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Obituary: Rod McLeod, longtime cruise executive and Royal Caribbean founding member
Rod McLeod, the longtime cruise executive and founding member of Royal Caribbean, died on June 3. He was 84.
McLeod's long cruise industry career included executive positions at the each of the Big Three cruise companies, beginning in 1972 as Royal Caribbean's first marketing director before being promoted to CMO and executive vice president of sales, marketing and passenger services. Later, he would serve as president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line and became Carnival Corp.'s senior vice president of marketing.
McLeod was inducted into CLIA's Cruise Industry Hall of Fame in 2015, with the organization saying McLeod was "widely credited with leading an innovative marketing and sales organization that enabled Royal Caribbean to emerge as one of the cruise industry's most powerful and sustainable brands."
Cruise industry leaders mourned the loss of McLeod, remembering him as one of cruising's most influential marketing minds.
"Rod really was a pioneer in the industry," said Richard Fain, the former chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group. "He was involved in so many defining elements and growth. Beyond that he was a really good person. He formed so many special relationships. And this is an industry that is built on relationships."
Fain praised McLeod's marketing prowess at a time "when nobody understood what cruising was."
"He was one of the early pioneers to help communicate that cruising was something for everyone and those campaigns were very successful for us," Fain said. "He was instrumental in creating the image of the industry and of Royal Caribbean in people's minds."
Former Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Andy Stuart remembered meeting McLeod for the first time.
"When I joined the industry in 1988, Rod was already one of the key players - his name was always said with reverence," Stuart said. "It was many years before I met him in person, by which time his reputation had only grown. It was quite intimidating to meet him the first time. He took time to chat with me and was the most humble and charming guy you could ever meet."
"He took the time to chat with everyone," Stuart added. "It didn't matter who you were. He impacted the three big industry groups in a significant way and will always be [remembered as] one of the foundations of today's industry. We will miss him. He will always be remembered as one of the good guys."
Rick Sasso, chairman of MSC North America and the former Celebrity Cruises president who first met McLeod in the early 1970s, said McLeod "was a classic marketing genius and so well spoken and likable. You were easily attracted to his words and thoughts. He brought incredible attention to our industry and their brands. ... He had a great impact and was one of one of the most talented and well-respected" of the old guard of cruise executives.
McLeod was also president of American Classic Voyages for two years and, after retiring from a third Royal Caribbean stint in 2003, cofounded a consulting company, McLeod Applebaum & Partners.
His grandson, Matthew Roderick Armstrong, said that McLeod's "proudest achievements were the friendships he built across boardrooms and ports, and the fierce, unwavering love he poured into his family. Whether brainstorming bold new voyages with colleagues or cheering at every grandkid's recital, he measured success by the bonds he forged and the smiles he sparked."
Armstong said that while the family has not begun formal planning for McLeod's funeral, "our family intends to honor Rod's wish for an intimate gathering by taking a cruise together that calls at many of the ports he loved most - especially Perfect Day at Coco Cay, the island experience he helped bring to life. Truly, the hardest decision will be choosing which of the cruise lines he shaped that we'll sail with."
McLeod is survived by two of his three children, six of his seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
