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"These are your quarters, Seven. They should reflect your individuality."
– Neelix to Seven of Nine, 2378 ("Human Error")

The term quarters referred to accommodations on board spacecraft and space stations and also to accommodations in a building. Quarters could be found all over mobile and stationary facilities, varying in size and detail. An individual room was called a cabin. One form of discipline was being confined to quarters.

The Vulcan monks at the monastery at P'Jem had living quarters. They were not located in the eastern tower of the monastery and were not searched by the Andorian Keval when Thy'lek Shran asked him about the search progress. (ENT: "The Andorian Incident")

Types of quarters[]

Typically, a spacecraft or space station featured at least four kinds of crew accommodations:

  • Guest quarters: A living space assigned to a temporary resident of a space station or spacecraft. Standard guest quarters on a Galaxy-class starship were considered far more luxurious than those on board a 23rd century starbase, and were not the largest quarters available. (TNG: "Relics") The guest quarters aboard Deep Space 9 were located in corridor H-12-A. (DS9: "The Forsaken")
  • Crew's quarters: The majority of the enlisted crew and junior officers shared quarters and bunk areas on Excelsior-class and Constitution-class vessels. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country; VOY: "Flashback") On starships of the Galaxy-class, crew members ranked lieutenant junior grade or higher were given their own quarters while personnel up to the rank of ensign were required to share quarters. (TNG: "Lower Decks") The crew quarters aboard the space station Deep Space 9 were larger than the usual guest quarters. (DS9: "The Forsaken")
  • Officers' quarters: Many starships featured separate quarters for higher-ranked officers. Usually, these staterooms were composed of two or more areas, featuring separate bed and bathrooms and a dedicated work and living area. (TNG: "Schisms")
  • VIP and captain's quarters: Each starship typically featured a number of VIP staterooms, reserved for guests. Usually, the accommodations of the ship's commanding officer were similar to these staterooms, being slightly larger than the standard officers' quarters. (TNG: "Sarek") Sometimes, the captain's quarters were referred to as a "cabin". (TOS: "The Cage")

Early Earth spacecraft[]

In the mid-20th century, the earliest Earth spacecraft had the crew living and working in a crew cabin. Schematics of the Apollo Command/Service and Lunar Modules depicting the crew cabin were stored in the USS Enterprise's library computer database. This database was accessed by the Talosians in 2254. (TOS: "The Cage", remastered)

Aboard the J-class freighter ECS Horizon, guest quarters were located in room B3, whereas room B6 was Travis Mayweather's cabin. It was reassigned to another member of the Horizon's crew when Mayweather left the ship to enter Starfleet. The room's occupant didn't mind giving up the cabin for a few days in 2153, while Mayweather visited the ship. Shortly prior to that visit, suspecting he might feel more at home surrounded by some of his former belongings, Mayweather's mother, Rianna, redecorated the cabin with them. The items included a model of the Phoenix. Upon Mayweather arriving back on board the Horizon, he initially assumed he was assigned to guest quarters and was therefore surprised to discover he had instead been allocated his old room, also astounded by the fact his mother had kept a star chart he had once created and which now adorned one of the cabin's walls. (ENT: "Horizon")

Starfleet quarters[]

Starfleet starships typically featured three kinds of crew accommodations, with enlisted personnel and junior officers sharing quarters, higher-ranked officers being granted separate quarters, and slightly larger staterooms being reserved for the ship's captain and guests. As the starships grew larger, so did their crew accommodations, logically progressing toward more luxury and comfort. Thus, officers' quarters on board vessels of the 23rd century Constitution-class were equal in size and comfort to the accommodations of junior officers on board the 24th century Galaxy-class. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country; TNG: "Lower Decks")

One could request a new room assignment if they were unhappy with whom they shared quarters with. (TNG: "Lower Decks")

In times of emergency, crew quarters aboard Starfleet vessels could be converted into shelters for the crew. (TNG: "The Last Outpost"; Star Trek Generations; VOY: "Year of Hell")

NX-class[]

Crew quarters on board vessels of the NX-class were located on Decks B through E. Very few had a view of space – usually only those of the higher-ranked officers and those reserved for guests, which were located on Decks D and G. (ENT: "Cold Front", "Babel One") The structure and materials of the NX-class starship did not allow large transparent surfaces exposed to space; therefore, there were only a few small windows throughout the entire vessel.

