Despite the implementation of stringent safety protocols, human error remains responsible for 70–80% of maritime incidents, underlining the urgent need for innovative training approaches in the shipping industry. Researchers agree that procedural and higher-order cognitive skills are best rehearsed and attained through ‘hands-on’ experimentation, yet traditional maritime safety education often lacks opportunities for practical experience in critical scenarios. In the present work, we present the design and development of a Virtual Reality (VR) training system dedicated to addressing the critical gap between theoretical knowledge and practical experience in maritime safety education. The system, developed using Unity 3D, integrates navigation and emergency response modules covering navigation rules, vessel handling, and rescue operations through a scenario-based approach. Future steps include evaluation and further development of the present work, including integration of multi-user collaborative frameworks and analytics-enhanced training assessment. We expect that the proposed approach will help to address the persistent theory-practice gap in maritime education while providing foundations for next-generation safety training methodologies.