Carnival Hails Agreement with CMU as a Signal of Confidence in Jamaica

An agreement between Carnival Cruise Line and Caribbean Maritime University (CMU), which will provide maritime training and job opportunities for local students, is being hailed by parent company, Carnival Corporation, as a signal of its commitment to and confidence in Jamaica.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which was signed on March 7, 2023, will see 45 maritime students at the Kingston-based CMU receiving at-sea experience with Carnival over the next three years.

It provides sea time for a minimum of 15 students per year, which is a mandatory requirement for graduation.

The first placements were made at the start of the 2023/2024 academic year in September.

The MOU will also see scholarship opportunities provided by Carnival as well as familiarisation tours on ships whenever they dock in Jamaica, and will explore the possibility of upgrading the CMU’s bridge simulator.

Carnival Corporation’s Vice President of Crew and Travel Operations, Richard Brearley, in noting that the MOU applies to all brands under the company, tells JIS News that the students will work in the hotel, deck and engine areas.

“Our goal is to build strategic partnerships with leaders in the region that not only create pathways for jobs and careers but also support our commitment to deepening our roots within the communities we serve,” he notes.

“This provides the Carnival Corporation and the CMU with a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact on the lives of Jamaican citizens and on the cruise industry overall,” he adds.For her part, Chief Human Resources Officer of Carnival Corporation, Bettina Deynes, tells JIS News that the MOU is also linked to the CMU’s goal to train 4,000 students per year and provide jobs for graduates.

She notes that the intention is for CMU students to eventually gain employment on ships within the Carnival fleet.

In addition, she informs that the cruise company will be sending staff and potential employees to the CMU for training customised for “the Carnival way.”

“We are honoured to be part of this programme and are excited about the opportunities it will create for Jamaican citizens interested in pursuing personally and financially rewarding careers in maritime and with companies like Carnival Corporation and our nine world-class cruise lines,” Ms. Deynes says.

“With the thriving talent pool of smart and ambitious bilingual Jamaicans, and the Caribbean Maritime University’s proven track record of preparing students to perform at the highest levels in our profession, we know we are backing a winning programme,” she notes.

President of the CMU, Professor Andrew Spencer, agrees that the MOU with Carnival is a major plus that will bring long-term benefits for Jamaica.

“Carnival Cruise Line is just one brand under Carnival Corporation. The MOU was crafted in such a way that we have access and the ability to negotiate with the other eight brands within Carnival Corporation. This is not just about getting our cadets placed; its for getting other students placed as well,” he says.

“We have had a relatively steady flow of individuals who graduate and then receive jobs with Carnival…not just on the hospitality side but also on the deck and engineering sides. This is why the signing of this MOU has been so important. There is now a formalised agreement between the entities,” he points out.

Executive Director of Jamaica Vacations (JAMVAC), Joy Roberts, says Carnival must be commended for the footprint it has made in Jamaica over the years, pointing to the company’s Labour Day efforts at the pediatric ward at the St. Ann’s Bay Hospital in St. Ann as further proof of its commitment to making a difference on the island.

“Carnival continues to display the classic example of a good corporate citizen. What they have been doing over there at the CMU is phenomenal and must be commended,” she points out.

Over the years, Jamaican workers have benefited greatly from the country’s relationship with Carnival Corporation and most of its subsidiary brands, notably, Carnival Cruise Line.

The affiliation has also seen Carnival Corporation sending some of its biggest cruise ships to the nation’s ports from six of its nine brands, with some 497,000 passengers expected this year.

Carnival Cruise Line is an international company headquartered in Doral, Florida in the United States.

It operates from 14 US and two Australian homeports and employs more than 40,000 team members representing 120 nationalities.

Since embarking on its first cruise in 1972, Carnival has been calling on Jamaica and today, brings an average of nearly 400,000 guests to the island annually.

The company, which operates 24 ships as of November 2022, has one additional new build-on-order and a further two ships that will join its fleet in 2023 and 2024.