Christine Duffy and Emeril Lagasse to sail and do stuff on Carnival Venezia's first sailing

[Honolulu Blue]

I know each of them have fan clubs, perhaps including some of you.  This is a rare opportunity for you to see them, hear them, and possibly interact with them.  The rest of the press release is at CARNIVAL PRESIDENT CHRISTINE DUFFY AND CHIEF CULINARY OFFICER EMERIL LAGASSE TO WELCOME GUESTS ON CARNIVAL VENEZIA’S FIRST SAILING | Carnival Corporation & plc .  I'll quote the first part of it as it has the details about their appearance (emphasis mine other than the headline):

 

CARNIVAL PRESIDENT CHRISTINE DUFFY AND CHIEF CULINARY OFFICER EMERIL LAGASSE TO WELCOME GUESTS ON CARNIVAL VENEZIA’S FIRST SAILING

 

MIAMI, March 29, 2023 – As it prepares for the debut of “Fun Italian Style,” Carnival Cruise Line announced today that its President Christine Duffy and Chief Culinary Officer Emeril Lagasse will welcome guests aboard Carnival Venezia’s first sailing departing Barcelona on May 29, 2023, and they will sail for the first part of the cruise.

Guests will have the opportunity to meet and interact with them while experiencing all that Carnival’s new “Fun Italian Style” cruising has to offer. Programming highlights include a Sail Away Party and Captain’s Venetian Toast with Christine and Emeril, guest appearances on The Wave Morning Show, a special Fireside Chat, along with their participation in other events and entertainment.

And of course, it wouldn’t be an Emeril sailing without a special cooking demonstration! Guests will have the opportunity to learn from the pro himself on the sailing’s first sea day. Spaces for the private cooking demonstration can be purchased once on board and will be filled on a first-come first-served basis. Proceeds will serve as a fundraiser for Carnival’s charitable partner St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“We are eagerly awaiting the debut of Carnival Venezia and so we wanted to welcome the ship with ‘BAM’ by having Emeril join me on board as we interact with guests and show off this beautiful ship,” said Duffy. “Together for the first part of Carnival Venezia’s first sailing, we’ll experience Carnival’s signature fun with a new Italian flair, exclusive onboard events and beautiful European destinations – I can’t wait!”

The 15-day Transatlantic Carnival Journeys cruise from Barcelona will stop in Malaga, Spain; Gibraltar; Lisbon, Portugal; Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal; and Halifax, NS, Canada on the way to New York’s Manhattan Cruise Terminal. 

Carnival Venezia will sail year-round from New York’s Manhattan Cruise Terminal beginning June 15 and offer guests a wide range of sailing options, with 10 different cruise durations and 22 unique itineraries featuring visits to 25 ports across 14 countries.

 

(the rest of the press release is just hype about the ship and Carnival itself that you probably know and don't need)

[pe4all]

Very cool!  Wish I was on that sailing.  Always wanted to do a TA, and I think Emeril is a blast!

[jimbo5544]

I agree, if not already booked we would have been on it.  Christine is both a good business person and has the Carnival FUN personality unique to the Carnival brand.  Happy to see the Emeril relationship flourish, would LOVE to be in a cooking demonstration.  

[serene56]

i wonder if he will have a dining place on Venezia

[BlerkOne]

2 hours ago, serene56 said:

i wonder if he will have a dining place on Venezia

Indirectly, I suppose, since he is the Chief Culinary Officer (whatever that is). But no venue of his own.

 

Found it

 

As Chief Culinary Officer, Lagasse will support Carnival's skilled chefs with guidance on food trends and techniques as well as advise on future menu items and dining concepts. Guests will also see his input on the menus of main dining rooms fleetwide, including entrées designated as "Emeril recommends" picks.

[TravelBluebird]

I’m on that sailing and I’m very excited!
 

My hubby is a foodie and a true Emeril fan from back in the days. He has informed me that upon embarkation, we shall be (very) quickly walking directly to where we can purchase tickets to Emeril’s cooking demonstration! 

