A smoking drink, a ghost and a dancing cockatoo: My strange night out at Princess Cruises' new magic-infused nightspot
Editor's Note
"We'll call you Pepe."
Spanish magician Woody Aragon is teasing me as he works a hidden room at the back of Spellbound by Magic Castle, the new magic-infused nightspot on Sun Princess.
He's called on me to help with a card trick, and he is feigning the inability to say my non-Spanish name.
"Ge-eene? Like gin," he jokes in a thick Spanish accent.
Pepe is better, he suggests.
He has me pick a card, any card, and show it to the other patrons in the small Victorian-themed space.
Somehow, of course, he knows it without looking: A four of spades.
We are appropriately amazed and continue to be wowed by a steady stream of card-shuffling hijinks over the next 30 minutes.
With just two dozen of us in the room, it is an incredibly intimate experience, as is everything about our night at Spellbound, a first-of-its-kind private entertainment venue on Sun Princess, the newest ship from Princess Cruises.
Open to just 90 people per night, the hidden-behind-a-secret-door complex of rooms is a floating version of Magic Castle, the iconic, private club for magicians and their guests in Los Angeles. And while smaller than that mansionlike destination, Spellbound offers a similarly quirky charm, complete with ornate Victorian decor, magical artifacts and vintage curiosities.
Just to get into the venue, you have to pass through that secret door into a small antechamber with a faux fireplace, where one of your group is instructed to say the magic words ("open sesame"). The fireplace magically slides open, and you walk into the first of a series of magic-infused, parlorlike rooms.
In the first of the rooms is Isabella, the ship's resident ghost. Not that you get much of a glimpse of her. She's "invisible Isabella," and you only see her when she's in the moving portrait on the wall. It's like a scene from "Harry Potter" as she moves through the portrait before walking out the side.
Moments later, the piano begins to play with seemingly nobody sitting at it. Isabella is now out to entertain.
So is Isabella's cockatoo, "the Professor," in a cage above the piano, swaying as she plays.
Throughout the next couple of rooms, special effects-laden magical experiences abound, from a table that slowly rotates as you sit at it, such that your drink moves away from you when you least expect it, to an antique telephone that talks back to you when you pick it up.
Spellbound is, to put it simply, an experience — one that you settle into for the night.
At $149 per person, the experience includes a dinner in an exclusive corner of the ship's main dining room before you head to the venue. Once at Spellbound, you can stay as long as you like. The venue is your private club for the night.
Like at Magic Castle in Los Angeles, you'll see a magic show while at Spellbound. It takes place in the back room, which has seats for just 30 people. You'll be called into it in small groups at various points during the evening.
A bar serves up a dozen theatrical and magic-themed cocktails, with unlimited drinks included.
Related: New Princess ship is now serving breakfast for dinner — in a fancy dining room
Cozying up to the bar soon after arriving, I first ordered the Escape from Houdini's Chest, an over-the-top Harry Houdini-themed drink made with cinnamon- and strawberry-infused vodka, elderflower liqueur and lime.
It came in a treasure chestlike box that spilled out smoke and colored light as the bartender opened it in front of me. I pulled my drink out from between vintage handcuffs of the sort Houdini once escaped.
For round two, I ordered The Magician, made with tequila, mezcal, pamplemousse liqueur, lime, agave, grapefruit and serrano peppers. It was served with a shot of blue liquid that "magically" turned purple once it was poured into the drink.
As I was sipping the first of these drinks, another magician appeared to do card tricks from the bar.
Three stools down, one of my companions noticed that his seat was sliding downwards during the performance.
Was this part of the show? Maybe. You never know what's going to happen in Spellbound.
A few steps away, along the wall, was a "magical porthole" overlooking the ship's promenade deck where we're told other magicians (of the digital kind) will make appearances and do tricks.
Alas, it was one of a few Spellbound elements that weren't ready during my visit. Along with several other travel writers, I was seeing Spellbound during a test run this week as its designers gave the venue and experience its finishing touches. It's scheduled to open to passengers April 8.
Still, from what I saw, Spellbound is going to be a hit. Or, to put it another way, it's something magical.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.