Latest Gee-Whiz Ship Feature: Real Grass on Deck

That's right, real growing grass. Have you ever heard of anything so wacky?

Celebrity Cruises says its next ship will feature a country club-like lawn area to be called The Lawn Club where passengers can play bocce ball and croquet; practice their putting; or even picnic with wine and cheese.

"We think it will be just the coolest space on the ship," Celebrity president and CEO Dan Hanrahan tells us. "This is definitely separating us from the pack."

The lawn area is planned as a focal point for the new Celebrity Solstice, launching in December. Hanrahan says it will take up deck space that other lines use for miniature golf courses and other non-pool activities. It will cover about half an acre of the ship's top deck -- a sizable area that is the equivalent of about eight tennis courts.

The Lawn Club will share deck space with another innovative feature that Celebrity announced several weeks ago: The first glass-blowing studio at sea. The deck-top Hot Glass Show, as it's being called, is co-sponsored by the Corning Museum of Glass.

Hanrahan says the new features are all part of differentiating the line as being a step above mass-market competitors. "We wanted to do something more sophisticated."