Carnival Cruise Line Names Jay Leno Godfather of Carnival Venezia

Carnival Cruise Line has announced that talk show host and comedian Jay Leno will serve as godfather to new ship Carnival Venezia. This will be the first time ever that Carnival has named a godfather to one of its ships. 

To celebrate Carnival Venezia’s arrival into the Carnival fleet, the cruise line will host a celebratory event on June 14, 2023, in New York City just before it enters service for the summer season. In addition to serving as godfather, Leno will perform a special comedy show exclusively for event guests. 

“Carnival Venezia originally entered service for our Italian sister brand Costa Cruises and was christened in 2019, so she already has a godmother. With Carnival Venezia joining the fleet and sailing from New York, we wanted to ensure a proper welcome for the ship and decided having a godfather would be both fun and appropriate,” said Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy. “And when we thought of someone who would make a FUN godfather with Italian heritage, we knew Jay Leno would be the perfect godfather! And he’s already a member of the Carnival family – he entertained guests a few years ago as part of our Carnival LIVE entertainment series.”

Leno is a native of New Rochelle, NY, and the grandson of immigrants from Flumeri, Campania, Italy. His extensive entertainment career has included the nearly two-decades-long role as host of The Tonight Show, from which he retired in 2014. He currently produces and is host of the CNBC primetime series Jay Leno’s Garage, now in its seventh season. 

“I am truly honored to be named the godfather of Carnival Venezia. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse,” said Leno. “Carnival’s focus on FUN combined with the Italian theming of this ship is something that is truly unique. I’m also excited to have my very own cruise ship, although I think I’ll need a bigger garage!”

Carnival Venezia will begin sailing from the Manhattan Cruise Terminal on June 15, 2023. The 5,000-passenger ship is the first to incorporate “Carnival Fun Italian Style” which adds the cruise line’s signature style to an Italian-themed vessel, designed after the city of Venice. It will offer 10 different cruise durations, with 22 itineraries featuring visits to 25 ports across 14 countries. 

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