Table of Contents

 
 
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
 
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant To Section 13 or 15(d) of The
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): December 5, 2005
ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD.
 
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
Republic of Liberia
 
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)
     
1-11884   98-0081645
     
(Commission File Number)   (IRS Employer Identification No.)
     
1050 Caribbean Way, Miami, Florida   33132
     
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)   (Zip Code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 305-539-6000
Not Applicable
 
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
 
     Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
      o Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
 
      o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
 
      o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
 
      o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
 
 

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Item 1.01 — Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits
SIGNATURES
2000 Stock Award Plan
Non Qualified 401(k) Plan
Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan
Board of Directors Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan


Table of Contents

Item 1.01 — Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
     On December 5, 2005, the Compensation Committee of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (the “Company”) approved changes to the Company’s Amended and Restated 2000 Stock Award Plan, Non-Qualified 401(k) Plan, Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan and the Board of Directors Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plan. On December 6, 2005, the Board of Directors ratified and approved the changes.
     The changes were made as a consequence of changes to laws and regulations that govern the tax and accounting treatment of these plans, most notably the passage of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 which places restrictions on the ability to provide deferred compensation. The amendments generally involve placing additional restrictions on the receipt of deferred income and, with respect to the Stock Award Plan, providing for an annual grant limit, limiting the number of shares that may be granted as Incentive Stock Options, and placing restrictions on allowable stock appreciation rights.
     Copies of each of these Plans, as amended and restated through December 6, 2005 to incorporate the changes, are attached as Exhibits 10.1, 10.2, 10.3 and 10.4, respectively, to this Current Report on Form 8-K, and each is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
  (c)   Exhibits
 
      Exhibit 10.1 — Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. 2000 Stock Award Plan, as Amended and Restated through December 6, 2005
 
      Exhibit 10.2 — The Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Et Al NonQualified 401(k) Plan, as Amended and Restated through December 6, 2005
 
      Exhibit 10.3 — Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan, as Amended and Restated through December 6, 2005
 
      Exhibit 10.4 — The Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Et Al Board of Directors Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan, as Amended and Restated through December 6, 2005

 


Table of Contents

SIGNATURES
     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
         
  ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD.
 
 
Date: December 8, 2005  By:   /s/ Thomas F. Murrill    
    Name:   Thomas F. Murrill   
    Title:   Vice President, Chief HR Officer   
 

 

 

Exhibit 10.1
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
2000 Stock Award Plan
As Amended And Restated Through December 6, 2005
Table of Contents
         
Section   Page  
 
1. Purpose and Effectiveness
    1  
2. Definitions and Rules of Construction
    2  
3. Eligibility and Participation
    4  
4. Stock Subject to Plan
    5  
5. Forms and Terms of Awards Under the Plan
    5  
6. Exercises of Stock Options
    10  
7. Events Affecting Plan Reserve or Plan Awards
    12  
8. Administration of the Plan
    15  
9. Government Regulations and Registration of Shares
    16  
10. Miscellaneous Provisions
    16  
11. Amendment and Termination of this Plan
    19  
Signature
    19  
Section 1. Purpose and Effectiveness
          The purpose of this amended and restated Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. 2000 Stock Award Plan (the “Plan”) is to promote the success of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (the “Company”) by providing a method whereby both employees and directors of the Company and its Affiliates may be encouraged to increase their proprietary interest in the Company’s business. By offering incentive compensation opportunities that are based on the Company’s common stock, the Plan will motivate Participants to achieve long-range goals, further identify their interests with those of the Company’s other shareholders, and promote the long-term financial interest of the Company. The Plan is further intended to aid in attracting persons of exceptional ability and leadership qualities to become officers, employees, and directors of the Company and its Affiliates.
          The Plan was amended and restated in its entirety effective February 3, 2004 (the “Effective Date”) and shall be subject to approval at the 2004 annual meeting of the Company’s shareholders. Any Awards granted under the Plan prior to such stockholder approval, other than Nonqualified Options authorized under the Plan prior to this amendment and restatement, shall be conditioned upon such shareholder approval and shall be null and void if such approval is not obtained.
          The Plan shall be unlimited in duration and, in the event of Plan termination, shall remain in effect as long as any Awards under it are outstanding; provided, however, that no Awards may be granted under the Plan after September 1, 2009.

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          Awards made under the Plan may be in the form of Incentive Options, Nonqualified Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, and Performance Shares, each as defined in Section 5(a) of the Plan and as the Committee shall, in its sole discretion, decide.
Section 2. Definitions and Rules of Construction
          (a)  Defined Terms . Capitalized terms not defined elsewhere in the Plan shall have the following meanings (whether used in the singular or plural):
“Affiliate” means any business entity, regardless of whether organized as a corporation, limited liability company, partnership or any other legal form, in which the Company has (i) an ownership of 50% or greater, or (ii) in the sole discretion of the Committee, a controlling interest.
“Agreement” means a written agreement between a Participant and the Company that sets out the terms of the grant of an Award, as any such Agreement may be supplemented or amended from time to time.
“Award” means any award or benefit granted under the Plan, as further defined in Section 5 of the Plan.
“Beneficiary” means the individual(s) designated by the Participant to succeed to his/her rights in all Awards granted to him/her under the Plan in the eventuality of his/her death or mental incapacity.
“Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.
“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, or any successor statute or statutes thereto. Reference to any specific Code section shall include any successor section.
“Committee” means the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company.
“Company” means Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and any successor entity.
“Date of Grant” means the date on which the Committee takes the corporate actions necessary to fix the major terms of an Award to a specified Eligible Individual, including, in the case of an Option, the number of Shares subject to the Option and the applicable Exercise Price.
“Director” means a duly elected or appointed member of the Company’s Board of Directors.

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“Disability” means permanent and total disability as defined in Section 22(e) of the Code.
“Eligible Individual” means an Employee or Director, who is described in Section 3.
“Employee” means an individual who is employed by the Company or any Affiliate of the Company. The term “Employee” will also include an individual who is granted an Award, in connection with his/her hiring by the Company or any Affiliate, prior to the date the individual first becomes an Employee, but if and only if such Award does not vest prior to the date the individual first becomes an Employee.
“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time, or any successor statute or statutes thereto. Reference to any specific ERISA section shall include any successor section.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time, or any successor statute or statutes thereto. Reference to any specific Exchange Act section shall include any successor section.
“Executive Officer” means executive officer as defined in Rule 3b-7 under the Exchange Act, provided that, if the Board has designated the executive officers of the Company for purposes of reporting under the Exchange Act, the designation by the Board shall be conclusive for purposes of the Plan.
“Exercise Price” means the price that must be paid by an Optionee upon exercise of an Option to purchase a share of Stock.
“Fair Market Value” of a Share of Stock as of any date means the mean between the highest and lowest reported sale prices of the Stock (i) on the date on the principal exchange or market on which the Stock is then listed or admitted to trading, or (ii) if the day is not a date on which such exchange or market is open, the last preceding date on which there was a sale of such Stock on such exchange or market.
“Option” means a Nonqualified Option or an Incentive Option.
“Optionee” means an Eligible Individual who has received an Option under this Plan, for the period of time during which such Option is held in whole or in part.
“Option Shares” means, with respect to any Option granted under this Plan, the Stock that may be acquired upon the exercise of such Option.
“Participant” means an Eligible Individual who has received an Award under this Plan.
“Plan” means this Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. 2000 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended from time to time.
“Secretary” means the secretary of the Company or his/her designee.

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“Settlement Date” means the date on which Stock, cash, cash equivalents, or any combination thereof are transferred by the Company to a Participant with respect to, and in settlement of, a prior contractual commitment made by the Company to such Participant under the Plan in the form of Restricted Stock Units or Performance Shares.
“Shares” or “Stock” mean shares of the common stock of the Company, par value $.01, subject to any adjustments made under Section 7 or by operation of law.
“Subsidiary” of the Company means any present or future subsidiary (as that term is defined in Section 424(f) of the Code) of the Company An entity shall be deemed a subsidiary of the Company for purposes of this definition only for such periods as the requisite ownership or control relationship is maintained.
“Termination of Service,” “Terminate” or “Termination” occurs when a Participant ceases to be an Employee of, or ceases to be a Director of, the Company and its Affiliates, as the case may be, for any reason.
“Vested,” “Vest” and “Vesting” means (i) with respect to any portion of an Award, that legal ownership of such portion of the Award will not be forfeited by the Participant pursuant to the provisions of this Plan in the event the Participant Terminates Service with the Company or any Affiliate, and (ii) with respect to any portion of an Option, that such portion of the Option may be exercised, unless such exercise is prohibited by law or by other provisions of the Plan.
“Vesting Date” with respect to any Award granted hereunder means the date on which such Award becomes Vested, as designated in or determined in accordance with the Plan and with the Agreement with respect to such Award. If more than one Vesting Date is designated for an Award, reference in the Plan to a Vesting Date in respect of such Award shall be deemed to refer to each part of such Award and the Vesting Date for such part.
          (b)  Rules of Construction . Where the context permits, words in any gender shall include the other gender, words in the singular shall include the plural, and the plural shall include the singular.
Section 3. Eligibility and Participation
          The persons who shall be eligible to participate in the Plan and to receive Awards shall be such Employees (including officers) and Directors as the Committee, in its sole discretion, shall select. Awards may be made to Eligible Individuals who hold or have held Awards under this Plan or any similar plan or other awards under any other plan of the Company or any of its Affiliates. Any member of the Committee shall be eligible to receive Awards while serving on the Committee.
          Awards may be granted by the Committee at any time and from time to time to new Participants, or to then Participants, or to a greater or lesser number of Participants,

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and may include or exclude previous Participants, as the Committee shall determine. Except as required by this Plan, Plan Awards granted at different times need not contain similar provisions. The Committee’s determinations under the Plan (including without limitation, determinations of which individuals, if any, are to receive Awards, the form, amount and timing of such Awards, the terms and provisions of such Awards and the agreements evidencing same) need not be uniform and may be made by it selectively among individuals who receive, or are eligible to receive, under the Plan.
Section 4. Stock Subject to Plan
          Subject to the following provisions of this Section 4 and to the provisions of Section 7, the maximum number of Shares with respect to which any Awards may be granted, including Awards of Incentive Stock Options as defined in Section 5(a)(i), during the term of the Plan shall be 13,000,000. During any calendar year, no one individual shall be granted, under this Plan, Awards with respect to more than 500,000 shares.
          During the term of this Plan, the Company will at all times reserve and keep available the number of Shares that shall be sufficient to satisfy the requirements of this Plan. Shares will be made available from the currently authorized but unissued shares of the Company or from shares currently held or subsequently reacquired by the Company as treasury shares, including shares purchased in the open market or in private transactions.
          The grant of any Award hereunder shall count, equal in number to the Shares represented by such Award, towards the share maximum indicated in this Section 4. To the extent that (i) any outstanding Option for any reason expires, is terminated, forfeited or canceled without having been exercised, or if any other Award is forfeited or otherwise does not result in the delivery of Shares by the Company, and (ii) any Shares covered by an Award are not delivered because the Award is settled in cash or used to satisfy the applicable tax withholding obligation, such Shares shall be deemed to have not been delivered and shall be restored to the share maximum. If the exercise price of any Option granted under the Plan is satisfied by tendering Shares to the Company (by either actual delivery or attestation), the number of Shares tendered shall be restored to the share maximum.
Section 5. Forms and Terms of Awards Under the Plan
          (a)  In General . The Committee may grant any of the following types of Awards, either singly or in combination with other Awards:
     (i) Incentive Stock Options . An incentive stock option (an “Incentive Option”) shall convey to the Participant the right to purchase from the Company a stated number of Shares at an Exercise Price and for a period of time established by the Committee. An Incentive Option is both intended to be and qualifies as an incentive stock option under Section 422 of the Code.

