Our First Sea Day on Star Princess · Sanctuary Club & Spellbound
Day two of our Alaska cruise was our first full sea day aboard the Star Princess, and we spent it doing very little on purpose. We parked ourselves in the Sanctuary Club for most of the afternoon, dressed up for formal night, and then stepped into Spellbound by Magic Castle, the speakeasy we had been looking forward to since before we boarded.
Here is how the day went, what the Sanctuary Club does well, the one thing it is missing on an Alaska itinerary, and every cocktail we tried at Spellbound.
A Lazy Morning on a Fast Sea Day
The day started with a music trivia game, and then we went to breakfast in the Sanctuary restaurant. After lunch at Alfredo’s and a little window shopping, we headed up to the Sanctuary Club, and that was more or less it for the afternoon.
The shops are worth a quick browse. There is a lot of inaugural season merchandise, which is kind of cool, and we may pick up a few pieces before the end of the week.
One thing we noticed: we were hauling up toward Ketchikan. On our previous Alaska cruises, the first sea day felt slower and closer to land, though we could be misremembering. This time there was nothing to see on either side, just open water and a ship moving quickly. That is a sea day in the truest sense.
The Sanctuary Club on a Sea Day
It was really nice out, not a cloud in the sky, but very breezy out on open water and genuinely chilly. The Sanctuary Club provides faux fur throws, and Tony went for a double layer with a blanket underneath. Christina sat crocheting in one of the rocking chairs, which she loves. They are seriously comfortable.
The bar service is outstanding. The waiters just materialize behind you when your drink gets low and bring you a new one. Our bartender, Arnold, was full of recommendations, and he also works at Spellbound, so we knew we would see him again that evening.
There is a snack bar with finger foods, vegetables, dips, and little finger sandwiches you can grab and take back to your chair. Beyond that, there is a menu exclusive to the Sanctuary Club, separate from Ocean Now, with things like a cheeseburger, sandwiches, and chicken and waffles, and they bring it right to your seat. We had already eaten at Alfredo’s, so we did not order anything, but we watched people getting food delivered all around the pool area and the burger looked pretty good.
The One Big Gap: No Indoor Space
Here is the one thing that surprised us. This ship has plenty of elements, like the Dome, suggesting it was designed with Alaska itineraries in mind. Yet there is zero interior space in the Sanctuary Club. There is the Sanctuary restaurant, but that is not open all day, and there are no indoor Sanctuary Club seats.
There is a small amount of cover, but it is more like a sail, and we would not want to sit under it in the rain. On the clear day we had, the Sanctuary Club was awesome. On a properly cold or rainy day in Alaska, we are not sure it would be the place to be.
Is the Sanctuary Club Worth It?
If we had to decide right then, a day and a half in, Christina said the Sanctuary Collection was definitely worth it. Boarding was super simple and we bypassed a giant line. The Sanctuary Club area is gorgeous, with lounge chairs, rocking chairs, umbrellas, and a huge amount of seating. The service has gone above and beyond.
Breakfast in the Sanctuary Restaurant
The Sanctuary dining room is beautiful, the location is lovely, and the service was great. Our coffee was constantly topped up, and the creamer and sugar were already on the table.
The food was okay but nothing spectacular. In our opinion you could get the same thing in the regular dining room or the buffet, and the scrambled eggs were, if anything, worse than standard buffet eggs. There is a bar in the dining room, so we would expect bar service at lunch or dinner to be prompt. If you are in a hurry, there is a small grab and go buffet with carved meats, breads, salami, cheeses, pastries, and fruit, so you do not have to wait for a full breakfast to be cooked and brought out. We planned to give it another try later in the week.
The Champagne Fountain in the Piazza
On the way to Spellbound we caught the champagne fountain in the Piazza. Either it was blue champagne or it was special glacial champagne, and we are choosing to believe the second one.
This version felt a little cheaty to us. Rather than the glasses being stacked directly on top of each other, as they were on the Discovery Princess, they sat on a special stand. We suspect that is an Alaska thing. The ship was rocking quite a bit, and earlier we had watched a game of giant Jenga where the tower seemed to fall more from the ship’s motion than from anyone’s turn.
Welcome to Spellbound by Magic Castle
It was formal night, so we dressed up. Christina wore a new dress from BloomChic, and yes, it has pockets. Tony went as fancy as he ever goes, which means long pants and a nice shirt. The Sanctuary book even mentioned cocktail attire.
Spellbound is a speakeasy, but unlike the one on MSC World America, you do not have to be invited. You simply make a reservation. Ours was at 5:40, and we had no dinner plans afterward, so we figured we would try to squeeze into Sabatini’s or Catch by Rudi, or end up at the buffet.
The experience begins outside the door with a hostess in character, welcoming you to a former vaudeville theater that the Magic Castle has transformed into a secret speakeasy. You do not just walk in. You need the magic words, and the whole group has to say open sesame together before the door opens.
A quick note on filming: we were told the Magic Castle magicians generally do not want to be filmed, so we only captured a little of the evening and none of the main show. Plan to enjoy it in the moment.
Every Spellbound Cocktail We Tried
Tony’s first drink came with a show. The bartender explained the top hats and tails worn by the legendary magician Cardini, crowned Tony the new magician, asked for the magic word, abracadabra, and then revealed a drink that smelled of rosemary. Lift the glass and there is a gold coin underneath for the Zoltar machine. It was made with Woodford bourbon, rhubarb liqueur, and cherry cola syrup. Tony could not taste the rhubarb at all, just the cherry and the bourbon, so it was basically his usual drink with cherry cola. It was strong enough to put hair on your chest.
Christina’s was the Green Hour, recommended by Arnold because he knows she likes fruity drinks. It was minty and very delicious.
The venue itself is full of fun details. There is a porthole with a silhouette walking back and forth as if someone is peeking in from outside.
For round two, Tony tried the Spirited Piano, served in a black glass: vodka, Froot Loop infused milk, lemon, and egg white, with what looked like Froot Loops on top. It came out as more foam than drink and left him with a proper milk mustache. Christina described it as breakfast in a drink, and very lemony. Next time, Tony is going for the one with popcorn.
And yes, there is a Zoltar machine, ready to tell your fortune if you have a gold coin to offer it.
Dinner at Sabatini’s
After Spellbound we did manage to get into Sabatini’s. Tony had the fettuccine, and Christina had what looked like a big tortellini filled with ricotta in a pomodoro sauce. It was pretty yummy, and we had no complaints.
Looking Ahead to Ketchikan
The next morning was an early one. Our bear shore excursion in Ketchikan had been cancelled, but the tour operator’s owner told us to call her at 7:00 a.m. and she would try to get us in. We went to bed planning for the best. If it did not work out, Ketchikan is a fun little town and Creek Street would be waiting. We might be a little sad, but we would not be mad.
