Where are the Captain's Quarters?

[Rivet counter]

Looking at the 25th anniversary deckplans, D-Deck - or (Deck 4), contains 8 Senior Officer Cabins - I take that to be Rank 03 - Lt Commander - but according to the data sheet there are 8 Lt Commanders.... so this suggests the Captin's Quarters aren't on D Deck - the trouble is I can't see them anywhere on the ship.....

So where are they?

 

[Hutchy01]

On which ship? (and then what years/seasons?)

 

[T'Girl]

The TMP cutaway poster had them on deck four, port side, a short distance from the turbo lift.



†

 

[Rivet counter]

Specifically I'm looking at Enterprise-A, so films 4 -6, but argueably I see little reason why it wouldn't apply to NCC 1701, (Films 1 to 4).
From the fact that the set for any senoir officer quarters, was the same set, redressed - it's fair to assume that all senior quarters for Lt Commanders, (8 in No), plus the Captain, are required... 8+1 = 9 and there are only 8 on D Deck.
Possibly you might argue that the senior Doctor might have quarters nearer Sickbay for conveniance and the same might apply to Chief Engineer and Engine Room/s - but looking at NCC-1701-A plans they don't have any quarters to the same level as D-Deck anywhere else on the ship.... (and that doesn't even allow for quarters for any visting dignitory's, or VIP's, or guest scientists, or anybody else - I'm not 100% certain they even have enough berths for all the crew.....)

 

[Timo]

FWIW, we got onscreen signage with the number 3 in prominence for Kirk, McCoy and Kirk's Yeoman in TOS. It would be rather elegant to argue that nothing changed in the refit, and Deck 3 always was where the main characters resided (except when banished to secondary locations by diplomatic entourages or whatnot).

C Deck sounds like an all right location for top officer accommodation as such, with slightly lower-ranking officers on D Deck and VIP/Flag accommodation on B-Deck (as in "The Enterprise Incident" where the Romulan guest gets to live on Deck Two). The closer Kirk lives to the bridge, the better - also for plot reasons, such as in ST6 where we really would wish for the two corpses to be located in a corridor nobody else but the top officers use (lest they be found earlier by somebody else), and for this corridor to be as short as possible, hence up high.

By stacking the top officers on three superstructure decks, we can easily accommodate all of them (eight'ish being an okay number for Lt Cmdr and above in basically all the eps and movies); confining them to just D Deck does sound problematic.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Would all the ranking officers be on the same deck? For safety and security reasons would they not be a little more spread out, so one lucky torpedo doesn't breach the hull on deck 3/4 and cause explosive decompression, elliminating the top of the command chain in one fell swoop.

 

[Timo]

Hmm. During combat, all the top officers would be packed in the same room anyway. Why worry about noncombat distribution of assets?

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

A Klingon bird-of-prey decloaks in the middle of the night, when the Captain and several ranking officers are sleeping, and gets off a lucky shot before the shields can be raised.

 

[Rivet counter]

FWIW, we got onscreen signage with the number 3 in prominence for Kirk, McCoy and Kirk's Yeoman in TOS. It would be rather elegant to argue that nothing changed in the refit, and Deck 3 always was where the main characters resided (except when banished to secondary locations by diplomatic entourages or whatnot).

C Deck sounds like an all right location for top officer accommodation as such, with slightly lower-ranking officers on D Deck and VIP/Flag accommodation on B-Deck (as in "The Enterprise Incident" where the Romulan guest gets to live on Deck Two). The closer Kirk lives to the bridge, the better - also for plot reasons, such as in ST6 where we really would wish for the two corpses to be located in a corridor nobody else but the top officers use (lest they be found earlier by somebody else), and for this corridor to be as short as possible, hence up high.

By stacking the top officers on three superstructure decks, we can easily accommodate all of them (eight'ish being an okay number for Lt Cmdr and above in basically all the eps and movies); confining them to just D Deck does sound problematic.

Timo Saloniemi

It makes a lot of sence - but the published plans clearly show B & C Decks have no accomodation whatsoever....

 

[Rivet counter]

Would all the ranking officers be on the same deck? For safety and security reasons would they not be a little more spread out, so one lucky torpedo doesn't breach the hull on deck 3/4 and cause explosive decompression, elliminating the top of the command chain in one fell swoop.

The answer to that would be an arguement between common sence and age old tradition. Naval vessels at sea, (and it would appear in space) follow structured organisations, were the senor Officers are very much seperated from the junior ranks infact on Naval vessels it was quir#te common that Jnr ranks had to ask for permission to be allowwed into the confines of senior Officer areas. That coupled with the insistance of Roddebberry that the Bridge was always on the top of the ship. If it's Always there the emny would some learn where to aim the first shot...... it doesn't make sence except for the traditional feal of it....

 

[Rivet counter]

The replies so far all point to logic saying either Kirk is on B or C Deck or another Officer is on E or F decks.... but I can't see 1 oficer not being with the rest unless there is a Very good reason...... it would be a lot simpler if one of the Lt Cmd was in fact only a Lt on E Deck - and given the listing of Officers on the plans the most likely, I would suggest, would be the Quartermaster..... If you make them a Lt then we only have Cap + 7 Lt Cmd to fit in 8 cabins on D........

 

[Timo]

A Klingon bird-of-prey decloaks in the middle of the night, when the Captain and several ranking officers are sleeping, and gets off a lucky shot before the shields can be raised.

...Hopefully hitting officer accommodations rather than some crucial part of the ship!

