Crystal River Cruises Becomes First River Cruise Line to Utilize High-Tech Simulator for Captain Training
Crystal River Cruises will be the first in the river cruise industry whose captains will complete their training and assessments in a state-of-the-art simulator. The training will take place at the Simwave simulator center in the Netherlands as part of an agreement between Netherlands-based Simwave and Crystal parent company Genting Hong Kong, when the simulator is completed in November. Crystal River Cruises’ Captains will maximize real-world preparation and safety proficiency for those at the helm of the company’s groundbreaking luxury vessels.
Beyond the actual hardware and technology of the simulator, a Development Captain will oversee training programs for Crystal river captains. The Development Captain is entirely dedicated to creating and executing extensive training curriculum, ensuring that Crystal River Cruises’ captains are effectively the most experienced river captains in the world.
The simulator’s 3D mathematical model is designed by Simwave’s mathematical modeling & research department, using actual specs from the Crystal vessels to accurately implement handling characteristics for real-world situation training. The bridge layout and design are also based on Crystal’s river ships, ensuring that captains are fully familiar with the components of the vessels before they come aboard. While Crystal’s first river ship, Crystal Mozart, is the only river ship in operation that employs two captains manning the navigation bridge at all times (she is the largest vessel on European rivers), the river simulator accommodates a second captain to train in emergency relief situations aboard the “Rhine Class” ships.
The bridge simulator includes nine vertically mounted displays that are integrated with the globally unique mission engine room. The horizontal field of view is 240 degrees and the vertical field of view is 47 degrees, giving the optimal high-density pixel count for safe sailing.
The simulator’s tailor-made environments and controls are advanced training tools by the standards of the river cruising industry, with which Crystal’s captains are already extensively familiar. Each officer chosen to helm the luxurious vessels along the rivers of Europe boasts decades of experience, as well as lifelong knowledge of the region and its waterways.
In addition to its superior caliber of captain and officer training, Crystal River Cruises employs the most extensive portside security protocol in the river cruising industry, with restricted gangway access and security attendance 24 hours a day.
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