Royal Caribbean has started operating a maritime training center in Rotterdam as a result of its contract with the company Simwave. The ultra-modern simulation center will offer Royal Caribbean technical and operational staff training to ensure, develop and maintain safe operations.

Legislation on safety and the environment at the international level, combined with the increasingly demanding requirements of the cruise industry, has prompted a greater focus on training and constant evaluation of the human factor.

At the Royal Caribbean training center, maritime officers can be evaluated and trained in bridges, machinery and cargo rooms, as well as for emergency response. In this center, they are prepared for situations that can not be effectively trained in real life due to the danger, costs or time required. 

In the training room of the engine room, where the noise of the engines is reproduced ad hoc, as well as the sensation of floating in the water, it is possible to practice even the case of fire on board, with the consequent evacuation of the room. control.

Companies are investing more and more in technology, but the human element is still fundamental and that is why we also have to train them to manage high-stress situations.

Simwave has more than 50 simulators with virtual reality solutions in addition to other methods to recreate specific environments and areas. These simulators are capable of reproducing the cruise ship bridge, river boats, large cargo ships. In addition, the center is equipped to simulate the entry and exit from almost all ports where navigation is allowed, simulating also different weather conditions, sun, rain, fog, snow, even extreme emergency situations. Port personnel is trained in Simwave. 

he officers and crew of the cruise companies move to these facilities of 5000 square meters, where they can reside for the duration of the program for which they have been called. 

The center was opened by Marcel Kind, General Manager of SImwave, Tracy Murrell, Vice President of Maritime Safety and Environment of Royal Caribbean Cruises, as well as by Gregory Purdy Vice President of Maritime Operations and Patrik Dahlgren Vice President of Global Maritime Operations of the group. 

During its first year of activities, Simwave has trained thousands of workers from a dozen shipping companies, including the Shell company. The center has more than 10 internal instructors and another 20-30 external instructors. 

Royal Caribbean is not the only cruise company that uses the services of the Dutch company, although "security is never an object of competition, but of cooperation", in the words of Gregory Purdy. 

During 2019, Rccl will send around 400 employees to the Dutch center, including officers, commanders and technicians, who will work aboard the ships of all brands of the group: Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises and soon also officers and crew. of the newly acquired Silversea Cruises.