Victory Cruise Lines has appointed Rodney Bailey to the newly created role of vice president of guest experience, a strategic hire designed to elevate and unify the small-ship cruise operator’s end-to-end guest journey as it enters its next chapter of growth.
Bailey, a Purdue University graduate with more than two decades of executive-level hospitality and cruise leadership experience, will be responsible for shaping the complete guest experience – from pre-voyage inspiration and booking through to onboard experience design, enrichment programming, loyalty strategy and post-voyage service recovery. His remit will span both onshore and onboard operations, bringing a holistic approach to how guests interact with the brand at every touchpoint.
The appointment is notable for the breadth of luxury hospitality experience Bailey brings to the role. His career has taken him through some of the industry’s most recognised names, including The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, where he served as executive assistant rooms manager and led the integration team through Marriott International’s acquisition of the brand. He subsequently held the position of executive rooms director at Mandarin Oriental and also worked at The Setai, the acclaimed luxury hotel in Miami Beach.
Bailey’s transition into the cruise sector saw him take on the role of corporate director of hotel operations at Celebrity Cruises, where he was responsible for hotel operations across a fleet of 14 vessels – overseeing food and beverage, finance, retail, casino, activities, shore excursions and entertainment departments. He also held a role at Azamara, the boutique cruise brand focused on destination-immersive voyaging.
His most recent cruise-sector position before founding his own consultancy was as vice president of hotel operations at American Queen Steamboat Company (later American Queen Voyages), where he managed strategic planning, financial and administrative functions across more than 400 staterooms and suites, multiple dining venues and onboard entertainment. It was at American Queen Voyages that Bailey first worked alongside David W. Kelly, now chief executive officer at Victory Cruise Lines.
That prior working relationship proved instrumental. Bailey had already been supporting Victory Cruise Lines in a consulting capacity through his firm RAB Hospitality, assisting with guest experience strategy initiatives – giving him direct familiarity with the company’s culture, values and growth ambitions before stepping into the permanent role.
“Rodney represents a rare calibre of leadership required to elevate Victory Cruise Lines into its next era of luxury small-ship cruising,” Kelly said. “His experience across iconic global hospitality and cruise brands, combined with his ability to operationalise service excellence, positions him to meaningfully shape how our guests experience Victory Cruise Lines today and into the future.”
The appointment comes as Victory Cruise Lines builds momentum following its successful relaunch in spring 2025. Founded by industry veteran John Waggoner, the company was revived after Waggoner purchased the 190-passenger Victory I and Victory II at American Queen Voyages’ bankruptcy auction in May 2024. Both vessels – purpose-built for Great Lakes cruising – underwent extensive refurbishment before entering service.
The 2025 inaugural season comprised 33 Great Lakes itineraries ranging from 10- to 15-night voyages, with departures from Chicago, Toronto, Milwaukee and Montreal. The company has since expanded its 2026 programme to 40 voyages, including new ports such as Milwaukee, Pictured Rocks, Sturgeon Bay, Whitefish Bay and several Canadian destinations, with 34 of those sailings visiting all five Great Lakes in a single voyage. A 2027 season has also been announced.
Victory Cruise Lines differentiates itself through an all-inclusive model that encompasses a pre-cruise premium hotel stay, ground transfers, all-ocean-view accommodation, included shore excursions at every port, multi-venue dining, unlimited beverages, Wi-Fi, live entertainment and the line’s signature LakeLorian enrichment lectures delivered in partnership with the National Museum of the Great Lakes.
Bailey’s creation of a unified guest experience function signals Victory’s ambition to compete not merely on itinerary or price but on the quality and consistency of the overall guest journey – a strategic imperative in the increasingly competitive small-ship and expedition cruise market.