Enlisted crew shared quarters aboard NX-class vessels. Shared quarters were small and very cramped, containing a set of bunk beds, a small desk and two storage lockers. (ENT: "Cold Front") Officers' quarters were larger, containing a moderately-sized bed, a desk, several lockers, and various built-in shelves for further storage. (ENT: "Breaking the Ice", et al.) The captain enjoyed the largest quarters, containing a double bed and multiple desk areas. All crew quarters had their own personal bathrooms containing a shower, lavatory, and sink. (ENT: "Broken Bow", "Unexpected", et al.)

In the mirror universe, at least some crew on NX-class battle cruisers also had to share quarters. Members of the captain's personal guard, however, were given their own quarters, as well as better food. (ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly")

Crossfield-class[]

USS Discovery Quarters

Junior officer's quarters' on board a Crossfield-class starship

Michael Burnham's Quarters

Captain's quarters' on board a Crossfield-class starship

Crew quarters were shared aboard Crossfield-class vessels. The room contained two desk areas and a bed on each side of the room. Crew quarters also had their own personal bathrooms. (DIS: "The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry")

Quarters for the senior staff were similar in shape and size. The only difference was that they had only one occupant. (DIS: "Lethe")

Constitution-class[]

Crew quarters on board starships of the Constitution-class were located throughout the vessel's saucer section. On starships of the original configuration, the officers' quarters featured two areas, separated partly by a wall fragment. One area was allocated as a sleeping area, featuring a comfortable bed, and another as a work area, providing a desk and computer terminal. Entrance to a bathroom was provided through the quarters' sleeping area. Both areas could be configured to personal preference. (ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly"; TOS: "The Enemy Within")

On starships of the refit configuration, staterooms of the senior officers were composed of two areas which were separated by a retractable, transparent aluminum partition. The room's entrance opened into the living area. A library computer terminal and work desk were provided here. The room's corner circular nook, normally occupied by a dining booth, could be modified at the officer's request. The other half of the stateroom was a sleeping area, which held a single large bed that could double as a sofa during off-duty relaxation. A transparent door led into the bathroom area.

Later refits of the class reduced the size of the senior officer's quarters to one good-sized room which served both functions. Specifically, the officer's quarters contained a bed, desk, and computer terminal, all along the main wall of the room, with closet space off to the left. The room also contained a replicator. (Star Trek: The Motion Picture; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)

Charlie walks into forcefield

Charles Evans' quarters aboard the USS Enterprise, 2266

In 2266, Charles Evans was assigned quarters on the USS Enterprise, while visiting the ship. After the cabin's door was rigged with a force field, Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Commander Spock attempted to trap Evans in his quarters, in an attempt to neutralize destructive proclivities which Evans had. His quarters were no match for Evans' mental abilities, as he simply dematerialized the bulkhead containing the circuitry powering the force field. (TOS: "Charlie X")

The area Evans is (temporarily) trapped in isn't referred to as his quarters on-screen, but the episode's final draft script made it clear it was intended to be his quarters.

In 2268, on stardate 4372.5, while on board the Enterprise, the Dohlman of Elas, Elaan, complained to Captain Kirk about the small guest quarters she was given. Kirk replied that their communications officer (Nyota Uhura) had gladly vacated her quarters for Elaan's use. (TOS: "Elaan of Troyius")

Starbase 11[]

In 2267, Starbase 11 included a set of guest quarters, where Captain Kirk resided while he was confined to the starbase. These quarters were visited by Samuel T. Cogley, who filled the area with books. (TOS: "Court Martial")

In an ultimately omitted line of dialogue from the final draft script of TOS: "Court Martial", Kirk's quarters at Starbase 11 were referred to as being located on the other side of a mall from an officer's lounge.

Excelsior-class[]

Excelsior quarters, bunks

Quarters aboard an Excelsior-class starship

On board the Excelsior-class, senior officers, such as the captain, had private quarters below decks. (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country) Captain Hikaru Sulu's quarters were located on Deck 3. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)

There were also multiple Excelsior-class quarters for the enlisted crew, junior officers, and officers, many of whom shared quarters and bunk areas. Those rooms varied in occupant size from four to nine. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country; VOY: "Flashback")

The Excelsior-class captain's quarters in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock were one of numerous reuses of Kirk's quarters from Star Trek: The Motion Picture. (text commentary, Star Trek: The Motion Picture (The Director's Edition) DVD) In its Excelsior configuration, the set included a distinctively designed cup that was custom-made for the third film. Two such cups could later to be found in Captain Picard's ready room throughout much of the run of Star Trek: The Next Generation. (text commentary, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Special Edition) DVD)
The Excelsior-class crew quarters were represented by a set on Paramount Stage 9. (information from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country call sheet)

