Meshulam Zonis, the former head of operations for Carnival Cruise Lines and the line's first official hire, died on Nov. 1. He was 76.

Zonis' career spanned the history of the modern cruise industry.

He was a member of the original team that formed Carnival Cruise Lines when he was tapped as the line's first vice president of operations in 1972.

His association with Carnival founder Ted Arison began years before that, in 1966, when he served as a managing agent for a shipping company owned by Arison, which operated Bahamas cruises on a ferry called the Nili out of Miami.

When Zonis retired from Carnival in 2000, Carnival Corp. CEO Micky Arison described his contributions to Carnival as "immeasurable."

"He is an extraordinary professional, astute businessman and creative entrepreneur whose tremendous guidance and skill have been critical to the growth and achievement of Carnival Cruise Lines," said Arison.

Zonis was named Carnival's senior vice president in 1980. In 1987, after the company went public, Zonis was named to the board of directors of what is now Carnival Corp.

In his popular online blog, Carnival senior cruise director John Heald paid tribute to Zonis.

"Among his contemporaries Mr. Zonis holds a unique place," Heald wrote. "Few, if any, have so lastingly and so profoundly influenced the cruise industry -- not just Carnival but also beyond."