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     (ii) Nonqualified Stock Options . A nonqualified stock option (a “Nonqualified Option”) shall convey to the Participant the right to purchase from the Company a stated number of Shares at an Exercise Price and for a period of time established by the Committee. A Nonqualified Option is not intended to be or does not qualify as an Incentive Option under Section 422 of the Code.
     (iii) Stock Appreciation Rights . A Stock Appreciation Right is an Award in the form of a right to receive, upon surrender of the right, but without other payment, an amount based on appreciation in the value of Stock over a base price established in the Award, payable in Stock, at times and upon conditions (which may include a Change in Control), as may be approved by the Committee.
     (iv) Restricted Stock . Restricted Stock is an Award of Shares that are issued to a Participant such that the Participant is thereupon the legal owner of such Shares with all of the attendant rights and privileges of ownership, but remains subject to a risk of forfeiture of such ownership back to the Company for a period of time specified on the Date of Grant. Such forfeiture may be conditioned on the continued performance of services or the achievement of individual, divisional, or corporate goals. Restricted Stock will also be subject to restrictions on transfer and such other restrictions on incidents of ownership as the Committee may determine, for the same period of time as the risk of forfeiture.
     (v) Restricted Stock Units . A Restricted Stock Unit is an Award payable in cash or Stock and represented by a bookkeeping credit, in which both the number of Shares and the Settlement Date (subject to any subsequent deferral election by the Participant) are fixed on the Date of Grant. The value of each Restricted Stock Unit equals the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock, as such value may change up to the date the Stock Unit Vests. The actual payment of cash or Stock to the Participant at the Settlement Date may be made contingent, in the sole discretion of the Committee, upon (A) solely continued service, or (B) both continued service and the achievement of an individual, divisional or corporate goal. Restricted Stock Units are not outstanding shares of Stock and do not entitle a Participant to voting or other rights or dividends with respect to Stock, unless and until actually paid out in the form of Stock.
     (vi) P erformance Shares . A Performance Share is a variable Award payable in cash or Stock and represented by a bookkeeping credit, in which the number of Shares (or value thereof) to be transferred to the Participant at the end of a performance measurement period will be a function of both continued service and the relevant achievement of individual, divisional or corporate goals. The value of each Performance Share equals the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock, as such value may change up to the date the Performance Share Vests. Shares actually transferred following the end of the performance measurement

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period will not be restricted by the Company in any way, other than as required by law.
          (b)  Provisions Applicable to All Forms of Awards . Subsequent to the grant of any Award, the Committee may, at any time before the complete expiration of such Award, Vest the Award in whole or part or accelerate the time or times at which such Award may become Vested in whole or in part in the future(without reducing the term of such Award).
          To the extent that the Company is required to withhold any Federal, state or other taxes in respect of any compensation income realized by the Participant in respect of shares acquired pursuant to an Award, or in respect of the Vesting of any such shares of Stock, then the Company shall deduct from either such Shares or any payments of any kind otherwise due to such Participant the aggregate amount of such Federal, state or other taxes required to be so withheld. If such payments are insufficient to satisfy such Federal, state or other taxes, then such Participant will be required to pay to the Company, or make other arrangements satisfactory to the Company regarding payment to the Company of, the aggregate amount of any such taxes. All matters with respect to the total amount of taxes to be withheld in respect of any such compensation income shall be determined by the Company in its sole discretion.
          (c)  Provisions Applicable to Stock Options and Stock Appreciation Rights . Subject to the limitations of the Plan, the Committee shall designate from time to time those Eligible Individuals to be granted Options, the time when each Option shall be granted, the number of Shares subject to such Option, whether such Option is an Incentive Option or a Nonqualified Option, and the Exercise Price of the Option Shares. Options shall be evidenced by Agreements in such form and containing such terms and provisions not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan as the Committee may from time to time approve. Each Optionee shall be notified of such grant and a written Agreement shall be executed and delivered by the Company to the Optionee. Subject to the other provisions of the Plan, the same person may receive Incentive Options and Nonqualified Options at the same time and pursuant to the same Agreement, provided that Incentive Options and Nonqualified Options are clearly designated as such.
          Option Agreements shall conform to the terms and conditions of the Plan. Such Agreements may provide that the grant of any Option under the Plan, or that Stock acquired pursuant to the exercise of any Option, shall be subject to such other conditions (whether or not applicable to an Option or Stock received by any other Optionee) as the Committee determines appropriate, including, without limitation, provisions conditioning exercise upon the occurrence of certain events or performance or the passage of time, provisions to assist the Optionee in financing the purchase of Stock through the exercise of Options, provisions for forfeiture, restrictions on resale or other disposition of shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of Options, provisions conditioning the grant of the Option or future Options upon the Optionee retaining ownership of Shares acquired upon exercise for a stated period of time, and provisions to comply with federal and state securities laws and federal and state income tax and other payroll tax withholding requirements.

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          The price at which Shares may be purchased upon exercise of an Option shall be fixed by the Committee on the Date of Grant and may not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of the Option Shares as of the Date of Grant. All Options shall specify the term during which the Option may be exercised, which shall be in all cases ten years or less.
          No Option may be exercised in part or in full before the Vesting Date(s) set forth in its terms, other than in the event of acceleration as provided in Section 7. No Option may be exercised prior to the day following the six-month anniversary of the Date of Grant, or after the Option expires by its terms as set forth in the applicable Agreement. In the case of an Option that is exercisable in installments, installments that are exercisable and not exercised shall remain exercisable during the term of the Option. The grant of an Option shall impose no obligation on the Optionee to exercise such Option.
          The Committee may specify in any Agreement a vesting schedule that must be satisfied before Options become Vested, such that all or any portion of an Option may not become Vested until a Vesting Date or Vesting Dates, or until the occurrence of one or more specified events, subject in any case to the terms of the Plan.
          No Option shall be transferable other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, other than pursuant to an order issued by a court of competent jurisdiction in connection with the divorce or bankruptcy of the Participant. During the lifetime of the Optionee, the Option shall be exercisable only by such Optionee or his/her court-appointed legal representative or transferee. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, provide in the applicable Agreement evidencing a Nonqualified Option that the Optionee may transfer, assign or otherwise dispose of an option (i) to his/her spouse, parents, siblings and lineal descendants, (ii) to a trust for the benefit of the Optionee and any of the foregoing, or (iii) to any corporation or partnership controlled by the Optionee, subject to such conditions or limitations as the Committee may establish to ensure compliance with any rule promulgated pursuant to the Exchange Act, or for other purposes. The terms applicable to the assigned Option shall be the same as those in effect for the Option immediately prior to such assignment and shall be set forth in such documents issued to the assignee as the Company may deem appropriate.
          An Optionee or a transferee of an Option shall have no rights as a stockholder with respect to any Share covered by his/her Option until he shall have become the holder of record of such Share, and he shall not be entitled to any dividends or distributions or other rights in respect of such Share for which the record date is prior to the date on which he shall have become the holder of record thereof.
          The Committee shall not, without first having obtained the approval of the shareholders of the Company, effect the cancellation of any or all outstanding Options under the Plan and the substitution therefore of new Options covering the same or

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different number of Shares but with an exercise price per share based on the Fair Market Value per Share on the new option grant date.
          The following additional provisions shall be applicable to Incentive Options, but only if, and to the extent, required by section 422 of the Code:
(i) Incentive Options shall be specifically designated as such in the applicable Agreement, and may be granted only to those Eligible Individuals who are both (A) Employees of the Company and/or a Subsidiary, and (B) citizens or resident aliens of the United States.
(ii) To the extent the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the time the Option is granted) of the Stock with respect to which any Incentive Options granted hereunder may be exercisable for the first time by the Optionee in any calendar year (under this Plan or any other compensation plan of the Company or any Subsidiary thereof) exceeds $100,000, such Options shall not be considered Incentive Options.
(iii) No Incentive Option may be granted to an individual who, at the time the Option is granted, owns directly, or indirectly within the meaning of Section 424(d) of the Code, stock possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or of any Subsidiary thereof, unless such Option (i) has an exercise price of at least 110% of the Fair Market Value of the Stock on the Date of Grant of such option; and (ii) cannot be exercised more than five years after the Date of Grant.
(iv) The Exercise Price for Incentive Options shall not be less than the Fair Market Value of the Stock on the Date of Grant.
          Each of the above provisions with respect to the granting, vesting, transferability and exercise of Options, except to the extent they are applicable solely to (i) the actual purchase of stock and payment of consideration or (ii) Incentive Options, shall also apply to the grant of Stock Appreciation Rights by the Committee under the Plan.
          (d)  Provisions Applicable to Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units . Awards of Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units shall be subject to the right of the Company to require forfeiture of such Shares or rights by the Participant in the event that conditions specified by the Committee in the applicable Agreement are not satisfied prior to the end of the applicable vesting period established by the Committee for such Awards. Conditions for repurchase (or forfeiture) may be based on continuing employment or service or achievement of pre-established performance or other goals and objectives. Subsequent to the grant of an award of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units, the Committee may, at any time before complete termination of such Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Unit, accelerate the time or times at which such Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Unit is no longer subject to forfeiture or repurchase.

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          A Restricted Stock Unit may provide the Participant with the right to receive dividend payments or dividend equivalent payments with respect to Stock subject to the Award (both before and after the Stock subject to the Award is earned, Vested, or acquired), which payments may be either made currently or credited to an account for the Participant, and may be settled in cash or Stock, as determined by the Committee. Any such settlements, and any such crediting of dividends or dividend equivalents or reinvestment in shares of Stock, may be subject to such conditions, restrictions and contingencies as the Committee shall establish, including the reinvestment of such credited amounts in Stock equivalents.
          Shares represented by Restricted Stock Awards may not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise encumbered, except as permitted by the Committee, during the applicable vesting period. Such Shares shall be evidenced in such manner as the Committee may determine. Any certificates issued in respect of such Shares shall be registered in the name of the Participant and, unless otherwise determined by the Committee, deposited by the Participant, together with a stock power endorsed in blank, with the Company (or its designee). To the extent Shares of a Restricted Stock Award Vest, the Company (or such designee) shall deliver such certificates to the Participant or, if the Participant has died, to the Participant’s Beneficiary. Each certificate evidencing stock subject to Restricted Stock Awards shall bear an appropriate legend referring to the terms, conditions and restrictions applicable to such Award. Any attempt to dispose of stock in contravention of such terms, conditions and restrictions shall be ineffective. During the restriction period, the Participant shall have all the rights of a shareholder for all such Shares, including the right to vote and the right to receive dividends thereon as paid.
          (e)  Provisions Applicable to Restricted Stock Units and Performance Shares . The Committee may provide in the terms of a Restricted Stock Unit or Performance Share Award for the elective deferral by the Participant of the receipt of the actual payment of cash or Stock otherwise due and payable to the Participant pursuant to such Award. In providing for such deferral, the Committee shall limit eligibility, and shall specify such rules regarding the timing and other features of the deferral, so as to comply with all applicable sections of ERISA and the constructive receipt and similar doctrines of the internal revenue laws.
Section 6. Exercises of Stock Options
          An Option may be exercised in whole or in part at any time to the extent such Option has become Vested during the term of such Option; provided, however, that (i) unless otherwise provided by Section 7, an Option may be exercised only while the Optionee is an Employee or Director, and (ii) each partial exercise shall be for whole Shares only. Unless otherwise provided by Section 7, that portion of an Option that has not become Vested as of the date the Optionee ceases to be an Employee or Director shall lapse and be null and void.
          Each Option, or any exercisable portion thereof, may only be exercised by delivery to the Secretary or his/her office, in accordance with such procedures for the

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exercise of Options as the Company may establish from time to time, of (i) notice in writing signed by the Optionee (or other person then entitled to exercise such Option) that such Option, or a specified portion thereof, is being exercised; (ii) payment in full for the purchased Shares (pursuant to the rules specified below); (iii) such representations and documents as are necessary or advisable to effect compliance with all applicable provisions of Federal or state securities laws or regulations; (iv) in the event that the Option or portion thereof shall be exercised by any individual other than the Optionee, appropriate proof of the right of such individual to exercise the Option or portion thereof; and (v) full payment to the Company of all amounts which, under federal, state or other law, it is required to withhold upon exercise of the Option (pursuant to the rules specified below).
          Except as noted in this paragraph, upon receiving notice of exercise and payment, the Company will cause to be delivered to the Optionee, as soon as practicable, a certificate in the Optionee’s name for the Shares purchased, and within a reasonable time thereafter such transfer shall be evidenced on the books and records of the Company. The Shares issuable and deliverable upon the exercise of an Option shall be fully paid and nonassessable. Shares shall not be issued pursuant to the exercise of an Option unless the exercise of such Option and the issuance and delivery of such Shares pursuant thereto shall comply with all relevant provisions of law, including, without limitation, the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Exchange Act, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and the requirements of any stock exchange upon which the Shares may then be listed, and shall be further subject to the approval of counsel for the Company with respect to such compliance.
          Payment for Shares purchased under an Option granted hereunder shall be made in full upon exercise of the Option (except that, in the case of an exercise arrangement approved by the Company and described in clause (iv) below, payment may be made as soon as practicable after the exercise). The method or methods of payment of the purchase price for the Shares to be purchased upon exercise of an Option and of any amounts required for tax withholding purposes shall be determined by the Company and may consist of (i) cash, (ii) check, (iii) the tendering, by either actual delivery or by attestation, of whole shares of Stock, valued at Fair Market Value as of the day of exercise, or (iv) through a special sale and remittance procedure pursuant to which the Optionee shall concurrently provide irrevocable written instructions to (a) a brokerage firm acceptable to the Company to effect the immediate sale of the purchased shares and remit to the Company, out of the sale proceeds available on the settlement date, sufficient funds to cover the aggregate exercise price payable for the purchased shares plus all applicable Federal, state and other employment taxes required to be withheld by the Company by reason of such exercise, and (b) the Company to deliver the certificates for the purchased Shares directly to such brokerage firm in order to complete the sale. The permitted method or methods of payment of the amounts payable upon exercise of an Option may be transacted by the Optionee him/herself or by a broker designated by him/her (other than a payment described in clause (iv) above), and, if other than in cash, shall be set forth in the applicable agreement.

