"THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL" HEADS TO SEA FOR THE FIRST TIME ON ROYAL CARIBBEAN'S HERO OF THE SEAS

Inspired by the hit Broadway musical and Nickelodeon animated series, the all-new production will bring the world of Bikini Bottom to life on the new Icon Class family vacation debuting August 2027

MIAMI, Oct. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Royal Caribbean is introducing "The SpongeBob Musical,*" the first-ever at-sea production inspired by the Tony award-winning Broadway show on Hero of the Seas when the fourth Icon Class vacation sets sail from Miami in August 2027. As part of the bold entertainment lineup on the newest family vacation, the adventure-packed show will bring the vibrant world of Bikini Bottom to life in the Royal Theater. "The SpongeBob Musical" joins Royal Caribbean's award-winning entertainment portfolio, which continues to push the boundaries for experiences across stage, air, water and ice for vacationers of all ages.

"At Royal Caribbean, we're focused on creating incredible experiences that bring families of all ages together in meaningful, memorable ways," said Christi Coachman, vice president, entertainment, Royal Caribbean. "Our entertainment lineup on Hero of the Seas is designed with something for everyone. 'The SpongeBob Musical' delivers on that by bringing generations together through a story families know and love, while showcasing the creativity, cutting-edge technology and world-class production that can only be experienced on a Royal Caribbean vacation."

From under the sea to at sea, "The SpongeBob Musical" on Hero will transform the beloved Nickelodeon animated series and 12-time Tony Award-nominated Broadway show into a reimagined production for the whole family that can be experienced only on Royal Caribbean. Filled with unexpected twists, larger-than-life characters, hit songs and above all – friendship, the adventure will show audiences that heroes can come from even the most unlikely places as SpongeBob and his Bikini Bottom friends race against time to save their town from total destruction.

Beyond groundbreaking entertainment for all ages, vacationers can go all in on adventure across eight neighborhoods with experiences including:

• Crown's Edge, part skywalk, part zip line experience suspended 154 feet above the ocean
• Category 6, the largest waterpark at sea
• Nine pools, including the new Coconut Cove pool and the adults-only The Hideaway, featuring two pools and the largest swim-up bar at sea
• 28 dining venues, including the multi-course Orleans Parrish Supper Club; an immersive train car dining experience at Royal Railway – Hero Station; hands-on cooking classes in a new venue to be revealed and more
• Brand-new family accommodations, including the three-deck Ultimate Family Treehouse featuring a rooftop terrace, whirlpool and two-deck teen space

Hero will take vacationers on 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean adventures from Miami, with every adventure visiting Royal Caribbean's top-rated Perfect Day CocoCay in The Bahamas. Adventurers can choose to explore Western Caribbean spots like Cozumel, Mexico, and Roatan, Honduras, or head to tropical Eastern Caribbean destinations such as Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, and Philipsburg, St. Maarten.

For more information on Hero, vacationers can visit Royal Caribbean's website.

About Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean, part of Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL), has delivered memorable vacations for more than 50 years. The cruise line's game-changing ships and signature destinations revolutionize vacations with industry-leading innovations and an all-encompassing combination of experiences, from thrills and ways to chill, to dining and entertainment, for every type of family and vacationer. Voted "Best Cruise Line Overall" for 23 consecutive years in the Travel Weekly Readers Choice Awards, Royal Caribbean makes memories with adventurers across more than 300 destinations in 80 countries on all seven continents, including Perfect Day CocoCay in The Bahamas and Royal Beach Clubs in Paradise Island and Santorini, plus Royal Beach Club Lelepa coming soon. 

Media can stay up to date by following @RoyalCaribPR on X and visit www.RoyalCaribbeanPressCenter.com. For additional information or to book, vacationers can visit www.RoyalCaribbean.com, call (800) ROYAL-CARIBBEAN or contact their travel advisor.

About The SpongeBob Musical
The SpongeBob Musical is based on the beloved animated series created by Stephen Hillenburg and tells the story of the optimistic SpongeBob and his irresistible friends coming together to save their undersea world from volcanic destruction. The musical features a book by Tony Award-nominated, Obie Award-winning writer and musician Kyle Jarrow, with original songs by Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan Coulton, Alexander Ebert of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Flaming Lips, Lady A, Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, Panic! At the Disco, Plain White T's, They Might Be Giants and T.I., and songs by David Bowie, Tom Kenny and Andy Paley. Additional lyrics are by Jonathan Coulton, with additional music by Tom Kitt. The musical production was conceived by renowned writer, director and Drama Desk Award-winning Tina Landau.

