Carnival Opens $40 Registration for First President's Cruise
Guests must already be booked before adding the “President’s Cruise Experience” shore excursion, which covers private cocktail gatherings and question-and-answer sessions.
Carnival Cruise Line has opened registration for its first President’s Cruise, departing Miami on February 28, 2027, aboard Carnival Magic. The US$40 fee covers events with Carnival President Christine Duffy and activities for brand ambassador John Heald’s ninth For Fun’s Sake fan cruise, which shares the sailing.
The six-night Eastern Caribbean voyage is a regular scheduled cruise. Carnival Chief Culinary Officer Emeril Lagasse will also join the events.
“The fee is for the fabulous parties, a special lanyard and a special gift,” Heald wrote on Facebook when registration opened.
The program includes private cocktail gatherings at the beginning and end of the cruise, a signing with Duffy and an exclusive experience involving Lagasse. Participants will also have access to several question-and-answer sessions featuring Duffy and Heald, although the subjects and whether guests will direct the discussions have not been disclosed.
Registration requirements
Registration opened at 10 a.m. Eastern on September 21, 2026. Guests must already have a booking for the departure before enrolling through the cruise’s shore-excursion listing, titled “President’s Cruise Experience.” The single registration covers both programs; passengers who do not enroll can still take the voyage without attending those activities.
Carnival has not disclosed the number of registrations it will accept. Some guests responding to Heald’s Facebook post initially described page-not-found errors and delays, while others later confirmed that they had completed the process.
Heald’s FFS sailings typically include customized merchandise, such as towel clips and coffee mugs. The specific gifts usually stay secret until the cruise.
Familiar faces behind the program
The previous FFS voyage, billed as “Cruise with John – For Fun’s Sake #8,” sailed aboard Carnival Spirit in May 2026.
Lagasse became Carnival’s chief culinary officer in December 2022, and his dishes have appeared for years in restaurant menus and specialty dining venues across several of the line’s ships.
Ports of call
The first call is Celebration Key on March 1, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Amber Cove follows on March 3 and Grand Turk on March 4, both from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The ship is scheduled to return to Miami on March 6, 2027. It will then continue its regular deployment of six- and eight-night Caribbean cruises from the port.
See current Carnival Magic fares and itineraries on Cruise Lookup.
