The first space cruise of Senior Cadets. This during the period just before the beginning of the Senior Year. Cadet Cruises last about a month. A training ship is used for this purpose. This is usually a Starship considered dated for front line duty but will plenty of time left on the hull. It is considered an honorable retirement for well loved ships of the fleet to be used as the Acadmey Training vessel. Heavy cruiser types are preferred for space considerations, and the Starfleet preference foe the type. Generally there is not a single training ship. The number of cadets graduated each year requires a fleet of vessels. Each will usually make two cruises a year.
A Cadet Cruise will involve the Cadets taking full control of the starship. Command School cadets (5th Year) are generally placed in command positions watched by training officers. Seniors (4th year) will fill all other roles, again with a watchful eye on things.
Famous Training Ships
- USS Harper's Ferry WS-177 (Sojourner class warp cruiser) The first vessel to be assigned to Starfleet Acadmey as a Trainer.
- USS Enterprise NCC-1701 (Constitution class refit) One of the briefest careers as a training ship she only lasted two years. It was one of the rare cases where cadets got involved in actual shooting during the Genesis Incident. Cadet Peter Preston was awarded the Federation Medal of Honor (posthumous) for his actions in saving the Enterprise. Only the second Cadet to be so honored.
- USS Excelsior NCC-2000 Attacked by the renegade Klingon vessel "Grandfather's Revenge" (vavnl bortaS) Under the Command of Captain Michell. He and the Cadets successfully repelled the attack. Excelsior was retired from the training fleet after this incident.