MSC, working with Samsung Electronics and HARMAN, have developed the world’s first dedicated virtual assistant at sea – aiming to make life at sea that little bit easier.
ZOE is a voice-enabled artificially intelligent virtual assistant found in every cabin that can speak seven languages. ZOE is able to answer hundreds of questions about the cruise, she can provide information about onboard services, provide guidance and suggestions or help to book a service. Guests just say, “OK ZOE”, and she’s ready to help.
ZOE has been designed to include advanced audio with far field microphones and a professional quality speaker to provide the best audio experience. Guests will enjoy fast response times thanks to the integration of a top-of-the-range quad-core processor, and also have the opportunity to connect their phones directly to the device through Bluetooth to enjoy music, podcasts and more directly in their cabin.
Designed to interact with MSC’s ‘MSC for Me’ ecosystem ZOE can interact with the in-cabin TV, allowing the virtual assistant to connect with the TV to provide guests further in-depth information and other guest services.
Gianni Onorato, MSC Cruises’ CEO commented on the inspiration behind ZOE, “There was a core guest need to be met, which was to find answers to common questions in a quick and easy way, enabling guests to make the most of their holiday. We researched the latest connected technologies and identified voice assistants and Artificial Intelligence as the way to meet this need and the work on ZOE began.”
ZOE is a first in the cruise industry and another example of how MSC Cruises continues to lead the way with employing technology to enhance the guest experience. ZOE will launch on MSC Bellissima this March, and will then be available on each new ship following this, including the upcoming MSC Grandiosa and MSC Virtuosa in 2020.
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