Continuing a family tradition, Gifford is the
daughter of Kathie Lee Gifford who
served as Godmother for the Original Carnival Celebration
MIAMI, Sept. 28,
2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Cruise Line today
announced that actress Cassidy
Gifford will serve as godmother to its newest ship, Carnival
Celebration, at the ship's naming ceremony taking place
November 20, 2022, in Miami.
In a video released today, she was surprised with the news by
her mother Kathie Lee Gifford, who
was Godmother to Carnival Celebration's namesake, M/S Celebration,
christened in 1987. Her mother served as Carnival's spokesperson in
the company's groundbreaking television campaigns going back to the
1980s, which were the first such network broadcasting
advertisements for the cruise industry. Kathie Lee is also a four-time Emmy
Award-winning television personality.
Cassidy first started sailing on Carnival as an infant and has
many childhood memories of vacationing on Carnival ships with her
mother and her father, the late Frank
Gifford, who was an NFL and sports broadcasting
legend.
"Carnival Cruise Line has been a huge part of our family with my
earliest memories taking family trips on Carnival ships," said
Cassidy Gifford. "And now to be
asked to be Godmother of the namesake ship to the one my mom
christened is truly an honor and a blessing. There was no
hesitation when my mom asked me, and I can't wait to see this
amazing ship in Miami in
November."
"I was Carnival's spokesperson for nearly 20 years starting in
1984, a time when I got married and had my children. They joined me
on many television shoots on Carnival ships, so we have so many
great memories," said Kathie Lee
Gifford. "To be able to pass the torch to my daughter
Cassidy as she is named Godmother of the new Carnival Celebration
makes me so happy, I almost cried!"
Cassidy has been acting from a young age and is best known for
her work in the box office hits God's Not Dead and Warner
Brothers' The Gallows. She has appeared in many other
television and film roles, even winning the prize for Exceptional
Emerging Artist at the 2018 Hollywood Film Festival. She currently
lives with her husband in Nashville,
Tennessee.
"Since our founding in 1972, Carnival Cruise Line has carried
generations of guests and has helped millions of families make
lasting vacation memories," said Christine
Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. "As we cap
off our 50th Birthday festivities with the arrival of
Carnival Celebration, we are so pleased to also extend our
relationship with another generation of the Gifford family and
honored that Cassidy will serve as the ship's Godmother. I
can't wait to welcome Cassidy and Kathie
Lee on board and show off this beautiful new ship. So
much has changed in our industry and our company over the past 50
years – it gives new meaning to those words Kathie Lee sang for Carnival – 'if they could
see us now!'"
Celebrating all things Carnival, Carnival Celebration will be
the line's ultimate 50th Birthday gift when she
debuts this November from the redesigned Terminal F at PortMiami.
Carnival Celebration will be home to six themed zones and the
line's second BOLT roller coaster.
ABOUT CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE
Carnival Cruise Line, part of Carnival Corporation
& plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL;
NYSE: CUK), is proud to be known as America's Cruise
Line, for carrying more Americans and serving more U.S.
homeports than any other. Since its founding in 1972,
Carnival has continually revolutionized the cruise sector, making a
cruise vacation an affordable and popular option for millions of
guests. Carnival operates from 14 U.S. and two Australian
homeports and employs more than 40,000 team members
representing 120 nationalities. Carnival is in process of an
exciting period of growth as it welcomes five new ships to its
fleet from 2022 to 2024, including Carnival Celebration, which
arrives to Miami in November 2022, the culmination of Carnival's 50th
birthday festivities.
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SOURCE Carnival Cruise Line