The Best Things I Ate on Princess Cruises' Newest Ship

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Going on a cruise isn’t just about seeing a lot of destinations in a short time—it’s also an opportunity to enjoy a lot of food. As someone with a limited cruising history (a cruise I barely remember from childhood, and an eerily ‘90s trip to Alaska back in 2016), I’ve never been especially excited about the food. My first cruise on the Discovery Princess liner at the beginning of October completely changed that perspective.

This boat is teeming with opportunities to eat. In addition to three dining rooms, a buffet hall, and a few speedy options on the upper deck, the Discovery Princess has nine restaurants serving up everything from steakhouse fare to sushi. There’s also OceanNow, a Princess Plus and Premier package perk that’ll deliver food and drinks to your on-ship location, with no extra charge. The International Cafe, a staple serving sandwiches, pastries, and coffee, is open 24 hours. Even with six days on the ship, I didn’t get to eat or drink at every venue. Ocean time goes faster than you think. These are the can’t-miss snacks and meals aboard the glamorous, new ocean liner.

Honorable mention: Ginger everything

An important reminder: if you experienced seasickness before, you’re probably going to go through it again. Yes, even on a big boat. Just because you think you won’t get sick doesn’t mean you’re invincible to the forces of motion. I am eternally grateful to the Food and Beverage department for giving me candied ginger to help abate my nausea and dizziness. I was also able to find two juices containing ginger at the World Fresh Marketplace’s juice bar.

Pizza at Gigi’s

Princess’ Neapolitan-style pies are heralded as the best pizza at sea (not kidding). Order one for yourself and it’s easy to see why. Milky mozzarella and thin tomato sauce unite to create beautifully floppy corners at the center. One pizza is definitely enough to split with a co-cruiser, but you can always take leftovers back and stash them in your cabin’s fridge. For pizza by the slice, visit Slice on the Lido deck—here, they offer heftier individual slices that lean towards New York-style.

Pizza muffin at International Cafe

Located on the fifth floor (Plaza deck), International Cafe sits close to the action. Its darling bistro tables make a great base for people-watching or just a place to sit after coming back aboard. I say this because it’s a prime snacking and lunch venue. The sandwiches are great, but the real star is the pepperoni pizza muffin: think miniature pizzas baked in a muffin tin, with a Detroit-style, caramelized crust. One International Cafe employee gave me a great tip no matter what you’re eating: ask if your food can be heated up just a little rather than all the way. This way, you get a nice, light melt anywhere cheese is involved without softening the bread too much.

Congee at World Fresh Marketplace

Repeat after me: you are not above a cruise buffet, especially when it holds the most variety on the ship. Princess adjusts the World Fresh Marketplace’s offerings to reflect passenger demographics, making it the easiest spot to locate international fare. I emphasize this because the breakfast block offers one of my favorite cruise dishes: congee (Chinese rice porridge). It’s savory and hearty, and you can just taste the hours put into breaking the chicken down. It’s also a damn good hangover dish, especially on a wine cruise. Sprinkle on every topping available — chile flakes, chopped scallions, caramelized onions, and a fried egg from the “Western” breakfast selection. (Also, I found the breakfast at World Fresh Marketplace superior to the Alaska-themed dining rooms.)

Discovery Princess

360 Dinner

The gist with this themed restaurant is that you’re accompanying a cruiser, played by Brooke Shields on a 360 degree screen, through a journal of her trip through Greece and Mediterranean Europe. Each of the dinner’s seven courses corresponds to an imaginary port excursion and has its own wine pairing. Fortunately for us, Brooke’s excursions heavily lean towards food. Italy’s pasta al limone is 360’s standout dish, and none of the offerings leave guests desiring more. If you have a food allergy or follow a specific diet, let your server know and you’ll receive a customized menu. Standout wines include Mastroberardino’s Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio, a white translating as “Christ’s tears” and made from Pompeiian grapes, and ElixSea’s SeaStar 2018, a dry red made from Grenache grapes and aged underwater for six months.

Brooke’s adventure engages all senses—in addition to food and drinks, you’ll also experience video clips, regional tunes, aromatherapy, and a bit of live music. Speaking from experience, if you are neurodivergent or have sensory issues, I recommend you come prepared.

Dinner at Sabatini’s

Out of all the meals on the ship, my friend and I looked forward to dinner at Sabatini’s most—and it delivered. The panzanella, although light on croutons, was a kaleidoscope of savory and briny flavors: the kalamata olives and touch of tapenade brought a nice amount of coexisting smokiness and acidity, while the prawns tasted like they’d just come out of the ocean. And yes, it was great for my hangover. The carbonara was delectable (although not quite at the pasta al limone’s level) and I didn’t get to enjoy my trout as much as I wanted because I got seasick. OceanNow delivered dessert, which was great after Dramamine, to our room.

Caymus Vineyards Winemaker Dinner

As far as full meals go, the Caymus Winemaker Dinner was the voyage’s highlight. Each course harmonizes with a Caymus Vineyard wine: a Chardonnay, a red blend, a Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir, and a sparkling wine. My favorite drinks were the Caymus-Suisin “Walking Fool” red blend and Emmolo sparkling wine, which captures the effervescence of Champagne without the headache-inducing sweetness. The marinated oyster and wood ear mushrooms were a refreshing, savory spectacle much like the Sabatini’s panzanella (and again, dulled my wine headache). The truffle risotto was indulgent and toothsome; the salmon with prawn and lemon beurre blanc was also great, and I was especially impressed by the Peruvian potatoes hiding underneath.

Gelato

As a rule, every dessert on the Discovery Princess is good: the chocolate-chip cookies at World Fresh Marketplace’s Pastry Shop were divine paired with an Americano, 360’s lavender and honey (panna cotta) was dizzyingly sweet, and the boat’s mini cheesecakes perfectly captured the balance between a light and smooth texture. But even those pale in comparison to the gelato. When I heard cruisers raving about stopping by the gelateria multiple times a day, I foolishly judged them. One bite of pistachio gelato changed my mind. I found myself planning my remaining cruise meals around this gelato. It turns out this gelato is made with Italian-certified ingredients and equipment, and is the result of training with chefs in Bologna and Milan. No wonder it’s the best gelato I have tasted in my life.

Sarra Sedghi is a freelancer based in Birmingham, Alabama. Her work has appeared in Eater, Atlas Obscura, Bon Appetit, Allrecipes, and Insider. In 2017, she received her MFA in narrative nonfiction from the University of Georgia.

The Best Things I Ate on Princess Cruises’ Newest Ship