A trip within a trip: What to know about Princess Cruises' immersive 360 dining experience
On a cruise earlier this month, I took a food tour of the Mediterranean while sailing just off the coast of California.
Princess Cruises’ 360: An Extraordinary Experience immerses guests in the home regions of the cuisine they’re trying via videos, illustrations and scents. Diners try a selection of dishes and drinks as footage and graphics play out around them on screens on the wall and the surface of two semicircle tables set for 20 people.
Between the visuals, music and crew members presenting dishes in a synchronized fashion, the dinner felt like part meal, part entertainment.
"It's not just a movie, if you will," Denise Saviss, Princess’ vice president, entertainment experience, said in a video. "It's not just a dinner. It is really about conversation. It's about local cultures."
The seven-course meal had been available only to passengers in suites but opened to all guests earlier this month. Here’s what travelers can expect.
What is Princess Cruises’ 360 like?
Before the dinner, I was assigned a meeting time and place in the Piazza of the line’s Discovery Princess ship (the vessel is one of two that offers 360, along with Enchanted Princess). When I arrived, I entered a cordoned-off area where a server offered me a cocktail. I selected “The Journey,” a drink made with vodka and blue Curaçao, with the 360 logo in foam on the top.
Violinists then escorted us through Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria into a small room off the galley, where we took our seats. Before long, narrator Brooke Shields appeared onscreen.
As she spoke, we traveled with her character Bethany to various parts of Greece, Italy, Spain and France, hearing from local proprietors as we went and sampling some of their products.
What kind of food is served during 360?
The culinary journey begins in Greece with a plate of olives, olive oil, tzatziki and mini pita bread. The line keeps the exact menu a surprise for passengers, but other dishes include tender octopus, spaghetti al limone – made richer by on-screen stories from Amalfi Coast lemon farmers – and beef tenderloin with prawns, eggplant and truffle butter.
Attendees will also sample red wine from ElixSea in Catalonia, Spain, which ages its bottles underwater and hear from the winemakers about the process. Later, Charline Drappier of the champagne producer Drappier leads guests in a pre-recorded tasting of its bubbly.
Guests finish their meal with a lavender honey mousse, complemented by the scent of lavender piped into the room. Vegan and non-alcoholic options also are available.
What food is included on a cruise?: Here's how to take advantage on your next sailing
How much does 360 cost?
The experience is included for guests in suites, who automatically get invitations and are given priority for seating. All others must pay a $149 cover charge. Passengers must be 13 or older to attend.
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Here's what Princess Cruises' 360 dining experience was like
