MSC Cruises announced that a digital personal assistant will be coming to its app, MSC for Me, as part of the company’s innovation program.

The assistant has been developed in partnership with HARMAN, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics.

The new technology is set to debut in 2019 aboard the MSC Bellissima, currently under construction at STX France and set for a Southampton christening next March.

Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises, commented: “This is another example of how we are continuously innovating to better serve the needs of our guests, not only for the cruise guests of today but those of the future as we shape the future of the cruise holiday. We employ state-of-the-art technology in a uniquely comprehensive way, building it into every step of the development of our new ships, starting from their conception and design to the final guest experience. It is through our cruise expertise, the skill of our shipyard partners and our unique collaborations with world-leading digital and technology experts such as Samsung and now HARMAN, that we are able to introduce ground-breaking technology to provide our guests with a connected experience that enhances their cruise from beginning to end.”

The virtual personal assistant for MSC Cruises guests is a conversational, voice-enabled innovation that can communicate, learn and intelligently predict guests’ needs to make relevant suggestions, the company said.

This new offering will provide guests with tailored information to help simplifying and enhancing their holiday experience by providing quick and easy answers to questions from the comfort of their own cabin, according to MSC.

Sanjay Dhawan, President, HARMAN Connected Services and HARMAN CTO, commented: “Digital Assistants and voice recognition technologies are transforming the way we communicate and get our work done today. With this outstanding solution, MSC Cruises will completely transform its guests’ experience on board. Imagine getting instant and personalised information like cruise events, entertainment options, journey updates, or just playing your favourite music by a simple voice command. HARMAN is excited to bring this innovation to MSC Cruises.”

This digital offering will be designed around a ship-based solution, customized for MSC and able to communicate in English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Brazilian Portuguese and Mandarin.

The personal assistant will initially launch on MSC Bellissima, but will be available on all future new ships and plans are in place to introduce the feature on the rest of the fleet, the company said.