Comedian Jay Leno is Carnival Venezia's godfather

The festivities are set for June 14 in New York.

Carnival Venezia will be the first to incorporate 'Carnival Fun Italian Style' that adds Carnival’s signature fun to the Italian theming of the ship.

In addition to serving as the godfather, Leno will perform a comedy show at the event.

Ship already has a godmother so ...

Carnival Venezia entered service for Costa Cruises and was christened in 2019 so the ship already has a godmother, Gan Beiye.

But with the transfer and deployment from New York, 'We wanted to ensure a proper welcome for the ship and decided having a godfather would be both fun and appropriate,' Carnival President Christine Duffy said. 'And when we thought of someone who would make a fun godfather with Italian heritage, we knew Jay Leno would be ... perfect.'

Duffy added he's already a member of the Carnival family, having peformed a few years ago in the Carnival LIVE entertainment series.

'It was an offer I couldn’t refuse,' Leno said. '... I’m also excited to have my very own cruise ship, although I think I’ll need a bigger garage.'

Grandson of Italian immigrants

Leno is the grandson of immigrants from Flumeri, Campania, Italy. He began his entertainment career in stand-up comedy, which led to his nearly two-decades-long role as host of top-ranked 'The Tonight Show,' until 2014.

Leno currently produces and hosts the CNBC primetime series 'Jay Leno’s Garage,' now in its seventh season. It explores the world of cars and the people behind the wheel who provide the real stories. He also hosts the game show reboot, 'You Bet Your Life.'

Naming to be livestreamed

Carnival Venezia's naming will be livestreamed. Register to watch here.

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