Carnival Cruise Line today hosted a group of 40 Bahamian students and maritime industry leaders aboard Carnival Dream in Nassau for a day of education and fun, according to a press release.
In honor of Bahamas Maritime Week, the Carnival Dream crew spoke to the LJM Maritime Academy students about shipboard careers and job opportunities. The group was also treated to a special tour of the ship and a luncheon.
In conjunction with the Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA), Carnival coordinated the visit as part of the agency’s Maritime Week, a series of events held from Sept. 26-30 to showcase career opportunities in the industry to the next generation of Bahamian professionals.
“We are proud to work with the BMA to show young cadets firsthand the many careers available aboard a Carnival ship,” said Domenico Rognoni, senior vice president of marine operations for Carnival Cruise Line. “This event also continues to strengthen Carnival’s partnership with the LJM Maritime Academy, which spans four years and has resulted in several hires from the Academy.”
Rognoni helped lead the day’s activities for the cadets and was joined by Marie McKenzie, vice president of government and destination affairs for Carnival Corporation, Dr. Brenda Cleare, president of the LJM Maritime Academy, and members of the BMA, Bahamas Shipowners Association and Bahamas Maritime Cadet Corps.
“The ability to witness crew at work and hear directly from them provides an invaluable opportunity for our students to see what they can achieve through their education,” said Dr. Cleare. “We are so grateful to Carnival for hosting this experience and for their ongoing support of our Academy.”
Through Carnival’s partnership with the Academy, students are awarded scholarships and given opportunities to be hired as shipboard team members. Also, as part of the line’s 50thBirthday celebration, Carnival gifted the Academy $50,000 to put towards specialized equipment to support cadet education.