Wardroom Etiquette

[Sabre170]

I know in OCS the nice old etiquette lady talkeda little about how to enter, sit, and eat in a ward room, but in reality what are the protocol for the wardrooms? Is it different from ship to ship? On small ships do the Officers all eat together and on Carriers you eat when you can? Can some of you share of things not to do - besides talk politics and religion, in a Wardroom -- maybe share some of the classic Ensign/JG mistakes.

 

[phrogdriver]

My experience has been with gators. The small decks tend to be very formal. On mine, you submitted your meal order to the steward, and he brought a plate to your seat. If a senior officer was eating, you requested permission to join the mess.

The big deck was just like a cafeteria. Asking "Join you, sir," before sitting down at a table with a senior officer was about as formal as it got.

I think the degree of etiquette does vary with the ship's captain. Obviously though, a ship with over 100 officers can't have the same level of formality. If every one of those guys asked permission to join the mess, the CO would never get to eat.

 

[Steve Wilkins]

That's as formal as we got on the cruiser. Same thing on the carrier, whether you were sitting down with an officer more senior than you or even just your peers. If you're joining a group of peers that you hang out with a lot and eat together often, it's pretty customary to just join them. Having someone ask you to join you to eat is kind of annoying, but expected too. On the carrier, the wardroom has a lot of small tables. So even when a senior officer would join us, he showed us the same respect that we would show him by asking to join us.

We didn't use meal tickets on the cruiser. Though I think we should have. After we sat down, we would have to wait for the FSA to come over and take our order. Hopefully he got it right. On the carrier, you stand in line like a cafeteria and tell the guys behind the line what you want. You get your plate and then go sit down as described in the above paragraph. Sit there for an hour or so and just hang out and then when you're done you go take a nap. The nap is required.

 

[Harrier Dude]

Be safe and ask the senior dude at the table to join the mess. They may look like they don't care, but it only takes one who does to be a pain in the butt.

Also, be polite to the messmen. Most are drawn from other shops than just the boat (i.e.some of your own guys) and it's thankless work. In that vein, don't be a "typical jerk officer" and leave your tray for them to pick up. They didn't join the navy or Marines to be a busboy. Take it to the scullery yourself. You'll probably get less spit/pubes in your chow that way.

 

[H20man]

Also, be polite to the messmen. Most are drawn from other shops than just the boat (i.e.some of your own guys) and it's thankless work. In that vein, don't be a "typical jerk officer" and leave your tray for them to pick up. They didn't join the navy or Marines to be a busboy. Take it to the scullery yourself. You'll probably get less spit/pubes in your chow that way.

If you get something you didn't want (ordered cheese pizza and got pepperoni instead), or if your soup happens to catch a thumb when the ship rolls, don't send it back, otherwise you'll get more than you bargined for (a dirty dicked plate or various other things)

 

[bunk22]

Be safe and ask the senior dude at the table to join the mess. They may look like they don't care, but it only takes one who does to be a pain in the butt.

Also, be polite to the messmen. Most are drawn from other shops than just the boat (i.e.some of your own guys) and it's thankless work. In that vein, don't be a "typical jerk officer" and leave your tray for them to pick up. They didn't join the navy or Marines to be a busboy. Take it to the scullery yourself. You'll probably get less spit/pubes in your chow that way.

Well said. Majority of the time, most senior guys won't care but there will always be one or two who will.

Some of the mess crank sailors are so junior, they often seem to be very scared or intimidated in the wardroom. Taking it easy on them goes a long way........and like others said, it keeps dirty stuff out of your food.

 

[BigIron]

Well said. Majority of the time, most senior guys won't care but there will always be one or two who will.

Aviators care? or is this a ship's company thing?

 

[Steve Wilkins]

Aviators care? or is this a ship's company thing?

??

 

[Gatordev]

Aviators care? or is this a ship's company thing?

I've seen both.

 

[skidkid]

On the Green side on a big Amphib asking is the exception to the rule, the ACE usually has "their" table where all the Captains and Lts sit and it isnt as formal, if it is crowded and youa re looking for an empty seat ask.
As for trays BUS YOUR OWN DAMN TRAY! I cant emphasize this enough, life a s a Messmen sucks enough without having to carry your dishes to the scullery.

All of the above applies to the big decks, on the small boys it is more formal and there really isnt room for you to bus your own tray-they do however hae better food

 

[bunk22]

Aviators care? or is this a ship's company thing?

Some aviators care I'm sure. Rarely have I eaten with any senior SWO types.

 

[Harrier Dude]

Aviators care? or is this a ship's company thing?

Some do. We had a "talking to" by our ACE XO about that, but not sure if it was his idea or if was just passing on the word from above. Just like saluting and calling people "sir", better safe than sorry.

 

[A4sForever]

ALWAYS clean up after yourself. Didn't your parents teach you ANYTHING .... ???

Doesn't matter whether it's the ships "main" wardroom (or the only one) or the "dirty shirt mess" (i.e., the informal, airdale working man's "wardroom" ) on a carrier -- ALWAYS bus your plates/trays and clean up after yourself.

Back-in-the-day .... Aviators usually avoided the ship's mess like the plague --- unless they were having a "special" meal; like Thursday or Sunday .... or when in transit (TRANSPAC) and the dirty shirt mess was shut down --- for whatever reason(s). The food was usually better in the main wardroom but the Black Shoe's sit-down, stuffy pretentions at "etiquette" gave most of us a rash. Still ... sometimes good food and therefore worth "dressing up" .

I did come to appreciate some of the finer things in life as a result of "noshing" in the main wardroom: Beluga caviar on toast tips ... I kid you not. I still don't know where the mess got it --- as Ivan was not our "buddy" back then .... but, unfortunately, the vodka was reserved for our staterooms, only. :icon_rast

Best meal I ever had aboard ship was in the ship's CO's stateroom ... if you have the means and opportunity .. I highly recommend it. :captain_1

 

[Harrier Dude]

... if you have the means and opportunity .. I highly recommend it. :captain_1 [/B]
[/B]

Nice Ferris Beuler flashback.....I figured you'd have missed that one.

 

[A4sForever]

Nice Ferris Beuler flashback.....I figured you'd have missed that one.

You kidding ??? Ferris' character was loosely based on my high school career ...