Nickelodeon Setting Sail With Summer Cruise

Nickelodeon will dip its toe into the crowded waters of the cruising industry, teaming with Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. to create a week-long, Nickelodeon-themed excursion.

Nickelodeon will set sail with its first ever seven-day cruise venture August 10-17 on the 4,000 passengers Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas boat The cruise will make stops in Cozumel, Mexico; George Town, Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios, Jamaica; as well as a special stop at Royal Caribbean’s private beach destination, Labadee, which will be Nickelodeon-themed, according to the network.

The “Nickelodeon Family Cruise with Royal Caribbean” will feature Nick-themed on-board activities such as live game shows, appearances by Nick live-action stars and animated characters; a surf simulator, water park, an ice skating rink, a nine-hole mini-golf course, 10-route rock-climbing wall, and full-size basketball court.

For adults the boat will feature 10 bars and lounge, eight restaurants, a day spa, state-of-the-art fitness center and adult-only whirlpools.

It’s unclear whether the network and Royal Caribbean will team for future cruises.

The deal is the second recent major non-cable partnership for Nickelodeon, which last June partnered with Marriott Hotels to create several Nickelodeon-themed hotels around the country.

“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, in a statement.

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.