Ship tours

[Finalman]

I went to norfolk on nov. 11th with our recruiting zone, we went to the exchange, a helo hanger and took a tour of a destroyer, what's the process of letting a civilian visit on-board a ship, my girl is going to try to go with my zone while i'm in boot camp or A school (which ever i'm in when they all go) and i was wanting to see If I could take her on a personal tour once I was assigned to my carrier. I know I at least can't show her all of the ship, like my work area and such, but at least take her to the mess hall, and sleeping quarters (forgot the word... I'll look in my bluejackets man. and change it later).

[Rad Sponge]

There are many factors which control ship accessibility to the public.

1. Threat Condition
2. Ship's schedule
others

I figure you for a surface sailor, so I will say that carriers probably have more public access  than a submarine. Once you are there there will most likely be family days, etc.

Also, weekends will most likely be days to have non-scheduled visits.

If you are a sub designee, there will be less access and if you are a SSBN destined sailor, don't even worry about about until after she gets all her security ID stuff done and then its up to the command and others when the family can visit. I remember it got really tight in King's Bay after 9-11 and family access was seriously restricted other than when we came back from deployment.

When my family did visit, it was on a Saturday when nothing was going on.

My best advice is for you to get her introduced to the ship's ombudsman (ship's liason) so she can stay abrest of the going's on with your command.

[RetSquid]

I have to agree with what Karma had to say. The best times for escorting her aboard would be weekends.

[Roll Tide]

Show her a museum ship. It's still Port and Starboard, painted haze grey. Then you can just tell her the minor differences (from a civillian perspective) between the USS Yorktown (museum Patriot's Point near Charleston, SC) and USS Nimitz.

[youngrv]

USS Nautilus Museum in New London is pretty good.  I felt like I was back on an old Boomer.  Bastards didn't let you go back aft.

[BuddyThePug]

I went to norfolk on nov. 11th with our recruiting zone, we went to the exchange, a helo hanger and took a tour of a destroyer, what's the process of letting a civilian visit on-board a ship, my girl is going to try to go with my zone while i'm in boot camp or A school (which ever i'm in when they all go) and i was wanting to see If I could take her on a personal tour once I was assigned to my carrier. I know I at least can't show her all of the ship, like my work area and such, but at least take her to the mess hall, and sleeping quarters (forgot the word... I'll look in my bluejackets man. and change it later).

I'd be leery of that for another reason as well...on my ship, I saw a few incidents of mischief girlfriends (and even wives) getting WAY too much conversation/attention/"yo baby yo" from the other hundreds of squids on board. Take Roll's advice, its easier to see more of a museum ship, and a lot less drama. One of my shipmates ended up at Admiral's Mast over one such incident...

[GLW]

USS Nautilus Museum in New London is pretty good.  I felt like I was back on an old Boomer.  Bastards didn't let you go back aft.

Nautilus launched today,....sixty years ago,...