About Paramount Products & Experiences 
Paramount Products & Experiences oversees all licensing, merchandising, and location-based experiences for Paramount, a Skydance Corporation (Nasdaq: PSKY), a leading next generation global media and entertainment company. The division brings to life iconic franchises and beloved characters through innovative products and immersive experiences across categories including toys, apparel, publishing, food and beverage, theme parks, hotels, cruises, attractions, and live entertainment. Its global portfolio is powered by content from brands such as Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, CBS, MTV, Comedy Central, and Paramount+, and fan-favorite franchises like PAW Patrol, SpongeBob SquarePants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Star Trek and Yellowstone. To explore our range of consumer products and Paramount-branded merchandise, visit ParamountShop.com.

* Nickelodeon's THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL based on the series by Stephen Hillenburg with a book by Kyle Jarrow, is presented in arrangement with Concord Theatricals. ©2026 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. Nickelodeon, SpongeBob SquarePants and all related titles, logos, and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com.

** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **

"THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL" HEADS TO SEA FOR THE FIRST TIME ON ROYAL CARIBBEAN'S HERO OF THE SEAS

Deeper integration with Xplan as part of latest evolution of FAYBL agentic platform 

Highlights

• AI financial advisory platform FAYBL appoints Xplan co-founder and former Iress Chief Executive Andrew Walsh as President (International) of FAYBL
• FAYBL is rolling out a deeper integration with Iress' Xplan
• Rollout of FAYBL platform update - v2.5 - underway, with additional 6 firms onboarding

SYDNEY, Oct. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- FAYBL, the agentic AI platform for financial advisers, today announced the appointment of experienced financial industry executive Andrew Walsh as the company's President (International).

The appointment comes as FAYBL delivers deeper and richer integration with Iress' Xplan as part of the latest evolution of its platform.

Mr Walsh is the co-founder of Xplan, the advice platform used by financial advisory practices across Australia, the UK, New Zealand and other markets, and led Iress as Chief Executive for 13 years.

As President (International) of FAYBL, Mr Walsh will lead its work with licensees, platforms and advice firms as the company moves to firm-wide rollouts in Australia and internationally.

Speaking about his appointment, Mr Walsh said: "I've spent much of my career building the systems advisers rely on every day. What's changed now is that software can do more than store the work - it can help do it. FAYBL offers the capability to drive the adviser's existing systems, safely and with the adviser in control, thereby unlocking the scaling potential of practices."

Rollout of FAYBL V2.5 underway

Mr Walsh's appointment comes as FAYBL commences the rollout of its latest platform update, FAYBL v2.5.

As part of the update, FAYBL's AI agent (Faybl) now has the capability to work across client records, documents and file notes, tasks and workflow, the diary, portfolio, and modelling information.

Purpose-built for the highly regulated, high-trust environment of advice, Faybl integrates directly into existing software systems while maintaining strict guardrails that keep advisers and licensees in control. Moving beyond merely describing workflows to actively executing them, Faybl prepares models strategies, drafts documents, raises tasks, and records completed actions, with every action submitted for approval before any data is written back to other systems.

Chris Holmes of Wealth Laboratory said: "Faybl has brought the joy back to financial planning. The days of being weighed down by endless administration are gone, allowing me to focus on what I enjoy most - meeting with clients and developing meaningful strategies to help them achieve their goals. If the growing administrative and compliance burden is taking you away from your clients, I cannot recommend Faybl highly enough."

While basic AI is now common in financial advice, it is used mostly for meeting notes and simple tasks, and leaves the adviser's day largely unchanged.

By contrast, FAYBL V2.5 is an agent that effectively works with the adviser throughout the day. It will prepare client files before reviews, draft advice documents from the firm's own templates, pre-fill fact-finds and flag what it couldn't verify, and run the firm's processes the same way for every adviser.

"I'm excited to have Andrew join our leadership team," said Steven Goh, co-founder and CEO of FAYBL. "An AI agentic experience can transform the professional experience and economics of advice for the better. Andrew joining and V2.5 are big steps towards that."

FAYBL V2.5 is available now to Profile Financial Services, Financial Advice Matters, Transition Wealth, Knight Group, Obra Wealth, Wealth Laboratory and many others. Further firm launches will be announced in November. Advisers at Count.ed 2026 can see Faybl working with Xplan at the FAYBL stand.

About FAYBL

FAYBL (YBL.ai Inc.) builds Faybl, an agentic AI platform for financial advisers and their teams. Fay works inside the systems advisers already use, including Iress' Xplan, to carry out client and practice work under the adviser's direction and approval. FAYBL is led by co-founder and CEO Steven Goh, President (International) Andrew Walsh and President (Americas) Doug Bewsher. It serves advice practices in Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom. www.faybl.com

** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **

AI wealth advisory platform FAYBL bolsters leadership team, appoints Xplan co-founder Andrew Walsh as President