Exciting Discovery Princess Dining Options and Tips • McCool Travel

This article outlines the numerous Discovery Princess dining options and we also provide helpful tips for passengers to maximize their dining experiences. Discovery Princess is the newest ship in the Princess Cruises fleet and it first sailed in March 2022.

Thank you to Princess Cruises PR for hosting us on Discovery Princess for an Alaska itinerary in June 2022.

World Fresh Marketplace

The World Fresh Marketplace is the Discovery Princess buffet restaurant. It has the most options, is most frequently visited, and open the most hours of any dining option (except International Cafe, a coffee shop that is open 24 hours). Find World Fresh Marketplace on Deck 16 aft.

McCool Travel tips for the World Fresh Marketplace on Discovery Princess:

• try the omelette station for breakfast. Custom and fresh option. The order taker will give you a slip. You can go back to the station around that time to pick up your omelette. Or you can give the slip to a waiter who will then bring it to you when it is ready.
• fresh food is readily available in the salad bar and fruit areas. I like to start with salad and fruit for lunch and then sparingly add any special daily items, like fresh seafood or veggie curry.
• waiters will bring you coffee, tea, and water at breakfast. But if you cannot wait, there are numerous stations where you can pour your own.
• order beer, wine, cocktails at other times (after 8am). Drink package, Princess Plus, is a popular option and covers beverages up to $12. Any additional cost is separately charged. If a glass of wine costs $14, the waiter will ask if that is OK and that the $2 will be charged to your account.
• we like to take our food to the tall tables behind the World Fresh Marketplace.

McCool Travel tip: Perhaps the one thing I want you to know—that I want all prospective Discovery Princess guests to know—is that you do not have to eat every meal in the buffet. I learned on my recent cruise that some guests are under the impression that it is the only place on the ship to eat.

There are so many more Discovery Princess dining options and you should know about them in order to make better and more informed Discovery Princess dining choices. See a summary of all Discovery Princess dining options here.

Standard Discovery Princess Dining Options

The following Discovery Princess dining options are available at no extra charge and are worthwhile alternatives to the World Fresh Marketplace buffet. Sometimes even preferred. See the next section for premium dining options on Discovery Princess.

Discovery Princess Dining rooms

With the Princess Cruises Dine My Way program, you are assigned a dining room and time based on your preferences and availability. But you can change that reservation time any night.

So, any evening that you do not want to eat in the World Fresh Marketplace, head to your assigned dinner spot and time. Note, we rarely eat dinner in World Fresh Marketplace and encourage you to explore all the other Princess dining options. Check the Medallion app or ask customer service when and where your dinner assignment is.

Discovery Princess dining rooms offer better quality food items plus table service from pleasant staff. We think the dining rooms offer a much more relaxing and elegant environment than the buffet setting of World Fresh Marketplace.

Try breakfast and lunch, especially on sea days, in whichever dining room is open. But note that the dining room is also open on port days. Check the hours, usually 7 to 9 am for breakfast, noon to 1:30 pm for lunch, and 5 to 9 pm for dinner.

McCool Travel tip: make the dining room your primary choice for meals but keep the World Fresh Marketplace as a backup for when dining rooms are closed—when you wake up early or late, want to watch a movie, or are having fun doing whatever.

Gigi’s Pizzeria

Enjoy custom hand-tossed pizzas from a brick oven at Gigi’s Pizzeria on Deck 7 midship. Gigi’s layout features an open concept so that you can see the chefs making your pizza. Mangia!

McCool Travel tip: Feel free to customize your pizza order. For instance, we love adding extra veggies to our pizzas. Pictured above is a pizza with seafood. We had to try it one time but it was not our favorite. We love both mussels and pizza but never again together.

International Cafe

The International Cafe is the only Discovery Princess dining option that is open 24 hours. Baked goods, small sandwiches and quiches, and desserts are available around the clock. International Cafe serves elevated coffee drinks and elegant dessert items.

Find the International Cafe in the Piazza—on Deck 5 midship.

McCool Travel tip: visit International Cafe every night as their dessert selections change. Order several and enjoy them on your balcony or under the stars while watching a movie.

Salty Dog Grill

Order prepared-while-you-wait-and-watch gourmet burgers, hot dogs, and street tacos at the Salty Dog Grill on Deck 16 midship, near Slice (below).

McCool Travel tip: compliment your Salty Dog Grill order with veggies, fruit, and condiments from the World Fresh Marketplace.

Slice

For a quick bite, order pizza by the slice. Find Slice at Deck 16 midship, by the pool, and right next to Salty Dog Grill.

Afternoon Tea

From 3-4 pm on sea days, make sure you experience the Discovery Princess Afternoon Tea in the dining room. Order specialty tea or coffee to accompany various finger sandwiches and sweet pastries. We love the egg salad and cucumber sandwiches.

McCool Travel tip: waiters will bring Afternoon Tea to you if you are relaxing in The Sanctuary (as we were one sea day) and perhaps other places onboard (request!).