Galaxy-class[]

Most crew quarters on board the Galaxy-class starship were located within the ship's saucer section, in order to provide safety for civilian and non-essential personnel during a saucer separation. However, the engineering hull also contained crew quarters, generally containing engineering personnel and their families. (TNG: "Imaginary Friend"; Star Trek Generations) Pets, including cats and dogs, were also allowed aboard ship. (TNG: "Data's Day") The style of furnishing in Galaxy-class quarters was described as "Federation Decor". (TNG: "The Price")

Galaxy class junior officers quarters

Junior officers' quarters on board a Galaxy-class

The accommodations of junior officers were located on the interior of the ship and lacked windows. They were composed of a living area, a bedroom, and a bathroom. The living area contained a replicator terminal and was customizable with a variety of furniture and decorations.

Galaxy class quaters2

Senior officers' quarters on board a Galaxy-class starship

The accommodations of higher-ranked officers lined the edge of the saucer section. (TNG: "Genesis") They contained a living area, a bedroom, and a bathroom area. Most of the senior officers' quarters had several vertical windows each, through which one could see the stars. These windows were set into an angled ceiling.

The captain's quarters, located on Deck 9, were similar to the accommodations of senior officers, yet were slightly larger, providing a large desk area and work terminal. VIP staterooms shared the same layout and were sometimes even larger. (TNG: "Too Short A Season")

  • The same year, guest quarters were equipped with a desk. An example was guest quarters used for Admiral Gregory Quinn, which included such a desk. (TNG: "Conspiracy")
  • In 2369, on stardate 46125.3, Captain Montgomery Scott, after being rescued from the crashed USS Jenolan, was shown his guest quarters aboard the Enterprise-D by Ensign Kane. Scotty remarked at the luxury of starship guest quarters compared to those in his day aboard the Enterprise. (TNG: "Relics")

Defiant-class[]

Defiant class quarters

Crew quarters on board a Defiant-class starship

Due to the limited space available on board vessels of the Defiant-class, all crew members had to share their quarters with at least one other crewmate during normal times of operation – with the exception of the vessel's commanding officer, who was granted a separate room on Deck 1, which doubled as the captain's ready room. Crew accommodations included twenty-two main cabins and ten contingency cabins, each equipped with a minimum of two bunks. These cabins could be outfitted with as many as six bunks, allowing for a potential total crew of 192. Each cabin was equipped with one replicator port and one standard computer terminal. Overall, crew quarters on board Defiant-class vessels were the most spartan in Starfleet. (DS9: "The Search, Part I", "Defiant", "Past Tense, Part II", "Rules of Engagement")

The cramped nature of the Defiant-class crew quarters was thought up by the DS9 writing staff. "Even though some directors will still bitch about it, we wanted cramped quarters," remembered Ira Steven Behr. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 27, No. 4/5, p. 96) This aspect of the Defiant-class quarters was deliberately typical of conditions aboard those vessels. "They are really small rooms with built-in bunks," stated Herman Zimmerman, "and not a great deal of luxury as you would find on the Enterprise." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 27, No. 4/5, p. 97) The Defiant-class quarters were built as a generic set that could serve as whichever character's quarters were required to be depicted, such as those of Benjamin Sisko, Jadzia Dax, or Julian Bashir. The set was built during the third season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The multiple potential uses of the set were facilitated by the fact it had three movable (or "wild") walls. "There's only one wall that isn't wild," explained Robert della Santina. "It's the one that includes the doorway. That's a double-faced wall that also serves as part of the corridor." However, the other walls could be removed, at a director's discretion, to give the room any one of three different appearances, related Santina. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion (p. 211))

Intrepid-class[]

Intrepid class crew quarters

Senior officers' quarters on board an Intrepid-class starship

Crew accommodations on board vessels of the Intrepid-class were quite similar in furniture and layout to those on board Galaxy-class starships. Other than the difference of their grey color scheme, they were smaller than those on Galaxy-class starships but had similar amenities.

