Carnival Cruise Line celebrated its 30th anniversary sailing from New Orleans yesterday, May 6, with an event aboard the Carnival Liberty.
Community leaders and the cruise line's Chief Culinary Officer, Emeril Lagasse, world-renowned for his New Orleans cuisine, were on board to mark the milestone just after the ship arrived at its new home of Port NOLA for the first time.
Chris Chiames, Carnival's Director of Communications, and Arnold Donald, former CEO of Carnival Corporation and a native of New Orleans, thanked local leaders for their long-standing collaboration.
Carnival is the leading cruise operator in New Orleans and the only ocean cruise line with a year-round homeport in the city.
According to Carnival, nearly seven million passengers have traveled from Port NOLA on a Carnival ship since the cruise company began its first annual service from the city in 1994.
“It is an honor to share this great milestone and solidify our successful partnership with the city and port of New Orleans. We embark more than 400,000 passengers annually from Port NOLA, and for each one of them, our goal is the same: to provide a fun and memorable vacation.”.
“That is, without a doubt, a shared goal with the city of New Orleans, for all its visitors, which drives the continued success of our partnership,” said Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy.
To commemorate this special 30-year milestone, Carnival donated $30,000 to the Emeril Lagasse Foundation to support educational and culinary programs for youth in New Orleans.
Lagasse led a tour of the ship's main kitchen for a group of children from Belle Chasse Academy, a local school associated with Emeril's Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen, shortly after making the first cut of a special anniversary cake created by the Carnival Liberty's culinary team.
“Even before joining the team, I knew that Carnival has been a great partner to our amazing city. We have all seen and enjoyed the growing popularity of cruises from our port over the years, which continues to bring more people here to enjoy all the rich culture our city has to offer,” said Lagasse.
“My restaurants, Emeril's and Meril, are just a few blocks from the pier, and it's also special to welcome a ship docking here for the first time. We're proud that the Carnival Liberty and its great crew now call New Orleans home“.
The arrival of the Carnival Liberty maintains Carnival's strategy of deploying two ships year-round in New Orleans.
The ship offers a variety of sailing options, with most cruises lasting one week and visiting popular destinations in the Bahamas, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
Also on sale are two unique 14-day cruises through the Panama Canal, and next year, the Carnival Liberty will sail on several voyages visiting Celebration Key, Carnival's newest destination on Grand Bahama Island.
The ship shares its new home with the Carnival Valor, which also offers four- to seven-day cruises.
“We are thrilled to celebrate this monumental milestone with our valued partner, Carnival Cruise Line,” said Brandy D. Christian, President and CEO of the Port of New Orleans and the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad.
“For 30 years, Carnival has shown unwavering commitment to the New Orleans cruise market, and we are very grateful. Our cruise industry is thriving and on track to surpass pre-pandemic numbers with the support of Carnival's two year-round homeport ships. We look forward to many more years of partnership and success“.
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