An e-mail from Carnival founder Micky Arison — Miami Micky as he is known — has described Easyjet tycoon Stelios Haji-Ioannou as “an expert on what’s tacky”. He is thought to be referring to the orange colour used to decorate the new Easycruise ship, as well as other Easy ventures.
Arison sent the e-mail, which was copied to a number of his senior colleagues, after seeing the Greek tycoon on television being shown round Carnival’s Costa Magica ship and describing it as “tacky”. Arison wrote: “I had the unfortunate experience of watching the show you did with the Sky travel channel about the start-up of Easycruise.
“It was inappropriate as a guest of Costa to make publicly disparaging remarks, on British television, about the Costa Magica referring to the ship as ‘tacky’. Although, based on what I’ve seen of your ship, you’re an expert in what’s tacky.”
He also accused Haji- Ioannou of totally mischaracterising the cruise industry after he described it as “elitist”.
Haji-Ioannou has responded, apologising if the programme caused any offence. But in his e-mail reply, he wrote: “I have spoken to the producers of the series, and they are willing to give you a chance to set the record straight and defend the decor of the Costa Magica . . .
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“If participating in the programme is not enough redress for you and you still believe that my comment was libellous, then feel free to sue me. I am sure everyone will have a lot of fun watching the courts trying to define . . . the word ‘tacky’ and if it was a fair comment for the decor of your ship.”