Carnival Cruises

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 shorter, less expensive 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.

source: wikipedia