Celebrity Solstice - Lawn Club

These pictures were taken onboard Celebrity Solstice. Do these pictures look strange to you? That is real grass - not artificial grass.

Celebrity Cruises and parent company Royal Caribbean International have always been known for innovation, but you might be thinking someone lost their marbles when they thought this one up. Celebrity Solstice is the first cruise ship, among any line, to have grass growing on the top deck.

When we were onboard Celebrity Solstice, it had just made its way across the Atlantic and was about to start sailing out of Fort Lauderdale, FL. One of the first things we did when we boarded the ship was to check out the lawn and the Lawn Club.

A section of the grass was roped off and the sign said "Lawn is Resting". The reason for that was that growing grass while crossing the Atlantic with blowing salt water and windy conditions proved to be a lot harder than one might imagine. The grass was showing wear already and the ship hadn't even had its maiden voyage. Steps were being taken to nurse the grass to health.

We played a game of croquet with fellow passengers. It had been a long time since we had played and the activity staff did a great job teaching us the rules and keeping score. Despite the ringer amongst us, we all had a great time.

Later this year the second Solstice Class ship, Equinox, will begin sailing. She too will have a Lawn Club. I don't ever want to hear people say there's nothing to do onboard a ship. With the introduction of lawn games, there should be something for everyone.

Green Green Grass of Home

As you lie in bed you hear the rain outside hitting your window. You decide you'll stay in bed awhile until the rain stops. The rain does stop, so you take your shower, get dressed and head outside.

You love the feeling of wet grass between your toes, so you kick off your shoes and run through the grass. All of a sudden you hear a ship's blast and that stops you in your tracks. Where am I? You look around and see water. You look down and you are indeed standing on wet grass.

No, you aren't dreaming - you are onboard the brand new Celebrity Solstice. This is the latest edition by Celebrity Cruises. Probably the most talked about new innovation on this ship is The Lawn Club. There's nothing like this on any other cruise line. You'll find The Lawn Club, a freshly mannicured lawn, on the highest deck of Celebrity Solstice. You can enjoy casual activities such as lawn bowling and putting in an outdoor countryclub setting.

In the next few posts I'll be giving you an inside look at the Celebrity Solstice which is scheduled to debut December, 2008. On November 21st, I'll be onboard the Solstice for a special pre-inaugural sailing. You could be among the first to set sail on Celebrity Solstice and join me onboard for this special sailing.