Carnival Cruise Lines is a cruise line operating a large number of cruise ships. It originally was an inependent 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.