It was a Tuesday evening, and I stood with a group of other passengers in the midship meeting area named on my invitation. Several crew members appeared and asked us to put away our cellphones before a violinist led us through the restaurant and kitchen. We arrived at a circular, windowless private dining room outfitted with a large round table, 360-degree LED walls, and lights and projectors mounted on the ceiling.
All of this was part of 360: An Extraordinary Experience, Princess Cruises’ 90-minute culinary journey whose details remain a surprise to guests until showtime. The offering debuted a few months earlier on Discovery Princess (this was a five-day cruise to Cabo San Lucas) and later appeared on Enchanted Princess. This isn’t a typical cruise-ship dining option: its 20 nightly seats are reserved for suite guests, top loyalty-tier members, casino high rollers and other VIPs.
Once we were seated and introduced to our fellow diners, the curved walls sprang to life with a beautifully shot film narrated by Bethany, played by Brooke Shields, who guided us through her Mediterranean travels. As we joined her in Santorini — with its stark white walls, blue-domed churches and a glittering caldera — servers simultaneously brought the first course: Greek-inspired mezze and a Nick and Nora glass holding a foam- and thyme-garnished cocktail.
© Kelly Magyarics
The cocktail was called the Elysian, a name that evokes “beautiful, creative, peaceful and perfect.” Shaken with Grey Goose vodka, watermelon-basil essence, lemon, rosemary syrup, aquafaba for froth and mastiha liqueur — which adds piney notes from the resin of the mastic tree — it was creamy, delicate, herbal and ethereal.
As Bethany led us past Amalfi lemon groves, the bustling La Boqueria market in Barcelona and lavender fields in Provence, we sampled dishes inspired by each destination — from grilled octopus to filet mignon with romesco and patatas bravas — while animations projected from above danced across the tablecloth and even onto our plates. Though 360 also serves as a soft promotion for Sun Princess, Princess’ next-generation ship that will sail a Mediterranean itinerary when it debuts next year, that did not detract from the experience.
Equally memorable were the wines poured throughout the evening. One was a low-dosage 2012 Drappier Grande Sendrée Champagne, crafted from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes grown in Kimmeridgian chalk soils dusted with ash from an 1836 village fire. Another was a bianco from Mastroberardino made entirely from Coda di Volpe, an ancient Campanian white grape offering salinity, citrus and a minerality derived from volcanic soils.
Perhaps the most exciting bottle was LegaSea Spanish Priorat, aged underwater in submerged structures that also foster marine life. The constant pressure and temperature, along with the movement of currents and the absence of noise and light, are believed to influence maturation and add complexity. The Grenache-based wine delivered both freshness and structure, vibrancy and maturity — a striking, memorable pour.
When staff escorted us out of that immersive dinner theater at sea and allowed us to use our phones again, I photographed an empty bottle encrusted with dried seaweed and barnacles. Its contents had slumbered fathoms below until it was uncorked and savored by those of us floating above. If Poseidon had a cellar, it would be hard-pressed to top that night.