Did you know that the Harmony of the Seas is five times bigger than the Titanic, with its 18 decks covering an area equal to 84 football fields? On board you’ll find 4 swimming pools, 2 climbing walls, an ice rink, a basketball court, a theater with 1,400 seats, and 20 restaurants. The ship can accommodate over 6,300 passengers and nearly 2,400 crew members.

You probably heard about this in the media when the cruise ship docked in Rotterdam at the end of May. But did you also know that 35 Ambius employees from the USA and the Netherlands planted around 10,000 plants and trees on this largest passenger ship in the world?

Arno de Winter (Customer Care Service Technician at Ambius) was one of 13 Dutch colleagues who volunteered for this project. He spent two full weeks at the shipyard in Saint Nazaire, France, contributing to this massive task. Below you’ll find Arno’s photo report; the pictures were taken in early May.

Sharing knowledge

Even before arriving in port, you can see the Harmony of the Seas from a distance. What a gigantic ship! And what an experience to work here! Ambius USA secured this mega project and asked us (Ambius Netherlands) to help create the ‘hardware’ for two greenwalls (living green walls) and to plant two huge spaces. Of course, we gladly shared our knowledge and expertise with our international colleagues!

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Perfect preparation

From the outside, the ship looks almost finished, but once inside, you realize it’s still a big construction site. Hundreds of workers and inspectors are busy making sure everything is ready on time. Ambius has to put in a big effort to meet all deadlines. Luckily, the Americans are used to working project-based; they prepared everything perfectly and planned everything down to the minute.

Dutch plants and trees

All plants and trees come from Fachjan in Honselaarsdijk, Westland. The plants are delivered in ‘modules’; these are containers each with a unique code. Onboard, all modules are assembled like puzzle pieces, so every plant ends up exactly in the right place. Safety is a top priority, which is why we wear safety helmets. A thorough safety training on your first day at the ship is standard procedure.

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Full force

The trees range from 4 to 12 meters tall and are all securely packed. They are lifted one by one into the ship through the top using a cherry picker. The remaining greenery is transported by carts to the two planting areas: Central Park, an open space on the 8th floor, and the partially glass-covered Solarium on the 15th floor. In total, about 10,000 plants and trees are brought on board and placed in the right spots using manpower and a small spider crane.

It’s about the experience

This is Central Park before the 35 Ambius colleagues started their work. In the Netherlands, our market has long moved beyond simply selling a plant pot. We offer our clients a ‘workplace experience.’ Our work on the Harmony of the Seas fits perfectly with this. Although it’s hard to imagine now how it will look once finished and thousands of passengers are enjoying all the greenery.

Unique system

Using a type of window cleaner’s lift, all modules are placed in the two greenwalls that hang opposite each other. These green walls are three stories high! The beautiful plant patterns slowly become visible. We precisely designed and built the walls and the entire irrigation system ourselves. This is the first cruise ship to feature this construction! A computer ensures the plants receive the exact amount of water and nutrients.

Full-time care

All trees and plants are in perfect condition when planted. Four people on board have the sole task of caring for all the greenery. Ambius USA checks on the plants every two months. Some plants will need replacement now and then, as not all can handle the salty sea air.

Very proud!

The deadlines were met, and our work is done. Time for a great photo of the entire Dutch team. We are part of a global organization and it was amazing to work with our American colleagues and learn so much from each other. We should do this more often. We are very proud of everything we achieved together!