Cruises

Category: File - :MSMajestyOfTheSeasEdit1.JPG|350px|thumb|MS Majesty of the Seas, a cruise ship completed in 1992

A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience. Cruising has become a major part of the tourism industry, accounting for U.S.$27 billion with over 18 million passengers carried worldwide in 2010. The industry's rapid growth has seen nine or more newly built ships catering to a North American clientele added every year since 2001, as well as others servicing European clientele. Smaller markets such as the Asia-Pacific region are generally serviced by older tonnage displaced by new ships introduced into the high growth areas.

Cruise ships operate mostly on routes that return passengers to their originating port. In contrast, dedicated transport oriented ocean liners do "line voyages" and typically transport passengers from one point to another, rather than on round trips. Some cruise ships also engage in longer trips which may not lead back to the same port for many months (longer round trips).The ocean-going stretch limo - New Zealand Herald, Friday 16 February 2007

Traditionally, an ocean liner for the transoceanic trade will be built to a higher standard than a typical cruise ship, including stronger plating to withstand ocean voyages, most commonly crossing the North Atlantic. The only dedicated transatlantic ocean liner in operation as a liner, as of September 2009, is the Queen Mary 2 of the Cunard fleet. The liner Queen Mary is in service as a hotel in Long Beach, USA, the Queen Elizabeth 2 is slated for similar duty in Cape Town, and the United States is currently stored in Philadelphia, USA, with long-standing plans to return it to service, although this appears increasingly unlikely given its age and condition. Some former ocean liners currently operate as cruise ships, however this number is ever decreasing. The MS Marco Polo is an example.

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 ten different cruise brands. and controls a 53.6% share of the total worldwide cruise market.

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 are 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.

New offices for Carnival will open in 2009 in Southampton, United Kingdom.

In 1996 the Carnival Destiny of 101,000 gross tons became the largest passenger ship in the world at the time. As of 2009, the latest and largest ship in the Carnival fleet is the Carnival Dream, a new 130,000 gross ton ship. The Carnival Dream entered service on 21 September 2009. After several voyages in the Mediterranean she is set to offer weekly Caribbean cruises from Cape Canaveral from 5 December 2009. A sister ship, the Carnival Magic, is set to debut in June 2011. On December 1, 2009 it was announced that Carnival placed an order for a third Dream-class vessel that has yet to be named. It will enter service in Spring 2012.

John Heald is the senior cruise director of Carnival.

Disney Cruise Line is an American cruise line company owned by The Walt Disney Company and headquartered in Celebration, Florida. The business is run by President Karl Holz as part of the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts division.http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-dizcruise1409feb14,0,2526063.story Disney Cruise Line operates the Disney Cruise Line Terminal, which homeports both ships.