The Training Ship “Mircea” on its international training voyage
One of the most important hands-on training events of the Romanian Naval Forces
Agenția Media a Armatei, 24.06.2026, 14:30
In today’s edition of “Romania. The Eastern Flank” we talk about one of the most important hands-on training events of the Romanian Naval Forces: the international training voyage of the “Mircea” Training Ship.
The Romanian sailing ship, in the service of the Navy since 1938, continues the tradition of training voyages during which cadets sail on international routes, cross the Atlantic and stop in ports in Europe, America and the Caribbean. On board are Romanian cadets, along with students from Allied countries, who learn about life aboard a sailing ship with tradition and tight discipline. For many of them, this experience is the first actual contact with a sailor’s life.
Student Corporal Martha Ștefania Boiciuc, from the “Mircea cel Bătrân” Naval Academy, talks about the intensity and educational value of this voyage: “I can say that it is a quite demanding experience, but also beautiful at the same time. I learned a lot and realized what kind of person I can be in very stressful situations. I can be fearless and do everything I set my mind to. It is really a very interesting experience, especially when I am up there and see how much I can do. My favorite port was Las Palmas, because I had a lot to visit, I also went to the beach, everyone in the street talked to you and the locals are very friendly.”
Life on board a training sailboat requires teamwork, physical effort and overcoming personal limits. One of the most impressive activities for cadets is climbing the mast, dozens of meters above the deck. For Lena Michnewicz, a student with the Polish Naval Academy, this moment remains the most powerful experience so far: “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I love the views, I love the crew, my colleagues. I would say that climbing the mast was my favorite experience here. Especially the first time, it was just amazing to see everything so clearly, from above.”
Beyond the technical training, the voyage also means discovering completely different cultures and places than the usual ones for many of the participants. Cadet Dian Gospodinov, from the Bulgarian Naval Academy, told us which ports he liked the most so far: “I would say Miami and Puerto Rico were my favorites. They are very different from what we know in Europe. The architecture is impressive, the people were very nice and open to us, we had the opportunity to interact with the locals, they were very friendly.”
Another essential element of this voyage is the international cooperation between future naval officers, who learn to work together, beyond differences in training or culture. Second Lieutenant Max Hill, from the British Royal Navy, emphasizes the importance of this know-how exchange between cadets from Allied states: “I think it is an excellent way to build relationships. There are many similarities, but also many differences, and it is precisely thanks to these differences that we can become better, by exchanging know-how and by learning from each other. This certainly helps.”
The international training voyage of the “Mircea” Training Ship remains a complex training experience, in which professional training is intertwined with discipline, flexibility and international cooperation. For the cadets on board it is more than a navigation exercise, it is a defining stage in their training as future naval officers. (AMP)
