Bob Pelletier Memorial

The following information was passed along by the local chapter of Bon Vivants:

There will be a memorial service for Bob Pelletier (who was a past President of this local travel agent organization) on Tuesday, September 29th at 5 pm at the Seafarers’ House, across from Terminal 18, 1800 SE 32nd Street in Port Everglades, FL. At the Port Everglades entrance, as usual, you will need to have a picture ID.

"Monday, 31 August 2009 17:09
Bob Pelletier, a veteran of Port Everglades and half a dozen cruise lines who began his long industry career at Cunard in the 1970s, died early Friday at Florida Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale.

A ship and maritime history buff who relished travel and was known for his ready smile, Pelletier spent nine years as a customer relations manager for Port Everglades before retiring in August 2001. Lately he had worked for Royal Air and Sea at the port. Earlier positions spanned half a dozen cruise lines in capacities including marketing, sales and reservations.

‘He had a real passion for the business,’ said Rod McLeod, co-founding partner of McLeod.Applebaum & Partners, who oversaw Pelletier at Royal Caribbean/Admiral Cruises in the early 1990s.

Pelletier started with Cunard in New York in 1971, moving to Florida two years later to work for Costa Cruises. He was with Admiral from 1980 to 1991, which was absorbed by Royal Caribbean, and remained there until 1992 when the last of the Admiral ships was sold. He also worked with Lauro Line Cruises and Delta Queen Steamboat Co.

During Pelletier’s service at Port Everglades, the annual number of cruise passengers increased by more than half a million and cruise revenue doubled from $8m to $16.8m. When he retired from the port, Alan Kehrer, director of cruise marketing, said, ‘Bob will be greatly missed.’ Kehrer had recommended Pelletier for the job and called it ‘my best decision in 30 years of service at the port.’

Jim Lida, director of marketing for Oceania Cruises, met Pelletier in 1991 when Lida joined Royal Caribbean and Pelletier was three cubicles away at Admiral. They later worked together at Port Everglades and remained friends. ‘He was full of life and had a sense of adventure,’ Lida said. ‘I know heaven must have cruise ships because I’m sure right now Bob is standing at the rail, happy and at peace, waving at all of us still stuck ashore.’"