Sovereign-class[]

Sovereign Crew Quarters bedroom

Officers' quarters' bedroom on board a Sovereign-class starship

Starships of the Sovereign-class featured crew accommodations similar in size and layout to those on board vessels of the Galaxy-class. The quarters of senior officers typically featured a living area in the center of the dwelling, which held a personal workstation, couch, replicator and a small dining area. Usually, the bedroom would be connected by a half-bathroom with washbasin, mirror, several drawers and a sonic shower. For members of the senior staff, this area was usually upgraded to a full-size bathroom with bath tub. (Star Trek: Insurrection)

Deep Space 9[]

Deep Space 9 crew quarters

Quarters on Deep Space 9

DS9 MSD

DS9 schematic

Most quarters on space station Deep Space 9 were located in the station's habitat ring. Several of these accommodations featured two bedrooms located on either side of the large living area, several octagonal windows providing a view into space, a replicator unit and a door along the same wall offering egress into the corridor. Typically, spots of light were shone down through many circular holes in the ceiling, matching a lighting technique found in the station's corridors. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

The location of the crew quarters was labeled on a schematic of Deep Space 9 that was seen in the station's wardroom. (DS9: "The Search, Part I")

A set of quarters which Jake Sisko and Nog occupied in 2373 featured a small living area between two sleeping areas, with egress provided on each side of the room to the station's corridors. (DS9: "The Ascent")

The script of "Emissary" described Sisko's quarters on DS9 thus; "It is dark and grim with a huge outrageous looking Cardassian master bed." [1]
The set for crew quarters aboard DS9 was built on Paramount Stage 4. The set was commonly redressed for whoever's quarters it was meant to portray, such as those of the Siskos (during the first season of the show), the O'Briens and any visitors to the station. (The Making of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, p. 8) This method was reused by Production Designer Herman Zimmerman, he having developed it on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Although the arrangement of the set was altered to signify each character's rank, Sisko's quarters were made to look pretty much the same as O'Brien's, except for using different props. The set's lighting arrangement could also be changed via the use of mirrors positioned above the ceiling to project light into different corners of the set. "You can't see them because they're up above the grid ceilings," explained Director of Photography Marvin V. Rush, "but the mirrors allow us to tilt the light in whatever direction we want. It's very fast and very easy and it looks unusual." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion (p. 6))
Although Odo actor Rene Auberjonois had qualms about Odo giving up on his bucket as a habitat, Auberjonois was intrigued by the character's quarters, thinking they "were quite fascinating." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion (p. 181))
The quarters of both Jadzia and Ezri Dax aboard DS9 included paintings that were done by Paramount security guard Russ English. (Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 1, Issue 16, p. 110)
In a deleted scene from the start of DS9: "Resurrection", Kira Nerys' quarters were to have been shown, filled with paintings illustrated by the late Tora Ziyal. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion (p. 509))

Romulan Guard quarters[]

Dderidex-quarters

Crew quarters onboard a Romulan warbird

The crew quarters on board a Romulan D'deridex-class warbird were located on the ship's "C" Deck. They were sparsely furnished with a table and chairs in the center of the floor, and a set of bunk beds incorporated into the walls. Crew quarters could also have force fields integrated in and around their bulkheads. (DS9: "The Die is Cast")

Variations are known to include a bed fully detached from the wall, and a sink with a mirror along the far left wall from the entryway. (TNG: "Face Of The Enemy")

Quarter assignments[]

Janice Rand's room number 3C 46

Signage to Rand's room

USS Enterprise

In an ultimately omitted line of dialogue from the final draft script of "Charlie X", Charles Evans' quarters on the Enterprise were stated to be on Deck 5.

USS Enterprise-D

Deep Space 9

USS Voyager

Behind-the-scenes, Captain Kathryn Janeway's quarters were intended to be on Deck 3. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 27, No. 4/5, p. 45)

Enterprise (NX-01)

Appendices[]

Background information[]

The contents of crew quarters required much attention to detail. While working on Star Trek: Enterprise, James Mees – who, as set decorator, not only worked on Enterprise but also on Star Trek: The Next Generation (except for its first season) and Star Trek: Voyager – commented, "When I have a permanent character I spend a lot of time thinking about it […] If it's for a guest star, we generally try to use stock and rework it a bit." Due to having a theater background, Mees was inclined to base the personal items of the regular characters' quarters on their persona. "You not only do what is typical of him [or her], but also add something to their character," explained Mees. (Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 3, Issue 3, p. 84) He often took the input of the regular cast into account as well. "I like to have the actors personalize these spaces," he said, "so that they can reflect their ideas of what their characters are like in private." (Star Trek: Communicator issue 152, p. 36)

Constitution-class info[]

Quarters concept sketch for Captain Pike

Concept artwork of Captain Pike's quarters

For "The Cage", Captain Christopher Pike's quarters were designed by Franz Bachelin, who illustrated a concept sketch of the room. (The Art of Star Trek, p. 11) These quarters were, as evidenced by a call sheet, built on Stage 16 of Desilu's Culver City lot. [2]

It was decided during production of "The Cage" that the crew quarters would be contained in the saucer section of the Constitution-class. (The Making of Star Trek, p. 106) This information was not established on-screen until later in Star Trek: The Original Series, however.

