Cheers! Princess Cruises Earns 15 Wine Spectator Awards of Excellence, Sweeping the Cruise Category for 2023

Raise a glass with Princess Cruises for its wine program! All main dining rooms across the fleet of 15 ships have once again been honored with an Award of Excellence in Wine Spectator’s 2023 Restaurant Awards, more than any other cruise line. Each Princess ship is recognized for its wine lists that pair well with the menu, offering a well-rounded culinary experience.

Wine Spectator, the world’s leading authority on wine, began its awards program in 1981 to recognize the world’s best wine lists. There are three levels: Award of Excellence, Best of Award of Excellence and Grand Award. This year, 2,001 restaurants achieved the Award of Excellence, given to restaurants with 90 wine selections or more that also match the cuisine in both style and pricing.

Princess’ carefully curated wine list includes more than 250 labels. Each major varietal and wine-growing region is represented, letting guests taste the best from around the world. The Princess beverage team designed a wine philosophy that centers on exploration, discovery and enrichment.

“Receiving this highly regarded recognition from Wine Spectator once again reaffirms our commitment to curate a collection of wines that encompass noteworthy, exceptional and familiar varietals to explore,” said Sami Kohen, vice president of food and beverage for Princess Cruises. “We believe we offer the most extensive wine list in the industry that reflects our guests’ shared passion for travel and celebrating with wines from many of the destinations we visit.”

Available in the main dining rooms fleetwide, the wine menu is approachable with various price points and descriptions to make it easy for occasional wine drinkers and aficionados alike to sip. Wines from around the world including from New Zealand, Argentina, Italy and even China are featured. In addition, Princess celebrates women winemakers with a special list, identifies biodynamic, organic, vegan and sustainable wines, and offers many selections by the glass. Descriptions call out wines as “refreshing,” “light and mild,” “fruity and vibrant,” and “rich and textured” for easy selections.

Most recently, Princess partnered with renowned Caymus Vineyards to offer the exclusive Caymus Vineyards Winemaker Dinner. Available for $140 per person, the new Winemaker Dinner leverages the expansive expertise of Chuck Wagner, owner and winemaker of the renowned Napa Valley’s Caymus Vineyards, to deliver a five-course menu crafted to complement the tasting notes of his wines. The dinner, available for 12 guests per seating, is offered two to three times per cruise, based on voyage length, and interested guests can reserve their spot once on board.

The complete list of award winners is available in the August 21, 2023 issue of Wine Spectator, available at newsstands July 11, and at www.winespectator.com.