Symphony of the Seas | Miami, FL (and the world)
A floating open air park on a cruise ship with two four-story living green walls? Not a problem for Ambius.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines is setting the standard for incorporating living plants and green design onto their vessels. The project was an intricate process that required sophisticated planning to meet a precise timeline prior to the 1,188-foot long, 228,081 tonnage Symphony of the Seas’ maiden voyage. The process began nearly three months in advance with growing more than 10,000 plants in a greenhouse in the Netherlands, before being shipped to France for installation by our multinational project team. Choosing plant species that can survive cooler climates and the warmth of the Caribbean was critical, so the team settled on a mix of broadleaf evergreens, grasses, ferns, and a few hardier tropicals. Each vertical garden measures 40 feet in overall height and 24 feet wide, and is built in three sections.
These green walls are a centerpiece on the ship and delight cruisers as they travel the world – but they’re also surrounded by a park that includes 10,000 shrubs, 1,700 planting modules, 53 tropical trees, 47 raised planter beds, and 60 custom vines. All told, there are 43 species of plants represented on the ship!