It was not made clear at any point during the run of the original Star Trek series whether the members of the Enterprise's contingent of junior officers each had their own cabin or shared bunk rooms. On this topic, Gene Roddenberry stated, "My feeling about the crew was that indeed they did have their own staterooms. The services today have always annoyed me, putting up enlisted men like cattle. I think all men deserve dignity and it was my feeling that by that century, we would have come to understand that." (The World of Star Trek, 3rd ed., p. 39) D.C. Fontana commented that "bunk rooms and other variations of crew quarters" were never shown on TOS precisely because of the series' budgetary limitations. (The World of Star Trek, 3rd ed., p. 40) During the series run, only one set was built for all the crew quarters on board the Enterprise, which was on Paramount Stage 31 and was redressed as and when required. ([3]; The World of Star Trek, 3rd ed., p. 38)

Captain Kirk's quarters were designed by Matt Jefferies. (Star Trek: The Original Series Sketchbook, p. 77; et al.) They were considerably different from the earlier-built set used as Captain Pike's cabin in "The Cage". ("The Menagerie, Part I" text commentary, TOS Season 1 DVD) The smallness of Kirk's bed in the original series was not in keeping with his reputation as an habitual womanizer. (The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, p. 90) Gene Roddenberry was not entirely satisfied with the decor of Kirk's cabin either, stating, "We should have had a head in Captain Kirk's stateroom, certainly." (The World of Star Trek, 3rd ed., p. 39) Initially, the script for "The Enemy Within" featured Kirk throwing cold water on his own face. In a memo of script notes from Robert H. Justman to John D.F. Black (dated 1 June 1966), however, Justman commented, "We have no provision for a bathroom or fire hydrant in Kirk's Quarters." The set for Kirk's cabin was positioned immediately adjacent to the set for a briefing room heavily used in "The Menagerie, Part I" and "The Menagerie, Part II". The set for Kirk's quarters had to be partially disassembled during the making of that two-parter, to make room for a projector to be placed far enough behind a screen in the briefing room set to allow for rear projection onto the screen. ("The Menagerie, Part II" text commentary, TOS Season 1 DVD)

In TOS, Spock's cabin was a redress of Captain Kirk's quarters. There weren't many differences between the two areas, though Spock's cabin did include a few unusual artifacts, presumably of Vulcan origin. ("The Menagerie, Part I" text commentary, TOS Season 1 DVD) The script of the second season episode "Amok Time" erroneously noted that that episode was the first to show Spock's quarters. The same teleplay went on to state, "We may get the impression even Kirk does not visit here often. The room is distinctly Vulcan in decoration and mood. It may be faintly Oriental… most of what decoration we see will be simple, sparse, perhaps some indication of a warrior heritage."

The set for former captain Pike's quarters in "The Menagerie, Part I" was constructed with walls from Captain Kirk's quarters, though they were located in different spaces of the soundstage. ("The Menagerie, Part I" text commentary, TOS Season 1 DVD) For Sarek's quarters in season 2's "Journey to Babel", that episode's script specified the room was to be a "redress" too and "not made up to suit Vulcan taste."

Some of the earliest artworks by illustrator Michael Minor were featured in McCoy's quarters in the third season of TOS, having been purchased from Minor by Matt Jefferies. (The Making of the Trek Films, 3rd ed., p. 28)

Quarters (Phase II)

A concept painting for the captain's quarters of Phase II

One of the first things that Gene Roddenberry knew he wanted for the ultimately aborted spin-off television series Star Trek: Phase II was for Kirk to have larger quarters than he had been allotted in the original Star Trek series. (The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, p. 90) The walls for the set of the Phase II captain's quarters were constructed by late August 1977. (Star Trek Phase II: The Lost Series, p. 40) The writers/directors guide for that series described the captain's quarters as "a two-room complex," with one room serving as a working area and an adjacent room being the captain's sleeping quarters. The guide noted that there was access between the rooms and that a corridor was also accessible from either room. The same document specified that the captain's quarters contained "viewing and communications devices" and instructed that Xon's cabin would be a redress of the set for the captain's quarters. The same was to have been true of various "passenger" quarters, except when larger passenger quarters were required (in which case, the Enterprise's briefing room was to have been redressed as the sizable passenger cabin). (Star Trek Phase II: The Lost Series, p. 94) Mike Minor illustrated a concept painting for the captain's quarters aboard the Phase II Enterprise. (Star Trek Phase II: The Lost Series)

The only quarters referred to in the first-draft script of "In Thy Image" (which is fully reprinted in Star Trek Phase II: The Lost Series, pp. 122-230) were those assigned to Kirk. However, between that story's transformation from its original intended capacity as Phase II's pilot episode to its eventual development into the film Star Trek: The Motion Picture, some of the scenes set in Kirk's quarters were changed to being set elsewhere on the Enterprise (for example, the introduction of a showering Ilia probe was moved from Kirk's quarters to Ilia's own quarters, as can be seen by comparing the film to page 191 of Star Trek Phase II: The Lost Series).

