Costa Cruises has welcomed a fleet of five Pepper robots on the Diadema as it sails on a week-long Western Mediterranean deployment. In a prepared statement, Costa said Pepper was “the first robot in the world able to recognize human emotions and proactively interact with the surrounding environment.”

Pepper was launched in 2014 in Tokyo and can speak English, Italian and French.

“Our goal is to amaze people that choose to spend their holidays with us and to go beyond their expectations offering something unforgettable. I am convinced that being able to interact with Pepper will be an incredible experience for all our guests,” said Neil Palomba, president, Costa.

“We are pleased that Costa Group was the first to welcome Pepper onboard to offer a unique and fun experience. We hope that Costa’s travellers will enjoy even more their journey and that Pepper will successfully accomplish his mission to entertain them,” said Fumihide Tomizawa, president of SoftBank Robotics Corp.

Costa Diadema’s guests can meet the robots in 5 areas of the ship. In addition to answering to direct questions addressed to him, Pepper is able to drawing attention and starting an interaction when people come close to him.

As well as making people smile, the robots are able to provide guests with very useful information for their trip concerning the ship and the onboard services, such as those about restaurants and bars, excursions, activities program, spa and shops. He is also able to provide guidance about destinations included in the cruise itinerary. Pepper can also ask guests for their opinion about the cruise experience and the main onboard services.