The next crazy cruise ship attraction is ... a robotic arm that dangles you over the waves
Ready for the next crazy cruise ship attraction? It seems like every few years there's a new ground-breaking activity being introduced on board one ship or another. Recent additions have included a roller coaster on Carnival, a tricked-out water slide on Disney Cruise Line and a three-deck-high go-kart track on Norwegian.
Not to be outdone, this week Switzerland-based MSC Cruises announced an all-new amusement ride coming to its newest ship, MSC Seascape. Robotron, a robotic arm attached to a three-passenger, roller coaster-style seat, combines music and lights to create a dance party in the air, with the arm moving to the rhythm of the beat. The attraction is the first ride at sea to allow riders to customize their experience to their desired thrill level.
"We are excited to give our guests more access to cutting-edge experiences," said Ruben A. Rodriguez, president of MSC Cruises USA, in a company statement. "We're the first cruise line to offer something like Robotron at sea, and we can't wait for thrill-seekers to discover the ride of their life surrounded by the beauty of the Caribbean."
The Robotron ride is customizable, so riders can choose a high intensity level to be flipped upside down and dangled over the edge of the ship or a more family-friendly setting to focus more on taking in the incredible views. In addition, riders can select their favorite music and light settings, and Robotron will "dance" to the music and pulse colorful light patterns in time to the tunes.
Related: The craziest attractions you'll find on a cruise ship
Royal Caribbean fans might notice some similarities between Robotron and the North Star attraction on Royal Caribbean's Quantum-class ships. While both employ robotic arms with passenger pods at the end, the North Star offers more serene sightseeing, while Robotron goes straight for the heart-pounding thrills.
Robotron is not the only high-tech addition to MSC Seascape. MSC Cruises will also add new virtual reality experiences to the ship, including a VR flight simulator and VR motorcycles. MSC Seascape will join other ships in the fleet in offering an immersive XD theater and a Formula One race car simulator.
The second ship in MSC Cruises's Seaside EVO class, MSC Seascape will have many similarities to first-in-class MSC Seashore, which debuted in 2021. Seascape will launch in New York later this year with a naming ceremony set to take place on Dec. 7, though its first sailing will depart Rome on Nov. 19 for a trip across the Atlantic. The ship will spend its maiden season sailing Caribbean cruises from Miami.
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| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
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Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month