The design of Kirk's quarters in The Motion Picture was influenced by Mike Minor's concept artwork for the Phase II version of the room. (Star Trek Phase II: The Lost Series) The movie depiction of the area was designed by art director Leon Harris and was constructed on Paramount Stage 9. (The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, pp. 90 & 95) Kirk's quarters in the film include a colorful, waist-high wall console whose controls are representative of the color scheme that was intended for Phase II. (audio commentary, Star Trek: The Motion Picture (Blu-ray)) The massive translucent sliding-door in the same quarters was conceived by production designer Harold Michelson. A large wall display that alternates between a viewscreen and an example of minimalist artwork, featuring apparently randomly arranged blocks of color, involved a rare use of rear-projection (for the viewscreen) and was back-lit for the artwork. (audio commentary, Star Trek: The Motion Picture (The Director's Edition)) The furniture included in the set was covered with girdle material, which was extremely easy to stretch and dye. (The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, pp. 88 & 91) In the Blu-ray audio commentary for the film, Michael Okuda states that a door which is also in Kirk's quarters but is always shown as closed, with its contents never revealed on-screen, actually led into "a little breakfast nook," including a little round table and a small couch. Non-canon reference guide writer Shane Johnson supported this claim, describing the table as a "corner booth/table unit." He went on to say, "It had a clear plexiglass tabletop and snazzy upholstery." [4]

The set for Kirk's quarters in The Motion Picture was redressed to serve as Ilia's quarters in the same film. (text commentary, Star Trek: The Motion Picture (The Director's Edition)) As with the set's other appearance in the movie, Ilia's quarters were designed by Leon Harris. (The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, p. 90) The set remained on Stage 9, the modification costing US$3,000. (The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, p. 95) The revamped layout included a sonic shower that was reused in TNG: "The Naked Now" and a dresser with mirrors that, in an effort to avoid unwanted reflections for one particular scene of the movie, were temporarily replaced with black card. (text commentary, Star Trek: The Motion Picture (The Director's Edition))

For one scene in The Motion Picture, displays seen fleetingly on a monitor at Spock's science station were reused diagrams of Constitution-class crew quarters from Franz Joseph's Star Trek Blueprints. [5]

The same set as was used for Kirk and Ilia's quarters in The Motion Picture was again redressed, to serve as Spock's cabin in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. (text commentary, Star Trek: The Motion Picture (The Director's Edition)) In fact, it was only the small bedroom portion of the two-room set for Kirk's quarters that was converted into Spock's cabin. (text commentary, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (The Director's Edition) DVD) According to Shane Johnson, the meditation alcove in Spock's quarters replaced the unseen booth table from Kirk's quarters in The Motion Picture. [6] For Spock's quarters, producer Robert Sallin wanted the centerpiece of the set to be a tapestry of the Vulcan IDIC. Joe Jennings remarked, "In drawings, [it] made Spock's cabin look like an opium den." There was insufficient time to commission the tapestry, however. Instead, Jennings and Mike Minor retained Sallin's selection of the IDIC symbol and devised a cheaper, quick but colorful substitute, designing a wall mural that was composed of hundreds of small metal discs, thousands of sequins hung from pins. To some (particularly Southern Californians), the design may look like a certain company sign. (The Making of the Trek Films, 3rd ed., pp. 29 & 54) For instance, director Nicholas Meyer described the mural as "the Sparkletts water-truck motif." (audio commentary, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (The Director's Edition) DVD) Leonard Nimoy made a similar comment. Related Meyer, "[He] looked at Spock's cabin for the first time and said, 'This looks like a Sparklett's water truck.'" (Star Trek Movie Memories, p. 132) The similarities between this style of water-truck sign and the IDIC mural extended from the latter's creation. "I was dubious at first," said Sallin, about granting permission for the mural to be crafted. "It looks expensive but wasn't. The chap who makes the signs came with his little kit, which is really only a punch, some swivel wire things, and all these tiny little reflective metal discs that come in a range of hundreds of colors and tones. He worked from a big design and put it together in no time." (The Making of the Trek Films, 3rd ed., p. 29)

