Cruise industry mourns statistician/analyst Bill Ebersold

William B. 'Bill' Ebersold, a gifted statistician and analyst whose US Maritime Administration work gave valuable insight into cruise passenger numbers and helped inform decision-making on federal ship financing, died Oct. 27. He was 82.

Ebersold died peacefully at home in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, surrounded by family, following complications from cancer.

'Bill’s analytical mind and interpretation of data was par excellence. He was a regular contributor to Seatrade Cruise Review, providing MARAD data and analysis. After retiring he continued to attend Seatrade Cruise Global in Miami on a regular basis and will be missed by many whom he befriended over the years,' said Mary Bond, group director, Seatrade Cruise.

'Excellent statistician'

'He was an excellent statistician,' said Jay Lewis, an economist and president of Miami-based MarketScope Global, who worked with MARAD on many projects at the request of Ebersold, director of the Office of Statistical and Economic Analysis.

These included writing a guide on how to submit a qualified feasibility study for Title XI financing. This reduced the volume of 'aspirational' applications to the US Department of Transportation, increasing the likelihood that proposals were for viable projects.

'He understood statistics, particularly at the industry level, both in shipping and cruise shipping,' Lewis said. 'He was fastidious in making sure the submissions to MARAD, particularly for Title XI government loan guarantees, were thorough and he was meticulous in reviewing those.'

US cruise traffic insights

Under Ebersold, data on cruise passenger traffic at US ports was collected during the 1990s for the first time, providing numbers that shed light on this growing industry. Ebersold compiled and analyzed the data in regular reports for Seatrade publications. In 2002, MARAD discontinued that data collection program.

After retiring from MARAD, Ebersold built a second career writing and consulting for leading cruise industry publications.

Family man

He was a great family man, known for his kindness, wisdom and stories. He had a passion for travel and was active in his parish, St. Mary's, in Upper Marlboro.

Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Ebersold graduated from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service in 1964 and built a career in international transportation. Besides his MARAD work, he served as an economic affairs officer for the UN Economic Commission for Europe in Geneva for three years.

Ebersold is survived by his wife of 60 years, Vicki, and their four daughters, six grandchildren, a great-grandson, a sister and a brother.

Nov. 6 services

Services will be held Nov. 6 at St. Mary of the Assumption Church, 14908 Main Street, Upper Marlboro, Maryland, with a viewing from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. followed by a funeral mass at 11:30 a.m. and interment at Resurrection Cemetery in Clinton, Maryland.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Ebersold's name.