MODADKC

At the end of Plebe year, a summer cruise occurs. I have heard the ex-plebe is accompanied by an enlisted sailor on a ship maybe to a port and then back to the yard. Is there a common area to sail to in the summer cruise?

Victor
USNA 2010

Wheelah44

your "youngster cruise" is what i'm guessing you're referring to. you'll be assigned a ship or submarine(males only) where, while onboard, you'll have a running mate who is enlisted. you'll spend your time on the ship mostly with them, learning about their job and from the enlisted in general. i'm confused about what you meant by "to a port"...wherever your ship is during the time you're assigned to it, that's where you are: be it underway or not. you have the same hours as your running-mate, meaning you probably have liberty starting from 1600 until khaki call at 0700 (you don't even have to sleep on the ship.) my ship was an LSD, stationed in little creek, va. we were underway for a grand total of about 3 days in 3 weeks and had the time of our lives. some people go to japan, some to pearl harbor, some to the med, some to san diego and some to norfolk, it all depends.

Wheelah44

the running-mate doesn't "accompany" you anywhere off the ship, and he definitely doesn't come back to the yard with you.

penQuinz

Are you allowed to pick your own running mate? My cousin is enlisted, any chance I'll be able to follow him?

Wheelah44

um, in the rare event that you get assigned to his ship, i guess you could request him....but unless you know an officer who can call the summer training office and request you to be on his ship, and they go for it.....don't count on it.

JamTex

Pick you own running mate?
Don't get too far ahead of yourself, Admiral.

At this stage fo the game, just about everything is picked for you.
You can put in requests for some things--don't think running mates is one of them--but for most things you get what they give you.

The chances of you being assigned to the same ship as your cousin and THEN getting him/her as a running mate are about .00000001%

It's fun nonetheless.

jadler03

Additionally,

Don't make any liberty plans before you get to your ship. My ship was underway 28 days of a 32 day cruise.

We left Norfolk the morning after we arrived and spent 2 weeks on a workup exercise with the TR Strike Group in the Atlantic Ocen. At the end of the 2 weeks, we pulled into Port Evergaldes, Ft. Lauderdale, FL for July 4th for 4 days.

We then left Port Everglades for another 2 weeks of exercises with the TR before returning to Norfolk and disembarking.

Midn cruises vary in length for underway periods...you might not be underway at all or you might be underway the entire time.

I had a more meaningful cruise, in my opinion. I got to spend time with the E's underway....actually seeing what they did; I also got to stand as the conning officer on our way back to Norfolk for a couple 5 hour watch periods; two F-16's (yes, USAF!) from GA split our ship and then went straight up at the bow as a fly by.