Sabatini's Italian Trattoria on Princess Cruises charges a cover charge of $29–$39 per person depending on the ship and sailing, with no à la carte pricing — that flat fee covers your entire multi-course Italian meal.
Photo: Royal Caribbean International
You budgeted for a cruise and suddenly there's a $35 charge to eat pasta. Welcome to specialty dining on Princess. Sabatini's Italian Trattoria is one of Princess's signature restaurants, and while the food is genuinely good, the pricing has some nuances worth understanding before you show up hungry.
How Much Does Sabatini's Cost?
Sabatini's operates on a fixed cover charge model — one flat fee per person covers the full multi-course meal (antipasti, pasta, entrée, dessert). You're not ordering à la carte and watching the bill climb — it's all-inclusive for food. Drinks, however, are extra unless you have a beverage package.
2025–2026 pricing breakdown:
| Ship Category | Cover Charge Per Person | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Older/smaller ships | $29/person | Fewer itineraries offer this tier |
| Mid-size ships (e.g., Coral, Island Princess) | $35/person | Most common price point |
| Sun-class & newer ships (e.g., Sun Princess) | $39/person | Premium ships command premium prices |
| Plus or Premier Package included | $0 out of pocket | Covered by qualifying dining credits |
The cover charge is per person, per visit. If you and your partner go twice during a 7-night cruise, budget $70–$78 total at the mid-tier price.
Photo: Carnival Cruise Line
What Drives the Price Up (or Down)
1. Princess Plus and Princess Premier packages change everything. If you booked the Princess Plus package (~$60/person/day) or Princess Premier (~$80/person/day), you get dining credits that cover specialty restaurants including Sabatini's. Plus gets you two specialty dining meals per person per voyage; Premier gets you unlimited specialty dining. If you're planning more than one specialty dinner, Premier pays for itself fast.
2. The ship matters. Sabatini's on the Sun Princess — Princess's flagship as of 2024 — runs $39/person. Older ships like the Coral Princess are still at the lower $29–$35 tier. Always check the Princess app or your booking confirmation for ship-specific pricing.
3. Pre-booking vs. onboard pricing. Princess has been known to offer a slight discount (sometimes 10–15%) when you book specialty dining before your cruise through the Cruise Personalizer. Once you're onboard, that discount typically disappears. Book early.
4. Corkage and drinks aren't included. The cover charge is food only. A bottle of wine at Sabatini's runs $35–$90+. If you don't have a beverage package, factor that in. The Princess Deluxe Beverage Package runs $65–$85/person/day — worth it if you drink regularly; overkill if you don't.
Photo: Carnival Cruise Line
How to Get the Most Value at Sabatini's
Book it before you sail. Use the Princess Cruise Personalizer to reserve your table and potentially lock in a pre-cruise discount. Sabatini's fills up fast on sea days.
Get the Plus or Premier package if you love specialty dining. At $35/person for Sabatini's, two dinners for two people = $140. Princess Plus adds specialty dining credits for about $10–$15/day more than the base fare — that math works in your favor on anything longer than a 5-night cruise.
Go on a port day, not a sea day. Sea days pack the specialty restaurants. Port day evenings are quieter, service is better, and you're less likely to feel rushed.
Order the pasta. Seriously. The housemade pasta courses at Sabatini's are where the kitchen earns its cover charge. Skip nothing — the multi-course format is the whole point.
Ask about the fleet. If you're flexible on which Princess ship you book, the older ships still charge $29/person vs. $39 on Sun Princess. That's a $20 savings per couple, per visit — small but real.
Is Sabatini's Worth the Cover Charge?
| Traveler Type | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Foodies who want more than the main dining room | Yes — strong value at $35/person for a full multi-course Italian meal |
| Cruisers with Princess Plus/Premier | Absolutely — you're already paying for it |
| Casual cruisers happy with the MDR | Skip it — the main dining room is free and perfectly fine |
| Couples celebrating anniversaries/birthdays | Yes — Sabatini's atmosphere justifies the splurge |
| Budget travelers counting every dollar | No — put that $70 toward a port excursion |
At $35/person for a multi-course Italian dinner on a cruise ship, Sabatini's is honestly competitive with what you'd pay at a mid-range Italian restaurant on land — except you're in the middle of the ocean and the pasta is actually made fresh. The pricing is fair. The real question is whether specialty dining fits your cruise budget at all.
Want to see how Sabatini's fits into your total Princess cruise budget — from gratuities to shore excursions? Run the numbers with CruiseMutiny before you sail so nothing catches you off guard. You can also compare Princess sailings and book directly through our partner at CruiseHub to find the best fares.