Celebrity Cruises will present what it calls
an industry first on the top deck of its next ship, the Celebrity
Solstice: real, growing grass, set in a country club environment
that will be called The Lawn Club.
The half-acre area, the
equivalent of about eight tennis courts, will offer passengers a
place to play bocce ball and croquet; practice putting; have a
picnic; or just lie on the grass, the line said.
"We want our guests to
experience the unexpected, like the thrill of sinking a putt on a
freshly manicured lawn in the middle of the ocean," said Dan
Hanrahan, president and CEO of Celebrity Cruises, in a
statement.
The area also will
feature the Patio on the Lawn, a sitting area; the Hot Glass Show,
a glass-blowing demonstration; the Lawn Club Shop; and the Sunset
Bar, located on the ship's highest point aft.
Celebrity said at an
event in New York that having real grass on a ship is a difficult
task that included the help of landscape architects and irrigation
specialists along with turf and soil scientists from the University
of Florida.
The team conducted
extensive research and tested a variety of grasses to determine
which could best withstand the winds, sun, shade and temperature
variations the grass will be exposed to as the ship sails in the
Caribbean, Celebrity said.
In addition, the
grasses were tested for their ability to tolerate foot traffic,
irrigation and day-to-day care and maintenance. Even the weight of
the grass and soil had to be considered, as well as the water it
would absorb from the atmosphere and from irrigation.
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