Nickelodeon and Royal Caribbean Int'l, a cruise line owned and operated by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., have announced a new agreement to create the "Nickelodeon Family Cruise with Royal Caribbean." The first-ever Nickelodeon cruise will set sail on August 10, 2008, departing out of Miami, Fla., on an exclusive, seven-day Nickelodeon family summer vacation.
Taking place on Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas, the largest ship in the cruise industry, with a capacity of more than 4,000 passengers, the package will combine the family-friendly amenities of Freedom of the Seas with a packed schedule of Nickelodeon activities and entertainment. The cruise will visit four Caribbean destinations: Cozumel, Mexico; George Town, Grand Cayman; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; and a special stop at Royal Caribbean's private beach destination, Labadee, which will be Nickelodeon-themed.
"For the past few years, we've been witnessing the coming of age of Nickelodeon families and have been expanding our brand and business to meet their growing entertainment, recreational and vacation needs -- from hotels, to theatrical shows, to theme parks," said Cyma Zarghami, President, Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group. "Combined with the groundbreaking of our first Marriott Hotel and the opening of the biggest indoor theme park in the country at the Mall of America, Nickelodeon will be offering more family experiences this year than ever before."
Activities aboard the ship will include live game shows featuring the trademark Nickelodeon slime; visits with kids' favorite Nick characters like Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants; appearances by the network's live-action stars; and much more. In addition, Freedom of the Seas offers a multitude of activities, including the FlowRider surf simulator, the H2O Zone water park, an ice skating rink, a nine-hole mini-golf course, 10-route rock-climbing wall, and full-size basketball court.
Vacation packages for the "Nickelodeon Family Cruise" go on sale to the public beginning Jan. 28. For more information, visit
www.nickfamilycruise.com .
Nickelodeon has also announced the grand opening of Nickelodeon Universe, the Mall of America's new, re-branded theme park, on Saturday, March 15, 2008. Construction is well underway on several of the new Nickelodeon-themed rides that will be added to the seven-acre indoor theme park, including the SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge and Avatar Airbender roller coasters. Nickelodeon Universe marks the first-ever Nickelodeon theme park in the world.
The two new roller coasters are the first of their kind to be built inside a mall and completely indoors. SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge will offer unique vertical lifts, spirals and 90-degree turns screeching to a halt at the Bikini Bottom Bus Stop. The Avatar Airbender ride will reach heights of up to 70 feet. The new roller coasters consist of 45-tons of reinforcement steel, 8-tons of structural steel and 4,000 cubic yards of concrete.
Construction on the Splat-O-Sphere, a radical thrill ride that launches riders almost 60 feet high and then sends them down again at rocket speed, is also nearing completion.
Nickelodeon Universe will also feature live shows, attractions, retail, games and entertainment themed with top-ranking network properties. Nickelodeon will also establish its largest retail presence in the world at Mall of America, with a brand new Nick store occupying more than 4,000 square feet.
For more information, visit
www.theparkatmoa.com .
