It used to be the case on cruise ships that strangers were thrown together randomly at dinner times in a huge dining room and were expected to make do with one another’s company. This has now changed – markedly. Not only is there flexibility in dining times, but the variety of quality of dining is on the up. Norwegian Cruise Line has done away with the large dining room, the two dinner seatings, and the assigned table companions and the nightly dress code. Taking this on board (to pardon the pun), other cruise lines have introduced galleys housing small, individual restaurants, scattered here and there, particularly on the newer ships. The Norwegian Jewel, launched last year, has 10 eateries.