Nicholas Meyer and Leonard Nimoy in Spock's quarters

Nicholas Meyer and Leonard Nimoy on the set for Spock's quarters in Star Trek II

The production design of Spock's cabin in Star Trek II highly disappointed Leonard Nimoy, who communicated this frustration to Nick Meyer in no uncertain terms. (audio commentary, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (Special Edition) DVD) Meyer characterized the actor's initial reaction to the set as one of "a few moments where I goofed" and said of Nimoy's opinion of the glittering mural, "He thought [it] was very cheesy." (Star Trek Movie Memories, p. 132; audio commentary, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (The Director's Edition) DVD) Although the set also included a smaller but still highly decorative mirror that Meyer liked, the director was mainly in agreement with Nimoy's dislike of the set. Concerning the actor's opinion of the mural being "very cheesy," Meyer conceded, "I think he was right." Meyer stated about the set in general, "This was something that I did not attend to properly. Spock's room, as a Vulcan, I think, should have been atmospheric and mysterious and different […] It should have been a very different [scene]." However, Meyer felt that the audience generally wasn't very conscious of how the room could have been improved. "Nobody too much minds, 'til I point it out to them, how dull the room is and how, sort of, over-lit the scene is," he reckoned. (audio commentary, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (The Director's Edition) DVD)

During the production of Star Trek II, Robert Sallin decided that the decor of Kirk's shipboard quarters in the film should include nautical artifacts, mirroring the decor of Kirk's apartment on Earth. (The Making of the Trek Films, 3rd ed., p. 15) Kirk's quarters in Star Trek II look similar to how they appeared in The Motion Picture, though somewhat more comfortable. (text commentary, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (The Director's Edition) DVD) In fact, the set used for the captain's quarters in the second film was the same set as used in the first movie. (text commentaries, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (Special Edition) and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (The Director's Edition) DVDs)

For Star Trek III, Leonard Nimoy had an opportunity to improve the set for Spock's quarters, since he was the director of that film. Owing to his discomfort with the set, this was exactly what he had in mind. "I wanted to redesign and redevelop it," he admitted. (audio commentary, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Special Edition) DVD/Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Blu-ray)) Although the room was made to look much as it had in Star Trek II, its layout was subtly altered, making the area darker and more mysterious. (text commentary, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Special Edition) DVD) Nimoy also changed Spock's quarters from the gray they had been in the previous film, feeling that this did not match the Vulcan color scheme he wanted for the third movie. He instead brightened the tonality of the set with deep red, orange and amber. (The Making of the Trek Films, 3rd ed., p. 54)

The same set was planned to be redressed for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, as Gillian Taylor's apartment on Earth, though the proposed scene was thereafter removed from the film before it could be shot and the redressing, midway through, was halted. "[The set] was a mess. Stripped of its furniture and half remodeled and repainted," recalled Shane Johnson, who toured the set after the film was shot. The tour also enabled him to view the corner booth table unit that, he says, "always had been in Kirk's quarters but was never seen on film." [7]

When it came time for Nick Meyer to co-write the screenplay for Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and to direct that film, he paid particular attention to how the movie depicted Spock's quarters, later recalling, "I was working overtime to make sure that he had a special place." (audio commentary, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (Special Edition) DVD) Meyer felt that he was slightly more attentive to such details by that point, having directed four non-Star Trek films in the interim between The Wrath of Khan and The Undiscovered Country. (audio commentary, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (The Director's Edition) DVD)

The only crew quarters to be described in detail in the script for Star Trek VI was Spock's cabin. The script detailed this area thus; "In contrast with his Spartan personality, the room is a voluptuous incense-laden lair, filled with curtains and smoke." [8]

The quarters occupied by Kirk and Spock in Star Trek VI were actually the same set, simply redressed. Other than being decorated differently for the two characters, Spock's quarters also had a central support column that Kirk's cabin did not have. The set was the same as had served as Kirk's quarters in The Motion Picture and its reuses included representing Data's quarters in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Whereas the cabins for Kirk and Spock in Star Trek VI were reuses of the front half of Data's quarters, the back half served as junior crew quarters for the film. The set was demolished following the production of Star Trek VI. (text commentary, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (Special Edition) DVD)

Galaxy-class info[]

