In The Undiscovered Country, the crew's given orders to return to spacedock to have the Enterprise decommissioned and instead decide to get an attitude and run off with the "A" to parts unknown. This is one of those moments, I guess, where it's "just a movie" and we're not supposed to think on it, too much, if at all ... but ... what are their intentions? Is it to go off on a 5 year mission of their very own? What are we, the audience, supposed to be left to assume here about what they're doing with the ship, instead of having it scuttled, or whatever?
Kirk's crew's intention were to believe there's hope and you're never too old to be useful within the Star Trek Galaxy. We the audience assumes "optimism" for the future.
Just as we explicitly saw happen, Chekov chose the second star to the right, and sailed right into it. Which is why they have a new Enterprise in the next movie. Timo Saloniemi
Chekov: 'Captain, are you awake?' Kirk: <in sleeping quarters>: I am now, mr. Chekov. What is it? Chekov: we are hailed by the USS Bellopheron, the USS Endeavour and the USS Persistence... they tell us they have come as an escort of honour on our final leg into the solar system to the shipyards.' Kirk: Wha .... wait.... just where are we, Mr. Chekov? Chekov: At the edge of Sol system, Sir, which is what that 'second star to the right' turned out to be. Kirk: Damnit Chekov! If I've told you once, I've told you a hundred times! Even when I give a seemingly casual order, you as a navigations officer are still expected to carefully check where it is we're actually going to!
Then the sequel movie will be called Star Trek The Semi retired fugitives, I doubt one can run away with a large starship for 5 years and not get caught.
Star Trek VI's rival for the #1 at the Box Office during the Holiday season, was Steven Spielberg's Hook with Dustin Hoffman and Robin Williams as a grown-up Peter Pan. The line is both a cheery wave as it beat it, and a joke about the Original Crew being forever young at heart like J.M. Barrie's hero. In-universe it's harder to imagine it more than short-lived defiance, because the Captain's Log with its politically correct sign-off, openly admits it's basically all over for them.
Why not? Usually Our Heroes are depicted as both being much more lucky and much more competenent than the rest of Starfleet
Ultimately, it's probably just a victory lap, cruise her about for some time, a day, maybe two or so, enough time to take in the beauty of the galaxy they'd explored. His final log indicates as much. "This is the final cruise of..." Not mission, not adventure, just cruise. Give them a chance to tour the ship one last time, collect their things, mementos, say their proper farewells etc.... Take their sweet ass time saying goodbye to their home, while still enjoying it, rather than in the cold sterile lockdown of a docking bay, but out there, where it too lived a life Interestingly enough, the quote coming from Peter Pan in reference to the location of Neverland, carries with it connotations of never wanting to grow up, give up the dream of youth/wonder etc... They're just basking in the glow of that wondrous starlight one last time
In 2292 a crack starship crew was asked to return to Earth to be decommissioned. These men (and one woman) promptly escaped from Federation space to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire the 1701-A-Team.
I don't think we were supposed to read any more into it than a touch of poetry--and one of Nicholas Meyer's trademark literary allusions. I always just assumed they took a "victory lap" as Mojochi said, and took the scenic route home.
In the novels, they went on a couple more adventures (and were given a reprieve from Starfleet) before heading home.