Netherlands-based centre will train over 6,500 deck and engineering officers every year
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Carnival Corporation & plc is to name its new Almere, Netherlands-based maritime centre in honour of its founder, the late Ted Arison.
Designed by Dutch architect Paul de Ruiter and constructed by Netherlands-based Dura Vermeer, the new seven-acre Arison Maritime Center is currently undergoing final outfitting and will have double the training capacity of Carnival Corporation’s existing facility in Almere. This will enable the company to train more than 6,500 deck and engineering officers from across its ten cruise line brands every year.
The campus, which is set to open on 14 July 2016, will feature an advanced medical centre, a 176-room hotel for Carnival Corporation trainees and a 110,000sqft CSMART Academy (Center for Simulator Maritime Training).
Equipped with four full-mission bridge simulators and four full-mission engine room simulators, the five-storey academy will also offer 24 part-task engine simulators, eight debriefing rooms and eight part-task bridge simulators.
The Arison Maritime Center will also provide the additional space needed to implement the industry’s first Proficiency Training and Assessment programme. The week-long course is based on a specially developed curriculum that is renewed annually and then evaluates each of the corporation’s maritime officers.
“When complete, the Arison Maritime Center and CSMART Academy will be an extraordinary operation dedicated to providing our deck and technical officers – the heart and soul of ensuring our ships operate as safely as possible – with the most advanced and progressive training, professional development and research in the cruise and maritime industry,” said David Christie, senior vice president of maritime quality assurance for Carnival Corporation. “Safety is our top priority and we take great pride in providing the world's most comprehensive maritime safety training to our highly skilled and dedicated deck and engineering officers in our pursuit of excellence and continuous improvement. This centre underscores the depth of our commitment to the safety and comfort of our guests who sail with us to over 700 ports around the world.”
Ted Arison founded Carnival Corporation in 1972 with one ship – the company now has ten brands, 101 vessels and more than 120,000 employees, and welcomes 11 million guests annually – and was dubbed ‘godfather of the modern cruise industry’ by The New York Times. His son, Micky Arison began his career at Carnival Cruise Line in 1972 has been chairman of the board of directors for Carnival Corporation & plc since 1990.
“It is very special for all of us at Carnival Corporation to honour the extraordinary leadership and legacy of Ted and Micky and their families, who recognised early on that going on a cruise would be a great way to enjoy a vacation,” said Christie. “They not only led the way in building the world’s largest cruise company with ten cruise lines that represent some of the world’s best leisure brands, but they also played leading roles in helping grow cruising into one of the most popular vacation experiences in the world. The Arison family has been an inspiration for all of us at the company, and we are proud to establish the Arison Maritime Center in their honour.”