When Royal Caribbean’s first Quantum-class cruise ship, Quantum of the Seas, set sail I was on it. This technological wonder of the waves cost over a billion dollars to build and featured new interior spaces, introduced dining concepts never before seen on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, and had a bar staffed by robots who made a darn good cocktail!
BONUS: Read all about my time on the inaugural sailing of Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas by clicking here.
The Bionic Bar made its debut on Quantum in 2014 and has been installed on several other ships in the royal fleet including the new Symphony of the Seas.
Developed by Makr Shakr in Torino, Italy, the robotic bartenders who man the Bionic Bar can mix up to 2 drinks per minute. If you do the math, that’s 1,000 Cosmos a day.
To order a drink at the Bionic Bar, you step up to a kiosk where a tablet will present you with a menu of pre-programmed drinks, or you can create a unique creation of your own.
When you submit the order, the bots get to work mixing, shaking, stirring, and pouring your beverage into a plastic cup. (They don’t trust these guys with glass!)
Watching the robots at work is all part of the fun. Their movements were modeled after a dancer from the NYC Ballet, so if they look a little more choreographed than the bartender at your neighborhood watering hole, now you know why. If you keep a sharp eye out, you may notice they even toss in a bit of bartender flair – TGI Friday’s style!
Check out the video that I took at the Bionic Bar on Royal Caribbean‘s Quantum of the Seas: