Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has partnered with Florida International University to train performers and build a $20 million rehearsal theater on the Biscayne Bay campus.

The 130,000-square-foot facility for acrobat training will break ground this week.

RCCL said the theater will let it produce increasingly sophisticated shows while affording FIU students access to training, internships and research opportunities in hospitality and the cruise industry.

The building, expected to open in January 2015, will contain two three-story studios outfitted with rigging systems. It will also have 10 other rehearsal studios, a 300-seat black box theater and 20,000 square feet dedicated to costume creation and storage.

FIU students will gain 20 internships (both corporate and shipboard), use of the facility and access to data and other proprietary information to be used for research purposes, RCCL said.