Tiger Cruise

[Aurelius33]

Good afternoon Marines,
As the son of a Senior Chief I grew up around the Navy, and some of my favorite memories were going on the "tiger cruises" when the families of the sailors would get to come aboard for a few days. I was thinking about it the other day and was wondering if the Marines on board are allowed the same privilege?
I am going in under the Combat Support option and I am hoping for AAV Crewman which means I could conceivably end up on an Amphibious Ship. I am of course focusing on Boot Camp first and foremost, but was just curious if there is a chance that my son would eventually get to do something like that? I know this is a trivial question but I'm just curious. Thank you all for your time!

-Poolee Bowen

[Beltayn]

I got to go on an awesome tiger cruise on the U.S.S Lake Champlain as a kid, courtesy of my dad, then a Naval Lieutenant. It was an incredible experience.
Unfortunately, I think that they are mostly a Navy thing, since there is not really room for civilians aboard an amphibious boat bearing a MEU element.

[Aurelius33]

Thats a shame that it is for Navy only. I was able to go on two cruises aboard the USS Whidbey Island, LSD-41. One was around 92 or 93 and they had just come home from enforcing immigration policies off the coasts of Haiti and Cuba. I remember seeing all the Marines in their BDUs with their M16s sitting on the flight deck and I thought they looked so awesome. I asked my dad what they do, he said they were "kind of like Army guys but better."

I really enjoyed the cruises as a kid. It was on board the Whidbey that I first witnessed an AAV and LCAC launch from the well deck, something that has stuck with me ever since.

[MGySgtSki]

I got to go on an awesome tiger cruise on the U.S.S Lake Champlain as a kid, courtesy of my dad, then a Naval Lieutenant. It was an incredible experience.
Unfortunately, I think that they are mostly a Navy thing, since there is not really room for civilians aboard an amphibious boat bearing a MEU element.

That's not true. Well, at least not true as of 2003. Things could have changed since then, but every deployment I went on up until then, there was always the option of the Marines staying on the ship and bringing Tigers aboard. This was on the east coast and they would come aboard either over the beach at Lejeune or in Morehead City and ride the ship up to Norfolk with their parents. Me? I was always too happy just to be home and never took advantage of it. Well, that and my son wasn't old enough to know what was going on as of my last deployment, so maybe that had something to do with it too.