<p>Many years ago the third class and some of the first class would all go to a couple of ships on each coast. These were the NATRON cruises if I remember the name correctly. The third class wore dungarees and were assigned to an enlisted running mate. It was a very good experience and you learned a great deal. The first class were assigned to a junior officer and also oversaw the third class. This was a great training experience. The main reason it worked was because that was the ships’ duty at the time: train Midshipmen. We were underway for about 6-8 weeks. It was a good deal for the ships, because the port visits were often in great places, such as Sidney, Aus; Auckland, NZ; Hong Kong; Copenhagen; etc. The Optempo of today’s ships may not allow for this type of cruise. But it was great and served the purpose of experiencing the fleet.</p>