R and R on the Messdecks

Most people spend all day at work looking forward to getting off work and relaxing: going to see a movie, going on a date, playing videogames, or whatever they do to forget the rigors or brainlessness of their job. While out to sea there really isn’t much to look forward to. Constantly moving, with people on watch posts twenty-four hours a day while underway, the ship literally never sleeps and that constant movement and activity make it hard for some people to relax. If they can’t relax in their off hours the tension of the day will transfer on to the next day and continue on until the tension gets to be too much and people snap in various ways harmful to themselves and possibly others as well. In an effort to avoid the snapping, volunteers from every department and division get together to plan something for each night the ship is underway, or at least a few nights a week. Often they’ll set up a Guitar Hero or Halo tournament or dominoes or a popular movie on a projector or karaoke and ice cream for everyone after work hours. Usually the moral event is held on the messdecks but may be moved to a conference room with a bigger screen. I’ve noticed that some of the television shows comment in passing that they have weekly crew movies, they make little comments such as meeting at the movie or needing to miss the movie for work. Depending on the type of ship you are creating you should decide what amusements your crew will look forward to at the end of the day.