Join me onboard Britannia for the day with P&O Cruises and Southampton Bloggers. I was invited to watch a preview of Astonishing, the new magic show, and sample Eric Lanlard’s afternoon tea.
Well this was a morning with a difference! Keeping me company for the day were a group of fabulous Southampton Bloggers and we all met up at the terminal down in the Southampton Docks.
A fabulous red carpet had been rolled out and fantastic fireworks and bubbles lined the walkway. When the bubbles popped they were full of smoke and this was just hint of the magic ahead of us.
At the end of the red carpet Stephen Mulhern and Jonathan Wilkes were waiting taking photos with guests and press shots for the media. It was at this stage I realised the whole day was going to be much bigger than I originally thought it was going to be!
We made our way through check in and found ourselves waiting to go through security and board. P&O Cruises had thought of everything and magician Collin Phillips kept us entertained while we were waiting.
Also, celeb spot, I saw television presenter Ben Shephard go through security but I couldn’t verify it, or my little bump into Declan Donnelly which I’ll explain later, until I saw the photographs on Getty images! There were also a few actors and other people I recognised who I couldn’t put my finger on, that link to Getty Images will give you all the pap shots so you can see who was there!
This was the perfect warm up and Colin performed twists on classic card, money and bending of cutlery tricks. Afterwards there was such a buzz and excitement within the group surrounding the show ahead.
I’m such a kid, I love magic. I feel it’s the only thing that can capture that pure child-like feeling of wonder. Magic shows always leaves me feeling boosted, like an instant shot of happiness.
Once through security we boarded Britannia and were guided through for welcome drinks in the bar next to the auditorium. I really wasn’t sure what to expect as I’ve never been on a cruise ship before.
We were guided through the main bar which has a magnificent chandelier that changes colour and a stylish Art Deco interior. It was seriously impressive and as a newcomer to P&O Cruises it really raised my perspective of what a cruise might be like. It also didn’t feel like you were on a ship, and I wasn’t expecting that!
Soon it was show time and we made our way into the auditorium. On our way into the show Kat and I bumped into Declan Donnelly, yes, Dec from Ant and Dec! I was getting lost as I had forgotten my glasses and couldn’t see where I was heading. He was laughing at me as I struggled to find my way to the very clearly sign posted auditorium entrance.
Spoiler Alert – no spoilers, so keep reading! Obviously I’m not going to ruin the show for you – it was so good and I want to keep all those surprises under wraps so you can enjoy it as it’s meant to be enjoyed.
It was a family friendly magic show with a difference. The majority of the magic show was set to music and I’m hoping to be the first person to call it a magic musical – you heard it hear first!
There were a lot of amazing dance routines and the performers could really belt out the songs. SO, literally the entire cast was a triple threat, they all sang, danced and did magic at the same time. That is impressive.
Highlights included the UV magic dance to Ed Sheran’s Shape of You and the artistic dance to Adele’s Hello. Both were spectacular standout performances and I think they will be popular with all ages.
The golden envelope provided at the start was for an interactive magic trick. I really don’t want to give too much away as it would ruin the show – so that’s as much as I’m going to say about that!
It was astonishing and if you are travelling with P&O you need to see if you can catch this show. It’s going to be on several of P&O Cruises boats including Azura, Britannia and Ventura.
Stephen Mulhern and Jonathan Wilkes mad a magical entrance to the end of the show and delivered a heart felt thanks to everyone involved and to P&O Cruises.
After the show we had a delicious afternoon tea by Eric Lanlard aka Cake Boy in one of the main dining areas.
It was a fantastic show followed by a lovely afternoon tea and I was sad to disembark once we’d finished our feast. What a fabulous way to spend a Sunday!
A huge thanks to P&O Cruises for inviting me and I think I’ll miss using their hashtag #thisisthelife as not all my Sundays are spent on red carpets at such lovely events!
If you want a preview of the show here’s a behind the scene video that’s been released by P&O Cruises on YouTube. It even gives you a few glimpses of what to expect from the show…
*PR Experience – I was kindly invited by P&O Cruises to this event to review it. However, all opinions are my own, otherwise what’s the point?!
Also, a huge thank you to Alice Spake and Southampton Bloggers.