 

Also super excited to have Christine Duffy on the sailing! I’ve never sailed with her//met her, and I admire her—I think she is just super effective and has the perfect personality to be the President of Carnival! 

[bigdog1958]

I guess they are having a hard time selling out for this cruise. Figure they might be able to generate some sales with this move.

[BlerkOne]

59 minutes ago, bigdog1958 said:

I guess they are having a hard time selling out for this cruise. Figure they might be able to generate some sales with this move.

I've met both Christine and Emeril on several Carnival ships - even before Covid.

 

Airfare to BCN is obscene.

[nwcruiselover]

I’m on that sailing and looking forward to both Christine and Emeril being onboard! Hoping to get tickets for the cooking demonstration.

[TravelBluebird]

3 hours ago, bigdog1958 said:

I guess they are having a hard time selling out for this cruise. Figure they might be able to generate some sales with this move.

 

Actually, everything but interior is sold out (I know this because a friend was interested in booking the cruise, but won’t sail in an interior).

[BlerkOne]

14 minutes ago, TravelBluebird said:

 

Actually, everything but interior is sold out (I know this because a friend was interested in booking the cruise, but won’t sail in an interior).

I see at least 2 balconies.

[TravelBluebird]

1 hour ago, BlerkOne said:

I see at least 2 balconies.

 

Earlier today it said sold out, so it seems to be right on the edge.

[jimbo5544]

TA aside, the whole Costa by Carnival experiment will be interesting to watch and see how it proceeds.  Sailing year round from New York has not gone well for Carnival.  The allure of sailing out of the best sail-away (in the summertime)  in February and the two cold days to get to warmth begs of understanding New York is a seasonal homeport, not a year round.  We will see.

Edited March 31, 2023 by jimbo5544

[shof515]

18 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

Sailing year round from New York has not gone well for Carnival.

what hurt them was the itinerary of Port Canaveral, Freeport and Nassau. Horrible itinerary . I am so glad they have better itinerary like the southern caribbean to Barbados

[jimbo5544]

9 hours ago, shof515 said:

what hurt them was the itinerary of Port Canaveral, Freeport and Nassau. Horrible itinerary . I am so glad they have better itinerary like the southern caribbean to Barbados

I would agree that weak itineraries do not help and that was def a weak one.  That said, sailing out of NY in 20 degrees and winter seas is certainly less than optimal, I would NEVER do it.

[pe4all]

10 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

TA aside, the whole Costa by Carnival experiment will be interesting to watch and see how it proceeds.  Sailing year round from New York has not gone well for Carnival.  The allure of sailing out of the best sail-away (in the summertime)  in February and the two cold days to get to warmth begs of understanding New York is a seasonal homeport, not a year round.  We will see.

As a native NYer I totally agree.  Sailing past the Statue of Liberty and NY skyline is amazing.  However, freezing my butt off and sailing in the rocky waters out of NY in winter - nope.  And losing 2 days to sail into warmer weather on the way down and way up - nope.

[jimbo5544]

57 minutes ago, pe4all said:

As a native NYer I totally agree.  Sailing past the Statue of Liberty and NY skyline is amazing.  However, freezing my butt off and sailing in the rocky waters out of NY in winter - nope.  And losing 2 days to sail into warmer weather on the way down and way up - nope.

Simply the best sail away in the US (and sailing back to the port early on the return and sunrise hitting the skyline, etc).  

Edited March 31, 2023 by jimbo5544

[jerseyjjs]

4 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

I would agree that weak itineraries do not help and that was def a weak one.  That said, sailing out of NY in 20 degrees and winter seas is certainly less than optimal, I would NEVER do it.

 

 

Yet, Royal Caribbean keeps sailing out of Bayonne year round without too much difficulty sailing full.

[jimbo5544]

1 hour ago, jerseyjjs said:

 

 

Yet, Royal Caribbean keeps sailing out of Bayonne year round without too much difficulty sailing full.

