The '''Explorer class''' is a series of large [[container ship]]s built for [[CMA CGM]]. They are mostly named after [[Exploration|explorers]] (Benjamin Franklin was not an explorer but made contributions to oceanography, Forster was a naturalist and ethnologist who travelled with explorer James Cook, Verne was a novelist who wrote about explorations). The first five ships are 365 m long with a nominal capacity of 13,830 [[Twenty-foot equivalent unit|TEU]]; the last three are larger, at 396 m and 16,020 TEU, making them the world's largest container ships until the delivery of the [[Maersk Triple E Class]]. Advanced simulators were built to help crews learn how to handle the new ships.<ref name="DNV">{{cite web|url=http://www.dnv.com/industry/maritime/publicationsanddownloads/publications/updates/container/2010/2-2010/cmacgmputscompetenceattheforefrontofitsnewbuildingprogramme.asp|title=CMA CGM puts competence at the forefront of its newbuilding programme|publisher=DNV|accessdate=23 December 2012}}</ref>
The ships are mostly named after [[Exploration|explorers]]. Benjamin Franklin was not an explorer but made contributions to oceanography, Georg Forster was a naturalist and ethnologist who travelled with explorer James Cook, and Jules Verne was a novelist who wrote about explorations.
Advanced simulators were built, to help crews learn how to handle the new ships.<ref name="DNV">{{cite web|url=http://www.dnv.com/industry/maritime/publicationsanddownloads/publications/updates/container/2010/2-2010/cmacgmputscompetenceattheforefrontofitsnewbuildingprogramme.asp|title=CMA CGM puts competence at the forefront of its newbuilding programme|publisher=DNV|accessdate=23 December 2012}}</ref>
