Princess Cruises dining is split into four tiers. Complimentary venues (main dining rooms, the World Fresh Marketplace buffet, International Café, burgers and deck pizza) are included in your fare. Casual spots like Alfredo’s and O’Malley’s carry a small per-meal fee. Specialty restaurants such as Crown Grill and Sabatini’s have a cover charge of around $55 to $60. Experiential dinners like Chef’s Table cost more. The Princess Plus and Premier packages cover some of these charges, but not all.
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Here’s how Princess Cruises dining works in 2026, which restaurants are included, what the extras cost, and how to book.
Princess Cruises Dining Options at a Glance
Princess labels every venue with one of four categories. Knowing the tier tells you straight away whether you’ll pay.
| Tier | Examples | Typical cost (no package) | Princess Plus | Princess Premier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complimentary | Main dining rooms, World Fresh Marketplace, International Café, Salty Dog Grill, afternoon tea | Included | Included | Included |
| Casual | Alfredo’s/Gigi’s Pizzeria, O’Malley’s, Ocean Terrace Sushi, Vines, Plank’s BBQ | About $14.99 per adult meal | 4 meals per guest per voyage | Unlimited |
| Specialty | Crown Grill, Sabatini’s, The Catch by Rudi, Makoto Ocean, Umai Teppanyaki | About $55 per adult ($60 on Sun and Star Princess) | Not included | Unlimited |
| Experiential | Chef’s Table, 360, Caymus Winemaker’s Dinner, Ultimate Balcony Dining, Crab Shack | Roughly $27.50 to $155 | Not included | Not included |
Prices are per person, quoted from Princess and recent guides at the time of writing. They vary by ship and itinerary, so check the Princess app before you sail.
Main Dining Room: Traditional, Reservable or Walk-In
Every Princess ship’s main dining rooms serve breakfast, lunch and dinner at no extra charge, with menus that change nightly. Since September 2024, Princess has run three dinner styles fleetwide, each in its own dining room:
- Traditional: a fixed early or late seating with the same table, tablemates and waiter every night. Good if you like a routine and getting to know your waiter.
- Reservable: you book a specific time for each night, either before the cruise or onboard.
- Open Seating (walk-in anytime): turn up when you like, with no reservation. Guests on flexible dining can use either this room or the reservable one.
You choose Traditional or flexible dining in the Princess app before you sail. Traditional seatings are limited, so pick early if you want one. On busy sea-day evenings, the walk-in room can have a short wait, which a reservation avoids.
Guests in Reserve Collection mini-suites and suites have their own Reserve Collection Restaurant. On Sun Princess and Star Princess, Sanctuary Collection guests also have a dedicated Sanctuary Restaurant.
Included Princess Cruise Restaurants
You can eat well on a Princess cruise without paying for any upgrades. Included venues on most ships are:
- World Fresh Marketplace: the buffet, with stations rather than self-serve trays on many ships, open for most of the day.
- International Café: pastries, quiche, sandwiches and cakes in the Piazza, open 24 hours. Specialty coffees cost extra unless you have a drinks package.
- Salty Dog Grill / Café: burgers, hot dogs and pub-style bites by the pool. Ruby Princess has a casual-tier Salty Dog Gastropub instead.
- Poolside pizza: deck pizza by the slice is still included, even though sit-down Alfredo’s has moved to the casual tier.
- Afternoon tea: finger sandwiches, scones and pastries most afternoons.
- Room service breakfast: ordering from the door-hanger menu remains free.
Ship-specific: Sun Princess and Star Princess
The Sphere-class ships replace the traditional buffet layout with The Eatery, an all-day venue with rotating regional menus. They also have the included Americana Diner for burgers, shakes and comfort food. These ships also have the widest choice of paid restaurants in the fleet. See our first impressions of Sun Princess vs Star Princess for more on the newest ships.
Casual Dining on Princess: Small Fee, Big Variety
Princess created the casual tier in 2023. Venues serve a set three-course or prix fixe menu for a flat fee, quoted at about $14.99 per adult and $7.49 for children aged 3 to 11. Princess Plus includes four casual meals per guest per voyage, and Premier makes them unlimited.
- Alfredo’s Pizzeria / Gigi’s Pizzeria: Neapolitan-style pizzas and pasta, walk-in.
- O’Malley’s Irish Pub: fish and chips, pies and burgers.
- Ocean Terrace Sushi: sushi, sashimi and starters.
- Vines Wine Bar: charcuterie and tapas-style plates with wine (reservation needed).
- Plank’s BBQ: Texas-style barbecue, only on Caribbean Princess and Emerald Princess.
- Churrascaria Brazilian Grill: rodizio-style meats, only on Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess.
Each ship carries its own mix. Most have at least the pub, pizzeria and sushi bar.
