THE world’s most powerful cruising empire, Carnival Corporation, which has its UK base in Southampton, is undergoing a major shakeup of top executives on both sides of the Atlantic.

The most dramatic move is the decision by Carnival Corp’s chief executive, Micky Arison, to stand down from the top job.

Mr Arison will remain Carnival’s chairman while his other role has gone to existing board member, Arnold Donald.

This comes just weeks after Carnival’s UK arm, which includes Cunard, P&O Cruises, and Princess Cruises among its stable of companies, announced the departure, later this year, of two of the best known names in the British cruising industry.

As previously reported in the Daily Echo, Carol Marlow, managing director of P&O Cruises, together with Cunard president, Peter Shanks, are due to leave the company later this year.

In a statement Mr Arison, son of Carnival co-founder Ted, and owner of the Miami Heat basketball team, said: “I have been discussing this with the board for some time now and feel the timing is right to align our company with corporate governance best practices and turn over the reins after 34 years as chief executive.”

Meanwhile, last month in Southampton, Carnival UK said the replacements, now being recruited, for Ms Marlow and Mr Shanks will lead to a “new commercial leadership structure”.

With a fleet of 100 ships, Carnival Corporation, with its headquarters in Miami, Florida, has been at the centre of a series of public relations disasters in recent times.

In January 2012, one of the corporation’s companies, Costa Cruises, hit the global headlines when its vessel, Costa Concordia, was grounded off Italy resulting in the death of 32 people.

Earlier this year another ship, Carnival Triumph, was left drifting without power in the Gulf of Mexico for four days.