SmartHelping / Cruise & Boat Tour Business / Excel
Cruise Ship & Boat Tour Financial Model
Build a forecast for a cruise ship, boat tour or yacht business over up to 10 years. Plan construction or acquisition costs, ticket and onboard revenue, operating expenses and financing, then review financial statements, cash flow and investor returns.
Immediate download after purchase. By purchasing, you agree to the Terms of Service.
See the model in action
Follow the operating assumptions into the financial forecast.
Watch the walkthrough to review the model’s inputs and outputs. Open the screenshots below for a closer look at the workbook.
Revenue and operating activity
Build the forecast around trips, passengers and onboard spending.
Revenue assumptions can be configured each month to reflect seasonality and changes in the operating plan.
Cruises or tours per month
Set the number of cruises or tours operated each month and change the schedule across busier and quieter periods.
Trip length and distance
Define the average cruise length in days and average distance per cruise as part of the operating assumptions.
Tickets sold per cruise
Set the average number of tickets sold per cruise to model passenger activity.
Up to 10 ticket or package levels
Define the price of each ticket or package level and the percentage of tickets sold at each level.
Five onboard revenue streams
Model alcohol, spa, casino, art gallery or auction, and shore-excursion revenue alongside ticket sales.
Onboard costs and margins
Set the associated costs or margins for the onboard revenue streams to review their contribution to the forecast.
Construction, acquisition and financing
Plan the investment before the operating cash flow begins.
Use the cost schedules for new construction or the purchase of an existing ship, with optional debt financing.
Six monthly cost schedules
Enter construction or acquisition costs in up to six schedules, each with 22 cost slots and monthly timing.
Financing by cost item
For each cost row, choose whether it is financed and define the financed percentage. Non-financed costs flow to the equity requirement.
Construction and main loans
Configure the construction loan and interest rate, along with the main principal-and-interest loan and its terms. Leverage is optional.
One optional refinance
Model one refinance loan, using a loan-to-value assumption and an EBITDA multiple to define the cash-out refinancing scenario.
Operating expense assumptions
Model the costs of running each trip and the business.
Configure the operating inputs for the services, staffing and cost structure you plan to use.
General operating costs
Set each operating cost’s start month, monthly amount and cost growth rate.
Staffing and payroll
Define staff descriptions, headcount, start months, cost growth and payroll taxes or benefits.
Outsourced labor and talent
Include outsourced labor, onboard talent and professional talent services in the operating forecast.
Fuel and mileage efficiency
Define the fuel price per gallon and mileage efficiency, with assumptions adjustable each year.
Up to 47 food categories
Set average food costs per cruise across up to 47 categories, with annual adjustments.
Boarding and offloading costs
Define one-time costs for each onboard or offload event.
Single-operator and joint venture reporting
Review two separate approaches to cash distributions.
The model supports a single-operator forecast or an investment structure with outside and inside investors. The two distribution reports operate independently.
Fixed-percentage distributions
The Distributions tab uses the cap table and fixed cash flow percentages for the owner/operator and investor/LP.
Optional LP/GP waterfall
The separate joint venture waterfall allocates cash using defined IRR hurdles, with preferred-return or preferred-equity options. Monthly and annual views are included.
Contributions, distributions and payback
Review the running cash position and the recovery of the initial investment through operating cash flow, alongside the distribution results.
Financial reports and investment returns
Review the operating plan and the investment outcome.
Monthly detail and annual summaries help you follow the forecast from business activity through to cash flow and returns.
Three financial statements
Review the Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Statement on a monthly and annual basis.
Monthly and annual pro forma
Inspect the detailed financial forecast alongside the summary reports.
Discounted cash flow analysis
Set the discount rate used in the DCF analysis and review the modeled cash flows.
IRR, ROI and equity multiple
Review internal rate of return, return on investment and equity multiple for the modeled investment.
Annual executive summary
Use the executive summary to review the primary annual financial line items and visuals.
Visualizations and debt coverage
Review the model’s financial visualizations and debt service coverage alongside the operating results.
