## 1 Introduction  
Shipping is an international business that employs about 1.9 million seafarers whose competencies play an indispensable role in maintaining safety and mitigating risks at sea [1]. Thus, the continuous investment in advanced technologies, such as HMD-VR simulators, and their incorporation into maritime education and training programmes is deemed a critical challenge to maintain a competitive edge in the shipping industry as a global economic leader [2, 3, 4].  
Fully immersive virtual reality refers to monitoring a user's movements and delivering VR content according to their location through an HMD [5, 6]. The continuing drop in VR equipment prices, computational capacity advancements, and simulation technology enhancements have augmented the application of HMD-VR technology across various sectors, including entertainment (e.g., [7, 8]), medicine and healthcare (e.g., [9, 10]), tourism and hospitality (e.g., [11, 12]), engineering (e.g., [13, 14]), logistics (e.g., [15]), aviation (e.g., [16]), and maritime industry [17, 18, 19].  
Implementing HMD-VR technologies in education and training has also become an interesting subject of an increasing body of research (e.g., [18; 20; 21; 22; 23; 24; 25]). The findings, though mixed, are encouraging, showing that HMD-VR simulators have the potential to provide numerous benefits to students, including boosting engagement [26], providing greater control over the learning process [27], improving knowledge retention [18; 28; 29], facilitating skill acquisition and problem-solving [30; 31], deepening the understanding of previously learned concepts and boosting learning performance [27; 32], and enhancing critical thinking [33]. A primary advantage of HMD-VR simulators as educational tools lies in their elevated perceptual fidelity and capacity to elicit a genuine sense of immersion [34], enabling end-users to interact with VR environments to an extent that closely resembles real-world interactions [26]. In the context of Educational Virtual Environments (EVE), perceived immersion (PIMM) has been highlighted as one of the key factors in influencing end users' attitudes toward VR-based learning, future engagement and shaping positive experiences with VR technology [20; 35; 36; 37; 38; 39; 40].  
Although research on HMD-VR technology in maritime education and training is well documented (e.g., [4; 6; 17; 19; 41; 42]), studies specifically investigating affective experiences (e.g., perceived immersion) associated with HMD-VR usage remain limited [18; 32]. Therefore, this study employs HMD-VR engine room simulator trials at the Faculty of Maritime Studies at the University of Rijeka, Croatia, as a case study to address this research gap. Specifically, it aims to investigate the extent to which perceived immersion shapes maritime engineering students' (i) attitudes toward learning benefits, (ii) future behavioural intentions, and (iii) overall satisfaction with the HMD-VR engine room experience. Furthermore, drawing upon the work of [32], this study implements segmentation analysis utilising perceived immersion as a basis for classification. By grouping students into distinct segments, the study aims to generate deeper insights into underlying dynamics within each sub-group, thereby contributing to a more nuanced understanding of the role of affective experience in adopting VR technology in maritime education and training.  
In line with the study objectives, the following research questions are formulated:  
1. Is perceived immersion a reliable criterion for segmenting maritime engineering students in the context of HMD-VR engine room simulator education and training?
2. How significantly does perceived immersion differentiate maritime engineering students regarding their attitudes toward learning benefits, future usage intentions and overall satisfaction with the HMD-VR engine room simulator?