Customer Deposits

Our payment terms generally require an initial deposit to confirm a reservation, with the balance due prior to the voyage. Cash received from guests in advance of the cruise is recorded in customer deposits and in other long-term liabilities on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. These amounts include refundable deposits. We are providing flexibility to guests with bookings on sailings cancelled due to the pause in cruise operations by allowing guests to receive enhanced future cruise credits ("FCC") or elect to receive refunds in cash. We expect to be required to pay cash refunds of customer deposits with respect to a portion of these cancelled cruises. The amount of cash refunds to be paid may depend on the length of the pause and level of guest acceptance of FCCs. We record a liability for FCCs to the extent we have received cash from guests with bookings on cancelled sailings. We had customer deposits of $2.9 billion as of May 31, 2020 and $4.9 billion as of November 30, 2019. The current portion of our customer deposits was $2.6 billion as of May 31, 2020. These amounts include deposits related to cancelled cruises prior to the election of a cash refund by guests. Refunds payable to guests who have elected cash refunds are recorded in accounts payable. Due to the uncertainty associated with the duration and extent of COVID-19, we are unable to estimate the amount of the May 31, 2020 customer deposits that will be recognized in earnings compared to amounts that will be refunded to customers or issued as a credit for future travel. During the six months ended May 31, 2020 and 2019, we recognized revenues of $3.5 billion and $3.7 billion related to our customer deposits as of November 30, 2019 and December 1, 2018. Historically, our customer deposits balance changes due to the seasonal nature of cash collections, the recognition of revenue, refund of customer deposits and foreign currency translation.

Contract Receivables

Although we generally require full payment from our customers prior to or concurrently with their cruise, we grant credit terms to a relatively small portion of our revenue source. We also have receivables from credit card merchants for cruise ticket purchases and onboard revenue. These receivables are included within trade and other receivables, net.

Contract Assets

Contract assets are amounts paid prior to the start of a voyage, which we record as an asset within prepaid expenses and other and which are subsequently recognized as commissions, transportation and other at the time of revenue recognition or at the time of voyage cancellation. We have contract assets of $9 million and $154 million as of May 31, 2020 and December 1, 2019.