Optional exit assumptions
Include an end-of-forecast sale in the cash flow analysis.
Choose whether to calculate an exit value at the forecast end month.
Trailing 12-month EBITDA multiple
Set the multiple applied to trailing 12-month EBITDA to calculate the optional exit value.
Automatic debt repayment
When an exit is assumed, the model automatically repays any remaining debt as part of the exit calculation.
How to use the model
Build the assumptions, then review the financial results.
Yellow cells identify the assumptions to update. Components that are not needed can be zeroed out.
Set the forecast and initial investment
Choose a forecast period of up to 10 years. Enter the construction or acquisition cost timing and configure any construction, main or refinance loans.
Enter the operating assumptions
Update the yellow cells for monthly trips, ticket sales, package mix, onboard spending and operating costs. Zero out components you do not need.
Configure investor and exit assumptions
Review the fixed-percentage Distributions tab and, if relevant, the separate LP/GP waterfall. Set the discount rate and optional exit assumptions.
Review the reports and balance checks
Check the Global Control tab for financial statements or reports that do not balance. Review cash needs, investor returns, debt coverage and the running cash position, then compare different pricing, volume or cost inputs.
Questions to test in the forecast
Compare the assumptions that drive cash needs and returns.
Use the model to explore the effect of changes in the business plan.
Startup capital
Compare acquisition or construction spending and financing assumptions to understand the resulting equity requirement.
Seasonal demand
Change monthly trip counts, ticket sales and package pricing to review how quieter periods affect the forecast.
Fuel, food and staffing costs
Compare expense assumptions to see how operating costs affect cash flow and returns.
Ticket and onboard revenue mix
Review the effect of package mix and onboard revenue margins when evaluating how the business covers its costs.
Who the model is for
For cruise, boat tour and yacht business planning.
Founders and owner/operators
Plan a new operation, evaluate an existing-ship acquisition and review the investment required to support the operating forecast.
Investors and financial analysts
Review the revenue and cost assumptions, financing, optional exit and investor distribution structure alongside the forecast returns.
Also available in these bundles
Need more operating and hospitality models?
This model is included in the Industry-Specific and Hospitality bundles. The Super Smart Bundle provides access to the complete public SmartHelping template collection.
Industry-Specific Financial Models
Explore financial models built around the revenue and cost drivers of different businesses.
View the Industry-Specific bundleHospitality Financial Models
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View the Hospitality bundleSuper Smart Bundle
Access the complete public SmartHelping template collection across industries and financial-analysis needs.
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Explore the templateQuestions before you buy
A few useful details.
How long is the forecast?
The model runs for up to 10 years and includes monthly and annual reporting.
Can I model new construction or an existing-ship purchase?
Yes. Enter monthly costs in up to six schedules with 22 cost slots each. Set the financed percentage for each item; non-financed costs flow to the equity requirement.
How does the model handle seasonality?
Revenue assumptions are configurable each month, including cruises or tours, average trip length and distance, tickets sold, ticket mix and package prices.
What onboard revenue and food-cost detail is included?
There are five onboard revenue streams: alcohol, spa, casino, art gallery or auction, and shore excursions, with associated costs or margins. Food costs support up to 47 categories, defined per cruise and adjustable each year.
Can I use the model without debt or a joint venture?
Yes. Leverage and the LP/GP waterfall are optional, and the model supports a single-operator forecast. Zero out components you do not need.
How do the two distribution reports differ?
The Distributions tab uses fixed percentages from the cap table. The independent optional LP/GP waterfall allocates cash using IRR hurdles, with preferred-return or preferred-equity options and monthly and annual views.
Can I include an exit and refinance?
Yes. The model supports one optional refinance and an optional exit at the forecast end month. The exit uses a trailing 12-month EBITDA multiple and repays remaining debt.
Where can I check whether the reports balance?
Review the sanity checks on the Global Control tab. They flag financial statements or reports that do not balance.
Plan the investment and the operation
Connect each trip to the financial forecast.
Get the Cruise Ship & Boat Tour Financial Model for $45 and plan up to 10 years of operating cash flow, financing and investment returns.
