NEW ORLEANS – On May 6, trumpets blared aboard Carnival Liberty as Carnival Cruise Line celebrated its 30th year sailing from New Orleans. Community leaders and the cruise line’s chief culinary officer, Emeril Lagasse, were on board to mark the milestone just after the ship arrived in its new home port.
Carnival is the only ocean cruise line to homeport in the city year-round. Nearly seven million guests have cruised from Port NOLA on a Carnival ship since 1994.
“It’s an honor to share this great milestone and build on our successful partnership with the city and the port of New Orleans. We sail more than 400,000 guests from Port NOLA annually and for every one of them, our goal is the same: providing a fun and memorable vacation. That’s certainly a shared objective with the City of New Orleans, for all its visitors, which drives our partnership’s continued success,” said Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy.
Carnival announced a donation of $30,000 to the Emeril Lagasse Foundation to support youth culinary programs. Lagasse led a group of kids from the Belle Chasse Academy on a tour of the ship’s main galley.
“Even before joining the team, I knew well that Carnival has been a great partner to our incredible city. We’ve all seen and enjoyed the growing popularity of cruising 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 getting to welcome a ship docking here for the first time. We’re proud Carnival Liberty and her great team are now calling New Orleans home.”
Carnival Liberty’s arrival maintains Carnival’s two-ship, year-round deployment strategy in New Orleans. The ship offers a variety of sailing options, with mostly week-long cruises visiting popular destinations in the Bahamas, Mexico and the Caribbean.
“We are thrilled to celebrate this monumental milestone with our valued partner, Carnival Cruise Line,” said Brandy D. Christian, president and CEO, Port of New Orleans and New Orleans Public Belt Railroad. “For 30 years, Carnival has shown an unwavering commitment to the New Orleans cruise market, and we are most grateful. Our cruise industry is thriving – and on track to exceed pre-pandemic numbers with the support of Carnival’s two year-round homeported vessels. We look forward to many more years of partnership and successes.”
