4 minute read
The first time I sat down at Makoto Ocean on Sun Princess, I’ll admit I had my expectations set somewhere between “fine for a ship” and “don’t compare it to Tokyo.” That ceiling moved within about three pieces of nigiri. So when Princess Cruises announced this week that both Makoto Ocean and The Butcher’s Block by Dario have been named recipients of the 2026 International Five Star Diamond Award, my reaction was less surprise and more “yeah, that tracks.”
The award comes from the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences, which has been handing out Five Star Diamond recognitions to restaurants, hotels, and chefs around the world for decades. It’s a luxury hospitality honor, not a Michelin star, but it carries weight in the cruise and resort space where most onboard restaurants don’t sniff this kind of recognition.
What makes this announcement actually interesting is that Princess pulled it off twice in one go, with two completely different concepts.
Makoto Ocean Brings Real Sushi to Sea
Makoto Ocean is the partnership between Princess and chef Makoto Okuwa, who has more than 25 years of sushi experience and a reputation built on Edomae-style technique with a modern bend. The version at sea is genuinely close to what you’d get at one of his land-based restaurants, which is rare. Cruise ship sushi is usually the most disappointing meal on the boat. Makoto Ocean is the opposite, and a big part of that is the plating, which leans playful and artful without slipping into gimmick territory.
You can find it on Star Princess, Sun Princess, Diamond Princess, and Sapphire Princess. If you’re sailing on any of those, this is the reservation I’d lock in before you even pack.
The Butcher’s Block by Dario Is the Real Statement Piece
The Butcher’s Block by Dario is the bigger swing, and probably the more impressive one. Inspired by the philosophy of Italian butcher Dario Cecchini (the legendary Tuscan butcher whose Antica Macelleria Cecchini in Panzano has been a destination for serious meat eaters for years), this is a nose-to-tail steakhouse concept built around premium cuts, sustainability, and the kind of theatrical presentation you don’t really see at sea.
It’s currently only on the two newest ships in the fleet, Star Princess and Sun Princess, which makes sense. This isn’t a venue you scale by retrofitting an old dining room. The energy in the space is louder and more interactive than a traditional steakhouse, with a wine list and side selection that actually keeps up with the protein.
If I had to pick one specialty restaurant on the entire Princess fleet right now, this would be it.
Why This Award Matters More Than Most
Cruise dining is in a weird moment. Most lines are pushing premium specialty venues hard because that’s where the per-guest revenue is. Some of those concepts deliver. A lot of them are licensing deals where a famous chef’s name shows up on the menu and almost nothing else. What Princess seems to have figured out, at least with these two venues, is that you have to bring the actual chef’s standards along with the name on the door.
Read also my Crystal Symphony Umi Uma review on CruiseNews.com
Sami Kohen, Princess Cruises’ VP of Food and Beverage, framed it as working “side by side” with their partners to bring the signature concepts to sea without compromising. That’s marketing language, but in this case the food backs it up. I’ve eaten at enough underwhelming celebrity-branded ship restaurants to know the difference.
For anyone planning a Princess sailing in 2026, especially on Sun Princess or Star Princess, these two reservations should be at the top of your list. The Butcher’s Block in particular is one of those experiences that reframes what you think a cruise dinner can be.