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          Each Agreement shall require that an Optionee pay to the Company, at the time of exercise of a Nonqualified Option, such amount as the Company deems necessary to satisfy the Company’s obligation to withhold federal or state income or other applicable taxes incurred by reason of the exercise or the transfer of Shares thereupon. To the extent permitted by the Option Agreement, an Optionee may satisfy such withholding requirements by having the Company withhold from the number of Shares otherwise issuable upon exercise of the Option that number of shares having an aggregate Fair Market Value on the date of exercise equal to the amount required by law to be withheld.
Section 7. Events Affecting Plan Reserve or Plan Awards
          If the Company subdivides its outstanding shares of Stock into a greater number of shares of Stock (including, without limitation, by stock dividend or stock split) or combines its outstanding shares of Stock into a smaller number of shares (by reverse stock split, reclassification or otherwise), or the Committee determines that any stock dividend, extraordinary cash dividend, reclassification, recapitalization, reorganization, split-up, spin-off, combination, exchange of shares, warrants or rights offering to purchase Stock, or other similar corporate event (including mergers or consolidations) affects the Stock such that an adjustment is required in order to preserve the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under this Plan, then the Committee shall, in such manner as it may deem equitable and appropriate, make such adjustments to any or all of (i) the number of shares of Stock reserved for the Plan, (ii) the number of shares subject to outstanding Options and other Awards, (iii) the Exercise Price with respect to outstanding Options, and any other adjustment that the Committee determines to be equitable; provided, however, that the number of shares subject to any Option shall always be a whole number. The Committee may provide for a cash payment to any Participant of a Plan Award in connection with any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 7.
          Any such adjustment to an Option shall be made without a change to the total Exercise Price applicable to the unexercised portion of the Option (except for any change in the aggregate price resulting from rounding-off of share quantities or prices), and shall be final and binding upon all Participants, the Company, their representatives, and all other interested persons.
          In the event of a transaction involving (i) a merger or consolidation in which the Company is not the surviving company or (ii) the sale or disposition of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets, provision shall be made in connection with such transaction for the assumption of Awards theretofore granted under the Plan, or the substitution for such Awards of new options of the successor corporation, with appropriate adjustment as to the number and kind of Shares and the purchase price for Shares thereunder. Alternatively, in the discretion of the Committee, the Plan and the Awards issued hereunder shall terminate on the effective date of such transaction if appropriate provision is made for payment to the Participant of an amount in cash equal to the Fair Market Value of a Share multiplied by the number of Shares subject to the Awards (to the extent such Awards have not been exercised) less the exercise price for such Awards (to the extent such Awards have not been exercised). Further, any

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obligations under the plan to deliver Shares of Stock in the future shall be similarly adjusted.
          If a Participant has a Termination of Service by reason of his/her death or Disability, then notwithstanding any contrary waiting period, installment period or vesting schedule in any Agreement or in the Plan, unless the applicable Agreement provides otherwise, each outstanding Award granted to such Participant shall immediately become Vested and, if an Option, exercisable in full in respect of the aggregate number of shares covered thereby.
          If an Optionee has a Termination of Service by reason of his/her death or Disability prior to the expiration date of his/her Option, or if an Optionee dies subsequent to his/her Termination of Service on account of such Disability but prior to the expiration date of his/her Option, and in either case all or some portion of such Option is Vested and exercisable pursuant to the terms of this Plan and of the Option Agreement, such Option may be exercised by the Optionee or by the Optionee’s estate, personal representative or beneficiary, as the case may be, at any time prior to the earlier of (i) one year following the date of the Optionee’s death or disability, or such later time not to exceed an additional year as the Committee may from time to time determine in its discretion on a case by case basis, or (ii) the expiration date of such Option.
          If an Optionee has a Termination of Service for any reason other than his/her death or Disability prior to the expiration date of his/her Option, and all or some portion of such Option is Vested and exercisable pursuant to the terms of this Plan and of the Option Agreement, such Option may be exercised by the Optionee at any time prior to the earlier of (i) three months following the date of the Optionee’s Termination, or such later time not to exceed an additional nine months as the Committee may from time to time determine in its discretion on a case by case basis, or (ii) the expiration date of such Option.
          The Company may determine whether any given leave of absence constitutes a termination of employment and, if it does not, whether the time spent on the leave will or will not be counted as vesting credit; provided, however, that for purposes of the Plan (i) a leave of absence, duly authorized in writing by the Company, if the period of such leave does not exceed 90 days, and (ii) a leave of absence in excess of 90 days, duly authorized in writing by the Company, provided (a) the Employee’s right to reemployment is guaranteed either by statute or contract, or (b) for the purpose of military service, shall not be deemed a termination of employment.
          Following a Change of Control, if a Participant has a Termination of Service within eighteen (18) months of such Change of Control, other than by reason of (a) death, (b) Disability, (c) termination for Cause, or (d) termination by the Participant for other than Good Reason, then notwithstanding any contrary waiting period, installment period or vesting schedule in any Agreement or in the Plan, each outstanding Award granted to such Participant shall immediately become Vested, and, if an Option, exercisable in full in respect of the aggregate number of shares covered thereby.

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          “Change of Control” shall mean (i) the acquisition by any individual, entity or group (other than the Company, Cruise Associates and/or A. Wilhelmsen AS or an affiliate of any of them) of beneficial ownership (as such term is defined in Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) of more than 50% of the then outstanding voting securities of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of Directors (the ”Voting Securities”); (ii) during any period of 24 consecutive months, a majority of the Board shall no longer be composed of individuals (a) who were members of the Board on the first day of such period, or (b) whose election or nomination to the Board were approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the members of the Board who were members of the Board on the first day of such period, or (c) whose election or nomination to the Board was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the members of the Board referred to in the foregoing subclauses (a) and (b); (iii) consummation of a reorganization, merger or consolidation or sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company (a “Business Combination”) unless, following such Business Combination (a) the beneficial owners of the Voting Securities of the Company immediately prior to the Business Combination beneficially own more than 50% of the combined voting power of the voting securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors of the corporation resulting from such Business Combination, and (b) at least a majority of the board of directors of the corporation resulting from such Business Combination were members of the Company’s Board at the time of the action of the Company’s Board providing for such Business Combination; (iv) consummation of a reorganization, merger or consolidation with another corporation or business entity not already under common control with the Company, or the acquisition of stock or assets of such other corporation or business entity, if the market capitalization of the other corporation or entity, or the stock or assets acquired, is equal to or greater than the Company’s market capitalization immediately prior to the closing of such transaction; or (v) approval by the shareholders of the Company of a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company.
“Cause” shall mean (i) an act of material dishonesty, including, without limitation, fraud, misappropriation, embezzlement, financial misrepresentation or other similar behavior, (ii) conviction of, or the entry of a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, the commission of a felony; (iii) an action or failure to act that demonstrates a conflict of interest in which the person acts for his or her own benefit to the detriment of the Company; (iv) an action or failure to act that constitutes a material breach of the person’s duties to the Company; or (v) the failure to follow the lawful directives of the Company provided that those directives are consistent with the person’s duties to the Company.
“Good Reason” shall mean (i) the assignment to the person without the person’s consent of any duties materially inconsistent with the person’s position (including status, offices and titles), authority, duties or responsibilities as they existed prior to the Change of Control; (ii) any action by the Company which results in a material diminuition in the person’s position, authority, duties, responsibilities, compensation or benefits as they existed prior to the Change of Control without the person’s consent; or (iii) the Company requiring that the person relocate his or her principal business office more than 100 miles from the location existing prior to the Change of Control without the person’s consent.

- 14 -


 

          In addition to any action required or authorized by the terms of an Award, the Committee may take any other action it deems appropriate to ensure the equitable treatment of Participants in the event of or anticipation of a Change of Control, including but not limited to any one or more of the following with respect to any or all Awards: (i) the acceleration or extension of time periods for purposes of exercising, vesting in, or realizing gains from, the Awards, (ii) the waiver of conditions on the Awards that were imposed for the benefit of the Company, (iii) provision for the cash settlement of the Awards for their equivalent cash value, as determined by the Committee, as of the date of the Change of Control; or (iv) such other modifications or adjustments to the Awards as the Committee deems appropriate to maintain and protect the rights and interests of Participants upon or following the Change of Control.
Section 8. Administration
          The Plan shall be administered by the Compensation Committee of the Board unless a different committee is appointed by the Board.
     The Committee’s administration of the Plan shall be subject to the following:
  (a)   Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee will have the authority and discretion to select from among the Eligible Individuals those persons who shall receive Awards, to determine the time or times of receipt, to determine the types of Awards and the number of shares covered by the Awards, to establish the terms, conditions, performance criteria, restrictions, and other provisions of such Awards, and, subject to the restrictions of Section 11, to cancel or suspend Awards.
 
  (b)   To the extent that the Committee determines that the restrictions imposed by the Plan preclude the achievement of the material purposes of the Awards in jurisdictions outside the United States, the Committee will have the authority and discretion to modify those restrictions as the Committee determines to be necessary or appropriate to conform to applicable requirements or practices of those jurisdictions.
          With respect to the grant of Awards to Eligible Individuals who are not Executive Officers or Directors, and except to the extent prohibited by applicable law or the applicable rules of a stock exchange, the Committee may delegate to any person or persons selected by it, who may or may not be Directors, (“a Subcommittee”) all or any part of its responsibilities and powers as set forth above. Any such allocation or delegation may be revoked by the Committee at any time.
          The Company and its Affiliates shall furnish the Committee with such data and information as it determines may be required for it to discharge its duties. The records of the Company and its Affiliates as to an Employee’s or Participant’s employment (or other provision of services), Termination of Service, leave of absence, reemployment and compensation shall be conclusive on all persons unless determined to be incorrect. Participants and other persons entitled to benefits under the Plan must furnish to the

- 15 -


 

Company such evidence, data, or information, as the Committee or the Company considers desirable to carry out the terms of the Plan.
          The Committee is authorized, subject to the provisions of the Plan, to establish, amend and rescind such rules and regulations, as it deems necessary or advisable for the proper administration of the Plan and to take such other action in connection with or in relation to the Plan, as it deems necessary or advisable. Each action and determination made or taken pursuant to the Plan by the Committee, including any interpretation or construction of the Plan, shall be final and conclusive for all purposes and upon all persons.
          No member of the Committee shall be personally liable for any action, determination or interpretation made by him/her or the Committee in good faith with respect to the Plan or any Award granted pursuant thereto.
          The Committee, the Company, and its officers and directors, shall be entitled to rely upon the advice, opinions or valuations of any attorneys, consultants, accountants or other persons employed to assist them in connection with the administration of the Plan.
Section 9. Government Regulations and Registration of Shares
          The Plan, and the grant and exercise of Awards hereunder, and the Company’s obligation to sell and deliver stock under Options, shall be subject to all applicable federal and state laws, rules and regulations and to such approvals by any regulatory or governmental agency as may be required.
          The obligation of the Company with respect to Awards shall be subject to all applicable laws, rules and regulations and such approvals by any governmental agencies as may be required, including, without limitation, the effectiveness of any registration statement required under the Securities Act of 1933, and the rules and regulations of any securities exchange or association on which the Stock may be listed or quoted. For so long as the Stock of the Company is registered under the Exchange Act, the Company shall use its reasonable efforts to comply with any legal requirements (i) to maintain a registration statement in effect under the Securities Act of 1933 with respect to all shares of the applicable series of Stock that may be issued to Participants under the Plan, and (ii) to file in a timely manner all reports required to be filed by it under the Exchange Act.
Section 10. Miscellaneous Provisions
           Legends . Each certificate evidencing Stock obtained through the Plan shall bear such legends as the Company deems necessary or appropriate to reflect or refer to any terms, conditions or restrictions applicable to such Shares, including, without limitation, any to the effect that the Shares represented thereby (i) are subject to contractual restrictions regarding disposition, and (ii) may not be disposed of unless the Company

- 16 -


 

has received an opinion of counsel, acceptable to the Company, that such dispositions will not violate any federal or state securities laws.
           Rights of Company . Nothing contained in the Plan or in any Agreement, and no action of the Company or the Committee with respect thereto, shall interfere in any way with the right of the Company or an Affiliate to terminate the employment of the Participant at any time, with or without cause. The grant of Awards pursuant to the Plan shall not affect in any way the right or power of the Company to make reclassifications, reorganizations or other changes of or to its capital or business structure or to merge, consolidate, liquidate, sell or otherwise dispose of all or any part of its business or assets.
           Designation of Beneficiaries . Each Participant who shall be granted a Plan Award may designate a beneficiary or beneficiaries and may change such designation from time to time by filing a written designation of beneficiary or beneficiaries with the Company on a form to be prescribed by it, provided that no such designation shall be effective unless so filed prior to the death of such person.
           Compliance with Other Laws and Regulations . Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, the Company shall not be required to sell or issue shares of Stock if the issuance thereof would constitute a violation by the Company of any provisions of any law or regulation of any governmental authority or any national securities exchange or other forum in which shares of Stock are traded (including without limitation Section 16 of the Exchange Act); and, as a condition of any sale or issuance of shares of Stock, the Company may require such agreements or undertakings, if any, as the Company may deem necessary or advisable to assure compliance with any such law or regulation. The Plan, the grant of Awards and exercise of Options hereunder, and the obligation of the Company to sell and deliver shares of Stock, shall be subject to all applicable federal and state laws, rules and regulations and to such approvals by any government or regulatory agency as may be required. To the extent the Plan provides for issuance of stock certificates to reflect the issuance of shares of Stock, the issuance may be effected on a non-certificated basis, to the extent not prohibited by applicable law or the applicable rules of any stock exchange.
           Payroll Tax Withholding . The Company’s obligation to deliver shares of Stock under the Plan shall be subject to applicable federal, state and other tax withholding requirements. Federal, state, and other tax due upon the exercise of any Award may, in the discretion of the Company, be paid in shares of Stock already owned by the Optionee or through the withholding of shares otherwise issuable to such Optionee, upon such terms and conditions (including, without limitation, the conditions referenced in Section 6) as the Company shall determine which shares shall have an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to the required minimum withholding payment. If the Optionee shall fail to pay, or make arrangements satisfactory to the Committee for the payment to the Company of all such federal, state and other taxes required to be withheld by the Company, then the Company shall, to the extent permitted by law, have the right to deduct from any payment of any kind otherwise due to such Optionee an

