vip sea rocket experience
Promote awareness of new location and offerings
Challenge
Sea Rocket Adventures, an iconic attraction in Ocean City, Maryland, not only needed to spread the word about their new location on S. Philadelphia Avenue but also generate consumer awareness about their newest adventures – parasailing and fishing charters.
Strategy
Invited local media and tourism groups, consumer influencers and their families to celebrate the Sea Rocket’s new location with a complimentary ride on the Sea Rocket, parasailing trip and pontoon fishing charter.
Results
Online news: 28,000 readers
Social media: 37,000+ impressions
Social Media Broken Out:
Facebook: 23,600+ impressions
Twitter: 9,200+ impressions
Instagram: 4300+ impressions
“We love summers in Ocean City. The town is full of excitement and nothing beats a lazy day on the beach. Recently we got a chance to see Ocean City from a new perspective, on the water with the Sea Rocket! Our first adventure of the day was a 2 hour fishing charter. We certainly aren’t fishing pros, but the Sea Rocket staff had us baiting our lines in no time. Before long we had our first bite, a flounder! You are also likely to catch rockfish and bass during your trip. Nearby a small boy caught his first fish and posed for a picture. Some guests seemed to just be enjoying the bay views on the boat. When the Sea Rocket Pontoon isn’t on fishing charters it can be rented for sunset cruises or private parties, holding a maximum of 22 people.
Next on our list was parasailing. One member of our Shorebread team was very excited, the other a bit apprehensive about the height. Riding on the small boat into the ocean and seeing other groups on the boat go up only increased the anticipation. Guests can choose to go up 400, 600 or 800 feet. Always ones to push our own boundaries, we chose 800 feet. We were outfitted with life vests and harnesses and sat on the open back of the boat, waiting for the parachute to fill and lift us into the sky. Soon we’re gently lifted, hovering above the back of the boat. The boat pulls away and our parachute lifts us higher in the sky. From the air we spot a pod of dolphin and rays. The view was so spectacular, and the flight so calm, that we’re not even nervous about the height when we’re in the air. Before we took off, we let the operators know we had a camera and they were able to reel us back in without getting our gear wet. Of course, a quick dip in the ocean is always an option, too! We highly suggest this adventure for people aged 4 and up. They’ve even taken up someone that was 104 years old!
Finally, we get to experience what we’ve been waiting for, a ride aboard the Sea Rocket! We’d seen the boat with it’s famous rooster tail hundreds of times from the beach, but this was our first experience on board. The Sea Rocket reaches a maximum of 25 miles per hour and seats up to 128 passengers. As you leave the Sea Rocket dock next to Sunset Park and head through the Inlet, take a look to your right, away from Ocean City and try to spot an Assateague Pony. We sped past the pier, enjoying the music on the boat and spotting recognizable landmarks. Soon we spotted a pod of dolphins, and the boat slowed so we could watch and take pictures. Seeing the dolphins play in the wake of the boat was a highlight of the trip. The Sea Rocket boasts an 88% success rate of seeing dolphin on the trip. Don’t forget to bring your camera on this trip! We were surprised that we stayed dry during the trip, but it’s always a good idea to bring plastic bags for electronics, just in case.
Our day with the Sea Rocket was full of smiles and excitement, and we left ready to book another trip with our families. You can book a trip online or by calling 410-289-4FUN. Their location is just off the boardwalk, perfect for a quick snack between trips.”
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Ocean City Today
Sea Rocket Ocean Thrill Ride Provides Unique Beach View
By Greg Ellison
Jul 20, 2017
The new owners of Sea Rocket, an oversized speedboat used for guided tours along the ocean coastline, are bringing renewed energy to the long established Ocean City business. Todd Burbage and Brad Donahue, who took over the reins at the ocean-thrill ride company earlier this year, have expanded the offerings to include pontoon-fishing charters. “We purchased the operation just after the first of the year,” Burbage said. “We spent extensive dollars fixing up the boats.”
While Burbage is new to the venture, he explained that Donahue is an old salt. “My business partner Brad ran the Sea Rocket for 15 years for the previous owner, who was his father in law,” he said. “It was just a great, easy, smooth transition.” The duo, who have been running guided tours, as well as parasailing and fishing charters since May, decided to rewrap the boats but kept close to the previous theme. “We went after the patriotic look,” he said. “The Sea Rocket has always been sort of red, white and blue.”
Burbage said through revamped marketing efforts the business has developed partnerships with numerous hotels and restaurants on the island. “This has been more, we call it gorilla marketing, where we’re out in the streets,” he said. “We hired interns that go out three times a week and see all the hotels.” The business partners found many resort proprietors were already quite familiar with their operation.
“Sea Rocket has been around since 1988 in Ocean City and it’s sort of an institution here,” he said. “The only thing new is we have the Sea Rocket bay fishing.” The Sea Rocket guided tours, which can last up to an hour, start from the inlet and cruise the coastline as far as the Carousel Hotel on 117th Street before returning to dock, Burbage said.
