Diamond Princess Adds Makoto Ocean, Crown Grill
Princess Cruises has added two specialty restaurants to Diamond Princess, Makoto Ocean and Crown Grill, and opened reservations for all sailings. The update gives the 2,670 guest ship a higher end sushi option plus a steakhouse concept that many Princess repeat cruisers already recognize from other ships. Travelers who care about dining times should book early, because new venues typically create a short term rush for prime seatings, especially on the first sea days.
The Diamond Princess new specialty dining change centers on two swaps in the onboard mix. Makoto Ocean is positioned on Deck 7 and brings chef Makoto Okuwa's Edomae style sushi, including signature dishes and cocktails built around Japanese flavor profiles. Crown Grill moves into the former Savoy Dining Room space on Deck 5, anchoring the ship's paid dining lineup with aged beef, chops, and seafood in a classic steakhouse format.
Pricing matters for planning, because both venues carry a cover charge of $55.00 (USD) per person, and both are included for guests who book the Princess Premier package. That structure makes the decision less about whether the restaurants exist, and more about how many specialty meals you realistically want on your itinerary, and whether you prefer to prepay through a bundle or pay per meal on board.
Who Is Affected
Guests sailing Diamond Princess in Asia are the immediate audience, including travelers on roundtrip Singapore itineraries that call in Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam. These itineraries can run long shore days that push dinner later, which is exactly where pre booked seatings reduce friction and help groups stay on schedule.
Travel advisors and repeat Princess guests are also affected because the venue changes influence how you sell the experience. A familiar name like Crown Grill tends to convert undecided buyers who want one reliable "special night" on board, while Makoto Ocean targets travelers who care about sushi quality and a more modern, curated menu. If you are comparing ships in the same region, the presence of these venues can become a tie breaker when itineraries are otherwise similar.
Looking ahead, the update aligns with Princess's larger push in Japan for 2027, when Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess are scheduled to operate a dual ship season from the Tokyo region across a wide spread of itineraries and voyage lengths. More sea days on longer Japan sailings tends to increase demand for specialty dining as guests pace their "splurge nights" across the voyage.
What Travelers Should Do
Reserve dining as soon as you can, and treat the first two sea days as the highest demand window. If you are traveling with a group, lock one shared dinner time first, then add additional reservations later, because splitting into smaller parties is often easier than finding a single large table at prime hours.
Decide whether you are a package buyer or an à la carte buyer using a simple threshold. If you only want one specialty dinner, paying $55.00 (USD) per person may be cleaner than upgrading, but if you expect multiple specialty meals plus other Premier inclusions, the bundle can price out better over the length of the sailing, especially on longer itineraries with more sea days. For a deeper breakdown of how Princess bundles work, see Princess Cruises Boosts Premier, Plus Packages for 2026.
Monitor your port day timing and your excursion return times for the next 24 to 72 hours after finalizing tours, because that is where dining plans break. If you have late arrivals back to the ship, shift your dining later, or reserve on a sea day instead, and keep one flexible night unbooked in case a long shore day runs late. If your itinerary includes Vietnam calls and you are planning independent time ashore, confirm documentation early using Vietnam Entry Requirements For Tourists In 2026.
Background
Specialty dining on large cruise ships is a capacity and timing system, not just a menu. When a new venue debuts, demand spikes because returning guests want to try it and first time guests want the "best night" experience, which concentrates bookings into the same early voyage windows. That first order effect can tighten availability in both specialty and main dining rooms, because the ship's dining demand is fairly fixed by passenger count, and only shifts between venues.
The second order ripples show up in how people plan their days. On port intensive Asia itineraries, long tours can compress dinner into a smaller window, pushing more guests toward the same late seatings, and raising the value of reserving rather than walking up. There is also a budget ripple, because cover charges and packages influence onboard spending, and that can affect whether travelers prepay for bundles, book fewer shore excursions, or prioritize premium drinks and cocktail programs. Princess's broader move toward branded collaborations, including its fleet rollout of craft cocktail partnerships, reinforces that onboard dining and beverage are increasingly part of the "choose this ship" decision, not just a nice extra. For related context on the bar side, see Princess Adds Handshake Speakeasy Cocktails At Sea.