Princess dining by ship: restaurant differences across 17 ships

Sun and Star: the largest change in dining format

Sun Princess and Star Princess share an unusually broad specialty lineup: Crown Grill, Sabatini's, The Catch by Rudi, The Butcher's Block by Dario, Umai Teppanyaki, Makoto Ocean, Umai Hot Pot and Love by Britto. Both also have Alfredo's and O'Malley's for casual dining. There is enough variety to build a longer voyage around restaurants; a short cruise leaves fewer evenings to use it.

The Eatery, Americana Diner and the main dining room provide included meals. Love by Britto and other specialty restaurants carry a cover charge for standard-fare guests; Love by Britto's current terms include it with Princess Premier. Sanctuary Restaurant is restricted to eligible Sanctuary Collection accommodation.

The Sun Princess dining guide explains the individual venues and meal benefits. Use Star's own reservation planner for its prices and service times.

Royal Class: six ships with meaningful differences

Discovery and Enchanted deserve a close look if 360 is central to your trip. Their official pages list that experiential dinner, while the other ships in this group should not be assumed to have it. Read the Discovery Princess restaurant guide before treating 360 as equivalent to a regular specialty restaurant.

The Catch by Rudi lists Discovery, Enchanted, Majestic and Sky among its ships, as well as Sun and Star. Royal and Regal are a different proposition for someone choosing primarily for that seafood restaurant. Majestic's ship page also lists Sabatini's and O'Malley's; older articles focusing on its original Asian-market lineup can be out of date.

All six ships include main dining and buffet meals. The table focuses on additional venues that differ across the class. Check their individual prices and any package meal allowance before adding reservations.

Grand, Crown, Ruby, Caribbean and Emerald: casual dining choices

Caribbean and Emerald list Steamers Seafood and Planks BBQ, while Crown, Ruby and Grand list the Salty Dog Gastropub. These names matter because a casual dining allowance is useful only where the restaurant you want exists and the specific meal qualifies. The poolside Salty Dog Grill and the Gastropub are different venues with different meal expectations.

Grand also lists Alfredo's, offering a sit-down pizza meal alongside the quicker poolside option. Across these five ships, the included main dining rooms, buffet and snacks can cover the trip without specialty purchases.

Diamond and Sapphire refits; Coral and Island restaurant names

Princess's January 2026 announcement confirms Makoto Ocean and Crown Grill additions to Diamond and notes the same recent additions on Sapphire. That dated announcement is more useful than an old fleet chart for those particular changes. Current ship pages also list Churrascaria, so check the venue names shown in your reservation rather than assuming one older steakhouse label remains definitive.

Coral and Island’s current ship pages both name Crown Grill and Sabatini’s as specialty restaurants. Their included choices cover main dining, buffet, pizzeria and grill meals; Coral also lists International Café, while Island has La Patisserie. Older material may still use the Bayou Café name, so check the booking planner if a particular menu is essential.

Turn the restaurant list into a realistic budget

Price the meals you want before comparing bundles. Two adults planning one steakhouse dinner each and one casual lunch each need two specialty meals and two casual meals across the cabin. Keep those categories separate: a casual allowance cannot automatically replace a specialty benefit. Include service charges and experiential-dining exclusions in the comparison.

The Princess Plus and Premier comparison explains why purchase date, ship and sailing date matter. A benefit described as specialty dining does not automatically include experiential dinners, premium wine or every menu supplement. Count only benefits that replace spending you already intended.

Use CruiseGem’s Princess search to compare the cabin and itinerary first. A ship with one fewer favorite restaurant can still be the better vacation if it gives you a better cabin location or longer time in the ports you care about.

Reserve around the trip you actually booked

Allow time between an excursion's scheduled return and a long dinner. Compare sample menus with your group, including the dishes a picky eater would order. Send dietary needs through Princess's prescribed process and discuss preparation and cross-contact with the restaurant team aboard.