425 1 form425-61902.txt FORM 425 Filing under Rule 425 under the Securities Act of 1933 and deemed filed under Rule 14d-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 Filing by: Carnival Corporation Subject Company: P&O Princess Cruises plc. SEC File No. of Princess: 001-15136 NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO AUSTRALIA, CANADA OR JAPAN 19 JUNE 2002 CARNIVAL CORPORATION -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CARNIVAL WELCOMES CLEARANCE OF ROYAL CARIBBEAN / P&O PRINCESS COMBINATION BY THE UK SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in the UK today announced the clearance of the proposed merger between Royal Caribbean and P&O Princess. Carnival notes that the DTI's decision states that "The existence of a wider holiday market, and the availability of cruises of types other than those operated by POPC and RCCL, constrained those companies' actions and commercial freedom, whether or not they were regarded as being in the same market." Carnival has maintained throughout the process that as the whole European cruise market represents less than one per cent. of the European leisure travel market and less than 4.0 per cent. and 1.2 per cent. of the UK and German leisure travel markets respectively, neither of these deals should raise competitive concerns in Europe. The Royal Caribbean/P&O Princess combination has now been cleared in both the UK and Germany. These are the only two countries examined in the European Commission's review and both the Carnival and Royal Caribbean combinations are similarly positioned in these countries. Carnival therefore believes that there is no reason why its combination with P&O Princess should not gain European regulatory approval, consistent with the EU's policy to support national competition authorities and to ensure the equal application of competition law across the EEA. Both transactions also remain under review by the Federal Trade Commission in the US, with decisions expected on a similar timetable to the European Commission's review. "We have said all along that both of these deals should be cleared in all jurisdictions," said Micky Arison, CEO of Carnival Corporation. "From a regulatory perspective they are similarly placed and the UK decision today confirms that our offer for P&O Princess should be cleared by the European Commission. When all regulatory approvals have been obtained, I look forward to taking this deal back to the ultimate decision makers, the P&O Princess shareholders." ENQUIRIES: CARNIVAL Telephone: +1 305 599 2600 Micky Arison Howard Frank FINANCIAL DYNAMICS Telephone: +44 20 7831 3113 Nic Bennett APCO EUROPE Tom Brookes Telephone: +32 2 645 9834 Terms used in this announcement have the same meaning as in the announcement dated 7 February 2002. Merrill Lynch International and UBS Warburg Ltd., a subsidiary of UBS AG, are acting as joint financial advisors and joint corporate brokers exclusively to Carnival and no-one else in connection with the Increased Offer and will not be responsible to anyone other than Carnival for providing the protections afforded to clients respectively of Merrill Lynch International and UBS Warburg Ltd. as the case may be or for providing advice in relation to the Increased Offer. SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain statements in this announcement constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Carnival has tried, wherever possible, to identify such statements by using words such as "anticipate," "assume," "believe," "expect," "intend," "plan" and words and terms of similar substance in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance. These forward-looking statements, including those which may impact the forecasting of Carnival's annual cost savings that underlie estimates of synergies and one time costs to implement synergies, net revenue yields, booking levels, price, occupancy or business prospects, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause Carnival's actual results, performances or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the following: general economic and business conditions which may impact levels of disposable income of consumers and the net revenue yields for Carnival's cruise products; consumer demand for cruises and other vacation options; other vacation industry competition; effects on consumer demand of armed conflicts, political instability, terrorism, the availability of air service and adverse media publicity; increases in cruise industry and vacation industry capacity; continued availability of attractive port destinations; changes in tax laws and regulations; Carnival's ability to implement its brand strategy, Carnival's ability to implement its shipbuilding program and to continue to expand its business outside the North American market; Carnival's ability to attract and retain shipboard crew; changes in foreign currency rates, security expenses, food, fuel, insurance and commodity prices and interest rates; delivery of new ships on schedule and at the contracted prices; weather patterns; unscheduled ship repairs and dry-docking; incidents involving cruise ships; impact of pending or threatened litigation; and changes in laws and regulations applicable to Carnival. Carnival cautions the reader that these risks may not be exhaustive. Carnival operates in a continually changing business environment, and new risks emerge from time to time. Carnival cannot predict such risks nor can it assess the impact, if any, of such risks on its business or the extent to which any risk, or combination of risks may cause actual results to differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as a prediction of actual results. Carnival undertakes no obligation publicly to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. CARNIVAL PLANS TO FILE A REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-4 AND A STATEMENT ON SCHEDULE TO WITH THE US SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION IN CONNECTION WITH COMMENCEMENT OF THE INCREASED OFFER. THE FORM S-4 WILL CONTAIN A PROSPECTUS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE INCREASED OFFER. CARNIVAL PLANS TO MAIL THE PROSPECTUS CONTAINED IN THE FORM S-4 TO SHAREHOLDERS OF P&O PRINCESS WHEN THE FORM S-4 IS FILED WITH THE SEC. THE FORM S-4, THE PROSPECTUS AND THE SCHEDULE TO WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT CARNIVAL, P&O PRINCESS, THE INCREASED OFFER AND RELATED MATTERS. INVESTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS SHOULD READ THE FORM S-4, THE PROSPECTUS, THE SCHEDULE TO AND THE OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH THE INCREASED OFFER CAREFULLY BEFORE THEY MAKE ANY DECISION WITH RESPECT TO THE INCREASED OFFER. THE FORM S-4, THE PROSPECTUS, THE SCHEDULE TO AND ALL OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH THE INCREASED OFFER WILL BE AVAILABLE WHEN FILED FREE OF CHARGE AT THE SEC'S WEB SITE, AT WWW.SEC.GOV. IN ADDITION, THE PROSPECTUS AND ALL OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH THE INCREASED OFFER WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO INVESTORS FREE OF CHARGE BY WRITING TO TIM GALLAGHER AT CARNIVAL CORPORATION, CARNIVAL PLACE, 3655 N.W. 87 AVENUE, MIAMI, FLORIDA, 33178-2428, US. IN ADDITION TO THE FORM S-4, PROSPECTUS, THE SCHEDULE TO AND THE OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH THE INCREASED OFFER, CARNIVAL IS OBLIGATED TO FILE ANNUAL, QUARTERLY AND CURRENT REPORTS, PROXY STATEMENTS AND OTHER INFORMATION WITH THE SEC. PERSONS MAY READ AND COPY ANY REPORTS, STATEMENTS AND OTHER INFORMATION FILED WITH THE SEC AT THE SEC'S PUBLIC REFERENCE ROOM AT 450 FIFTH STREET, N.W., WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549. PLEASE CALL THE SEC AT 1-800-SEC-0330 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE PUBLIC REFERENCE ROOM. FILINGS WITH THE SEC ALSO ARE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC FROM COMMERCIAL DOCUMENT-RETRIEVAL SERVICES AND AT THE WEB SITE MAINTAINED BY THE SEC AT WWW.SEC.GOV.