Premium Discovery Princess Dining Options

All of the above Discovery Princess dining options are included in the price you paid for the cruise. The below premium dining services on Discovery Princess cost extra but we feel are well worth the extra expense. I included the cost during our cruise and at the time of publication.

Confirm the price before ordering if it is a factor in your decision. Reservations are strongly encouraged or even required for many of these premium Discovery Princess dining options.

Crown Grill

The Crown Grill is one of our favorite Discovery Princess dining options. In fact, Crown Grill on Discovery Princess was named one of the best cruise ship steakhouses by USA Today. Make sure you try it.

Savor phenomenal steaks, chops, and filets from the grill. Do not forget exceptional lobster tail and seafood (we did not!). Elevated side dishes accompany the main proteins. Perhaps most memorable was the extreme pride and enthusiasm from our server and the restaurant manager. They really loved Crown Grill and showed their pride!

The $29 charge per person includes appetizer, entree, and dessert. $10 extra charge for specialty items, like lobster tail or filet mignon. Find Crown Grill on the Deck 7 aft.

McCool Travel tip: by all means order a filet but be sure to order the lobster tail! Surf and turf is the way to go here!

Bistro Sur la Mer

Designed by Chef Emmanuel Renaut, who has earned three Michelin stars, Bistro Sur la Mer on Discovery Princess features authentic French cuisine in a bistro setting. While we opted for amazing seafood menu items, I did notice many nearby diners ordered filet.

McCool Travel tip: if on an Alaska itinerary, book the first seating (5:30pm) on the last night, when Discovery Princess sails into Victoria. Arrive right at 5:30 to score a window table and enjoy excellent views arriving into Victoria harbor.

There is a $29 charge per person for dining at Bistro Sur la Mer. That charge includes appetizer, entree, and dessert. Alcoholic beverages are extra. Find Bistro Sur la Mer at Deck 7 midship.

Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria

Northern Italian cuisine featuring fresh pasta and seafood is the focus at Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria. It is one of the premium Discovery Princess dining options and a reservation is strongly suggested.

There is a $29 charge per person for dining at Sabatini’s, which covers an appetizer, entree, and dessert. Alcoholic beverages are extra. Find Sabatini’s at Deck 5 forward.

Ocean Terrace Seafood Bar

On other sailings, Ocean Terrace might have other seafood offerings (like oysters) but on our itinerary it was only sushi. No matter, we ate there two times! It was so fresh and good.

Try the sushi platter, featuring two pieces of five different fresh seafood, and spicy shrimp roll. Also order a Sapporo or Asahi to accompany your sushi goodness.

Prices of menu items vary but the sushi platter is only $7, which I thought was a great price.

McCool Travel tip: the fresh ginger accompanying the sushi here really hits the spot, especially on those long and fun days at sea.

Chef’s Table Lumiere

The best and most exclusive Discovery Princess dining option is the Chef’s Table Lumiere experience. Under the expert guidance of Executive Chef Giovanni Sisto (from Italy), a team of the top Discovery Princess culinary personnel prepare and serve a multi-course extraordinary gourmet food and wine paired experience.

Chef’s Table Lumiere is limited to 12 guests on a first-come basis. Register with Guest Services and they will let you know all the details.

There is a $150 charge per person for the Chef’s Table Lumiere event, which covers champagne, wine, and all food. Typically, Discovery Princess Chef’s Table Lumiere also includes a tour of the ship’s galley but the current pandemic protocols prohibit that.

Gelato

The Gelato cafe on Deck 5 midship is a great spot for a tasty treat. Smooth Italian gelato can be ordered in cups or waffle cones and with a choice of 20 toppings. The fruit flavors (like raspberry and strawberry) are our favorites. What are yours?

Salty Dog Gastropub

Find Salty Dog Gastropub on Deck 5 mid ship. It is a classier version of a pub and offers elevated food to match the environ. Try the hand-crafted burgers or fish & chips along with a crisp European ale.

Ultimate Balcony Breakfast

Perhaps my biggest surprise was how exceptional the Ultimate Balcony Breakfast on Discovery Princess was. Arriving exactly at the minute we requested, the Ultimate Balcony Breakfast included champagne, orange juice (deconstructed mimosas!), tea, coffee, croissants and breads, fresh fruit, and at least a pound of incredible, phenomenal salmon.

McCool Travel tip: order the Ultimate Balcony Breakfast on a day at sea. You can arrange a late-ish delivery time and consider it brunch. If you wake up early, have a regular breakfast and then wait for this delivery.

More Discovery Princess Dining tips:

• pack and use refillable hot beverage mugs to get tea or coffee.
• enjoy a different delectable creation each night in the Chocolate Journeys program. The premium Discovery Princess dining venues will have more elegant offerings but every place has something unique.
• Have food delivered to you anywhere on the ship by ordering through the OceanNow delivery service. Watch the entire movie under the stars. Hang out in the hot tub. Order a cocktail delivered to your cozy reading nook

Have you sailed on Discovery Princess? Which of these dining options is your favorite?

Also see our 8 Great Ways to Save Money on Cruise Excursions

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