Well, I will jump in on this one. Seems things never change. Sea duty is a function of your job and the Capitan. The job seldom changes, but a good Capitan is a world of difference over a bad one.
Anyway, my first fleet experience was reporting aboard the USS Bainbridge in May of 1968, as she sat in dry dock in Vallejo finishing up the first refueling. The deck watch, an ET was elated to see me as his division was expecting a new body. When he said, "Oh no, another Nuke" I should have taken pause.
Anyway, life as a RO was three section duty in port, and 4-8's underway. Add to that qualifications, and maintenance, there was little time to yourself. My favorite watch was the 4-8's . After the 16-2000 I got to watch the movie, then came the 0400-0800, a great watch, never had to go to quarters. I did this for two years, and it was one of the most memorable experiences I had. The ship was not a happy ship, but we did get good ports of call. (nukes then did not get special pay, other then re-up pay)
After two years, I got orders for Idaho Falls, which I turned down, taking instead a billet on the USS Decatur DDG-31. Life in the conventional Navy as an E-6, in Operations, was worlds apart from Nukes. The only time I stood port and starboard watches was during condition 2 steaming during the Indian/Pakistani war.
Oh, an aside. When I first enlisted, I wanted Submarine services, but because I wore glasses, I was not accepted. I do remember at quarters on the Bainbridge, the Division Officer announced that the Submarine Services were looking of RO's, even with poor eye sight, and asked for volunteers. No one step forward then or later...
After a total of six years in the Navy, I was faced with orders to the USS Enterprise or leave the Navy. I requested dropping the nuke designator as a condition to re-enlistment. Did not happen, so I left.