The Starship Club on MSC Virtuosa — where an AI called Rob makes your cocktails

One of the strangest bars I have ever visited is on MSC Virtuosa, and the bartender is not a person. It is a robotic arm called Rob, and it stands behind a sleek counter in the Starship Club making cocktails to order while you watch.

The concept is simple enough. You order from a digital menu, Rob selects the bottles, measures the spirits, mixes the drink, and slides it across the counter to you. The whole thing takes about ninety seconds and it is genuinely mesmerising to watch. The arm moves with that precise, deliberate motion that makes it feel oddly polite — almost like it is taking care not to spill anything.

Here is the thing though: the cocktails are £14 each plus tax, and they are made with basic house spirits. Nothing premium. The rum is standard, the gin is standard, the vodka is standard. You are absolutely not paying for the quality of the alcohol. You are paying for the novelty of watching a machine make your drink, and MSC knows it.

So is it worth it? Honestly — once, yes. It is a fun experience, especially if you are travelling with people who have not seen it before. The Starship Club itself is a decent space with a futuristic feel, and there is something genuinely entertaining about watching Rob work. But I would not make it my regular bar for the week. At £14 plus tax for a basic cocktail, the maths do not work for repeated visits.

If you are curious, go once. Order one drink, take the photos, enjoy the spectacle, and then head to one of the regular bars where a human bartender will make you the same drink for less money with a conversation thrown in for free. Rob is a brilliant gimmick. Just know exactly what you are paying for.