![]() ![]() |
|
|
| >>homepage |
|
|
Carnival Ships History Carnival Cruise Lines is a cruise line operating a large number of cruise ships. It originally was an independent company founded in 1972 by Ted Arison. It is now a branded division within Carnival Corporation & plc, a publicly traded company with Micky Arison as the Chairman. Carnival Corporation & plc owns a number of different cruise lines and has become the largest corporation in the cruise industry. Carnival and its affiliates Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Cunard Line, Costa Cruises and the Yachts of Seabourn; are branded by the company as the World's Leading Cruise Lines. Carnival was a pioneer in the concept of cheaper and shorter cruises. Its ships are known for their Las Vegas-style decor and entertainment. The line calls its ships The Fun Ships and there is a wide range of activities offered on board. Its trademark is the smoke stack, or funnel, which is red, white and blue and shaped like a whale's tail. The mascot for Carnival is "Fun Ship Freddy", a character in the shape of Carnival's distinctive funnel. In 1996 the Carnival Destiny of 101,000 gross tons became the largest passenger ship in the world at the time. As of 2007, the latest and largest ship in the Carnival Fleet is the Carnival Freedom, a Conquest Class ship and Carnival's second ship to be based in Europe. The company announced three new ships in early 2007: the Carnival Splendor, to debut July 13, 2008, the Carnival Dream, set to debut in October 2009, and the Carnival Magic, set to debut in June 2011.
|