Don't you mean, after the Millennium Falcon's appearance among the Federation fleet in Jonathan Frakes'
Star Trek: First Contact?
I hear you; I really do. I know about John Knoll (from ILM) adding "The Millenium Falcon," in Jonathan Frakes directorial debut (for a major feature) as you say. And I'll be honest with you, I would've much rather Knoll just kept everything STAR TREK, without indulging himself, too much, but ... the truth is you can't even make out what it is. We only know that it's the Falcon because he said it is. It resembles a blurry grey tear, it almost doesn't look like anything at all. If memory serves, it didn't even have the blue flame coming out the ass of it, either. And I can excuse it, for the fact that we can't make it out.
R2-D2, on the other hand, is fairly obvious and detailed enough, where we're actually supposed to recognise and acknowledge it.
It's winking at the audience. AND it happened twice, R2 makes a reprise in STID. The reboot's not subtle about "Easter eggs." And if it doesn't really matter WHO is fleshing out the background and crowd scenes, why not have the woman who plays Seska have a reaction shot, next to Brent Spiner who's holding Kate Mulgrue? I mean it really wouldn't be much different than having STAR WARS characters floating about, except for them being from the same franchise.
I understand wanting to start completely new, without anybody from before ever in any of the new STAR TREKs - Hell, I even agree with it - but it's too late for that. Peter Weller & Leonard Nimoy did it, now there's no justification for denying cameos to any of TREK's alumni - unless they're like Shatner who's going to demand the spotlight instead, but we already know about them.