There are a lot of exciting things happening in and around the Disney Cruise Line. Just last week, the Disney Destiny was floated out in Papenberg, Germany. This milestone event comes before the maiden voyage of this beautiful ship in November. This will be followed by the maiden voyage of the Disney Adventure in December. While these are big and glamorous stories for the Disney Cruise Line, there are also some other poignant things happening. In The Bahamas, the Disney Cruise Line is working to help inspire the next generation of Bahamian maritime leaders.
One way this is achieved is by sponsoring the LJM Maritime Academy summer camp. This is a two-week summer camp experience in Nassau, The Bahamas. During this experience, young Bahamian students learn first-hand from maritime industry experts. They also get to participate in a lesson on navigation and engineering, along with workshops and learning nautical rope tying.
One of the recent attendees was Dakarai. He grew up with a father who is a fisherman and always loved the sea. By 9 years old, he already had his sights set on becoming a ship navigator someday.
“Before coming to this camp, I didn’t know about maritime life. I thought it was only in some countries. Now I know, and I want to be in a white-on-white cadet suit in the future,” said Dakarai.
This is a dream that many of the campers have who are spending their summer discovering potential careers at sea at the LJM Maritime Academy summer camp.
“Introducing students this young to the maritime industry, even to a skill like rope tying, is a good introduction to the maritime field,” said Nameiko Miller, registrar, LJM Maritime Academy. “We are grateful for Disney Cruise Line’s continued support. This year, we doubled our total number of campers. I don’t think we could have accomplished that without their support,” said Miller.
The Disney Cruise Line has shared that it is committed to creating a lasting, positive impact on its port communities. It has also shared how proud it is to support the LJM Maritime Academy summer camp to inspire the next generation of maritime leaders.
“We want young Bahamians to explore careers at sea and picture themselves in these leadership roles aboard our ships,” said Joey Gaskins, regional director, public affairs, Disney Cruise Line. “As our fleet grows, we want them to see the variety of exciting opportunities available to them.”
Along with supporting the LJM Maritime Academy summer camp, Disney Cruise Line has sponsored the LJM Maritime Academy cadet scholarships for young adults who aspire to become ship captains and shipboard leaders.
What do you think of these efforts by the Disney Cruise Line to inspire and support the next generation of Bahamian nautical leaders? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