In early production memos, Rick Sternbach noted that, even with a large ship's complement (8,000 crew and passengers) and allowing for "public areas" (corridors, etc.), each person would still have at least twenty-four square feet of deck space for quarters. Family accommodations would be roughly the same as that of a house. (Production memo to Ed Milkia, dated 2/26/87)

The script of "Encounter at Farpoint" described the Galaxy-class captain's cabin as "much larger and more comfortable than the small battle Ready Room". [9]

A single set was used for the Galaxy-class crew cabins. (Star Trek Monthly issue 21, p. 25; Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (3rd ed., p. 10)) Built to be extremely versatile, the set was designed for use in two main variants: quarters for senior officers (as well as guests) and those for junior officers. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (3rd ed., p. 10)) The set was redressed with different furniture and divided up in different ways to serve as the living quarters of most of the regular characters. (Star Trek Monthly issue 21, p. 25) Originally, the set was built as Captain Kirk's quarters for Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Its usage as junior officer quarters – used for such characters as Data, Worf, and Geordi La Forge – would seem to suggest that Starfleet had upgraded its crew accommodations over the years. (text commentary, Star Trek: The Motion Picture (The Director's Edition) DVD)

Construction on the set for the Galaxy-class quarters began on Paramount Stage 6 in March 1987. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (3rd ed., p. 9)) The set remained on Stage 6 for a year (i.e., throughout the first season of TNG). (text commentary, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (Special Edition) DVD; Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (3rd ed., p. 9)) It was then relocated to the adjacent Stage 8, where it stayed from that point onward. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (3rd ed., p. 9))

The Galaxy-class quarters set involved upward-sliding walls and modular wall units. Reversing these allowed for the set to be converted into its junior officers' quarters outlay. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (3rd ed., p. 10))

The producers of TNG wanted the quarters for senior officers and guests to have many windows. "Originally, in the personal quarters they were to be floor-to-ceiling windows," remembered illustrator Andrew Probert, "but a bed or a sofa blocked it anyway so it was cut off." (Star Trek Monthly issue 19, p. 41) Production Designer Herman Zimmerman designed these quarters to incorporate a window wall that could be tilted to resemble an outer location in either the lower or upper half of the Galaxy-class saucer section. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (3rd ed., p. 22)) Despite this, the windows usually matched those on the upper surface of the ship's saucer module. Since the Galaxy-class miniatures included many hundreds of such windows, there were presumably hundreds of such living units on board the ship. After the set for the Galaxy-class quarters was constructed, the windows therein were backed by velvet backdrops to represent the stars. At first hand-cranked but later motorized, these backdrops avoided expensive visual effects when the stars were to be shown as if the ship was not at warp. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (3rd ed., p. 10))

Even when used as quarters for senior officers and guests, the size of the set – consisting of five bays in total – was significantly adjusted from use to use. Stated Rick Sternbach, "We learned from Star Trek: The Next Generation that we could take our big five-bay quarter set and divide that into two bays, three bays, four bays." (Star Trek Monthly issue 21, p. 25) Set decorator John Dwyer recalled, "Herman [Zimmerman] had designed the quarters with the wonderful flexibility of being able to put walls at each of the ribs. We could have four, three, or two bays; we never had less than two. The more bays you had, the higher up you were on the food chain." For example, Picard had four bays in his quarters. Another three-quarters of a bay was added especially for Lwaxana Troi's quarters. (Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 2, Issue 12, p. 24)

The curvature of the angled ceiling in the senior quarters presented somewhat of a problem, as Richard James explained; "The quarters had that drop wall that went from ceiling to floor at a steep angle. After about two feet into that, you couldn't stand up." (The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine issue 1, pp. 69-70) Director Alexander Singer likewise stated about Data's quarters, "[It's] a very small set." (Star Trek Monthly issue 30, p. 28)

Former TNG writing staffer Ronald D. Moore similarly had a nitpick about the decor in several of the Galaxy-class quarters. "My big bugaboo with the quarters were always that they had pictures of space on the wall," he laughed, "which I always thought was absurd […] If you've got a window looking out at space, do you then hang a big picture of space on the other wall?" (audio commentary, Star Trek Generations (Special Edition) DVD)

Intrepid-class info[]

The crew quarters of the Intrepid-class were a lot more versatile than those of TNG and allowed more space than had previously been available. They involved individual setups that were changed in accordance with whichever character whose quarters were being depicted. Production Designer Richard James remarked, "They're modular, so they can take up anywhere between one and four bays depending on the person who's there." (The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine issue 1, p. 69)

The Intrepid-class crew quarters also intentionally reflected the exterior profile of the class. (The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine issue 1, p. 69) For instance, