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Royal Caribbean's Bahamas pact includes training for hospitality jobs

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Bahamas Prime Minister Perry Christie, left, and Royal Caribbean ceo Michael Bayley shake on the multi-year agreement
As part of its new multi-year agreement with the Bahamas, Royal Caribbean International plans to work with the government to develop a hospitality training program that could lead to a job at sea.

The cruise line will create a curriculum to prepare many thousands of students for careers aboard a Royal Caribbean ship. The classes will be facilitated by dedicated instructors and offer theoretical and practical knowledge to help students develop marketable hospitality skills. In addition to the classroom experience, students will get on-site guidance and training from shipboard professionals.

Royal Caribbean said it has committed to rapidly growing the number of Bahamian nationals it employs in the next five years.

The company's agreement with the Bahamas also includes a commitment to help grow tourism and, as part of that, an investment in private island CocoCay to build a pier and provide new experiences there.

'Tourism is an important engine of growth for the economy of destinations in the Caribbean and the Bahamas, and we are excited to bring more visitors on our newest and most innovative ships to this popular vacation spot,' Royal Caribbean president and ceo Michael Bayley said.

'Our commitment to the Bahamas is multifold. It is our responsibility to contribute to the country's economic diversity, to its employment base and the training of Bahamian youth as well as the protection of the environment. We are excited about the continued growth of tourism in the Bahamas, and look forward to doing our part to keep that growth and progress moving along in the years to come.'

Royal Caribbean currently carries 1.7m visitors a year to the Bahamas, with plans to significantly expand that number in the next decade as it adds capacity in the region. With its strategic location and proximity to the United States, Bahamian destinations are already marquee ports of call for 13 Royal Caribbean ships and are consistently highly rated by passengers, the company said.

In addition, Royal Caribbean is one of the owners of Grand Bahama Shipyard in Freeport where major ship revitalizations and drydock maintenance takes place.