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Waterfall Travel

The Joys

of Cruising

Compiled by Bev Hermanson

MSC Grandiosa

The ship’s captain, Marco Massa, helps Sophia Loren to cut the ribbon Zoe, the in-cabin passenger assistant

Sailing to more than 200 destinations across
Weighing 181 000 tonnes (gross),
five continents, MSC Cruises offers international at a length of over 331 metres,
with 19 passenger decks, the MSC
dining, world-class entertainment, a wide Grandiosa is able to accommodate
a maximum of 6 334 guests in her
range of family programmes and the very latest 2 421 cabins. Each cabin is equipped

guest-friendly technology on board. with its own virtual personal cruise
assistant, Zoe, which is programmed
A t the beginning of The fifth next-generation cruise ship enquiry. Similar to Amazon’s Alexa
to help with any cruise-related

to be launched in 30 months by
November last year, in
Voice Service, the Google Mini and
Hamburg Germany, I had
the MSC Grandiosa boasts cutting
the privilege of attending the privately-owned MSC Cruises, the “OK Google” facility available on
most smartphones, Zoe responds to
the Christening of the MSC Grandiosa, edge technology on a number of voice activation and is programmed
MSC Cruises’ newest flagship, with levels, not only enhancing the guest to communicate in 7 languages,
Madame Sophia Loren, the ship’s experience, but also incorporating the which can be changed by the guest
godmother, performing the honour latest environmental advancements at any time. The device is able to
of cutting the ribbon to release the designed to significantly reduce activate the smart TV in the cabin,
traditional bottle of champagne. carbon emissions. provide weather forecasts, as well

28 Waterfall Issue 2 2020