Norwegian Cruise Line files for an IPO - again

This item was written by Johanna Jainchill, who covers cruising for Travel Weekly. Jainchill is serving as Guest Editor of The Cruise Log while USA TODAY Cruise Editor Gene Sloan is away.
Norwegian Cruise Line, the smallest of the three major North American cruise brands, has filed to become a public company – again.
Under a new parent company name, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., the company filed for an initial public offering in the United States, nine months after it filed an IPO as NCL Corporation Ltd., with an offering of up to $250 million in shares.

PHOTO GALLERY:  Tour the Norwegian Epic

In today's filing, called an S-1 registration, Norwegian said that it expects to list its shares on NASDAQ under the symbol NCLH, and that it intends to use the proceeds from the share sale to pay down some of its debt.
In a statement, Norwegian said it withdrew its prior S-1 registration under NCL Corporation Ltd., and that Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. will be the name of the new parent company upon completion of the offering.

Norwegian's first filing for an IPO came last October, the day after it announced a new, two-ship order for delivery in 2013 and 2014 that will expand its capacity by more than 30%.
Norwegian is privately owned by Asian cruise and gaming company Genting HK (which has a 50% stake) and two financial firms, Apollo Management (37.5%) and TPG Capital (12.5%).
The cruise line, far smaller than North America's two largest cruise companies, Carnival Corp. and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., has undergone major changes since Apollo purchased it in 2008.
Many of Norwegian's top executives were replaced and the new management made sweeping changes to the line's itineraries, onboard service and amenities. One the most extreme was the downsizing of Norwegian's once four-ship strong plantar warts Hawaii program, a money-losing operation that is now down to one vessel, the Pride of America.

Charlie Sheen Dead: Internet Rumors

The internet is all a buzz this morning with the rumor that Charlie Sheen is dead. This is however just a rumor and Charlie Sheen is alive and kicking. His character off of the hit show ‘Two and a Half Men’, Charlie Harper, may not have the same good fortune. With the firing and replacement of Sheen with Ashton Kutcher it looks as though the producers have decided to kill off Harper and create a new character for Kutcher.

For all of you Sheen fans, don’t worry Charlie Sheen is not dead. Also it has been reported that he will be back on the air with a new show. Sheen and producer Joe Roth and Lionsgate media have apparently partnered to create a new sitcom based on the 2003 movie ‘Anger Management’. If all goes according to plan the show will be released early in 2012.
Yesterday on Twitter is where the Charlie Sheen dead rumor all began. Even though Sheen was tweeting throughout the day the rumor steam rolled in to something big. The actual story was about his character Charlie Harper dieing and how that would happen, nothing to do with the real life person Charlie Sheen.
Another rumor we will clear up is about Hugh Hefner. Shortly before the Charlie Sheen dead rumors engulfed the internet, rumors of Playboy creator Hugh Hefner dying also came about. Just like Sheen’s rumor being false, so is Hugh Hefner’s he too is alive.