Sapphire Princess adds Makoto Ocean, Crown Grill

Published on Oct 14, 2025, 7:37 pm CDTUpdated on Oct 14, 2025, 7:50 pm CDT

5 min read

Princess Cruises' Sapphire Princess is back from a two week drydock in Portland, Oregon, with two new specialty restaurants and refreshed spaces. Makoto Ocean and Crown Grill open to guests on November 16, 2025, priced at $60 per person and included as a specialty dining option for travelers who book the Princess Premier package. The 2,670 guest ship will first sail Mexico, then reposition for South America and Antarctica before a 2026 Europe program, followed by Canada and New England in fall 2026, and a landmark Japan season in 2027.

Key points

Why it matters: Sapphire Princess deepens Princess' premium dining push fleetwide.
Travel impact: $60 specialty venues are included for Princess Premier guests.
What's next: Dual ship Japan deployment begins March 2027.
Makoto Ocean replaces the former Internet Café on Deck 7.
Crown Grill takes over the Deck 5 Savoy Dining Room footprint.

Snapshot

Sapphire Princess now features Makoto Ocean, serving chef Makoto Okuwa's Edomae style sushi, and Crown Grill, the line's signature steakhouse. Both venues are slated to open November 16, 2025, with a listed cover of $60 per person and inclusion as a specialty option under Princess Premier. The 115,875 ton ship, which carries 2,670 guests, resumes sailings to Mexico before a South America and Antarctica season. In spring and summer 2026, Sapphire Princess pivots to the Mediterranean and Northern Europe, then sails Canada and New England in fall 2026. A reunion with sister ship Diamond Princess follows in Japan from March through December 2027, billed as Princess Cruises' largest Japan season to date.

Background

Makoto Ocean debuted on Sun Princess and then Star Princess, and now joins Sapphire Princess in place of the Internet Café on Deck 7. The concept highlights premium items such as truffle salmon, snow crab temaki, and toro tartare, with cocktails like the Genmai Negroni and Kodai No Hana. Crown Grill, long regarded as a guest favorite, replaces the former Savoy Dining Room on Deck 5 and focuses on premium aged beef, chops, and fresh seafood. Princess notes that both new venues on Sapphire Princess carry a $60 per person price and are included for Princess Premier guests. The ship's itinerary arc spans Mexico, South America, Antarctica, Europe, Canada and New England, then Japan, aligning culinary upgrades with a multi year deployment plan.

Latest developments

Sapphire Princess culinary upgrades arrive ahead of a global deployment

Princess confirmed that Makoto Ocean and Crown Grill will open aboard Sapphire Princess on November 16, 2025, following the ship's two week Portland drydock. Makoto Ocean takes over the former Internet Café on Deck 7, while Crown Grill occupies the Deck 5 footprint of Savoy Dining Room, signaling a shift toward higher demand specialty dining. The line reiterated that both are $60 per person and included as a specialty option for Princess Premier guests. After Mexican Riviera sailing, the ship repositions to South America and Antarctica, then moves to Europe for spring and summer 2026, and to Canada and New England in fall 2026. From March through December 2027, Sapphire Princess will sail from the Tokyo region alongside Diamond Princess, a milestone two ship Japan program for the brand. For broader cruise context around recent port disruptions, see our roundup on New York Harbor operations, and for polar cruising science tie ins, explore our note on an Antarctic research partnership. New York Harbor pilotage suspension hits cruise plans Ponant and WHOI team on Antarctic research

Analysis

For Princess, elevating Sapphire Princess with Makoto Ocean and Crown Grill matches recent investments on Sun Princess and Star Princess, creating consistent, premium anchors across the fleet. The $60 per person pricing, paired with inclusion for Princess Premier, nudges guests toward the higher tier package while preserving predictable onboard revenue per diner. Makoto Ocean adds culinary differentiation in markets where sushi quality is a deciding factor, especially for Asia facing deployments and longer voyages where dining variety matters. Crown Grill, a proven favorite, broadens appeal for multigenerational parties and upsells beyond the main dining rooms. The venue swaps also reveal Princess' space priorities, replacing legacy functions with higher utility, higher yield restaurants. Strategically, timing the upgrades ahead of the ship's South America, Antarctica, and 2026 Europe seasons helps market the refresh across multiple sales cycles, then culminates in the 2027 dual ship Japan program. That run should benefit from a cohesive culinary message that now includes Sapphire Princess.

Final thoughts

Sapphire Princess emerges from drydock with two headline dining experiences and a clear itinerary runway, from Mexico and Antarctica to Europe and Japan. By aligning a refreshed onboard product with a multiyear deployment, Princess sets the ship up to compete in premium leaning segments without alienating value seekers who bundle dining through Princess Premier. For travelers weighing itinerary against onboard experience, this update simplifies the choice, since the marquee venues and global routes now travel together on Sapphire Princess.