Princess Specialty Dining and Cover Charges
Princess specialty dining costs a flat cover charge per person, reported at about $55 per adult and $27.50 per child on most ships, and $60/$30 on Sun Princess and Star Princess. Premier includes unlimited specialty dining. Plus doesn’t, so Plus guests pay the cover charge.
| Restaurant | Style | Where you’ll find it |
|---|---|---|
| Crown Grill | Steakhouse and seafood | Most ships |
| Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria | Multi-course Italian, handmade pasta | Most ships |
| The Catch by Rudi | Seafood by chef Rudi Sodamin | Select ships, including Sun and Star Princess |
| Makoto Ocean | Edomae-style sushi by chef Makoto Okuwa | Diamond, Sapphire, Sun and Star Princess |
| Umai Teppanyaki | Tableside teppanyaki grill | Sun and Star Princess |
| Umai Hot Pot | Communal Asian hot pot | Sun and Star Princess |
| The Butcher’s Block by Dario | Steakhouse with butcher Dario Cecchini | Sun and Star Princess |
| Love by Britto | Prix fixe dinner in a Romero Britto-designed room | Sun and Star Princess |
Experiential dining
These are special-occasion meals that no package covers:
- Chef’s Table: a small-group, multi-course dinner hosted by the executive chef, roughly $105 to $149. Some Royal-class ships offer Chef’s Table Lumière (around $155) behind a curtain of light.
- Caymus Vineyards Winemaker’s Dinner: six courses paired with Caymus wines, around $145.
- 360: An Extraordinary Experience: a seven-course immersive dinner on Discovery Princess and Enchanted Princess, about $149.
- Ultimate Balcony Dining: breakfast or a multi-course dinner served on your balcony.
- Crab Shack: a pop-up serving crab legs and seafood pots on select sea days and itineraries, especially Alaska.
How Princess Plus and Premier Change Your Dining
Princess revised its packages in June 2025 for new purchases. At the time of writing:
- Princess Plus (about $65 per person per day, $70 on Sphere-class ships) includes four casual meals per voyage, free room service and OceanNow delivery, plus drinks, Wi-Fi and gratuities.
- Princess Premier (about $100 per day, $105 on Sphere-class ships) adds unlimited casual and specialty dining, a bigger drinks allowance and a shore excursion credit.
- Premium desserts were removed from both packages for purchases after the June 2025 change. Guests who bought earlier keep their original perks.
If you plan two or more specialty dinners, Premier’s unlimited specialty dining can quickly cover the price difference. Run your own numbers with our Princess Premier vs Princess Plus calculator, and see the Princess drink packages guide if drinks are your main reason to upgrade.
Room Service, OceanNow and Premium Desserts
- Room service: breakfast from the door-hanger card is free. Other orders carry a delivery fee (introduced at $5 per order) unless you have Plus or Premier.
- OceanNow: Princess’s app-based service delivers food and drinks to wherever you are onboard, using your Medallion. Non-package guests have been charged a one-time activation fee (introduced at $14.99 per cruise). Plus and Premier guests pay nothing.
- Premium desserts: signature desserts in the main dining room and specialty gelato or sweets are sold à la carte. Prices are small but vary by ship.
How to Book Princess Cruises Dining Reservations
- Before you sail: once your booking is confirmed, open the Princess app or Manage Booking online to choose Traditional or flexible dining and book specialty or experiential meals.
- Book popular venues early: Chef’s Table, 360, Umai Teppanyaki and sea-day Crown Grill slots fill first.
- Onboard: use the app or visit the restaurant during the day. Walk-ins are often possible on port days, when many guests eat ashore.
- Package holders: Premier guests still need reservations for specialty restaurants, so book them like everyone else.
Dining on board has its rituals too, and our guide to the Baked Alaska parade and other cruise food traditions explains where they came from.
If you sail with another line that still uses fixed seatings, our guide to choosing between early or late dining on a cruise compares typical times across the major fleets.
FAQs
Is food included on Princess Cruises?
Yes. The main dining rooms, World Fresh Marketplace buffet, International Café, poolside grill and pizza, afternoon tea and room service breakfast are included in your fare. Casual, specialty and experiential venues cost extra unless your package covers them.
How much is specialty dining on Princess?
The specialty dining cover charge is reported at about $55 per adult on most ships and $60 on Sun Princess and Star Princess, with lower children’s prices. Experiential dinners such as Chef’s Table cost more.
What specialty restaurants are on Royal Princess?
Royal-class ships such as Royal Princess typically have Crown Grill and Sabatini’s, with The Catch by Rudi or Chef’s Table Lumière on some sailings. Check the ship’s dining page, because venues are updated during refits.
Does Princess Plus include specialty dining?
No. Princess Plus includes four casual meals per guest per voyage. Unlimited specialty dining is part of Princess Premier.
Do you need reservations for the Princess main dining room?
Only if you choose the reservable option. Traditional diners have a fixed seating, and the Open Seating dining room takes walk-ins at any time.
