It wasn’t until my last night onboard Sun Princess that I was introduced to what has to be the best part of the ship.
And, it’s somewhat fitting that that’s the case given the mystery surrounding Spellbound, a magic and illusions show which debuted on the Sun Princess in 2024.
From the outside it’s a black door lacking in any fanfare. But, inside it’s the most unique experience I think I’ve had onboard any ship.
The journey into Spellbound begins with an introduction taking place in a small, wooden-themed room where the ghostly backstory and concept of the experience is explained.
Then you enter a bar that fits perfectly with the magical theme and timeframe.
Interact with the piano-playing spirit. It can answer your questions and can take requests.
But, the real highlight takes place at the bar.
The bar staff – or in this case magicians take ordering a cocktail or two to a new level.
Expect disappearing objects, mind-reading, and other tricks that take place right in front of you. We are talking centimetres away from your inquisitive eyes. No matter how determined you are to work out how on earth a lemon gets into a cup that’s been sitting unmoved in front of you the entire time, it all remains a mystery.
I was expecting some mediocre tricks that would be explained with a quick check of Google or YouTube, but no. These tricks were topnotch and to this day, unexplained.
It’s a standard that has been set for decades by the Spellbound creators at Magic Castle in Hollywood.
The Magic Castle is home to the Academy of Magical Arts.
It’s located in a Victorian-era mansion in the Hollywood Hills.
It’s pretty well known, but is a private clubhouse, accessible by only members and their guests. Its list of previous members includes names such as Harry Houdini.
Many of the shows taking place within Spellbound involve audience interaction.
I discovered this first hand you could say, as I was asked to help the performer escape from handcuffs.
His performance mixed humour and magic and was very entertaining. It’s a pretty brief show, as much of the mesmerising action takes place out in the bar area.
Make sure the Spellbound experience is on your next cruise itinerary, and I would recommend going on your first or second night, in case much like me you leave wishing you could go back again.
