The newest bartender on MSC Cruises speaks eight languages, can dance with the best of them, rattle off space trivia, and mixes cosmic cocktails that will make cruisers feel out of this world.
His name is Rob, and he's a robot.
Rob isn't just any old robot — in fact, he's the first-ever humanoid, robotic bartender at sea, the cruise line shared with Travel Leisure, and will be ready to shake and stir drinks at the helm of his futuristic bar when the MSC Virtuosa sets sail in April.
Guests who walk into the MSC Starship Club, where Rob entertains his patrons, will be greeted with 3D holograms, a digital art wall, and a 12-seat digital interactive table to "explore space with their own personalized galactic tour."
Guests can even see the status of their drinks on a scrolling ticker above the bar.
Ask Rob for your favorite drink and the bartender — who MSC said learned mixology in the best intergalactic bars and spent time working on colonized Mars — will recognize your language (English, Italian, Spanish, French, German, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese, or Japanese) and respond appropriately. Rob is capable of different facial expressions to give him a human-like appearance and some actual human bartenders will be on hand to assist as well.
The MSC Virtuosa will first sail three, four and five-night cruises in the Mediterranean before heading to Northern Europe for the summer of 2021, according to the cruise line.
MSC was one of the first companies to relaunch, sailing the Mediterranean over the summer, but was forced to cancel its holiday cruises due to travel restrictions before being able to resume last month.
Rob joins the ranks of other bartending robots from around the world, like Rosé the Robot, who delivers wine to people's rooms at the Hotel Trio in Healdsburg, Calif.
Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she's not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.
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