Renowned chef and restauranteur Emeril Lagasse is now Carnival Cruise Line’s chief culinary officer. A restaurant concept created by Lagasse, Emeril’s Bistro, is already popular on two of Carnival’s ships, Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration, and now the famous chef’s culinary talents will be utilized throughout the fleet.
“Food is key to the fun of a Carnival cruise,” said Christine Duffy, president of Miami, Florida-headquartered Carnival Cruise Line. “Emeril’s restaurants on our two new ships have been a great addition to our dining offerings and guests rave about the food, which will also be on Carnival Jubilee come next December. 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.”
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.
“I’ve been creating and operating restaurants for many years but developing my restaurants with Carnival and learning about the cruise industry has been an exhilarating experience. I love Carnival’s focus on food and fun and the many great dining options they offer their guests. I’m looking forward to building on our success at sea with Carnival’s exceptional culinary team,” said Lagasse.
Known for his mastery of Creole and Cajun cuisine and proclaimed as one of New Orleans’ most respected chefs, Lagasse is a James Beard Award winner. In addition to his acclaimed restaurants across the USA, he has been welcomed into homes nationwide for decades through his popular cookbooks and television cooking shows, including his current show “Emeril Cooks,” which debuted on Roku earlier this year.
Carnival offers tasty choices in casual and fine dining. Fieri’s Guy Burgers is the first stop for many passengers after they board their cruise ship, and offerings have been expanded to include Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse on newer ships joining the fleet.
To celebrate Lagasse’s new role, Duffy has invited him to join her in New York City the New Year’s weekend, where Carnival is sponsoring the countdown clock, and serving as a musical sponsor for the famous Times Square ball drop. Carnival’s integration with the celebration will also serve as one of the first launching points of Carnival’s new “Choose Fun Together” marketing campaign. In that spirit, Duffy and Lagasse will flip the switch on the New Year’s Eve countdown clock together.