- 17 -


 

amount equal to federal, state or other taxes of any kind required to be withheld by the Company.
           Non-Exclusivity of the Plan . Neither the adoption of the Plan by the Board nor the submission of the Plan to the stockholders of the Company for approval shall be construed as creating any limitations on the power of the Board to adopt such other incentive arrangements as it may deem desirable, including, without limitation, the granting of stock options and the awarding of stock and cash otherwise than under the Plan, and such arrangements may be either generally applicable or applicable only in specific cases.
           Exclusion from Benefit Computation . By accepting an Award, unless otherwise provided in the applicable Agreement, each Participant shall be deemed to have agreed that such Award is special incentive compensation that will not be taken into account, in any manner, as salary, compensation or bonus in determining the amount of any payment under any health and welfare, pension, retirement or other employee benefit plan, program or policy of the Company or any Subsidiary. In addition, each beneficiary of a deceased Participant shall be deemed to have agreed that such Award will not affect the amount of any life insurance coverage, if any, provided by the Company on the life of the Participant which is payable to such beneficiary under any life insurance plan covering employees of the Company or any Subsidiary.
           Governing Law . The Plan shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Florida.
           Use of Proceeds . Proceeds from the sale of Shares pursuant to Options granted under this Plan shall constitute general funds of the Company.
           No Rights to Continued Employment . The Plan does not constitute a contract of employment, and selection as a Participant will not give any participating Employee or other Eligible Individual the right to be retained in the employ of the Company or any Subsidiary, or the right to continue to provide services to the Company or any Subsidiary, nor any right or claim to any benefit under the Plan, unless such right or claim has specifically accrued under the terms of the Plan.
           Form and Time of Elections . Unless otherwise specified herein, each election required or permitted to be made by any Participant or other person entitled to benefits under the Plan, and any permitted modification, or revocation thereof, shall be in writing filed with the Company at such times, in such form, and subject to such restrictions and limitations, not inconsistent with the terms of the Plan, as the Company shall require.
           Unfunded Status . Neither a Participant nor any other person shall, by reason or participation in the Plan, acquire any right in or title to any assets, funds or property of the Company or any Affiliate whatsoever, including, without limitation, any specific funds, assets, or other property which the Company or any Affiliate, in its sole discretion may set aside in anticipation of a liability under the Plan. A Participant shall

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have only a contractual right to the Stock or amounts, if any, payable under the Plan, unsecured by any assets of the Company or any Subsidiary, and nothing contained in the Plan shall constitute a guarantee that the assets of the Company or any Affiliate shall be sufficient to pay any benefits to any person.
Section 11. Amendment and Termination of this Plan
          The Committee may at any time terminate, suspend or discontinue this Plan. The Committee may amend this Plan at any time, provided that any material amendment to the Plan will not be effective unless approved by the Company’s stockholders. The Committee may at any time alter or amend any or all Award Agreements under this Plan in any manner that would be authorized for a new Award under this Plan, so long as such an amendment would not require approval of the Company’s stockholders if such amendment was made to the Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no such action by the Board or the Committee shall, in any manner adverse to a Participant, affect any Award then outstanding and evidenced by an Award Agreement without the consent in writing of the Participant or a Beneficiary who has become entitled to an Award.
SIGNATURE
          IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has caused this 2000 Stock Award Plan, as amended and restated through December 6, 2005, to be executed as of the 6th day of December 2005.
                     
            ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD.    
 
                   
Attest:
  /s/BRADLEY H. STEIN
 
           By:   /s/THOMAS F. MURRILL
 
   
    Bradley H. Stein            Thomas F. Murrill    
    Assistant Secretary            Vice President and    
                 Chief Human Resources Officer    

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EXHIBIT 10.2
THE ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD. ET AL
NONQUALIFIED 401(k) PLAN
AMENDED AND RESTATED THROUGH DECEMBER 6, 2005

 


 

THE ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD ET AL
NONQUALIFIED 401(K) PLAN
TABLE OF CONTENTS
         
Article   Page
 
1. PURPOSE
    1  
 
       
2. DEFINITIONS
    2  
 
       
2.1 Affiliated Company
    2  
2.2 Beneficiary
    2  
2.3 Board
    2  
2.4 Bonus
    2  
2.5 Bonus Deferral
    2  
2.6 Code
    2  
2.7 Company
    2  
2.8 Effective Date
    2  
2.9 Eligible Earnings
    2  
2.10 Eligible Employee
    2  
2.11 Employee
    2  
2.12 Employee Deferral Contributions
    2  
2.13 Employer
    3  
2.14 ERISA
    3  
2.15 Participant
    3  
2.16 Participant Account
    3  
2.17 Plan
    3  
2.18 Plan Year
    3  
2.19 Termination of Employment
    3  
2.20 Valuation Date
    3  
 
       
3. ELIGIBILITY TO PARTICIPATE
    4  
 
       
3.1 Determination of Eligible Employee Status
    4  
3.2 Commencement of Participation
    4  
3.3 Cessation of Participation
    5  
 
       
4. EMPLOYEE DEFERRALS
    6  
 
       
4.1 Employee Deferral Contributions
    6  
4.2 Changes in Contributions
    6  
4.3 Suspension of Contributions
    6  
4.4 Bonus Deferrals
    6  
4.5 Vesting of Employee Deferral Contributions and Bonus Deferrals
    6  
 
       
5. INVESTMENTS AND PARTICIPANT ACCOUNTS
    7  
 
       
5.1 Establishment of Accounts
    7  
5.2 Obligation of the Company
    7  
5.3 Establishment of Investment Funds
    7  

 


 

THE ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD ET AL
NONQUALIFIED 401(K) PLAN
TABLE OF CONTENTS
         
Article   Page
 
5.4 Crediting Investment Results
    7  
 
       
6. DISTRIBUTIONS
    9  
 
       
6.1 Form and Timing of Distribution
    9  
6.2 Distribution after Death
    10  
6.3 Distribution Due to Severe Financial Hardship
    10  
6.4 Early Distribution
    10  
 
       
7. ADMINISTRATION
    11  
 
       
7.1 Administration
    11  
7.2 Plan Expenses
    11  
7.3 Liability
    11  
7.4 Claims Procedure
    11  
7.5 Claims Review Procedure
    11  
7.6 Notices
    11  
 
       
8. AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION
    12  
 
       
8.1 Plan Amendment
    12  
8.2 Termination of the Plan
    12  
 
       
9. GENERAL PROVISIONS
    13  
 
       
9.1 Non-Alienation of Benefits
    13  
9.2 Adoption by Affiliated Company
    13  
9.3 Withdrawal
    13  
9.4 Limitation of Rights
    13  
9.5 Participant’s Rights Unsecured
    13  
9.6 Withholding
    13  
9.7 Severability
    14  
9.8 Controlling Law
    14  
 
       
SIGNATURE
    14  

ii 


 

THE ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD. et al.
NONQUALIFIED 401(K) PLAN
AMENDED AND RESTATED THROUGH DECEMBER 6, 2005
ARTICLE 1. PURPOSE
     Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has established The Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. et al. Nonqualified 401(k) Plan, effective January 1, 1998. This amended Plan document contains amendments through December 6, 2005. The Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. et al. Nonqualified 401(k) Plan is a nonqualified deferred compensation plan for a select group of management or highly compensated employees of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and its participating subsidiaries and affiliated companies as a means of sheltering a portion of an eligible individual’s income from current taxation while accumulating resources for future investments.
     With respect to amounts deferred hereunder that are subject to Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended and any regulations and other official guidance (the “Code”) (generally, amounts deferred on and after January 1, 2005), applicable provision of the Plan document shall be interpreted to permit the deferral of compensation in accordance with Code Section 409A, and any provision that would conflict with such requirements shall not be valid or enforceable. In addition, with respect to amounts deferred hereunder that are not subject to Section 409A (generally, amounts deferred before January 1, 2005) (“grandfathered funds”), it is intended that the rules applicable under the Plan as of December 31, 2004, and not Code Section 409A and related official guidance, shall apply with respect to such grandfathered funds.

1


 

ARTICLE 2. DEFINITIONS
     For the purpose of this Plan the following terms shall have the meanings as set forth below unless the context requires otherwise:
      2.1 Affiliated Company means (a) a member with an Employer of a controlled group of corporations, (b) an unincorporated trade or business which is under common control with an Employer as determined in accordance with Section 414(c) of the Code, or (c) a member with an Employer of an affiliated service group, as defined in Section 414(m) of the Code. A corporation or an unincorporated trade or business shall not be considered an Affiliated Company during any period it does not satisfy clause (a), (b), or (c) of this definition. For purposes of this definition, a “controlled group of corporations” is a controlled group of corporations as defined in Section 414(b) of the Code.
      2.2 Beneficiary means the person, persons, trust or other entity a Participant designates by written revocable designation filed with the Company to receive payments in the event of his or her death.
      2.3 Board means the Board of Directors of the Company or a committee thereof.
      2.4 Bonus means any discretionary cash bonuses paid for services with an Employer.
      2.5 Bonus Deferral means the Bonus deferral contributions made at the direction of a Participant by his or her Employer pursuant to Section 4.4
      2.6 Code means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.
      2.7 Company means Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. et al and any successor thereto.
      2.8 Effective Date means, with respect to the original Plan document, January 1, 1998, and with respect to this restated version of the Plan, January 1, 2003.
      2.9 Eligible Earnings shall, for purposes of a Participant’s Employee Deferral Contributions, consist of the Participant’s regular base wages or salary, tips and other cash compensation (other than Bonuses) by the Employer for a Plan Year reported on Form W-2 plus the amounts deferred for the Plan Year by the Participant under Section 4.1.
      2.10 Eligible Employee means any Employee of an Employer who is member of a select group of management or highly compensated employees who has the position of director level employee or above and who is employed in the United States.
      2.11 Employee means a common law employee of the Company or an Affiliated Company.
      2.12 Employee Deferral Contributions means the salary reduction contributions made at the direction of a Participant by his or her Employer pursuant to Section 4.1.

2


 

      2.13 Employer means the Company or any other Affiliated Company which has adopted this Plan under Section 9.2.
      2.14 ERISA means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.
      2.15 Participant means an Eligible Employee who satisfies the participation requirements under Article 3.
      2.16 Participant Account means a separate account established and maintained by the Company in accordance with the terms of the Plan in the name of each Participant consisting of the amounts set forth in Section 5.1.
      2.17 Plan means the Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. et al Nonqualified 401(k) Plan, the Plan set forth herein, as amended from time to time.
      2.18 Plan Year means a 12-consecutive month period commencing January 1st and ending on the following December 31st.
      2.19 Termination of Employment means a Participant’s termination of employment with his or her Employer and any Affiliated Company, whether voluntary or involuntary, for any reason.
      2.20 Valuation Date means any day on which the New York Stock Exchange or any successor to its business is open for trading, or such other date as may be designated by the Company.

3


 

ARTICLE 3. ELIGIBILITY TO PARTICIPATE
      3.1 Determination of Eligible Employee Status: Upon adoption of the Plan, the Company will notify those Employees who it determines are Eligible Employees. Thereafter, except as otherwise provided in Section 3.2, prior to each calendar quarter, the Company will notify those Employees who it determines to have become Eligible Employees for the first time at the beginning of such calendar quarter. An Employee who is determined to be an Eligible Employee shall thereafter be eligible to become a Participant in accordance with Section 3.2.
      3.2 Commencement of Participation: Each Eligible Employee shall be provided an opportunity to designate the percentage of his or her Eligible Earnings to be deferred under Section 4.1 and to irrevocably designate the percentage or dollar amount of his or her annual Bonus to be deferred under Section 4.4. Any such Eligible Employee who makes such a designation in the first calendar quarter of 1998 shall become a Participant on the first day of the first payroll period that commences in the second calendar quarter of 1998 provided the Eligible Employee is employed as of such date. Thereafter through December 31, 2004, any such Eligible Employee who (i) makes such a designation and (ii) has completed 90 days of employment shall become a Participant on the first day of the month following the month in which such requirements are met, provided the Eligible Employee is employed as of such date.
     Effective on and after January 1, 2005, in the first year in which a Eligible Employee becomes eligible to participate in the Plan, the Eligible Employee may make a deferral election with respect to compensation for services to be performed subsequent to the election provided the election is made within 30 days after the date the Eligible Employee becomes eligible to participate. In the case of all other Eligible Employees, including any new Eligible Employee who fails to make an election within the 30-day period described above, deferral elections must be made no later than December 31 (or such other date designated by the Company) of the year before the year the services related to the deferral election are to be performed.
     Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of Sections 3.1 and 3.2, effective January 1, 2000, if the Company determines that an Employee is an Eligible Employee hereunder after such Employee has ceased to be an eligible employee under the Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. 401(k) Plan, such Eligible Employee may become a Participant in this Plan in accordance with the deferral election provisions of the preceding paragraph.
     Any such designation under this Section 3.2 must be made in the manner authorized by the Company and must be accompanied by:
(a) an authorization for the Eligible Employee’s Employer to make regular payroll deductions to cover the amount of such deferrals elected pursuant to Section 4.1;
(b) an irrevocable authorization to defer receipt of a percentage or a dollar amount of future Bonus amounts as elected under Section 4.4;
(c) an investment election with respect to any Employee Deferral Contributions and Bonus Deferrals;

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(d) a designation of Beneficiary; and
(e) a designation as to the form and timing of the distribution of his or her Participant Account.
      3.3 Cessation of Participation: A Participant shall cease to be an active Participant on the earliest of:
(a) the date on which the Plan terminates, or
(b) the date on which he or she ceases to be an Eligible Employee.
A former active Participant will be deemed a Participant for all purposes except with respect to the right to make contributions, as long as he or she retains a Participant Account.

