Ask the coolest person you know from Los Angeles if they’ve ever been to the Magic Castle, and you’ll get one of two responses: a longing “no” or a “yes” followed by them excitedly detailing the most magical night of their lives. Yes, even though L.A. can come off as jaded, there’s one thing we can’t resist—a mysterious Victorian mansion on a hill, with a strict dress code and a highly exclusive door policy. You see, you can’t buy a ticket to the Magic Castle. The club, opened in 1963, is the headquarters of the Academy of Magical Arts, and to get in for a meal and a show, you either need to be a magician, or to know one. (There are a few workarounds, including booking a stay at the adjoining Magic Castle Hotel or even signing up for a competitive blood drive to good-deed your way in.)
But those not in L.A. are in luck. For its next trick, the Magic Castle has teamed up with Princess Cruises to offer a coveted peek behind the curtain and cast its spell over the ocean. After Magic Castle Enterprises launched its first-ever partnership with the cruise line’s Sun Princess ship, the two have reimagined a new, themed immersive space that brings the experience of visiting the Magic Castle to those sailing on new sister ship Star Princess. I got to preview what’s in store from the experience—and take a private tour of the castle with the president of Magic Castle Enterprises and granddaughter of the original founder, Erika Larsen (which ended up being one of the coolest things I’ve ever gotten to do in L.A.).
I’ll admit that I’ve never taken a cruise myself, so I was impressed to learn the level of detail and caliber of entertainment that was planned for these voyages. The 1,133-foot-long Star Princess boasts 21 decks and will be able to accommodate 4,300 guests. In addition to 30 distinct dining and drinking concepts, a champagne fountain, a spa, pickleball courts, Vegas-level casinos and even TikTok dance classes, the new ship offers live entertainment, including a circus-themed “spectacle of joy.” In addition to these are a Magic Castle stage show and speakeasy that promise to bring the best of magic to all who board.
Princess’s head of global entertainment, Rebecca Thomson Foley, walked us through renderings of the new “Spellbound by Magic Castle” that’ll debut on the boat this fall. The experience will start at a ghostly ticket booth, where you’ll have to utter the magic word (hint: open sesame) to gain entry into the 1920s-esque Inner Circle, where you can watch close-up magic and summon the club’s ghost “Irma,” who famously sits at the Magic Castle piano and will play any song request you shout out on the spot. On the ship, the piano will be paired with a singing gramophone.
(Note that all of the photos below are from my tour of the Magic Castle in L.A., not from the upcoming at-sea experience.)
Next up is the Cardini Bar, which is fitting because its namesake is the star of the show here. The most famous magician you probably have never heard of, Richard Valentine Pitchford—better known as Cardini, “the suave deceiver”—was the first headliner at Radio City Music Hall, performed on the Queen Mary ocean liner and received the Magic Castle’s first-ever performance fellowship. Cardini’s great-nephew, Randy Pitchford, is now the owner of the Magic Castle. But back to the bar, where you’ll be able to sip cocktails, including the eponymous Cardini, a butter-washed rum old-fashioned.
The “Backstage” area will give you a peek behind the curtain, with memorabilia and nods to Magic Castle lore and past performers—including a model of the Queen Mary in a bottle—plus a Zoltar fortune-telling machine. Finally, the Peacock Theater (not to be confused with Los Angeles’ media-branded Peacock Theater) will feature multiple nightly performances by some of the top magicians in the world, hand-picked and approved by the Magic Castle itself. Tickets cost $45 and include both the magic show and two cocktails.
The ship will first set sail on October 4, 2025, and will be coming to North America on November 7, in Fort Lauderdale. During its inaugural season, the Star Princess will sail to the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Panama Canal and Alaska. You can also set sail from Seattle beginning next year, and the Star Princess will make its way to the Magic Castle’s home city of Los Angeles in 2027, kicking off a four-day coastal cruise to Vancouver. To see a detailed list of dates and locations or to book a spot on the ship, visit the Princess website.
After learning about the on-sea offerings, Larsen took us on an insider’s tour of the Magic Castle that was full of behind-the-curtain stories and tidbits that blew my mind. I had visited the castle only once before and didn’t get to soak it all in at the time. In addition to the Palace of Mystery, there are multiple smaller, more intimate theaters where you can catch shows—and at the Hat & Hare Lounge, you can catch close-up magic right at the bar, or grab a seat at a round table that’s the equivalent of an open-mic night for budding magicians. On your way upstairs, don’t miss a ghostly homage to the effect behind the ballroom illusion in Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion.
Larsen also took us by the Owl Bar, with a taxidermied owl that answers yes or no questions with a nod or shake of the head. We learned that the cityscape background of the bar was actually “beautiful downtown Burbank,” which sat behind Johnny Carson for the original Tonight Show.
One more fun(?) fact: In the Houdini séance room, which hosts theatrical dining experiences led by a medium that re-creates a traditional séance, Larsen shared that in 2011, the Magic Castle was celebrating Halloween with an “inferno” theme. That very morning, a fire broke out in the castle. A lot of damage was done, but the room dedicated to Houdini—who died on Halloween day back in 1926—was unscathed. The room dedicated to his rival, Dante the Magician, on the other hand, was completely destroyed by the inferno. Spooky.