What time is dinner on the Princess Cruise?

Anytime Dining is available from 5:30 to 10 p.m. On most Princess ships the traditional dining times are as follows: Early seating is at 5:30 p.m. 1st seating is at 6 p.m. 2nd seating is at 8:15 p.m.



On a Princess Cruise in 2026, dinner times are highly flexible thanks to the "Dine My Way" program, which allows you to customize your dining schedule via the MedallionClass app. For those who prefer the traditional experience, the "Main Dining Rooms" typically offer two set seating times: Early Seating (around 5:30 PM) and Late Seating (around 7:45 PM). These fixed times provide the same table and waitstaff every night. However, most guests now opt for "Anytime Dining," where you can make a reservation for any time between 5:30 PM and 9:30 PM, or simply walk up to the dining room whenever you are hungry. Beyond the main dining rooms, the World Fresh Marketplace (Buffet) is usually open for dinner from 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM, offering a more casual, no-reservation experience. Specialty restaurants, such as the Crown Grill or Sabatini's, typically operate from 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM and almost always require a pre-booked reservation. For the ultimate flexibility, 24-hour room service is also included in your fare, ensuring you can have a full meal delivered to your cabin at any time of the day or night if you miss the formal dining windows.

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Each night, there are 2 seating times for dinner. These times vary based on itinerary. In general, for sailings out of the domestic US, the Main Seating begins at 5:45 PM, and the Second Seating begins at 8:00 PM. For sailings out of Europe, the Main Seating begins at 6:00 PM, and the Second Seating begins at 8:30 PM.

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The number of formal nights varies based on the length of the cruise, with shorter voyages having a Dress to Impress night instead. Passengers can choose to dine at the casual buffet venue if they wish to avoid the dressy evenings.

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Princess Cruises is smart casual, so pack clothing that adheres to that guideline. On the informal side of things, both men and women may want to pack away breezy shirts, comfortable sandals and shorts for the day, while they can opt for a sweatshirt or windbreaker to help them stay warm if temperatures drop.

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6 Night Cruises - Usually on Day 2 and 5. 7 Night Cruises - Usually on Day 2 and 6. 8 - 10 Night Cruises - 2 Formal Nights, Days vary by ship and sailing. 11 - 14 Night Cruises - 3 Formal Nights, Days vary by ship and sailing.

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Princess Prohibited Items
  • All firearms including non-firing weapons. ...
  • All forms of ammunition, explosive materials and propellants, projectiles of all kinds, cartridges.
  • All imitation or replica weapons including de-commissioned weapons, those not capable of being fired and realistic imitation/toy weapons.


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Yes, a few select bars and restaurants will be open on that first afternoon, and all will be in operation in the evening.

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While they might not host the excessive midnight buffets of yore, many cruise ships do still offer late-night snack stations in the buffet areas, featuring items like sandwiches, tacos or crepes.

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Sure, you can eat at the buffet at almost any time of the day or make a reservation at a specialty restaurant, but to dine in the main dining room, most cruise lines require you to show up at either a set time or during a limited timeframe.

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Most cruise lines permit wearing clean, nice jeans in the main dining room and specialty restaurant on “casual” and “smart casual” evenings. On cruise lines where there is a formal night, jeans are not permitted in the main dining room. However, you can always eat in the casual restaurants and the buffet.

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Longer cruises have optional formal or semiformal nights. On these evenings, passengers can either wear elegant casual attire or opt for a more formal look, such as gowns, cocktail dresses, dark suits or tuxedos.

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Bring Your Own Toiletries While many cruise lines offer complimentary shampoo and conditioner in stateroom bathrooms, they aren't likely to be the products you use at home. I always bring my own shampoo, conditioner and of course, my hair care products.

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I usually dress for dinner, but they don't have to be completely different outfits for each evening. Usually a long skirt and a pair of dress pants, and 2 or 3 dressy tops (which are incredibly small when rolled) will do me for a week or 10-day cruise. For your 4-nighter, 1 or 2 evening outfits will be fine.

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