Diamond Princess Restaurants: What’s Included and Worth Booking

Use Diamond Princess’s included dining for your everyday meals, then book the paid restaurant that gives you an evening you’ll look forward to.

The choices now include Crown Grill and Makoto Ocean, so older advice about Savoy and Kai Sushi can send you toward the wrong restaurant or budget.

Make the main dining rooms your starting point

Try an included main dining dinner before filling the rest of your cruise with paid reservations. Vivaldi on Deck 5, Pacific Moon and Santa Fe on Deck 6, and International aft on Deck 6 offer the sit-down alternative to the buffet.

Choose this route when you want a multi-course dinner and time to talk without paying a specialty cover charge. The menu changes, so look at that evening’s choices before assuming a paid restaurant is the only place you will find something appealing.

Set up your preferred dining arrangement through the Princess app and check the room and time on the reservation. Being near a particular dining room on the deck plan does not mean your selected dining arrangement automatically uses it.

Tell your server if you have a show or another booking afterward, rather than rushing halfway through dinner. For a relaxed evening, leave a generous gap between the meal and the performance so a late table or slower course does not spoil both plans.

Reach International through the aft elevators

Use the aft elevator bank or stairs for International Dining Room on Deck 6. You cannot simply walk aft through the main central dining-room area on that deck to reach it.

From the forward or middle of the ship, walk aft along Promenade Deck 7, then go down one deck at the aft stairs or elevators. That is also a useful route from Sabatini’s, Makoto, or Club Fusion when you are learning the ship.

If someone in your group has limited walking stamina, practice the route before dinner and allow time for the elevator. Our Diamond deck guide explains the other everyday routes that save a wrong turn.

Do not confuse International Dining Room with International Café, a separate venue found on other Princess ships. Diamond’s dining roster is what should determine your breakfast and snack plans.

Use Horizon Court for meals on your own schedule

Head aft on Deck 14 to Horizon Court when flexibility matters more than table service. It is useful for breakfast before an excursion, a quick lunch between activities, or dinner when different members of your group want different foods.

Walk through the available stations before joining the first line, then choose a table near the part of the buffet you expect to use. For a group, let one person settle the table while the others collect food, taking turns so nobody needs to carry several meals at once.

After a busy port day, this can be the easier choice than squeezing a formal dinner between showers and a show. Save the leisurely sit-down meal for an evening when you actually have time to enjoy it.

Check service hours in the daily program instead of expecting every counter to stay open whenever the seating area is available. The ship dining overview confirms the options aboard, while the daily schedule tells you what is serving when you need it.

Keep poolside lunch simple

Use Prego Pizzeria or Trident Grill near Neptune’s Reef on Deck 14 when you want lunch without leaving the pool area. Pizza, burgers, and other straightforward grill food make this especially convenient for children who would rather return to swimming than sit through a long meal.

Agree on a lunch time before everyone spreads out around the pools. You will have an easier afternoon if nobody is searching several decks for the rest of the group while their food cools.

Treat the included poolside pizza separately from a paid casual dining experience. A package’s casual-meal allowance is not something you need to spend to buy an ordinary slice at the pool counter.

Afternoon tea is another included option when you want a small meal and a pause in the day. Check its scheduled venue and time, then choose it instead of a late buffet lunch if you also have an early dinner reservation.

Crown Grill for a proper steak night

Book Crown Grill on Deck 5 when the point of the evening is a steak dinner with attentive table service. It occupies the former Savoy dining room space, so Savoy should no longer appear in your list of included main dining rooms.

The current adult cover is $55 before the 20% service charge, making a basic covered meal $66 before any other applicable additions. Children ages 3–11 have a published $27.50 cover before service, and premium menu choices can cost extra.

For a familiar combination, the sample menu includes black-and-blue onion soup, a 7-ounce filet mignon, creamed spinach, and a loaded baked potato. Seafood eaters can compare the sea bass with king prawns or lobster options rather than assuming every worthwhile dish is beef.

Read the supplements before ordering surf and turf or a dry-aged cut. The current linked Crown Grill menu lists a $20 supplement for the filet-and-lobster combination and $20 for an additional main, so the cover does not make every selection unlimited.