“Our boat has the big rooster tail that shoots water out the back, which kids love,” he said. “It makes it appear that we’re going faster than normal.” The precise time for each journey is tough to calculate depending on what encounters occur, Burbage said. “We see tons of dolphin out there,” he said. “We’re able to stop and show the kids who might not have seen dolphin in the wild before.”
Burbage and Donahue are both committed to giving back to the community when opportunity arises. “In two weeks we’re hosting Big Brother and Big Sisters for free,” he said. “Just to get kids and non profits, maybe the demographic that hasn’t been on the water, to get them out there and enjoy it.” The Sea Rocket guided tours cost $22 for adults, $13 for seniors, and $10 for children ages 3-12. Children younger than three ride for free. The speedboat makes eight trips per day beginning at 9:30 a.m. The schedule is reduced from September 3-24 to two daily trips at 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. “The crew does a great job entertaining people,” Burbage said. “It’s just a fun, sort of inexpensive opportunity for people to get out on the water [and] see Ocean City from a different angle.”
For more information visit searocket.com or call 410-289-4FUN.
Oceancity.com
Worcester County Tourism
Ocean City Chamber of Commerce
Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association
DudeMom
Posted to Facebook (8k+ likes) and Instagram (13.5k followers)
Know before You Go: Parasailing and Sea Rocket Adventure in Ocean City
JULY 25, 2017 BY: DUDEMOM
We went to the beach!
It’s funny because we live within reasonable driving distance to Ocean City, one of the most popular beach destinations on the East Coast. Three hours and we can be ocean front and soaking up the sunshine. And yet, we’ve not been in ages. Just scheduling really. It gets in the way of all kinds of things. So we pushed it to the side, for a few days, packed our borrowed Subaru Impreza with our towels and buckets and snacks and drinks, piled Mimi into the back seat with The Dudes, and headed East.
To the beach!
We were invited to a media event to enjoy a full day of adventure with the Sea Rocket, an Ocean City staple since 1983. We got to speed through the ocean aboard the Sea Rocket in search of dolphins (we saw SO many because they love to jump in the roster tail spray that shoots from the back of the boat). We got to take to the sky for a parasailing adventure (it was epic I tell you, EPIC). And, we got to round out our day with a relaxing cod fishing trip aboard their 40-ft pontoon boat (and by relaxing, I mean I fell asleep, but I still caught more fish than The Dudes!).
We enjoyed every moment of it and are so grateful we got to spend a day together like this!
5 Things to Know about Taking a Parasailing and Sea Rocket Adventure in Ocean City
THEY HAVE A BRAND NEW LOCATION.
Now located just steps from the inlet, the Sea Rocket has a roomier, prime location where you can enjoy a boardwalk and even spend a little time watching the crabs play (or fight viciously, depending) on the sand. They have plenty of parking and air conditioned bathrooms! Yes, winning.THEY HAVE EXPANDED THEIR FLEET.
Which means, with 8 different trips a day during peak season, you probably won’t have any trouble booking your adventure when you visit.
THE SEA ROCKET COMPANY IS MORE THAN JUST AN OVERSIZED SPEED BOAT.
They have two parasailing boats and brand new 40-foot pontoon boat for charter fishing adventures too. We got to enjoy all three adventures when we went. The boats were roomy and they keep the party sizes perfect for a comfortable adventure for everyone on board.
PARASAILING IS AMAZING.
And so worth it. I am a MAJOR scaredy cat, anyone who knows me will tell you, but I let them put me 800ft into the air and I don’t regret it for a single minute! When you get up there in the sky it is super calming and quiet. The swing just sways calmly back and forth and you can’t even hear the boat engine down below you. It doesn’t seem like you’re moving fast even. It’s an awesome adventure to share with someone (I went up with Mimi and Dude 3).
IT’S ALL SURPRISINGLY AFFORDABLE.
We can rarely add on much to our vacations because, as a family of five, it’s hard to budget for additional excursions on top of the basics. The various Sea Rocket adventures, however aren’t too bad. In fact, your under 10 year old can go for a thrill ride on the Sea Rocket and get up close to the dolphins for just 10 bucks! We can’t even get into the local jump center for that price over here.
