We compared adaptive and non-adaptive versions of a ship driving simulation trainer aimed at assessing and improving knowledge and skills related to the nautical rules of the road, to determine which version leads to better learning outcomes. We designed and conducted a comparative study and analyzed pre and post-test scores for two groups of students, adaptive and non-adaptive. Results show that adaptive training is statistically significantly more effective ( \(p < 0.0001\) ) than non-adaptive training. Furthermore, \(73\%\) of students preferred adaptive training and found it more engaging. These results add to growing evidence that adaptive training is more effective and engaging on a broad variety of training simulations.