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ARTICLE 4. EMPLOYEE DEFERRALS
      4.1 Employee Deferral Contributions: Each Participant may authorize the Employer by which he or she is employed, in the manner described in Section 3.2, to have an Employee Deferral Contribution made on his or her behalf. Such election shall apply to the Participant’s Eligible Earnings attributable to services performed during the designated period covered by the election, as provided in Section 3.2. Such Employee Deferral Contribution shall be a stated whole percentage of the Participant’s Eligible Earnings, equal to not less than 2% nor more than 20%, as designated by the Participant. The percentage of Eligible Earnings designated by a Participant to measure the Employee Deferral Contributions to be made on the Participant’s behalf shall remain in effect, notwithstanding any change in his or her Eligible Earnings, until he or she elects to change or suspend such percentage in accordance with Section 4.2 or Section 4.3, below.
      4.2 Changes in Contributions: A Participant may change his or her contribution percentage election under Section 4.1 at any time by applying to make such change in the manner prescribed by the Company. Prior to January 1, 2005, any such change shall become effective as of the first full payroll period that begins coincident with or immediately following the first day of the calendar quarter following the date the Participant applies to make such change. On and after January 1, 2005, any such change shall become effective no earlier than the first day of the year following the date on which the Participant applies to make such change.
      4.3 Suspension of Contributions: A Participant may suspend his or her Employee Deferral Contributions at any time by applying for a suspension in writing to the Company. Prior to January 1, 2005, any such suspension shall become effective as soon as administratively practicable following the date the Participant applies for the suspension. On and after January 1, 2005, any such suspension request shall not become effective before the first day of the year following the date the Participant applies for the suspension. A Participant whose Employee Deferral Contributions have been suspended under this section may resume having Employee Deferral Contributions made on his or her behalf by applying to change his or her contribution percentage election in accordance with Section 4.2.
      4.4 Bonus Deferrals: Notwithstanding deferrals made under Section 4.1, and except as provided below with regard to performance-based bonuses, by December 31 of each year, each Participant may authorize, in writing to the Company, to defer all or a portion of his or her Bonus that would otherwise be payable for services performed in the twelve-month period beginning on the January 1 immediately following such December 31. In the case of any bonus that is designated by the Company as a performance-based Bonus and which qualifies as performance-based compensation under Code Section 409A and related official guidance, a Participant’s deferral election with respect to all or a portion of his or her Bonus must be made, in writing to the Company, no later than the date that is six months before the end of the performance period (which performance period shall be not less than 12 months) or such other date designated by the Company.
      4.5 Vesting of Employee Deferral Contributions and Bonus Deferrals: A Participant’s Employee Deferral Contributions and earnings thereon, and a Participant’s Bonus Deferral amounts and earnings thereon, shall be fully vested and nonforfeitable at all times.

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ARTICLE 5. INVESTMENTS AND PARTICIPANT ACCOUNTS
      5.1 Establishment of Accounts: The Company shall establish the following subaccounts under each Participant Account and the Company shall contribute amounts deferred under Sections 4.1 and 4.4 into such subaccounts:
(a) an Employee Deferral Contributions Subaccount to which shall be credited the Participant’s Employee Deferral Contributions and any earnings and losses credited thereto; and
(b) a Bonus Deferral Subaccount to which shall be credited the Participant’s Bonus Deferrals and any earnings and losses credited thereto.
Each Participant shall receive a quarterly statement reflecting his or her Participant Account balance.
      5.2 Obligation of the Company: Individual benefits under the Plan are payable as they become due solely from assets allocated to individual Plan accounts in a rabbi trust or from the general assets of the Company. To the extent a Participant or any person acquires a right to receive payments from the Company under this Plan, such right shall be no greater than the right of any unsecured creditor of the Company. Neither this Plan nor any action taken pursuant to the terms of this Plan shall be considered to create a fiduciary relationship between the Company and the Participants or any other persons or to require the establishment of a trust in which the assets are beyond the claims of any unsecured creditor of the Company.
      5.3 Establishment of Investment Funds: The Company will establish one or more Investment Funds which will be maintained for the purpose of determining the investment return to be credited to each Participant’s Account. The Company may change the number, identity or composition of the Investment Funds from time to time. Each Participant will indicate the Investment Funds based on which amounts allocated in accordance with Articles 4 and 5 are to be adjusted. Each Participant’s Account will be increased or decreased by the net amount of investment earnings or losses that it would have achieved had it actually been invested in the deemed investments. The Company is not required to purchase or hold any of the deemed investments. Investment Fund elections must be made in a minimum of 1% increments and in such manner as the Company will specify. A Participant may change his or her Investment Fund election periodically by completing a revised Participant Election Form and delivering it to the Vice President of Human Resources. Any such change shall become effective as of the first business day coincident with or immediately following the date the Participant applies to make such change. As the Participant’s Account increases, the investment of such amounts shall remain invested in the deemed investment previously designated until the Participant requests a change in accordance with this Section or the Company no longer includes that deemed investment as one of the available Investment Funds. If a Participant fails to make an Investment Fund election, the amount in the Participant’s Account will be deemed to have been invested in a money market fund or any other fund as determined by the Company.
      5.4 Crediting Investment Results: No less frequently than as of each Valuation Date, each Participant Account will be increased or decreased to reflect investment results. Each

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Participant Account will be credited with the investment return of the Investment Funds in which the Participant elected to be deemed to participate. The credited investment return is intended to reflect the actual performance of the Investment Funds net of any applicable investment management fees or administrative expenses determined by the Company. Notwithstanding the above, the amount of any payment of Plan benefits pursuant to Article 6 or upon Plan termination shall be determined as of the Valuation Date preceding the date of payment.

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ARTICLE 6. DISTRIBUTIONS
      6.1 Form and Timing of Distribution: Each Participant shall elect the form and timing of the distribution with respect to his or her Participant Account in the manner authorized by the Company.
(a) Form of Payment: The Participant’s election shall indicate the form of distribution of his or her entire Participant Account in a lump sum or in monthly installments as selected by the Participant.
(b) Time of Payment: The Participant’s election shall indicate that payment shall be made (in the case of a lump sum election) or shall commence (in the case of an installment election):
(1) as soon as administratively practicable following the Participant’s Termination of Employment which shall in no event exceed 21 days beyond such Termination of Employment;
(2) as soon as administratively practicable following the calendar year of the Participant’s Termination of Employment which shall in no event exceed 21 days beyond the end of such calendar year;
(3) in the month following the Participant’s attainment of age 65, provided that the Participant is no longer employed as of such date; or
(4) in a specific month and year.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a Participant elects his or her distribution to be made or commenced in accordance with paragraph 3 above, and such date falls before the Participant’s Termination of Employment, the Participant’s distribution shall be made or commenced in accordance with paragraph 1 above. Further, if a Participant elects his or her distribution to be made or commenced in accordance with paragraph 4 above, and such date falls before the Participant’s Termination of Employment, the Participant must complete new designations and authorizations pursuant to Section 3.2 in order to continue making Employee Deferral Contributions and/or Bonus Deferrals.
Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, and solely with respect to funds that are subject to Code Section 409A (generally, amounts deferred on and after January 1, 2005), payment shall not be made or commence to any Participant who is a key employee (defined below) as a result of the Participant’s Termination of Employment before the date that is not less than six months after the date of Termination of Employment (or, if earlier, the date of death of the Participant). For this purpose, a key employee is a “key employee” as defined in Code Section 416(i).
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Participant may change his or her form and timing election applicable to the distribution of his or her Participant Account, provided that such request for change is made (i) at least twelve (12) consecutive months prior to the date on which such distribution would otherwise have been made or commenced, (ii) at least twelve (12) consecutive

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months prior to the date on which such distribution will be made or commence, and (iii) solely with respect to amounts deferred under the Plan which are subject to Code Section 409A (generally, amounts deferred on and after January 1, 2005), such that the payment with respect to an amended distribution election is deferred for a period of not less than 5 years from the date such payment would otherwise have been paid (or, in the case of installment payments, 5 years from the date the first amount was scheduled to be paid).
      6.2 Distribution after Death: Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a Participant dies prior to receiving the entire amounts in his or her Participant Account, the remaining amounts shall be paid in a lump sum to the Participant’s Beneficiary designated by the Participant as soon as practicable following the Participant’s death. The amount of any such distribution shall be determined as of the most recent Valuation Date preceding the month in which the Company is notified of the Participant’s death.
      6.3 Distribution Due to Severe Financial Hardship: Notwithstanding the foregoing, distributions hereunder may commence if the Company determines, based upon uniform, established standards, that the Participant has: (a) suffered a severe financial hardship, and (b) exhausted all other financial resources that are reasonably available to such Participant. Upon such determination, the Participant will receive an amount necessary to satisfy the severe financial hardship but in no event will the Participant receive less than $500, nor more than the total of all deferrals made by the Participant, plus interest credited to the Participant’s Account as of the date of the distribution. The Company shall determine the Investment Fund or Funds under Section 5.3 from which the amount necessary to satisfy the severe financial hardship shall be distributed. In the event of a finding of a hardship, the Company may limit the Participant’s current Bonus Deferral.
     With respect to amounts deferred hereunder which are subject to Code Section 409A (generally, amounts deferred on and after January 1, 2005), distributions due to severe financial hardship shall be made solely in accordance with the provisions of Code Section 409A and related official guidance.
      6.4 Early Distribution: Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, including Sections 6.1 and 6.3, and effective solely with respect to amounts deferred under the Plan prior to January 1, 2005 and not otherwise subject to Code Section 409A, a Participant at any time may make a written request to the Company to immediately receive a lump sum distribution equal to ninety percent (90%) of the entire applicable vested portion of his or her Participant Account. The remaining applicable balance of his or her Participant Account from which a payment has been made pursuant to this Section 6.4 shall be forfeited by the Participant. The amount payable under this section shall be paid within twenty-one (21) days following receipt of written notice by the Company.

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ARTICLE 7. ADMINISTRATION
      7.1 Administration: The Plan shall be administered by the Company. The Company shall have the full and exclusive discretionary authority to administer the Plan, and any responsibilities and duties under this Plan which are not specifically delegated to anyone else. Responsibility for determining the eligibility of Employees and establishing the requirements for participation shall be vested in the Company, which shall be responsible for any interpretation of the Plan that may be required. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may delegate any of its administrative duties as necessary.
      7.2 Plan Expenses: The expenses of administering the Plan shall be borne by the Company.
      7.3 Liability: The Company shall not be liable to any person for any action taken or omitted in connection with the administration of this Plan unless attributable to the fraud or willful misconduct on the part of a director, officer or agent of the Company.
      7.4 Claims Procedure: Any person claiming a benefit, requesting an interpretation or ruling under the Plan, or requesting information under the Plan shall present the request in writing to the Company’s Vice President of Human Resources, who shall respond in writing as soon as practicable. If the claim or request is denied, the written notice of denial shall state:
(a) The reasons for denial, with specific reference to the Plan provisions on which the denial is based.
(b) A description of any additional material or information required and an explanation of why it is necessary.
(c) An explanation of the Plan’s claim review procedure.
      7.5 Claims Review Procedure: Any person whose claim or request is denied or who has not received a response within 30 calendar days may request review by notice given in writing to the Company’s Vice President of Human Resources. The claim or request shall be reviewed by the Company’s Vice President of Human Resources, who may, but shall not be required to, grant the claimant a hearing. On review, the claimant may have representation, examine pertinent documents, and submit issues and comments in writing.
     The decision on review shall normally be made within 60 calendar days. If an extension of time is required for a hearing or other special circumstances, the claimant shall be notified and the time limit shall be 120 calendar days. The decision shall be in writing and shall state the reasons and the relevant Plan provisions. All decisions on review shall be final and binding on all parties concerned.
      7.6 Notices: Any notices, designations or other communications to be given to the Company or an Employer by any Eligible Employee, Participant or Beneficiary shall only be effective if delivered to the Company’s Vice President of Human Resources.

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ARTICLE 8. AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION
      8.1 Plan Amendment: The Plan may be amended or otherwise modified by the Board, in whole or in part, provided that no amendment or modification shall divest any Participant of any amount previously credited to his or her Participant Account under Article 4 or of the amount and method of crediting earnings to such Participant Account under Article 5 of the Plan as of the date of such amendment. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, in no event shall any amendment be made in a manner that is inconsistent with the requirements to avoid adverse federal tax consequences under Section 409A of the Code.
      8.2 Termination of the Plan: The Board reserves the right to terminate the Plan at any time in whole or in part. In the event of any such termination, the Company shall pay a benefit to the Participant or the Beneficiary of any deceased Participant, in lieu of other benefits hereunder, equal to the value of the Participant’s Account in the form and at the benefit commencement date elected by the Participant pursuant to Article 6 of the Plan. Earnings shall continue to be allocated under Article 5 of the Plan after the termination of the Plan until the Participant’s benefits have been paid in full notwithstanding the termination of the Plan. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, in no event shall any termination be made in a manner that is inconsistent with the requirements to avoid adverse federal tax consequences under Section 409A of the Code.

