Is the 360 Dining Experience on Princess Cruises worth the $149pp Upcharge?

Last week, on my cruise to Alaska, I had the chance to experience the 360 Dining Experience on Princess Cruises, one of the most talked-about specialty dining events. This culinary journey isn’t something you’ll find explained in detail online. The menu is a mystery, the concept only vaguely described, and that curiosity alone is enough to spark intrigue. Luckily, I had the full experience and documented every detail so you can decide whether this immersive dinner is worth reserving on your next voyage.

What is the 360 Dining Experience on Princess Cruises?

The 360 Dining Experience is unlike any other dining event at sea. Guests are seated in a circular room where every surface (walls, floors, ceiling, and even the tables) becomes part of an ever-changing projection. Throughout the evening, the story of celebrity guest Brooke Shields unfolds as she narrates her solo journey through the Mediterranean. Told through journal-style reflections, her entries set the stage for each destination and inspire the next course, weaving together culture, cuisine, and storytelling into a seamless seven-course food and wine pairing.

How Much Does the 360 Dining Experience Cost?

The 360 Dining Experience costs $149 per person, making it one of the premium add-on dining options on Princess Cruises. It’s incredibly popular, so reservations tend to disappear quickly. I decided to splurge, partly because of the glowing reviews I had seen in Princess Facebook groups and partly because it seemed like the perfect way to use my onboard credit.

Currently, the experience is only offered on Discovery Princess and Enchanted Princess. I sailed on Discovery Princess and actually chose the ship specifically for its dining variety and specialty offerings.

The Evening Begins

The night starts in the ship’s main atrium, where a photo backdrop is set up for 360 Dining. Guests gather in small groups while servers circulate with a decorative welcome cocktail, adding to the sense of anticipation. Then, with live musicians leading the way, you’re guided into the private dining room and seated around the circular tables where the magic begins.

360 Dining Experience Menu: A Journey Through Seven Courses

From the first moment, it’s clear this is more than dinner—it’s a performance. The projections are interactive, the storytelling immersive, and every course carefully designed to transport you. Here’s how our evening unfolded:

Course One: Greece

We began our journey in the Greek islands, home to some of the oldest olive trees in the world. Projections of Greek pottery appeared on our tables, and to our surprise, we could “smash” the plates digitally in true Greek fashion. With a lively “OPA!” we were served a spread of olive oil, olives, tzatziki, and pita, accompanied by a limoncello cocktail.

Course Two: Santorini

Our next stop was the dazzling cliffs of Santorini, where the sea meets whitewashed villages perched above the caldera. Here, we were introduced to one of Greece’s most celebrated dishes, pan-seared octopus. The presentation was simple but stunning, with the octopus resting on a velvety bell pepper coulis. The flavors were delicate yet full of character, tender without a hint of chewiness. This ended up being one of my personal favorite dishes of the evening.

Course Three: Rome, Italy

From Greece, our projections shifted to the cobblestone streets of Rome. Charming café tables appeared across our tabletops as a couple on a red scooter zipped through the piazzas and across the projections in front of us. To honor the flavors of Italy, we were served handmade burrata cheese layered over sweet heirloom tomatoes and garnished with pearls of olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar.

Course Four: Amalfi Coast

Our journey continued to the Amalfi Coast, famous for its lemon groves that thrive in the Mediterranean sun. We watched fresh lemon pasta being rolled out on the screen as lemon plates appeared on our table. With the swirl of the hand, the lemons on our plates began to swirl like magic as our servers brought us our fourth course, a bowl of lemon-infused pasta made from a traditional recipe originating on the slopes of Mt. Vesuvius. Light yet full of flavor, the dish was fragrant, refreshing, and tasted like pure summer.

Course Five: Barcelona, Spain

Before our fifth course, the projections carried us beneath the sea off the coast of Costa Brava. Here, we learned about Elixsea Wine, a red grenache wine that is aged 75 feet underwater for six months, sealed in wax, and left to develop under the sea. When retrieved, each bottle is covered in barnacles, seaweed, and sponges, making every one of them a unique work of art.

The wine was poured to accompany a course inspired by Barcelona’s famous cured meats: thin slices of jamón, prosciutto, and spicy chorizo. The smokiness of the meats paired beautifully with the deep, ocean-aged wine, highlighting the richness of Spanish culinary traditions.

Course Six: Catalonia & Barcelona, Spain

Our Mediterranean story then celebrated two of Spain’s most cherished ingredients. First, prawns from the Bay of Roses, harvested by fishermen who have worked these waters for more than a century. Then, the earthy truffles of Barcelona, cultivated in the nearby forests. Together, they inspired a decadent surf-and-turf course, filet mignon topped with prawns, with a luxurious truffle butter encased in delicate chocolate served alongside.

Course Seven: Provence & Champagne, France

For dessert, we traveled to the lavender fields of Provence. The projections bathed the room in shades of purple as we learned about the bees that pollinate the fields. We were served a delicate chocolate mousse drizzled with golden lavender-pollen honey, offering just the faintest floral lavender notes without overwhelming the chocolate. A glass of Champagne from France completed the course, making for a light yet celebratory finish.

The Grand Finale

By the time dessert plates were cleared, it felt as though we had traveled the Mediterranean coast in just a few hours. Each projection, each dish, and each pour of wine built upon the last, carrying us seamlessly from Greece to Spain to France. The story, told through Brooke Shields’ journal reflections, gave the evening a personal touch, but it was the creativity of the chefs and the immersive details that made the experience unforgettable.

As the lights shifted into a finale of fireworks dancing across the walls and ceiling, the entire culinary team entered the room to well-deserved applause. It was a grand, celebratory ending, yet one last surprise remained. On our way out, each guest was handed a print of the photo taken at the very beginning of the night in front of the 360 Dining backdrop. It was a small but meaningful gesture, a way of capturing not just an image but the memory of an evening that felt truly special.

Final Thoughts

The 360 Dining Experience is more than a meal; it’s storytelling, culture, and cuisine wrapped into one. At $149 per person, it is certainly a splurge, but for anyone who loves food and travel, it’s an indulgence worth savoring. I left the room feeling both full and enchanted, as though I had stepped off the ship and back from a whirlwind tour of the Mediterranean, all without ever leaving the sea.

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