One comfort on a cruise is predictability: Every day, as you sail from port to port, you'll eat at the same ship restaurants, walk the same decks, swim in the same pools, and sleep in the same bed (well, probably). .
But when the Discovery Princess sets sail from Los Angeles on October 7, many on board will expect surprise and deception. That's because the seven-day itinerary is billed as Princess's first Magic Castle Conjurer Cruise.
It will feature a team of at least seven magicians who will offer performances, workshops and lectures, complemented by themed films, food and cocktails and artifacts from the collection of the Magic Castle, the Hollywood headquarters of the Academy of Magical Arts. Prices start at $699 per person (for interior cabins which are usually booked first) or $963 and up for fancier accommodations. In addition to embarkation and disembarkation in Los Angeles, port calls include San Francisco, San Diego and Ensenada.
The itinerary is common for Princess, and many passengers in the ship's 1,830 guest cabins will be there for those ports or to enjoy the ship's many regular amenities. But this collaboration with the Magic Castle is a new element.
Co-founders Milt Larsen, William Larsen Jr. and Irene Larsen opened the venue in 1963 as a private clubhouse for members and guests of the Academy of Magical Arts. Over the decades, it became known as an exclusive venue with a demanding dress code and a team of performers who show off their skills as guests wander from room to room and restaurant to bar.
To be admitted, you must be a member, invited by a member, or stay overnight at the adjacent Magic Hotel.
The themed cruise will move that experience from the Magic Castle, a three-story mansion built in 1909, to a 1,083-foot-long, 19-deck ship that debuted in March 2022. Discovery Princess has several show venues, and Princess says The This week will feature a mix of private events specifically for people joining the themed cruise, as well as public events open to all passengers.
Two differences between the mansion and the ship: To join the cruise, no membership or referral is required. And the dress code will be less demanding. The castle administration has long banned denim, sneakers, shorts, skorts, sportswear, hoodies, bare midriffs, exposed underwear and more. For the cruise, those limits will be thrown out the window (although there will be a formal night, as there is on most cruises).