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ARTICLE 9. GENERAL PROVISIONS
      9.1 Non-Alienation of Benefits: No benefit under the Plan shall be subject in any manner to anticipation, alienation, sale, transfer, assignment, pledge, encumbrance or charge and any such action shall be void for all purposes of the Plan. No benefit shall in any manner be subject to the debts, contracts, liabilities, engagements or torts of any person, nor shall it be subject to attachments or other legal process for or against any person, except to such extent as may be required by law.
      9.2 Adoption by Affiliated Company: Any Affiliated Company, whether or not presently existing, may, with the written approval of the Board, adopt this Plan by proper corporate action.
      9.3 Withdrawal: Any Employer may at any time withdraw from the Plan upon giving the Board at least 30 calendar days written notice of its intention to withdraw. The Board in its discretion may require, in writing, that an Employer withdraw from the Plan.
      9.4 Limitation of Rights: Neither the establishment of this Plan, nor any modification thereof, nor the creation of an account, nor the payment of any benefits shall be construed as giving
(a) any Participant, Beneficiary, or any other person whomsoever, any legal or equitable right against the Company or an Employer unless such right shall be specifically provided for in the Plan or conferred by affirmative action of the Administrator in accordance with the terms and provisions of the Plan; or
(b) any Participant, or other person whomsoever, the right to be retained in the service of the Company or an Employer, and all Participants and other Employees shall remain subject to termination to the same extent as if the Plan had never been adopted.
      9.5 Participant’s Rights Unsecured: The right of any Participant or Beneficiary to receive payment under the provisions of the Plan shall be as an unsecured claim against Employer, as the case may be, and no provisions contained in the Plan shall be construed to give any Participant or Beneficiary at any time a security interest in the Participant’s Account or any asset of the Company or an Employer. The liabilities of the Company or an Employer to any Participant or Beneficiary pursuant to the Plan shall be those of a debtor pursuant to such contractual obligations as are created by the Plan. Accounts, if any, which may be set aside by the Company or an Employer for accounting purposes shall not in any way be held in trust for, or to be subject to the claims of a Participant or Beneficiary.
      9.6 Withholding: There shall be deducted from all payments under this Plan the amount of any taxes required to be withheld by any Federal, state or local government. The Participants and their Beneficiaries, distributees, and personal representatives will bear any and all Federal, foreign, state, local or other income or other taxes imposed on amounts paid under this Plan.

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      9.7 Severability: Should any provision of the Plan or any regulations adopted thereunder be deemed or held to be unlawful or invalid for any reason, such fact shall not adversely affect the other provisions or regulations unless such invalidity shall render impossible or impractical the functioning of the Plan and, in such case, the appropriate parties shall adopt a new provision or regulation to take the place of the one held illegal or invalid.
      9.8 Controlling Law: The Plan shall be governed by the laws of the State of Florida, except to the extent preempted by ERISA and any other law of the United States.
SIGNATURE
     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, an officer of the Company hereby executes this Plan, as Amended and Restated through December 6, 2005, as of the 6th day of December 2005.
                     
            ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD.    
 
                   
Attest:
  /s/ BRADLEY H. STEIN       By:   /s/ THOMAS F. MURRILL    
 
                   
 
  Bradley H. Stein           Thomas F. Murrill    
 
  Assistant Secretary           Vice President and    
 
              Chief Human Resources Officer    

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EXHIBIT 10.3
ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD.
SUPPLEMENTAL EXECUTIVE RETIREMENT PLAN
AMENDED AND RESTATED THROUGH DECEMBER 6, 2005

 


 

ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD.
SUPPLEMENTAL EXECUTIVE RETIREMENT PLAN
AMENDED AND RESTATED THROUGH DECEMBER 6, 2005
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (“Company”) previously established the Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (“Plan”) for a select group of management or highly compensated employees, effective January 1, 1994.
The purpose of this Plan is to provide to the selected executives the benefit lost under the Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. et al Retirement Plan due to the change in section 401(a)(17) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (“Code”) effective January 1, 1994.

 


 

With respect to amounts credited hereunder that are subject to Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended and any regulations and other official guidance (the “Code”) (generally, amounts credited on and after January 1, 2005), applicable provision of the Plan document shall be interpreted to permit the deferral of compensation in accordance with Code Section 409A, and any provision that would conflict with such requirements shall not be valid or enforceable. In addition, with respect to amounts credited hereunder that are not subject to Section 409A (generally, amounts credited before January 1, 2005) (“grandfathered funds”), it is intended that the rules applicable under the Plan as of December 31, 2004, and not Code Section 409A and related official guidance, shall apply with respect to such grandfathered funds.

 


 

TABLE OF CONTENTS
             
      Page  
 
ARTICLE 1
  DEFINITIONS     1  
 
           
ARTICLE 2
  PARTICIPATION IN THE PLAN     2  
 
           
ARTICLE 3
  PLAN BENEFITS AND VESTING     2  
 
           
ARTICLE 4
  MAINTENANCE, INVESTMENT AND VALUATION OF PARTICIPANT ACCOUNTS     3  
 
           
ARTICLE 5
  BENEFITS     4  
 
           
ARTICLE 6
  ADMINISTRATION     6  
 
           
ARTICLE 7
  CLAIMS PROCEDURE     6  
 
           
ARTICLE 8
  AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION     7  
 
           
ARTICLE 9
  MISCELLANEOUS     7  
 
           
SIGNATURE
        8  


 

ARTICLE 1
DEFINITIONS
For purposes of the Plan, the following words and phrases shall have the following meanings unless a different meaning is plainly required by the context.
1.1   Account means a recordkeeping source from which Plan benefits are determined.
 
1.2   Administrator or Plan Administrator means the Company.
 
1.3   Beneficiary means the person, persons, trust or other entity a Participant designates by written revocable designation filed with the Company to receive payments in the event of his death.
 
1.4   Board means the Company’s Board of Directors or a committee thereof.
 
1.5   Code means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
 
1.6   Company means Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and any successor thereto, and for purposes of determining eligibility to participate in the Plan, any affiliated company which is a member of a controlled group of corporations within the meaning of section 1563(a) of the Code with Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. which adopts this Plan with the consent of the Company.
 
1.7   Compensation means an Eligible Employee’s compensation from the Company as defined in the Retirement Plan.
 
1.8   Disability means an illness or injury as defined as a Permanent Disability in the Retirement Plan, subject to the requirements of Code Section 409A.
 
1.9   Effective Date means January 1, 1994.
 
1.10   Eligible Employee means each employee of the Company eligible to participate in the Plan in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.1 hereof.
 
1.11   Participant means
  A.   An Eligible Employee who participates in the Plan in accordance with the terms hereof.
 
  B.   Each other Eligible Employee or former Eligible Employee for whom an Account is maintained.
1.12   Plan means the Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan as described in this instrument, as amended from time to time.
 
1.13   Plan Year means the twelve (12) consecutive month period beginning on each January 1 and ending on the following December 31.

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1.14   Retirement Plan means the Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. et al Retirement Plan as amended from time to time.
 
1.15   Termination of Employment means the Participant’s severance from service with the Company for any reason.
 
1.16   Valuation Date means the last business day of each Plan Year.
 
1.17   Vesting Service means Plan Years of Service counted in determining a Participant’s entitlement to benefits as described in Section 3.2 of the Plan.
ARTICLE 2
PARTICIPATION IN THE PLAN
2.1   Eligibility to Participate . Those employees of the Company who participate in the Retirement Plan and whose Company contribution under the Retirement Plan is decreased during any Plan Year beginning on or after January 1, 1994, because of the application of section 401(a)(17) of the Code shall participate in the Plan. It is the intention of the Company that this Plan constitute a “top hat” plan and therefore only those employees who are determined to be within a select group of management or highly compensated shall be entitled to participate in the Plan.
 
2.2   Procedure For and Effect of Admission. Each Eligible Employee shall complete such forms and provide such data as reasonably required by the Company including Beneficiary designation forms and payment of benefit forms. By becoming a Participant, an Eligible Employee shall be deemed conclusively to have assented to the provisions of this Plan and all amendments hereto.
 
2.3   Cessation of Participation . A Participant shall cease to be an active participant on the earlier of:
  A.   the date on which the Plan terminates, or
 
  B.   the date on which he ceases to be an Eligible Employee.
    A former active participant will be deemed a Participant for all purposes except with respect to the right to receive “contributions”, as long as he retains a Plan Account.
ARTICLE 3
PLAN BENEFITS AND VESTING
3.1   Plan Benefits . The purpose of the Plan is to provide Participants with the Company contributions that they would have received under the Retirement Plan, but for the reductions contained in section 401(a)(17) of the Code beginning January 1, 1994. The IRS is expected to issue an indexed maximum compensation rate under section

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    401(a)(17) of the Code, determined without regard to the reduction to $150,000 through 1996, on account of a grandfather provision for collectively bargained plans. For instance, this amount in 1994 is $242,280 for collectively bargained plans. As indexed, this amount shall be referred to as the “Grandfathered Limit”.
 
    Effective with the Plan Year that begins January 1, 1994, the Plan benefit for each Participant equals the difference between the Company contribution that would have been provided for that Participant under the Retirement Plan had the compensation limit under section 401(a)(17) of the Code continued to be adjusted without regard to the reduction to $150,000 beginning in January 1994, and the actual Company contribution provided under the Retirement Plan for that Participant.
 
    The Plan shall use the Grandfathered Limit for purposes of determining the benefit under the Plan. When the IRS no longer publishes the Grandfathered Limit, then the maximum compensation in each year thereafter under the Plan shall be determined by multiplying the compensation limit under the Retirement Plan for any year by a fraction, the numerator of which is the Grandfathered Limit and the denominator of which is the section 401(a)(17) limit under the Retirement Plan, both determined as of the last year in which the IRS publishes the Grandfathered Limit.
 
    Thus, for instance, the benefit to be accrued under the Plan for 1994 for a Participant with Compensation equaling or exceeding $242,280 will equal the difference between $242,280 (the 1994 Grandfathered Limit) and $150,000 (the 1994 401(a)(17) limit mandated by OBRA 93) times the Participant’s applicable contribution level under the Retirement Plan (8 to 12 percent depending on the Participant’s years of service with the Company). If the IRS ceases issuing the Grandfathered Limit after 1996, and in 1996, the Grandfathered Limit is $250,000 and the 401(a)(17) limit is $170,000, then the ratio to be used thereafter is 1.666 percent (250,000/150,000) of the section 401(a)(17) limit in effect each Plan Year. If in 1997, the 401(a)(17) limit is $160,000, then the Plan’s maximum compensation will be $266,560 (1.666 times $160,000).
 
3.2   Vesting . Benefits provided under the Plan shall be vested in accordance with Article VII of the Retirement Plan. A Participant shall be credited with the same Vesting Service as under the Retirement Plan.
ARTICLE 4
MAINTENANCE, INVESTMENT AND VALUATION OF
PARTICIPANT ACCOUNTS
4.1   Establishment of Accounts . The Administrator shall establish and maintain a separate Account in the name of each Participant, to which it shall credit all amounts allocated in accordance with Section 3. Participants shall receive an annual statement reflecting their account balance.

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4.2   Investment Obligation of the Company . Benefits are payable as they become due irrespective of any actual investments the Company may make to meet its obligations. To the extent a Participant or any person acquires a right to receive payments from the Company under this Plan, such right shall be no greater than the right of any unsecured creditor of the Company. Neither this Plan nor any action taken pursuant to the terms of this Plan shall be considered to create a fiduciary relationship between the Company and the Participants or any other persons or to require the establishment of a trust in which the assets are beyond the claims of any unsecured creditor of the Company or to require the Company to segregate in any other manner any assets for the purpose of satisfying its obligations hereunder.
 
4.3   Earnings . The Administrator shall credit or debit each separate Account at the same rate as earned by the Retirement Plan as soon as practicable after that rate is determined for each Plan Year under the Retirement Plan. In the year that a Participant’s benefit distributions commence, the Administrator shall credit a Participant’s Account through the last day of the month preceding the benefit commencement date, with the rate earned by the Retirement Plan for the same period.
ARTICLE 5
BENEFITS
5.1   Payment of Benefit . Except in the event of death, all elections must be made at least twelve months prior to the commencement of payment; provided, however, that on and after January 1, 2005, all elections must be made in accordance with the requirements of Code Section 409A and related official guidance. A Participant’s election under the Plan may be different than such Participant’s election made under the Retirement Plan.
  A.   Form of Payment upon death, Disability or other Termination of Employment
 
      All benefits shall be payable in the form of a single lump sum.
 
  B.   Commencement of Payment
 
      At the election of the Participant, upon death, Disability or other Termination of Employment, the benefit described in Subsection A shall be paid either (1) as soon as administratively possible following such event; or (2) on the January 1 following the year in which such event occurs; or (3) as soon as administratively possible following the first day of the month after attainment of age 65, or if later, Termination of Employment. Other than by reason of death, if a Participant fails to make an election under this subparagraph B or otherwise does not have an election on file as of a date an election is required by Code Section 409A and related official guidance, his benefit shall be paid twelve months and one day (or as soon thereafter as is reasonably practicable) after his Disability or other Termination of Employment.
 
  C.   Change in Time of Payment Prior to Commencement

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      With respect to deferred amounts that are not subject to Code Section 409A (generally, amounts deferred prior to January 1, 2005), a Participant may elect (on election forms designated by the Company) prior to commencement a timing of payment in lieu of the timing elected pursuant to Section 5.1(B) above provided such election shall not take effect until the date that is one year after the election is made (provided the Participant is an employee on such date).
 
      With respect to deferred amounts that are subject to Code Section 409A (generally, amounts deferred on and after January 1, 2005), a Participant may elect (on election forms designated by the Company) prior to commencement a timing of payment in lieu of the timing elected pursuant to Section 5.1(B) above; provided, however, that:
  (i)   payment under such new election shall not be earlier than the date that is five years after the original distribution date; and
 
  (ii)   such election shall not take effect until the date that is one year after the election is made (provided the Participant is an employee on such date); and
 
  (iii)   such election is at least twelve (12) consecutive months prior to the date on which such distribution would otherwise have been made or commenced.
  D.   Distribution for Specified Employees Upon Termination of Employment
 
      Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, and solely with respect to funds that are subject to Code Section 409A (generally, amounts deferred on and after January 1, 2005), payment shall not be made to any Participant who is a key employee (defined below) as a result of the Participant’s Termination of Employment before the date that is not less than six months after the date of Termination of Employment (or, if earlier, the date of death of the Participant). For this purpose, a key employee is a “key employee” as defined in Code Section 416(i). The Company may establish procedures to implement this Plan provision.
5.2   Beneficiary Designation.
  A.   Each Participant may designate a Beneficiary to receive the benefits payable in the event of the Participant’s death, and designate a successor Beneficiary to receive any benefits payable in the event of the death of any other Beneficiary.
 
