Movie Theaters

All but the smallest vessels have a room for screening movies. On older ships and some newer ones, this is often a genuine cinema-style movie theater. On other ships, it may be just a multipurpose room. The films are frequently one or two months past their first release but not yet available on videotape or cable TV. Films rated "R" are edited to minimize sex and violence. On a weeklong voyage, a dozen different films may be screened, each one repeated at various times during the day. Theaters are also used for lectures, religious services, and private meetings.

Many shipboard libraries also stock videotapes that can be played on the in-cabin VCRs. Almost all ships these days show recently released movies on their closed-circuit television systems. Some also show satellite news programming like CNN International, which has become standard fare on most in-cabin TVs.