Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings trumped analyst consensus figures, while absorbing the financial impact from Hurricane Dorian that wrecked the Bahamas two months ago.
The New York-listed cruise major posted $482m in adjusted profit versus $506m in adjusted earnings during the same period last year.
Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) came in at $2.23, beating the Wall Street consensus by $0.07 but missing last year's result by $0.03.
Miami-based Norwegian said the hurricane, considered the worst tropical cyclone ever to hit the vacation destination, impacted EPS earnings by $0.06 due to voyage cancellations, itinerary changes and relief efforts.
Chief executive Frank Del Rio was still happy with the quarter's results, saying the company recorded best quarterly top line in its history.
"The underlying fundamentals of our business remain as strong as ever, allowing us to post another solid quarter of financial results despite the impacts from Hurricane Dorian," he said in a statement.
Third-quarter revenue jumped 3% to $1.9bn, mostly due to net yield — essentially per-passenger profit — rising 3.3%, driven by moving 167,700-gt Norwegian Joy (built 2017) to North America and robust onboard spending.
The company expects full-year EPS to reach $5.05, including $0.15 negative impact from Hurricane Dorian.
"We are on track to deliver yet another record-breaking year in 2019, and the positive momentum for our global brands is carrying over into 2020, as demand, occupancy and pricing continue to outpace 2019 record levels, buoyed by the addition of Norwegian Encore and Seven Seas Splendor,” Del Rio said.