Makoto Ocean for Japanese specialty dining

Choose Makoto Ocean on Deck 7 if sushi and a Japanese-focused meal are what you want to make special. The ship’s dining update introduced it alongside Crown Grill, replacing the older sushi offering described in many guides.

The Diamond-specific adult cover is $55 before the 20% service charge, or $66 before drinks and additions; the $27.50 child cover for ages 3–11 becomes $33 with service. For a different booking currency, use the reservation’s full quote rather than converting these benchmarks yourself.

Truffle salmon, snow crab hand rolls, and toro tartare are useful examples of the style to expect from the ship’s launch menu. Choose the set experience if you want the included restaurant cover to apply, and ask how any separate à la carte order will be charged.

The Makoto dining details and sample menus distinguish the options; à la carte items are explicitly excluded from the sample menu’s Premier coverage. Book this meal because you enjoy the food, rather than adding it simply to use a package.

Sabatini’s for pasta and a leisurely evening

Reserve Sabatini’s on Deck 7 when your group prefers Italian food to a steakhouse meal. Its current adult cover is also $55 plus 20% service, with the published half-price child cover for ages 3–11.

The linked Frescobaldi-inspired sample menu gives you options such as truffle fettuccine, porcini mushroom risotto, seafood linguine, and ricotta tortello. Eggplant parmigiana is another useful choice for someone who wants a meat-free main without defaulting to a side salad.

Leave room for dessert if tiramisu or cannoli sounds appealing, and arrive hungry enough to enjoy the included courses. The sample menu specifies one choice from each course rather than an unlimited collection of pasta and main dishes.

Ask about an additional pasta or main before ordering it, since the current sample menu lists a $15 extra charge and some premium selections have separate supplements. Menu details can change, so read the selection presented aboard before deciding what fits your cover.

Churrascaria is the cheaper paid alternative

Try Churrascaria Brazilian Grill when you want a change from the buffet without paying a full specialty cover. It is aft on Deck 14 and is classified as casual dining, with skewered meats, poultry, seafood, sausages, and an antipasto selection.

The current published adult price is $14.99 plus the applicable service charge, with $7.49 for children ages 3–11. This is a particularly useful comparison if several people want a paid meal and the full specialty total would stretch the budget.

Under current eligible Plus terms, four prix fixe casual meals are included over the whole voyage, while Premier includes unlimited eligible casual meals. Check the menu and the allowance on your own booking before using a meal credit here.

Churrascaria currently operates as a walk-in dinner venue, so check which evenings it is serving and how the line works onboard. Keep it flexible between long port days and an already booked specialty dinner rather than assuming it has the same reservation process as Crown Grill.

Book special experiences for the occasion they suit

Consider Chef’s Table if a longer hosted culinary experience is the attraction, rather than simply wanting another dinner venue. Ask about the menu, timing, dietary suitability, and total price before buying it.

Crab Shack and Ultimate Balcony Dining are also listed for Diamond, but they require their own availability and pricing checks. They are poor choices to book casually around an early departure or a rushed evening.

For a balcony meal, confirm that your particular room and outdoor arrangement suit the experience. Our Diamond cabin choices help with the differences between central balconies, aft views, and obstructed sightlines.

Avoid adding every paid experience just because the ship offers it. One dinner that fits your occasion and appetite is more useful than several reservations competing with the ports and entertainment you wanted to enjoy.

Compare packages and delivery charges before paying

Use the current package terms to check your booking’s dining allowance. Plus includes eligible casual meals; Premier includes specialty covers within one meal per meal period each day, subject to reservations and the exclusions for supplements.

If you book the standard fare, OceanNow currently has a $14.99 one-time access fee per person per voyage, while a room-service order by cabin phone has a $5 delivery fee. Eligible current Plus and Premier packages include those delivery charges, but chargeable food and drinks can still add to an order.

Order through the method that matches the service you want, and read the full total before submitting. Our Diamond money tips also help you compare packages without counting benefits you will barely use.

Flag food allergies and dietary needs before sailing, then speak to the restaurant manager aboard. A sample menu’s appealing dish or an app note is a starting point for that conversation, rather than a reason to skip it.