I didn’t expect to find myself in handcuffs for ordering a cocktail aboard the new Sun Princess. But then there were a lot of things I didn’t anticipate about an evening of mystery and illusion on my Caribbean cruise.
We’d just had a magical meal in a secret corner of the ship’s Sanctuary dining room, where the menu included Vanishing Jumbo Shrimp, Bamboozled Butternut and Apple soup, and Spellbinding Black Cod. The food did seem to disappear; it was delicious to the last bite.
The meal was just a warmup to “Spellbound”, a new attraction on Sun Princess created in conjunction with the famous Magic Castle, a private club for magicians in Hollywood. The 30 of us in this evening’s group had been a bit mystified from the start because after we’d boarded the ship, we were informed that Spellbound’s dress code recommends evening gowns for women and a blazer with collared shirt and tie for men. I doubt any of the men on board this cruise could have conjured up a tie, because evening wear on board Sun Princess tends to be casual. But everyone did manage to dress to impress.
As we finished dining, a silent gentleman dressed in a black Victorian frock coat and a top hat arrived to lead us through a secret door that opened into a small Victorian-style parlor furnished in dark woods, a fireplace and a piano.
We were given glasses of a delightful blue drink and introduced to “Isabella and her enchanted piano. Name a tune and Spellbound’s invisible pianist will play it.” I called out The Entertainer and the ghost pianist launched into a credible version of Scott Joplin’s classic. Soon after, the fireplace in the room slid aside to reveal a series of speakeasy rooms decorated with magician’s memorabilia and a long bar that was exclusive to us for the evening.
At the bar, a tabletop magician was baffling guests with card wizardry and making coins disappear as if by telekinesis. Magic Castle’s magicians really are practiced in the art of deception.
The bar features specialty cocktails presented with dramatic effect. I chose Escape From Houdini’s Chest, which soon had me under a spell as well as actually bound. in chains The cinnamon- and strawberry-infused vodka drink with St-Germain and lime arrived in a casket. As the lid was opened, smoke came pouring out and the server pulled out a set of large theatrical handcuffs, put them on my wrists with a flourish, and walked away with the key. Horrors!
I won’t reveal how I escaped, but it involved drinking. And then it was time for the main event—a remarkable comedy magic show by a Magic Castle headliner in the ship’s exclusive Spellbound Theater.
Spellbound shows are only offered on Sun Princess. Reservations are required and are priced at $149 per guest. The tabletop magic performances continue after the main show at the bar that’s exclusive to Spellbound guests for the entire evening.
Houdini couldn’t have done it with more flair. I didn’t want to escape.
Story by Wallace Immen, The Cruisington Times
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