Advertisement

Cruise Line Puts Itself on the Block

Share
Associated Press

P&O; Princess Cruises has changed course and put itself up for auction, saying Wednesday that it will give shareholders time to study a $4.4-billion bid from Carnival Corp. that it had spurned in favor of a merger with Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

The winner in this three-way tussle will be the world’s biggest cruise ship operator.

In a concession to Miami-based Carnival, Princess has scheduled a shareholders’ meeting for Feb. 14. Six weeks before the meeting, the firm’s board plans to issue a memo urging investors to approve the proposed merger with Royal Caribbean.

If Carnival made a “credible and superior” offer by Jan. 18, shareholders would have time before their meeting to decide between the alternatives, Princess said.

Advertisement
Advertisement