Crystal Cruises is claiming an “industry’s first” with its self-contained, freestanding living wall at sea aboard the Crystal Symphony. The wall is the creation of UK-based ANS Group Europe. The company spent two days installing the wall, as the luxury cruise ship sailed from Portland to Dover to complete the 11-night themed-voyage, British Isle Brilliance.

The living wall is located in the ship’s Deck 11 Trident Grill. The area designed for al fresco dining is 37.7 feet long and 7.9 feet high. What exactly is a living wall at sea? It is a vertical garden that is pre-planted in panels and then attached to the wall or the facade of a building. Plants stay intact in vertical positions because the root structures are anchored in two to four inches of soil within the panel.
"In keeping with our ongoing focus on design, we wanted to create a focal point that was both highly contemporary and visually stunning," says Alexandra Don, Crystal's vice president, hotel design and services. "The end result is a living wall that brings the Trident Grill to life and serves as an eye-catching backdrop to the incomparable service and choices that always characterize a Crystal holiday."

The company says the installation of the wall is an example of its Crystal Clean environmental and educational efforts. This is not just a viewing area. The wall acts as a bio filter that enhances air quality by breaking down harmful airborne contaminants and transforming those into clean oxygen. By absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, it reduces greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

"This bespoke project is an exciting and exhilarating scheme. Installing living walls on a cruise ship is taking us to a completely new level and opens up all sorts of possibilities," said Joel Nash, marketing manager for ANS Group Europe. “When you think this wall will be traveling as far north as Lapland and down to Cape Horn, it takes your breath away." For more information on the living wall at sea, visit CrystalCruises.com.