This is true, but I would not sail on their ships during those months either.  It has nothing to with the product (IMHO) but the weather.  Don't really have a dog in the fight, but are they full?  How do you know this?  Are they discounting to get there?  Lastly, I have no desire to sail a behemoth of the seas out of Bayonne for free, but that is just me.

Edited March 31, 2023 by jimbo5544

[IntrepidFromDC]

22 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

I've met both Christine and Emeril on several Carnival ships - even before Covid.

 

Airfare to BCN is obscene.

Fly to Paris nonstop a couple weeks ahead of the cruise like I am and we can dine in Paris together, Blerk!  $567 from Washington, DC nonstop.  The train from Paris to places between Paris and Barcelona is affordable!  I'll be staying in Paris 3 nights, then Dijon, Lyon, Marseille, Monte Carlo, Nice, Arles and Avignon for 2 nights each before the $74 train from Marseille to Barcelona.  Six straight fun-days-at-sea hopefully will not translate to six-straight-lose-money-in-the-casino-days-at-sea.

Edited March 31, 2023 by IntrepidFromDC

[Jamman54]

2 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

This is true, but I would not sail on their ships during those months either.  It has nothing to with the product (IMHO) but the weather.  Don't really have a dog in the fight, but are they full?  How do you know this?  Are they discounting to get there?  Lastly, I have no desire to sail a behemoth of the seas out of Bayonne for free, but that is just me.

You've gone soft since you moved to Florida Jimbo! 

[jerseyjjs]

2 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

This is true, but I would not sail on their ships during those months either.  It has nothing to with the product (IMHO) but the weather.  Don't really have a dog in the fight, but are they full?  How do you know this?  Are they discounting to get there?  Lastly, I have no desire to sail a behemoth of the seas out of Bayonne for free, but that is just me.

 

 

Sailed the Anthem of the Seas twice during the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas in both 2016 and 2017.  Didn't ask for the passenger count, but the ship certainly wasn't empty.  "Behomoths"....like the Mardi Gras which you sailed a few times?   Anthem is smaller with a far lower passenger max than

Mardi Gras. The Oasis has the same passenger count capacity as Mardi Gras but is 45,000 Gross Tonnes bigger.  The space-to-passenger number for those RCL ships are vastly better than the Excel AND Vista class. 

 

     As an aside, why is it that Carnival doesn't have an issue with sailing a ship out of Baltimore year round?

[Jamman54]

3 minutes ago, jerseyjjs said:

 

 

Sailed the Anthem of the Seas twice during the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas in both 2016 and 2017.  Didn't ask for the passenger count, but the ship certainly wasn't empty.  "Behomoths"....like the Mardi Gras which you sailed a few times?   Anthem is smaller with a far lower passenger max than

Mardi Gras. The Oasis has the same passenger count capacity as Mardi Gras but is 45,000 Gross Tonnes bigger.  The space-to-passenger number for those RCL ships are vastly better than the Excel AND Vista class. 

 

     As an aside, why is it that Carnival doesn't have an issue with sailing a ship out of Baltimore year round?

I'm pretty sure that my buddy Jimbo has sailed out of Baltimore on a New Years cruise or two. I guess once you move to Florida you leave the Northeast winters behind for good! 

[jerseyjjs]

1 minute ago, Jamman54 said:

I'm pretty sure that my buddy Jimbo has sailed out of Baltimore on a New Years cruise or two. I guess once you move to Florida you leave the Northeast winters behind for good! 

 

 

LOL  I'd do the same.   The only reason I sail out of the Northeast is because the cost of flight/hotel/ground transportation/night's worth of spending is usually more expensive than the cruise. 

[Incognito1]

On 3/30/2023 at 1:06 PM, BlerkOne said:

I've met both Christine and Emeril on several Carnival ships - even before Covid.

 

Airfare to BCN is obscene.

However, there are several inexpensive TAs going the other way first.  Almost B2Bs.  Looking at TA's site right now and there are many for <$100/night. AND the Venezia cruise is showing $519pp!  I may have to refare.  Wow.

 

Also, as it's first-come, first-serve, do you have any idea where to sign up?  I'd like to get in on that.