  B.   A Participant may change a Beneficiary designation at any time. All Beneficiary designations and changes shall be made on an appropriate form as designated by the Plan Administrator and filed with the Plan Administrator.
 
  C.   If no person shall be designated by the Participant, or if the designated Beneficiary shall not survive the Participant, payment of the Participant’s Account shall be made to the Participant’s estate.

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5.3   Tax Withholding . To the extent required by the law in effect at the time benefits are distributed pursuant to this Section 5, the Company shall withhold any taxes that it is required to withhold by the federal or any state or local government from payments made hereunder.
ARTICLE 6
ADMINISTRATION
6.1   Appointment of Administrator . The Company shall serve as the Administrator.
 
6.2   Administrator’s Responsibilities . The Administrator is responsible for the day to day administration of the Plan. The Administrator may appoint other persons or entities to perform any of its fiduciary functions.
 
6.3   Records and Accounts . The Administrator shall maintain or shall cause to be maintained accurate and detailed records and accounts of Participants and of their rights under the Plan and of all investments, receipts, disbursements and other transactions.
 
6.4   Liability . The Company shall not be liable to any person for any action taken or omitted in connection with the administration of this Plan unless attributable to the fraud or willful misconduct on the part of a director, officer or agent of the Company.
 
6.5   Payment of Expenses . All expenses incurred in the operation or administration of this Plan shall be paid by Company.
 
6.6   Substitute Payee . If a Participant or Beneficiary entitled to receive any benefits hereunder is in his minority, or is declared legally, physically, or mentally incapable of personally receiving and receipting any distribution, the Company may make distributions to a legally appointed guardian or to such other person or institution as, in the judgment of the Company, is then maintaining or has custody of the payee.
ARTICLE 7
CLAIMS PROCEDURE
7.1   Claims Procedures . The Administrator shall establish a claims procedure and shall afford a reasonable opportunity to any Participant whose claim for benefits has been denied for a full and fair review of the decision denying such claim. The claims procedure shall provide for a notice of denial of a claim to be received by a claimant within a reasonable period, not to exceed ninety (90) days, following the filing of a claim. The notice shall provide the reason for the denial, references to the Plan provisions on which the denial is based, a description of additional information necessary to perfect a claim and the steps required to submit a claim for review. The period to request a review must be for at least sixty (60) days after a receipt of notice of denial of a claim. A decision on review shall be made within sixty (60) days after the Plan’s receipt of a request for a review unless special circumstances require a longer period in which case

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    the Plan shall have an additional sixty (60) days. The final decision shall be in writing and shall include specific reasons for the decision and references to Plan provisions.
ARTICLE 8
AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION
8.1   Plan Amendment . The Plan may be amended or otherwise modified by the Board, in whole or in part, provided that no amendment or modification shall divest any Participant of any amount previously credited to his Account under Section 3.1 or of the amount and method of crediting earnings to such Account under Section 4.3 of the Plan as of the date of such amendment. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, in no event shall any amendment be made in a manner that is inconsistent with the requirements to avoid adverse federal tax consequences under Section 409A of the Code.
 
8.2   Termination of the Plan . The Board reserves the right to terminate the Plan at any time in whole or in part. In the event of any such termination, subject to Code Section 409A, the Company shall pay a benefit to the Participant or the Beneficiary of any deceased Participant, in lieu of other benefits hereunder, equal to the value of the Participant’s Account in the form and at the benefit commencement date elected by the Participant pursuant to section 5.1 of the Plan. Earnings shall continue to be allocated under Section 4.3 of the Plan after the termination of the Plan until the Participant’s benefits have been paid in full notwithstanding the termination of the Plan. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, in no event shall any termination be made in a manner that is inconsistent with the requirements to avoid adverse federal tax consequences under Section 409A of the Code.
ARTICLE 9
MISCELLANEOUS
9.1   Supplemental Benefits . The benefits provided for the Participants under this Plan are in addition to benefits provided by any other plan or program of the Company and the benefits of this Plan shall supplement and shall not supersede any other plan or agreement between the Company and any Participant.
 
9.2   Governing Law . The Plan shall be governed and construed under the laws of the State of Florida.
 
9.3   Spendthrift Provision . No benefit under the Plan shall be subject in any manner to anticipation, alienation, sale, transfer, assignment, pledge, encumbrance or change, and any such action shall be void for all purposes of the Plan. No benefit shall in any manner be subject to the debts, contracts, liabilities, engagements or torts of any person, nor shall it be subject to attachments or other legal process for or against any person, except to such extent as may be required by law.

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9.4   Binding Terms . The terms of this Plan shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto, their respective heirs, executors, administrators and successors.
 
9.5   Headings . All headings preceding the text of the several Sections hereof are inserted solely for reference and shall not constitute a part of this Plan, nor affect its meaning, construction or effect.
 
9.6   Rule of Interpretation . Where appropriate, words in the masculine gender shall include the feminine and neuter genders.
 
9.7   Limitation of Rights . Neither the establishment of this Plan, nor any modification thereof, nor the creation of an account, nor the payment of any benefits shall be construed as giving
  A.   any Participant, Beneficiary, or any other person whomsoever, any legal or equitable right against the Company unless such right shall be specifically provided for in the Plan or conferred by affirmative action of the Administrator in accordance with the terms and provisions of the Plan; or
 
  B.   any Participant the right to be retained in the service of the Company, and all Participants and other agents shall remain subject to termination to the same extent as if the Plan had never been adopted.
9.8   Severability . Should any provision of the Plan or any regulations adopted thereunder be deemed or held to be unlawful or invalid for any reason, such fact shall not adversely affect the other provisions or regulations unless such invalidity shall render impossible or impractical the functioning of the Plan and, in such case, the appropriate parties shall adopt a new provision or regulation to take the place of the one held illegal or invalid.
SIGNATURE
     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, an officer of the Company hereby executes this Plan, as amended and restated through December 6, 2005, as of the 6th day of December 2005.
                     
            ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD.
 
                   
Attest:
  /s/ BRADLEY H. STEIN       By:   /s/ THOMAS F. MURRILL    
 
                   
    Bradley H. Stein       Thomas F. Murrill
    Assistant Secretary       Vice President and
            Chief Human Resources Officer

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EXHIBIT 10.4
THE ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD. ET AL
BOARD OF DIRECTORS NONQUALIFIED
DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
AMENDED AND RESTATED THROUGH DECEMBER 6, 2005

 


 

THE ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD ET AL
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
NONQUALIFIED DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
TABLE OF CONTENTS
         
Article   Page  
 
1. PURPOSE
    1  
 
       
2. DEFINITIONS
    2  
 
       
2.1 Annual Retainer
    2  
2.2 Beneficiary
    2  
2.3 Board
    2  
2.4 Code
    2  
2.5 Company
    2  
2.6 Effective Date
    2  
2.7 Eligible Earnings
    2  
2.8 ERISA
    2  
2.9 Meeting Fees
    2  
2.10 Participant
    2  
2.11 Participant Account
    2  
2.12 Participant Deferral Contributions
    2  
2.13 Plan
    2  
2.14 Plan Year
    2  
2.15 Termination of Employment
    2  
2.16 Valuation Date
    3  
 
       
3. ELIGIBILITY TO PARTICIPATE
    4  
 
       
3.1 Determination of Participant Status
    4  
3.2 Commencement of Participation
    4  
3.3 Cessation of Participation
    4  
 
       
4. PARTICIPANT DEFERRALS
    5  
 
       
4.1 Participant Deferral Contributions
    5  
4.2 Changes in Contributions
    5  
4.3 Suspension of Contributions
    5  
 
       
5. INVESTMENTS AND PARTICIPANT ACCOUNTS
    6  
 
       
5.1 Establishment of Accounts
    6  
5.2 Obligation of the Company
    6  
5.3 Establishment of Investment Funds
    6  
5.4 Crediting Investment Results
    6  
 
       
6. DISTRIBUTIONS
    8  
 
       
6.1 Form and Timing of Distribution
    8  
6.2 Distribution after Death
    8  
6.3 Early Distribution
    9  

 


 

THE ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD ET AL
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
NONQUALIFIED DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
TABLE OF CONTENTS
         
Article   Page  
 
7. ADMINISTRATION
    10  
 
       
7.1 Administration
    10  
7.2 Plan Expenses
    10  
7.3 Liability
    10  
7.4 Claims Procedure
    10  
7.5 Claims Review Procedure
    10  
7.6 Notices
    10  
 
       
8. AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION
    11  
 
       
8.1 Plan Amendment
    11  
8.2 Termination of the Plan
    11  
 
       
9. GENERAL PROVISIONS
    12  
 
       
9.1 Non-Alienation of Benefits
    12  
9.2 Limitation of Rights
    12  
9.3 Participant’s Rights Unsecured
    12  
9.4 Withholding
    12  
9.5 Severability
    12  
9.6 Controlling Law
    12  
 
       
SIGNATURE
    13  

ii 


 

THE ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD. et al.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
NONQUALIFIED DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
AMENDED AND RESTATED THROUGH DECEMBER 6, 2005
ARTICLE 1. PURPOSE
     Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has established The Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. et al. Board of Directors Nonqualified 401(k) Plan, effective July 1, 2003. The Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. et al. Board of Directors Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan is a nonqualified deferred compensation plan for the members of the Board of Directors of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. as a means of deferring a portion of an eligible individual’s current income and to accumulate resources for future investments.
     With respect to amounts deferred hereunder that are subject to Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended and any regulations and other official guidance (the “Code”) (generally, amounts deferred on and after January 1, 2005), applicable provision of the Plan document shall be interpreted to permit the deferral of compensation in accordance with Code Section 409A, and any provision that would conflict with such requirements shall not be valid or enforceable. In addition, with respect to amounts deferred hereunder that are not subject to Section 409A (generally, amounts deferred before January 1, 2005) (“grandfathered funds”), it is intended that the rules applicable under the Plan as of December 31, 2004, and not Code Section 409A and related official guidance, shall apply with respect to such grandfathered funds.

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ARTICLE 2. DEFINITIONS
     For the purpose of this Plan the following terms shall have the meanings as set forth below unless the context requires otherwise:
      2.1 Annual Retainer means cash compensation payable to Board members for service on the Board and on Board committees.
      2.2 Beneficiary means the person, persons, trust or other entity a Participant designates by written revocable designation filed with the Company to receive payments in the event of his or her death.
      2.3 Board means the Board of Directors of the Company.
      2.4 Code means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.
      2.5 Company means Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. et al and any successor thereto.
      2.6 Effective Date means July 1, 2003.
      2.7 Eligible Earnings shall, for purposes of a Participant’s Deferral Contributions, consist of the Participant’s Annual Retainer and Meeting Fees.
      2.8 ERISA means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.
      2.9 Meeting Fees means cash compensation payable to Board members for attendance at Board meetings and at Board committee meetings.
      2.10 Participant means any non-employee Board member who elects to participate in the Plan.
      2.11 Participant Deferral Contributions means the deferred contributions made at the direction of a Participant by the Company pursuant to Section 4.1.
      2.12 Participant Account means a separate account established and maintained by the Company in accordance with the terms of the Plan in the name of each Participant consisting of the amounts set forth in Section 5.1.
      2.13 Plan means the Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. et al Board of Directors Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan, the Plan set forth herein, as amended from time to time.
      2.14 Plan Year means a 12-consecutive month period commencing January 1st and ending on the following December 31st.
      2.15 Termination of Service means a Participant’s termination of service on the Board.

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      2.16 Valuation Date means any day on which the New York Stock Exchange or any successor to its business is open for trading, or such other date as may be designated by the Company.

3


 

ARTICLE 3. ELIGIBILITY TO PARTICIPATE
      3.1 Determination of Participant Status: Upon adoption of the Plan, the Company will notify the Board of their eligibility to participate in the Plan. Thereafter, except as otherwise provided in Section 3.2, prior to each calendar quarter, the Company will notify those new members of the Board of their eligibility to participate.
      3.2 Commencement of Participation: Each Participant shall be provided an opportunity to designate the percentage of his or her Eligible Earnings to be deferred under Section 4.1. Any Participant who makes such a designation in the second calendar quarter of 2003 shall become a Participant on the first day of the following month, with respect to Eligible Earnings earned on or after the Effective Date only, provided the Eligible Participant is a member of the Board as of such date. Thereafter through December 31, 2004, any such Participant who makes such a designation shall become a Participant on the first day of the following calendar month. Effective on and after January 1, 2005, in the case of the first year in which a Board member becomes eligible to participate in the Plan, the Board member may make a deferral election with respect to services to be performed subsequent to the election provided the election is made within 30 days after the date the Board member becomes eligible to participate. In the case of all other Board members, including any newly eligible Board member who fails to make an election within the 30-day period described above, deferral elections must be made no later than December 31 (or such other prior date designated by the Company) of the year before the year the services related to the deferral election are to be performed.
     Any such designation must be made in the manner authorized by the Company and must be accompanied by:
(a) an authorization by the Participant for the Company to make deductions to cover the amount of such deferrals elected pursuant to Section 4.1;
(b) an investment election with respect to any Participant Deferral Contributions;
(c) a designation of Beneficiary; and
(d) a designation as to the form and timing of the distribution of his or her Participant Account.
      3.3 Cessation of Participation: A Participant shall cease to be a Participant on the earliest of:
(a) the date on which the Plan terminates; or
(b) the date on which he or she receives a complete distribution of his or her Participant Account.

