MSC Cruises today revealed details of its new immersive experience, MSC Starship Club, which will feature Rob, the first humanoid robotic bartender at sea. MSC Starship Club will be available exclusively on board the company's new flagship, MSC Virtuosa, when it begins operations on April 16 of this year.
This integrated bar and entertainment experience, inspired by MSC Cruises' vision of the spaceships of the future – MSC Starliner One – features cutting-edge technologies to create a futuristic atmosphere. These include 3D holograms, an immersive digital art wall, and an interactive table with 12 seats that allows passengers to explore space with their personalized galactic tour. Rob will prepare and serve his signature cocktails, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, and a wide range of bespoke drinks, just like a human bartender, while interacting with passengers using his voice and human expressions for a complete bar experience. Rob's skills and emotional responsiveness, combined with bartenders dressed as if they've stepped out of a science fiction film, the immersive environment, and the latest technology, will ensure that the MSC Starship Club is a must-see attraction for all ages.
Passengers will use specially designed vertical digital screens within the area to place their orders. Rob will use all his customized robotic skills to prepare the cocktails: pouring spirits, juices, and syrups; shaking, creating, or stirring the drinks. Rob not only prepares an impressive variety of cocktails but can also speak eight languages (English, Italian, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Chinese, and Japanese), depending on the language selected when the passenger places their order. He also has a distinct personality that evolves with the surrounding environment. He uses his LED face to convey emotions so that passengers can enjoy his performance while sipping their cocktails.
The cocktail preparation status will be displayed on digital monitors within the area and on a tape-style LED strip above the robotic island, as passengers immerse themselves in the space-themed experience. The cosmic cocktails are served in futuristic, custom-designed glasses that passengers can collect as a souvenir of their MSC Starship Club experience. Passengers can return to the club multiple times during their cruise, experiencing a new interaction with Rob each time.
MSC Cruises constantly looks to the future for inspiration for passenger experiences, seeking ways to employ the latest technology to create something unique, develop new onboard innovations, and take the passenger offering to the next level. This latest innovation uses cutting-edge robotics and digital technologies to deliver an immersive, futuristic entertainment lounge that completely reimagines the traditional bar experience, literally transporting passengers to another world.
From its initial concept, the MSC Starship Club has been in development for almost six years. The company has overcome engineering challenges to bring this project to fruition. During this time, MSC Cruises has collaborated with leading experts from companies specializing in robotics and automation, interior design, and digital entertainment and experience solutions to create a bespoke entertainment venue with a humanoid robot as its star attraction.
MSC Virtuosa is the company's new flagship and will enter service in April of this year. Every MSC Cruises ship is unique, and MSC Virtuosa will offer new experiences for its passengers, including Rob. It will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology and committed to the environment.
After completing several three, four and five night cruises in the Mediterranean, MSC Virtuosa will head to Northern Europe for its 2021 summer season with itineraries in the Norwegian Fjords and the Baltic Capitals.
Rob is a humanoid robot that can interact with passengers using witty language, changing its facial expressions, and even showing off its dance moves. This humanoid robotic bartender moves its arms, body, and head in a very natural way, giving the impression that a real bartender is preparing the cocktail—a truly unique engineering feat. Different facial expressions, and even a voice, have been designed to give Rob a human-like personality. Rob can scan its surroundings and recognize passing passengers through an intelligent human-recognition motion system located in its head, and it can greet and interact with them.
The MSC Starship Club Lounge is more than just a bar; it's a live entertainment experience. In partnership with leading creative and digital agencies, MSC Cruises has designed and delivered digital content to entertain and engage passengers. The MSC Starship Club also offers an extensive futuristic menu served from the bar by human bartenders, in addition to cocktails served by Rob.