Losing a bunch of officers is not all that significant in the big scheme of things. If you really are going to give Klingons the opportunity to take aim, what you want to distribute is propulsion, weaponry, life support, even recreational spaces, before you worry about your command staff.

It makes a lot of sence - but the published plans clearly show B & C Decks have no accomodation whatsoever....

They were probably printed that way to stop the Klingons from realizing they should aim at the superstructure...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Rivet counter]

...
Losing a bunch of officers is not all that significant in the big scheme of things. If you really are going to give Klingons the opportunity to take aim, what you want to distribute is propulsion, weaponry, life support, even recreational spaces, before you worry about your command staff.

Distributed systems is a very sound design factor - I'm typing this on the web - the largest distributed system in the world... so I agree dispersing systems across the whole ship is logical. (As is redunancy in systems design to allow for system re-routing in times of trouble) But I think the idea, that losing the entire command staff isn't that important, is a little of the mark....

 

[Rivet counter]

Looking at the Crew Breakdown - the logical conclusion is there are too many Lt Commanders on NCC1701-A....
With the Captain and 7 in No Lt Commanders that is D Deck full, so somebody needs demotion!
Looking at the relative importance, the likely candidate is the Quartermaster as although listed as Lt Commander on the plans - has a relatively small department, and relatively un-important, compared to the others, and as the next ranking officer below them is only an Ensign than reducing the role of QM to Lt wouldn't cause any problems with chain of command....?

 

[Nerys Myk]

Distributed systems is a very sound design factor - I'm typing this on the web - the largest distributed system in the world... so I agree dispersing systems across the whole ship is logical. (As is redunancy in systems design to allow for system re-routing in times of trouble) But I think the idea, that losing the entire command staff isn't that important, is a little of the mark....

Who is the "Command Staff"? The Captain and XO for sure. We also have a Second Officer who usually has a second job as well. What are the chance all three will be off the bridge at the same time? There's probably always a member of the command staff on the bridge. Even if it's a doctor who moonlights in command

 

[Rivet counter]

Who is the "Command Staff"? The Captain and XO for sure. We also have a Second Officer who usually has a second job as well. What are the chance all three will be off the bridge at the same time? There's probably always a member of the command staff on the bridge. Even if it's a doctor who moonlights in command

By Command Staff I'm including thetop ranking Officers as detailed in the 25th annivasary Ncc1701-A Deckplans:
Namely:-
Captain
Executive Officer (1st Officer) - Lt Cmd
Operations Officer (2nd Officer and in change of Helm and Navigation) - Lt Cmd
Science Officer - Lt Cmd
Medial Officer - Lt Cmd
Engineering Officer - Lt Cmd
Comunications Officer - Lt Cmd
Secuity - Lt Cmd
(The officer I dropped in Rank to fit the D-Deck Problem was Quartermaster) - was listed as Lt Cmd but I have dropped to Lt.
Based on the Classic Trek and the firsts Chain of command would probably be Captain - 1st Off - 2nd Off - Science - Engineering - Security - Comms. Medical techncally wouldn't be in the Chain at all but would have medical oversight over ANY Officer to perform Role.
As for actions such as the Self Destruct - I would assume it would take Captain (or acting Captain)+ either/both of the 1st and 2nd Officers or the Captain + any three of the rest....?
Also it should be noted that 2nd Officer as faras I can recall has never ever been seen or refered to on the show/films and for most of the Time Spock was both Science and 1st Officer, If 1 of Captain, 1st officer, 2nd Officer is always on the Bridge - the most senior Command would always be present - but that presumes only 3 shift cycle and the top three Officers never being together - something which the films and the TV series never eve did.

 

[J.T.B.]

Looking at the relative importance, the likely candidate is the Quartermaster as although listed as Lt Commander on the plans - has a relatively small department, and relatively un-important, compared to the others, and as the next ranking officer below them is only an Ensign than reducing the role of QM to Lt wouldn't cause any problems with chain of command....?

If that is supposed to be the Trek version of a real ship's supply officer, I can assure you that job is far from unimportant. Nor is the size of a department an indication of importance; on a real navy ship the navigation department is usually the smallest of all, but getting the vessel where it needs to be is obviously crucial.

 

[Maurice]

Kirk says "Level 5" when he, Decker and Bones leave the bridge in TMP. So, level/deck 5.

 

[Rivet counter]

If that is supposed to be the Trek version of a real ship's supply officer, I can assure you that job is far from unimportant. Nor is the size of a department an indication of importance; on a real navy ship the navigation department is usually the smallest of all, but getting the vessel where it needs to be is obviously crucial.

Oh I agree with your observation on importance but as all this got kicked off by having t0o many crew of Lt Cmd + the Captain to fit in Senior Rank Cabins one had to be less than Lt Cmd and Quartermaster just seems to make the most sence and fit in with most of what we have seen - Either that or as the role of Operations seems to be in chage of Helm and Navigation you might argue that role doesn't exist - we have never seen a Operations officer on 1701 or 1701-A but then again Helm and Navigator where usually higher ranking than Comms..... Is Security the one to get dropped down? The problem is QM is the only Officer listed on the Plans who is 2 levels above the next highest ranking in his department - so is the only one you could lower without having to move any body else......

 

[J.T.B.]

Oh I agree with your observation on importance but as all this got kicked off by having t0o many crew of Lt Cmd + the Captain to fit in Senior Rank Cabins one had to be less than Lt Cmd and Quartermaster just seems to make the most sence and fit in with most of what we have seen .

Well the military answer to who gets bumped down would be whoever is junior in their category.