Have cruises changed so much in 50 years? Surely, if they've missed the seating at dinner (one of several throughout the evening), they could find more food than pretzels to eat? Every cruise I've ever been on in the past few decades seemed to be determined to stuff me like a haggis.
A silly bit in the movie that momentarily took me out of the movie.
People who don't like dogs should be killed. - Simon Marchmont
While I have not gone on cruises, I know a lot of people who have.
It would be nice if someone who talked to those involved with the movie would write about this or discuss it on a future dvd release.
It is so glaring it could not be either stupid writing or a goof. My guess is that it was a set up so that Day could sing her number. She was a lounge singer. It was an easy way for Day and Carson to meet suddenly, because they were both dressed improperly and to set off that wonderful chemistry between them. I noticed that there were no scenes in restaurants only in cocktail lounges and places where people could sing and dance. A scene with the two of them talking in a restaurant would have slowed up the movie.
As a veteran cruiser, let me help you out. ; )
Traditionally, ships offered two sittings for each meal: early and late. The chic passengers always requested the later sitting, so when the characters miss dinner there wouldn't be a later one. Also, the modern 24-7 food service wasn't around on ships back in the forties. While room service would likely have been available, there wouldn't have been a late night buffet or Veranda Grill like on modern cruise ships-and inexperienced travelers like Day's character might not think of it. (And in those days no self-respecting woman would consider taking a strange man to her cabin to share a room service dinner!)
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Zaphod's just zis guy, you know?
Doris wasn't on a "cruise". It was a scheduled liner sailing to South America. It is a common misconception that all sea voyages were cruises. I have seen the Titanic described as a cruise ship. Until the 1960's you could sail almost anywhere in the world on scheduled liner sailings. Moore McCormack operated from New York to South America until the late sixties. Of course you could book a round trip and treat it as a cruise, but you would have called at exactly the same ports on the way back. If you travelled first class the surroundings were luxurious but there was next to nothing in the way of entertainment, no theatres with big production shows. The best you could hope for was a cinema showing a new release at night. Passengers were encouraged to arrange their own amusements by setting up entertainment committees, otherwise it was deck quoits and watching the sea go by while waiting for the crossing the line ceremony. On longer voyages there could be as much as two weeks between ports, so a well stocked ship's library was a must.
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