Learn more about booking a Sea Rocket adventure in Ocean City, Maryland on their site: Ocean City Sea Rocket
View this post on InstagramParasailing adventure goal achieved! Thanks to @thesearocket! #hosted
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Mommy2K:
Posted to Twitter (5k+ followers) and Instagram (2k+ followers)
Mommy2K on Twitter
It was so amazing seeing all the #dolphins in the @ocmd water today while on #SeaRocket. They weren't shy at all. #addwater4fun pic.twitter.com/tXjsXt3xCE
— keonté smith (@IamKeonte) July 19, 2017
Thanks to Shane & Chase for way up #SeaRocketAdventures during #parasailing. #addwater4fun #hosted @ocmd pic.twitter.com/n94NPgbrid
— keonté smith (@IamKeonte) July 18, 2017
Great catch, Isaiah! 🐟 #SeaRocketAdventures #addwater4fun #fishing #hosted @ocmd pic.twitter.com/JWxGrX0hFD
— keonté smith (@IamKeonte) July 18, 2017
Thanks to Ethan & Brian for 2 hours of #fishing fun on the #SeaRocket fishing boat. 🐟 #addwater4fun @ocmd #hosted pic.twitter.com/CRyr0gpM5S
— keonté smith (@IamKeonte) July 18, 2017
Thanks to Tony & Brad for an awesome time on the #SeaRocket. #addwater4fun @ocmd #HOSTED pic.twitter.com/p6nBIKd21Z
— keonté smith (@IamKeonte) July 18, 2017
It's a fun-filled day with the #SeaRocketAdventures family in @ocmd. Liam is reporting for duty. 💦#AddWater4Fun #OCMD #HOSTED pic.twitter.com/OrbBC9zKVq
— keonté smith (@IamKeonte) July 18, 2017
Mommy2K on Instagram
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Keonté "Kea" Smith (@keonte) on
Headed to Ocean City, Maryland? We just got back and added a new must-do to our list of beach fun. Sea Rocket offers a thrilling speed boat guided tour, parasailing trips as well as a fishing charter. If you’ve been to OC this summer (just under a 3 hour drive if timed right) you have definitely spotted the red, white and blue boat speeding past the beach, which is the Sea Rocket! We took our 6 and 2.5 year old on a two-hour fishing trip and had a successful, FUN, memorable time on the water. My son went fishing last summer and had high expectations for this trip as he caught a few flounder last time and was hoping he’d have the same luck this time. He wasn’t disappointed as he actually lost track of how many he caught.The captain and mate were very patient with our kids and even encouraged our littlest to help “steer” the boat. About an hour and half into fishing, we spotted dolphins and the captain was determined to make our children remember this trip. He knew exactly how to make the dolphins follow us in our wake and we were able to get up close and personal with a huge pod of dolphins for about 20 minutes. After that he took us along Assateague Island National Seashore to see if we could spot any wild horses and sure enough our luck didn’t stop with the dolphins. Once we marveled at the wild pony just hanging out on the beach we headed back to dock. When we arrived the captain and mate were eager to capture a family photo of the flounder we caught and even printed out a picture for us. Since we had dinner plans, we let them keep the flounder for their dinner! This fishing trip was such a wonderful experience, we will absolutely be heading back next summer.
Want to ride along the coastline of Ocean City on the enormous Sea Rocket? Enjoy fun music, observe the scenic coastline, and watch for wildlife on the Sea Rocket. They have frequent encounters with Dolphin as they love to play in the rooster tail. They make 8 trips a day during the summer season so there is definitely a time to fit it in!
Prices:
Children Under 3: Free
Children 3 – 12: $10
Adult Fare: $22
Senior Fare:$13
Military & First Responders receive $2 off anytime!
Feeling a bit more adventurous? Fly high above Ocean City enjoying a breath-taking birds-eye view of the shore’s beautiful coastline on a parasail. Relax and enjoy your adventure on a state of the art parasail boat and feel at ease with the experienced, safety-minded crews & USCG master licensed Captains. Fly solo or bring a friend (or two) to enjoy approximately 12-15 minutes in the air!! You can choose to go 400ft, 600ft or 800ft. Keep in mind:
- No experience necessary. Must be 4 to go up. (under 18 requires parent or guardian approval)
- Weight 100 lbs. minimum, 450 maximum
- Casual dress recommended shorts, t-shirts, bathing suits
- Bring a towel, sunscreen, water bottle
Prices:
Parasailers – $85
Observers – $20
Time to Fish! Enjoy a memorable trip navigating the bay with the best in the business. Flounder, Rockfish or Bass, the possibilities are endless. Rod and bait provided. They make 3 trips a day in the summer.
- Bring sunscreen, towel and something to drink.
- Bathrooms on board.
- Please arrive 20 minutes prior to departure.
Prices:
Adults- $25
Kids- $15
For more information:
Phone: 410-289-4FUN
Address: 700 S Philadelphia Ave, Ocean City, MD 21842
They also book sunset cruises, birthday parties and private parties!
Beltway Bambinos on Facebook
Headed to the beach before summer ends? Be sure to check out Sea Rocket - Ocean City, MD for a thrilling boat ride, parasailing, fishing charter or sunset cruise. We had a blast!
Posted by Beltway Bambinos on Thursday, July 27, 2017
Beltway Bambinos on Instagram
View this post on InstagramBeach bound? Check out our experience with @thesearocket on the blog! 🐟
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Beltway Bambinos on Twitter
Headed to the beach before summer ends? Be sure to check out Sea Rocket - Ocean City, MD for a thrilling boat... https://t.co/xGkYifliU7
— BeltwayBambinos (@BeltwayBambinos) July 28, 2017
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