RESOLVE MARITIME ACADEMY OPENS SIMULATION TRAINING CENTER WITH FIRST CLIENT ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES Ltd.
State-of-the-art, simulation-based safety and navigation training center raises the bar for cruise line
and commercial shipping professionals
 
Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA, March 15, 2012 – Resolve Maritime Academy (Academy) opened its new Simulation Training Center on Monday, March 12 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA facility adjacent to Port Everglades. The state-of-the-art, 7000-square-foot facility will provide leading edge simulation-based training programs to enhance safe navigation at sea for cruise line and commercial shipping personnel and other maritime professionals worldwide.
 
The Academy designed and developed the $6.5 million Simulation Training Center which features a Class A Full Mission Bridge Simulator with fully functional attached Bridge Wing with independent visual system, Electronic Chart Display & Information System (ECDIS) Classroom and Navigation Lab with a suite of advanced “mini” bridges.  The Academy’s unique curriculum utilizes state-of-the-art simulation technology and will initially include:  Ship Handling; Bridge Resource Management (BRM); Operational Use of ECDIS; and RADAR/Automatic Radar Planning Aids (ARPA) programs.  Customized programs also will be offered, including:  Integrated Bridge Systems (Sperry VisionMaster and NACOS Platinum); Dynamic Positioning Systems; and Communication &  Leadership Development for all ranks and employees. Future plans include an Engine Room Simulator for operational and Engine Resource Management (ERM) training.
 
Attending the ribbon cutting ceremony were executives of Resolve Maritime Academy and parent company RESOLVE Marine Group, Inc. as well as executives of Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd. (RCL)– the first client of the new Simulation Training Center.   The Academy developed simulators and training programs specifically for RCL, and in April  2012, the new programs will be offered to personnel of three of RCL’s cruise brands – Azamara Club Cruises, Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean International.   Celebrity Cruises Vice President, Marine Operations, Greg Purdy said, “Through close collaboration with Resolve Maritime Academy we have been able to design one of the most advanced ship simulators in the world.  In doing so, we have utilized the same state-of-the-art technologies that are found on our ships allowing us to create a world class and industry leading marine training environment that is tailored to our fleets.”                                                                            
 
Academy Director Denise Johnston said, “Our new Simulation Training Center greatly expands the training opportunities for shipboard personnel worldwide.  In addition to standard bridge and engine room simulation courses, we will also offer training programs incorporating the use of bridge and engine room simulators with our Gray Manatee  shipboard fire fighting training vessel/facility as well as Fast Rescue Boat and Hazwoper courses.   Our first priority at the Academy has always been to improve safety at sea, and these new programs will improve competencies and help build ‘teamwork’ attitudes and behaviors in a dynamic, ‘real time’ environment. This new generation of highly effective training will result in safer navigation in all sectors of the maritime industry, greater safety for  vessel passengers and cargoes, and better  protection of the marine environment.”
 
Resolve Maritime Academy, the maritime training subsidiary of RESOLVE Marine Group, Inc., specializes in shipboard fire, safety and hazardous materials response training, fast rescue boat, and simulation-based programs, and offers maritime certification courses for cruise line, tanker and cargo vessel personnel, and private yacht crew  as well as land-based firefighting personnel.  Parent company RESOLVE Marine Group, Inc.  is a leading, multi-faceted marine services group specializing in marine salvage, firefighting, emergency response, wreck removal, naval architecture and marine engineering,  as well as maritime training worldwide. RESOLVE comprises  four subsidiaries:  RESOLVE Salvage & Fire, RESOLVE Marine Services, RESOLVE Engineering Group and Resolve Maritime Academy & Simulation Training Center as well as Shanghai Resolve Shengmin OSRO Company(SRSOC), the Shanghai-based ship pollution response joint venture serving China ports. To learn more about RESOLVE Marine Group, Inc. or Resolve Maritime Academy, visit www.resolvemarine.com
 
Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd. (NYSE, OSE: RCL) is a global cruise vacation company that also operates Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara Club Cruises, Pullmantur, CDF Croisieres de France, as well as TUI Cruises through a 50 percent joint venture with TUI AG.  The company owns a combined total of 40 ships and has one under construction and one under agreement.  It also offers unique land-tour vacations in Alaska, Asia, Australia/New Zealand, Canada, Dubai, Europe and South America.

Left:  ECDIS (or Electronic Chart Display & Information System) Workstation and Lab at Resolve Maritime Academy’s Simulation Training Center in Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA

Right: (L-R) Greg Purdy, VP, Marine Operations, Celebrity Cruises and Bill Wright, Sr. VP, Marine Operations, Royal Caribbean Int’l and Azamara Club Cruises join RESOLVE Marine Group, Inc. President & CEO, Joseph E. Farrell, Jr. and Resolve Maritime Academy and Simulation Training Center Director Denise Johnston, at the March 12 ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Academy’s new Simulation Training Center.

Left:   Class A Full Mission Bridge Simulator at Resolve Maritime Academy’s $6.5 million Simulation Training Center

Right:  One of four mini bridges with visuals, propulsion controls, ECDIS, Radar/ARPA– with capability for integration with the Main Bridge simulator