Crystal Cruises to Install "Living Wall"

It's always fun to see how cruise lines try to out-do each other. One ship installs a rock-climbing wall, and a dozen ships suddenly have one. A cruise line curates a world-class collection of art, and other companies scramble to follow suit. Passengers, of course, benefit from this type of one-upmanship.

Luxury cruise line, Crystal Cruises, has teamed with ANS Group Europe to create something unique that will appeal to art loves and gardeners: a living wall. This curiosity—a 40-foot-wide by 8-foot-high wall of plants—will adorn an interior wall of Crystal Symphony's alfresco dining area.

Florists will "sculpt" the wall to look like a world map by using a wide variety of subtropical plans. At each port of call, the ship's captain will visit the wall and add an additional plant to mark the ship's location. Forget the real-time GPS maps in the observation lounge; this will be a fun and different way for passengers to keep track of their route.

A spokesperson for ANS Group Europe was happy to discuss the project, saying, "Installing living walls on a cruise ship is taking us to a completely new level and opens up all sort of possibilities. When you think this wall will travel as far north as Lapland and down to Cape Horn, it takes your breath away!"

Crystal Cruises has two intimate luxury vessels sailing the world. On September 5, 2012, the 940-passenger Crystal Symphony ends its summer season in Europe and sails from London to New York City, from which she'll embark on a series of itineraries around New England and Canada. Sister ship Crystal Serenity stays in the Mediterranean until early December.

Photo credits: Courtesy of ANS Group Europe