General (Policies)

6 Months Ended

May 31, 2021

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

Basis of PresentationThe Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss), the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) and the Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity for the three and six months ended May 31, 2021 and 2020, Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the six months ended May 31, 2021 and 2020, and the Consolidated Balance Sheet at May 31, 2021 are unaudited and, in the opinion of our management, contain all adjustments, consisting of only normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair statement. Our interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes included in the Carnival Corporation & plc 2020 joint Annual Report on Form 10-K (“Form 10-K”) filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on January 26, 2021.

COVID-19 Use of Estimates and Risks and Uncertainty

COVID-19 and the Use of Estimates and Risks and Uncertainty The preparation of our interim consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported and disclosed. The full extent to which the effects of COVID-19 will directly or indirectly impact our business, operations, results of operations and financial condition, including our valuation of goodwill and trademarks, impairment of ships, collectability of trade and notes receivables as well as provisions for pending litigation, will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain. We have made reasonable estimates and judgments of the impact of COVID-19 within our financial statements and there may be changes to those estimates in future periods.

Accounting Pronouncements

Accounting PronouncementsThe Financial Accounting Standards Board issued guidance, Debt - Debt with Conversion and Other Options and Derivative and Hedging - Contracts in Entity's Own Equity, which simplifies the accounting for convertible instruments. This guidance eliminates certain models that require separate accounting for embedded conversion features, in certain cases. Additionally, among other changes, the guidance eliminates certain of the conditions for equity classification for contracts in an entity’s own equity. The guidance also requires entities to use the if-converted method for all convertible instruments in the diluted earnings per share calculation and include the effect of share settlement for instruments that may be settled in cash or shares, except for certain liability-classified share-based payment awards. This guidance is required to be adopted by us in the first quarter of 2023 and must be applied using either a modified or full retrospective approach. We are currently evaluating the impact this guidance will have on our consolidated financial statements.

Revenue from Contract with Customer

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 material. 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 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 not significant in 2021 and were $41 million and $215 million in 2020. 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.