Royal Caribbean International's version of Central Park -- a huge outdoor space the size of a football field, with tropical gardens, pathways, shops and restaurants -- will be a pivotal feature of Project Genesis, the company's hush-hush plan to build the world's two largest cruise ships.
Miami-based Royal Caribbean unveiled the design details Tuesday at a news conference in New York and launched a website at www.royalcaribbean-genesis.com for cruise enthusiasts to track progress on the first ship, which is slated for completion late next year.
Last year, Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale beat the Port of Miami in a contest to become the home port for the Project Genesis vessels.
The first ship's Central Park, located on Deck 8, will be 62-feet wide by 328-feet long. Five decks with 334 staterooms, including 254 with balconies, will overlook the open-air park, which will include an array of restaurants, a wine bar and upscale retail boutiques.
The cruise line, which has led the industry with over-the-top features such as ice-skating rinks and rock-climbing walls, said Central Park will be but one of seven ''neighborhoods'' on the massive vessel.
Among the more far-out features: A bar called Rising Tide will slowly move up and down through three levels of public space, reaching Central Park at its highest point.