Victory Cruise Lines has appointed Rodney Bailey as vice president, guest experience, the company said in a press release.

The role puts Bailey in charge of the holistic guest experience shoreside and onboard, covering pre-voyage inspiration and booking, onboard experience design and delivery, theme and enrichment programming, loyalty strategy and post-voyage service recovery.

“Rodney represents a rare caliber of leadership required to elevate Victory Cruise Lines into its next era of luxury small-ship cruising,” said David W. Kelly, chief operating officer of Victory Cruise Lines.

“His experience across iconic global hospitality and cruise brands, combined with his ability to operationalize service excellence, positions him to meaningfully shape how our guests experience Victory Cruise Lines today and into the future.”

The company said this newly established position was created to elevate and unify Victory’s end-to-end guest journey as it enters its next phase of growth.

Formerly president/owner of RAB Hospitality, Bailey has held executive-level hospitality and cruise leadership roles across brands such as The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Mandarin Oriental, The Setai, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara and American Queen Voyages.

He also previously partnered with Victory Cruise Lines in a consulting capacity, supporting guest experience strategy initiatives.

The company says this has allowed him to step into the role with immediate alignment to its culture, values and vision for growth.