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ARTICLE 4. PARTICIPANT DEFERRALS
      4.1 Participant Deferral Contributions: Each Participant may authorize the Company, in the manner described in Section 3.2, to have a Participant Deferral Contribution made on his or her behalf. Such election shall apply to the Participant’s Eligible Earnings attributable to services performed during the designated period covered by the election, as provided in Section 3.2. Such Participant Deferral Contribution shall be a stated whole percentage of the Participant’s Eligible Earnings, equal to not less than 10% nor more than 100%, as designated by the Participant. The percentage of Eligible Earnings designated by a Participant to measure the Participant Deferral Contributions to be made on the Participant’s behalf shall remain in effect, notwithstanding any change in his or her Eligible Earnings, until he or she elects to change or suspend such percentage in accordance with Section 4.2 or Section 4.3, below.
      4.2 Changes in Contributions: A Participant may change his or her contribution percentage election under Section 4.1 by applying to make such change in the manner prescribed by the Company. Prior to January 1, 2005, any such change shall become effective no earlier than the first day of the month following the date on which the Participant applies to make such change. On and after January 1, 2005, any such change shall become effective no earlier than the first day of the year following the date on which the Participant applies to make such change.
      4.3 Suspension of Contributions: A Participant may suspend his or her Participant Deferral Contributions at any time by applying for a suspension in writing to the Company. Prior to January 1, 2005, any such suspension request shall become effective as soon as administratively practicable following the date the Participant applies for the suspension. On and after January 1, 2005, any such suspension request shall not become effective before the first day of the year following the date the Participant applies for the suspension. A Participant whose Deferral Contributions have been suspended under this section may resume having Deferral Contributions made on his or her behalf by applying to change his or her contribution percentage election in accordance with Section 4.2.

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ARTICLE 5. INVESTMENTS AND PARTICIPANT ACCOUNTS
      5.1 Establishment of Accounts: The Company shall establish a Participant Account to which shall be credited the Participant’s Deferral Contributions and any earnings and losses credited thereto.
Each Participant shall receive a quarterly statement reflecting his or her Participant Account balance.
      5.2 Obligation of the Company: Individual benefits under the Plan are payable as they become due solely from assets allocated to individual Participant Accounts in a rabbi trust or from the general assets of the Company. To the extent a Participant or any person acquires a right to receive payments from the Company under this Plan, such right shall be no greater than the right of any unsecured creditor of the Company. Neither this Plan nor any action taken pursuant to the terms of this Plan shall be considered to create a fiduciary relationship between the Company and the Participants or any other persons or to require the establishment of a trust in which the assets are beyond the claims of any unsecured creditor of the Company.
      5.3 Establishment of Investment Funds: The Company will establish one or more Investment Funds which will be maintained for the purpose of determining the investment return to be credited to each Participant’s Account. The Company may change the number, identity or composition of the Investment Funds from time to time. Each Participant will indicate the Investment Funds based on which amounts allocated in accordance with Articles 4 and 5 are to be adjusted. Each Participant’s Account will be increased or decreased by the net amount of investment earnings or losses that it would have achieved had it actually been invested in the deemed investments. The Company is not required to purchase or hold any of the deemed investments. Investment Fund elections must be made in a minimum of 1% increments and in such manner as the Company will specify. A Participant may change his or her Investment Fund election periodically by completing a revised Participant Election Form and delivering it to the Vice President of Human Resources. Any such change shall become effective as of the first business day coincident with or immediately following the date the Participant applies to make such change. As the Participant’s Account increases, the investment of such amounts shall remain invested in the deemed investment previously designated until the Participant requests a change in accordance with this Section or the Company no longer includes that deemed investment as one of the available Investment Funds. If a Participant fails to make an Investment Fund election, the amount in the Participant’s Account will be deemed to have been invested in a money market fund or any other fund as determined by the Company.
      5.4 Crediting Investment Results: No less frequently than as of each Valuation Date, each Participant Account will be increased or decreased to reflect deemed investment results. Each Participant Account will be credited with the deemed investment return of the Investment Funds in which the Participant elected to be deemed to participate. The credited investment return is intended to reflect the actual performance of the Investment Funds net of any applicable investment management fees or administrative expenses determined by the Company. Notwithstanding the above, the amount of any payment of Plan benefits pursuant to

6


 

Article 6 or upon Plan termination shall be determined as of the Valuation Date preceding the date of payment.

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ARTICLE 6. DISTRIBUTIONS
      6.1 Form and Timing of Distribution: Each Participant shall elect the form and timing of the distribution with respect to his or her Participant Account in the manner authorized by the Company.
(a) Form of Payment: The Participant’s election shall indicate the form of distribution of his or her entire Participant Account in a lump sum or in monthly installments as selected by the Participant.
(b) Time of Payment: The Participant’s election shall indicate that payment shall be made (in the case of a lump sum election) or shall commence (in the case of an installment election):
(1) as soon as administratively practicable following the Participant’s Termination of Service as a member of the Board which shall in no event exceed 21 days beyond such Termination of Service;
(2) as soon as administratively practicable following the calendar year of the Participant’s Termination of Service as a member of the Board which shall in no event exceed 21 days beyond the end of such calendar year; or
(3) in a specific month and year.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a Participant elects his or her distribution to be made or commenced in accordance with paragraph 3 above, and such date falls before the Participant’s Termination of Service, the Participant’s distribution shall be made or commenced in accordance with paragraph 1 above. Further, if a Participant elects his or her distribution to be made or commenced in accordance with paragraph 3 above, and such date falls before the Participant’s Termination of Service, the Participant must complete new designations and authorizations pursuant to Section 3.2 in order to continue making Participant Deferral Contribution.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Participant may change his or her form and timing election applicable to the distribution of his or her Participant Account, provided that such request for change is made (i) at least twelve (12) consecutive months prior to the date on which such distribution would otherwise have been made or commenced, (ii) at least twelve (12) consecutive months prior to the date on which such distribution will be made or commence, and (iii) solely with respect to amounts deferred under the Plan which are subject to Code Section 409A (generally, amounts deferred on and after January 1, 2005), such that the payment with respect to an amended distribution election is deferred for a period of not less than 5 years from the date such payment would otherwise have been paid (or, in the case of installment payments, 5 years from the date the first amount was scheduled to be paid).
      6.2 Distribution after Death: Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a Participant dies prior to receiving the entire amounts in his or her Participant Account, the remaining amounts

8


 

shall be paid in a lump sum to the Participant’s Beneficiary designated by the Participant as soon as practicable following the Participant’s death. The amount of any such distribution shall be determined as of the most recent Valuation Date preceding the month in which the Company is notified of the Participant’s death.
      6.3 Early Distribution: Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, including Sections 6.1 and 6.3, and effective solely with respect to amounts deferred under the Plan prior to January 1, 2005 and not otherwise subject to Code Section 409A, a Participant may, one time per year, make a written request to the Company to immediately receive a lump sum distribution equal to ninety percent (90%) of the entire applicable portion of his or her Participant Account as adjusted under Section 9.4. The remaining applicable balance of his or her Participant Account from which a payment has been made pursuant to this Section 6.3 shall be forfeited by the Participant. Following receipt of written notice by the Company the Participant shall be precluded from participating in the Plan for one year following such distribution.

9


 

ARTICLE 7. ADMINISTRATION
      7.1 Administration: The Plan shall be administered by the Company. The Company shall have the full and exclusive discretionary authority to administer the Plan, and any responsibilities and duties under this Plan which are not specifically delegated to anyone else. Responsibility for determining the eligibility of Participants and establishing the requirements for participation shall be vested in the Company, which shall be responsible for any interpretation of the Plan that may be required. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may delegate any of its administrative duties as necessary.
      7.2 Plan Expenses: The expenses of administering the Plan shall be borne by the Company.
      7.3 Liability: The Company shall not be liable to any person for any action taken or omitted in connection with the administration of this Plan unless attributable to the fraud or willful misconduct on the part of a director, officer or agent of the Company.
      7.4 Claims Procedure: Any person claiming a benefit, requesting an interpretation or ruling under the Plan, or requesting information under the Plan shall present the request in writing to the Company’s Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer, who shall respond in writing as soon as practicable. If the claim or request is denied, the written notice of denial shall state:
(a) The reasons for denial, with specific reference to the Plan provisions on which the denial is based.
(b) A description of any additional material or information required and an explanation of why it is necessary.
(c) An explanation of the Plan’s claim review procedure.
      7.5 Claims Review Procedure: Any person whose claim or request is denied or who has not received a response within 30 calendar days may request review by notice given in writing to the Company’s Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer. The claim or request shall be reviewed by the Company’s Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer, who may, but shall not be required to, grant the claimant a hearing. On review, the claimant may have representation, examine pertinent documents, and submit issues and comments in writing.
     The decision on review shall normally be made within 60 calendar days. If an extension of time is required for a hearing or other special circumstances, the claimant shall be notified and the time limit shall be 120 calendar days. The decision shall be in writing and shall state the reasons and the relevant Plan provisions. All decisions on review shall be final and binding on all parties concerned.
      7.6 Notices: Any notices, designations or other communications to be given to the Company by any Eligible Participant or Beneficiary shall only be effective if delivered to the Company’s Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer.

10


 

ARTICLE 8. AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION
      8.1 Plan Amendment: The Plan may be amended or otherwise modified by the Board, in whole or in part, provided that no amendment or modification shall divest any Participant of any amount previously credited to his or her Participant Account under Article 4 or of the amount and method of crediting earnings to such Participant Account under Article 5 of the Plan as of the date of such amendment. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, in no event shall any amendment be made in a manner that is inconsistent with the requirements to avoid adverse federal tax consequences under Section 409A of the Code.
      8.2 Termination of the Plan: The Board reserves the right to terminate the Plan at any time in whole or in part. In the event of any such termination, the Company shall pay a benefit to the Participant or the Beneficiary of any deceased Participant, in lieu of other benefits hereunder, equal to the value of the Participant’s Account in the form and at the benefit commencement date elected by the Participant pursuant to Article 6 of the Plan. Earnings shall continue to be allocated under Article 5 of the Plan after the termination of the Plan until the Participant’s benefits have been paid in full notwithstanding the termination of the Plan. Notwithstanding the above, the Company reserves the right to pay out Participants in a lump sum their Participant Account as soon as practicable following the termination of the Plan. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, in no event shall any termination be made in a manner that is inconsistent with the requirements to avoid adverse federal tax consequences under Section 409A of the Code.

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ARTICLE 9. GENERAL PROVISIONS
      9.1 Non-Alienation of Benefits: No benefit under the Plan shall be subject in any manner to anticipation, alienation, sale, transfer, assignment, pledge, encumbrance or charge and any such action shall be void for all purposes of the Plan. No benefit shall in any manner be subject to the debts, contracts, liabilities, engagements or torts of any person, nor shall it be subject to attachments or other legal process for or against any person, except to such extent as may be required by law.
      9.2 Limitation of Rights: Neither the establishment of this Plan, nor any modification thereof, nor the creation of an account, nor the payment of any benefits shall be construed as giving
(a) any Participant, Beneficiary, or any other person whomsoever, any legal or equitable right against the Company, unless such right shall be specifically provided for in the Plan or conferred by affirmative action of the Administrator in accordance with the terms and provisions of the Plan; or
(b) any Participant, or other person whomsoever, the right to be retained in the service of the Company.
      9.3 Participant’s Rights Unsecured: The right of any Participant or Beneficiary to receive payment under the provisions of the Plan shall be as an unsecured claim against Company, as the case may be, and no provisions contained in the Plan shall be construed to give any Participant or Beneficiary at any time a security interest in the Participant’s Account or any asset of the Company. The liabilities of the Company to any Participant or Beneficiary pursuant to the Plan shall be those of a debtor pursuant to such contractual obligations as are created by the Plan. Accounts, if any, which may be set aside by the Company for accounting purposes shall not in any way be held in trust for, or to be subject to the claims of a Participant or Beneficiary.
      9.4 Withholding: There shall be deducted from all payments under this Plan the amount of any taxes required to be withheld by any Federal, state or local government. The Participants and their Beneficiaries, distributees, and personal representatives will bear any and all Federal, foreign, state, local or other income or other taxes imposed on amounts paid under this Plan.
      9.5 Severability: Should any provision of the Plan or any regulations adopted thereunder be deemed or held to be unlawful or invalid for any reason, such fact shall not adversely affect the other provisions or regulations unless such invalidity shall render impossible or impractical the functioning of the Plan and, in such case, the appropriate parties shall adopt a new provision or regulation to take the place of the one held illegal or invalid.
      9.6 Controlling Law: The Plan shall be governed by the laws of the State of Florida, except to the extent preempted by ERISA and any other law of the United States.

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SIGNATURE
     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, an officer of the Company hereby executes this Plan, as amended and restated through December 6, 2005, as of the 6th day of December 2005.
                     
            ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD.  
 
                   
Attest:
  /s/ BRADLEY H. STEIN       By:   /s/ THOMAS F. MURRILL    
 
                   
    Bradley H. Stein       Thomas F. Murrill
    Assistant Secretary       Vice President and
            Chief Human Resources Officer

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