Carnival Cruise Lines is
a cruise line operating
a large number of cruise
ships. Originally an
independent company
founded in 1972 by Ted
Arison, it is now a
branded division within
Carnival Corporation &
plc, a publicly traded
company which owns a
number of different
cruise brands.
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
2008, the latest and
largest ship in the
Carnival Fleet is the
Carnival Splendor.
Currently, a new 130,000
gross ton ship is under
construction, the
Carnival Dream. The
Carnival Dream is set to
debut in October 2009 .
A sister ship,the
Carnival Magic, is set
to debut in June 2011.
