Carnival Names Chef Emeril Lagasse Chief Culinary Officer

Carnival Cruise Line has announced that celebrity chef and restaurateur Emeril Lagasse will serve as its Chief Culinary Officer.

A restaurant created by Lagasse, Emeril’s Bistro, is already popular on Carnival’s two newest and largest vessels, Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration. Now, the chef’s culinary talents will be utilized across the Carnival Cruise Line fleet.

In conjunction with this announcement, Carnival has revealed that its third Excel-class ship, Carnival Jubilee, will also include an Emeril’s Bistro restaurant.

“Food is key to the fun of a Carnival cruise,” said Christine Duffy, president of 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 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 main dining room menus fleetwide, including entrées designated as “Emeril recommends” picks.

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“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.

Lagasse is a James Beard Award winner, known for his mastery of Cajun and Creole cuisine and is one of New Orleans’ most respected chefs. In addition to his restaurants across the country, he’s been welcomed into homes nationwide for decades through his popular cookbooks and TV shows, including his current show “Emeril Cooks” which debuted on Roku earlier this year.

To celebrate Lagasse’s new role, he’ll be joining Christine Duffy in New York City this weekend where Carnival is serving as a sponsor for the New Year’s Eve Times Square ball drop. Lagasse and Duffy will flip the switch on the New Year’s Eve countdown clock together.

Watch Emeril’s announcement video:

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