SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
FORM 6-K
P&O PRINCESS CRUISES PLC
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER
PURSUANT TO RULE 13a - 16 OR 15d - 16 OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the month of
November 2002
Not Applicable
(Translation of registrant's name into English)
77 New Oxford Street, London WC1A 1PP
(Address of principal executive offices)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or
will file annual reports
under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F
Form 20-F X Form 40-F ___
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by
furnishing the information contained in this form is also
thereby furnishing the information to the Commission
pursuant to Rule 12g3 - 2(b) under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934
Yes ____ No X
If "Yes" is marked, indicate below the file number
assigned to the registrant in connection with Rule 12g3 -
2(b) 82 -
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and
Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this
report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,
thereunto duly authorized.
P&O PRINCESS CRUISES PLC
Date: 11 November 2002 By: /s/ Simon Pearce
Name: Simon Pearce
Title: Company Secretary
P&O PRINCESS CONFIRMS DELIVERY DATES FOR
DIAMOND PRINCESS AND SAPPHIRE PRINCESS
November 11, 2002
As previously reported, following the fire last month aboard
one of the two sister ships under construction in Nagasaki,
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries ("MHI"), P&O Princess Cruises
plc ("P&O Princess") confirmed their intention to continue
with construction of the damaged vessel. The cruise program
for the ship from its original scheduled delivery in June
2003 through to the end of February 2004 had been cancelled,
pending a full assessment of the damage.
P&O Princess is pleased to report, following further
discussions with MHI and completion of the damage
assessment, that a revised delivery schedule for both ships
can now be confirmed and that no further cruise programs
will be cancelled. The delivery of the second ship has been
brought forward by three months to February 2004. This ship
will now be named Diamond Princess and will be deployed
initially in the Mexican trade. The ship damaged in the
fire will be rebuilt with delivery in May 2004. This ship
will now be named Sapphire Princess and will enter service
for the 2004 Alaska season, based in Seattle.
"Over the last several weeks we have worked very
constructively with Mitsubishi to assess the damage and
finalize arrangements that have enabled MHI to confirm to us
the new delivery dates for these two ships" said Peter
Ratcliffe, CEO of P&O Princess. "We appreciate the great
efforts which have and continue to be made by MHI, their
workforce and sub-contractors in achieving this new delivery
schedule, thus allowing both ships to be available for the
important 2004 summer season".
P&O Princess reconfirms that the company has in place
contractual arrangements with the yard and insurance
policies that it believes will be sufficient to ensure that
there will be no significant economic impact on the Group or
any adverse impact on its 2003 earnings as a result of the
fire. Furthermore, given the revised delivery dates, the
net effect on the Group's total capacity for 2004 will be a
reduction of around 1%, so any impact on 2004 earnings is
expected to be immaterial. Expected passenger cruise days
for the Group for 2004 are now 15.5 million.
- Ends -
For further information contact:
P&O Princess Cruises plc
Caroline Keppel-Palmer +44 20 7805 1214
+44 7730 732015
Brunswick
Sophie Fitton +44 20 7404 5959
Website www.poprincesscruises.com
P&O Princess
P&O Princess Cruises plc is a leading international cruise
company with some of the strongest cruising brand names:
Princess Cruises in North America; P&O Cruises, Swan Hellenic
and Ocean Village in the UK; AIDA and A'ROSA in Germany; and
P&O Cruises in Australia. It is a leading provider of cruises
to Alaska, the Caribbean, Europe, the Panama Canal and other
Exotic destinations. The current complement of 18 ships and
two river boats in operation offer 30,430 berths and is set to
grow in the next two years with the acquisition of two
additional ocean cruise ships and the delivery of six new
ocean cruise ships and two river boats on order. P&O Princess
Cruises has approximately 20,000 employees worldwide and
carried over one million passengers in 2001, generating a
revenue of approximately $2.5 billion (approximately GBP1.7
billion). Headquartered in London, P&O Princess Cruises'
ordinary shares are quoted on the London Stock Exchange and as
ADSs on the New York Stock Exchange (under the symbol "POC").