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Carnival's Duffy, Emeril Lagasse get the New Year's ball rolling

Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy and newly appointed Chief Culinary Officer Emeril Lagasse helped flip the switch that lit New York City's famous New Year's Eve Ball for the countdown to 2023.

Anne Kalosh, Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

January 1, 2023

2 Min Read
Credit: Seatrade Cruise News

They joined the Times Square Alliance President of Countdown Entertainment Jeffrey Straus, along with their families.

'Choose Fun Together'

Duffy and Lagasse invited those celebrating in New York and watching from home to 'Choose Fun Together,' the theme of Carnival's 2023 advertising campaign that can be seen throughout Times Square.

At the same time the iconic ball was lit in Times Square, nearly 100,000 passengers aboard Carnival ships also kicked off celebrations to ring in the new year.

Carnival Venezia tie-in

The event coincides with the cruise line's line expansion of operations in New York, with year-round departures of Carnival Venezia from the Manhattan Cruise Terminal beginning in June.

Earlier, chef and restauranteur Lagasse was appointed to the new chief culinary officer role. His Emeril's Bistro is aboard Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration, and now Legasse's culinary talents will be used fleetwide.

Carnival Jubilee restaurant

In conjunction with the appointment, Carnival announced Carnival Jubilee will feature an Emeril's Bistro when it begins service from Galveston in December 2023.

'With Emeril's culinary expertise and broader profile on our ships, along with our wildly popular partnership with Food Network star Guy Fieri, Carnival will feature two iconic talents in the food and dining industry across our fleet,' Duffy said.

Chief culinary officer duties

As chief culinary officer, Lagasse will support Carnival's chefs with guidance on food trends and techniques and advise on future menu items and dining concepts. Main dining room menus will include entrées designated as 'Emeril recommends' picks.

'I love Carnival's focus on food and fun and the many great dining options they offer their guests,' Legasse said. 'I'm looking forward to building on our success at sea with Carnival's exceptional culinary team.'

Lagasse is a James Beard Award winner known for his mastery of creole and Cajun cuisine and one of New Orleans' most respected chefs. In addition to his acclaimed restaurants across the US. he's famous for his cookbooks and television shows, including the current 'Emeril Cooks,' which debuted on Roku in 2022. 

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About the Author

Anne Kalosh

Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

Anne Kalosh covers global stories, reporting both breaking and in-depth news on cruising's significant people, places, ships and trends. A sought-after expert on cruising, she has moderated conferences around the world, including the high-profile State of the Industry panel at Seatrade Cruise Global. She created and led the acclaimed itinerary-planning case study for Seatrade's cruise master classes held at Cambridge and Oxford universities. She has been the cruise columnist for AFAR.com, and her freelance stories have appeared in a wide range of publications, from The New York Times to The Miami Herald.

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