Princess Cruises' Alfredo’s Pizzeria Earns Ospitalità Italiana Certification for Neapolitan-Style Pizza

Italian seal cements Princess Cruises’ pizza credentials at sea

Princess Cruises announces in Fort Lauderdale on Feb. 9 that Alfredo’s Pizzeria aboard Sun Princess and Star Princess receives the Ospitalità Italiana certification, the highest international recognition for authentic Italian cuisine and hospitality. The award validates the line’s Neapolitan-style, made-to-order pizzas baked in a stone Moretti Forni oven and underscores a wider program to replicate traditional Italian techniques aboard its ships. The certification arrives as Princess celebrates National Pizza Day and follows industry attention to elevated onboard dining experiences.

Alfredo’s gains the certification after a collaboration with chef Tony Gemignani, a 13-time World Pizza Champion, who develops five signature pizzas now available across Princess’ 17-ship fleet. The menu features premium combinations such as soppressata and hot honey, and Gorgonzola with sweet fig preserves, and is designed to meet the strict criteria of the Ospitalità Italiana mark, which recognises faithful use of Italian ingredients, preparation methods and service standards. Sami Kohen, Princess’ vice president of food and beverage, says the recognition is “a meaningful validation of our dedication to authentic Italian culinary excellence,” highlighting crew training, ingredient sourcing and consistent service.

Princess frames the certification as an operational achievement as much as a culinary one, emphasising hand-stretched dough, made-to-order service and stone-oven baking to ensure reproducible results at sea. The company says certified procedures and staff instruction are in place to preserve quality across routes and itineraries, aiming to deliver the same techniques and guest experience that would be expected ashore. The award also bolsters Princess’ positioning of Alfredo’s as a destination dining offer rather than a standard shipboard eatery, seeking to draw guests who prioritise authenticity in their culinary choices.

Fleetwide rollout and guest experience

Princess reports the Gemignani-designed pizzas are serving thousands of guests across regions and contributing to broader accolades, including USA Today nods for “Best Pizza at Sea.” The line says the certification and menu rollout are intended to enhance onboard guest satisfaction and differentiate dining options on itineraries from short cruises to longer voyages.

Broader industry context

The move reflects a larger cruise-industry trend of investing in signature dining partnerships and certified culinary offerings to compete on quality and authenticity as passenger expectations rise. Operators are increasingly formalising training, ingredient sourcing and onboard production techniques to replicate high-end, ashore dining experiences at sea.