GENEVA — When the MSC Grandiosa debuts later this year following its christening on Nov. 9, passengers will find brand new ‘MSC for Me’ features for 2019.
MSC for Me, a multi-channel digital program that enables guests to interact with the ship and crew members, was first introduced onboard MSC Meraviglia in 2017 and has since been expanded to four ships – MSC Seaside, MSC Seaview, MSC Splendida and MSC Bellissima – each time adding more features to improve the guest experience.
MSC Grandiosa will the MSC Cruises’ sixth connected cruise ship.
“Innovation is at the heart of everything we do at MSC Cruises, and technology does not stand still,” said MSC Cruises CEO Gianni Onorato. “Since launching our industry-leading digital innovation program MSC for Me in 2017, we continued to research and implement the latest technologies that are specifically designed to enhance our guest experience, ensuring that they can make the most of the rich array of services, activities and facilities that we offer onboard our ships.”
Here is an overview of MSC for Me’s new features for 2019:
• Pre-booked experiences: Guests ben begin to plan their time aboard by adding selected pre-booked experiences to their pre-cruise personal agenda, whether it be excursions, a specialty restaurant reservation or a Cirque du Soleil at Sea show.
• Credit card pre-registration. Pre-registering of a credit card through the app prior to the cruise is one less thing that guests need to do when they embark, giving them more time to enjoy their cruise once onboard.
• Friends & Family Locator. This new paid-for service means friends and family travelling together will never get lost. Guests can purchase a special MSC for Me wristband with Bluetooth, Low Energy technology, and find their loved ones at any time on the ship map shown on their MSC for Me app. This new feature is complements the Kids Locator service launched in 2017.
• MSC for Me Chat. Guests are now able to message each other directly through the MSC for Me app without the need for an Internet package. To begin chatting, simply scan the QR code on a friend’s app and begin chatting.
• ZOE. Developed in partnership with HARMAN and Samsung Electronics, MSC’s voice-enabled artificial intelligence (AI) found in every stateroom on MSC Bellissima speaks seven languages and can answer hundreds of questions about the cruise and onboard facilities. It will soon be available on MSC Grandiosa.
• What To Eat. A handy ‘what to eat’ feature has been added to the MSC for Me app to give guests insight into the local must-eat ingredients or dishes to try in port as they cruise from destination to destination.
In addition to the new features introduced this year, MSC for ME continues to offer:
- Mobile check-in to save time on embarkation day for simple transition from ashore to onboard
- An interactive map to help guests get around the ship quickly and easily
- Guests can plan their cruise in real time, browsing through daily events, activities and highlights on the app, in-cabin TV and interactive screens throughout the ship
- NFC wristbands will connect guests to the ship’s services so that they can book them through the interactive digital screens
Upon its launch, MSC Grandiosa will become the largest ship in the MSC Cruise fleet featuring enriched facilities, more staterooms, more public space and new features. It will be christened on Nov. 9 in the Port of Hamburg, and then sail the winter season in the Mediterranean, calling at Barcelona, Palermo, Marseille and Valletta in Malta.
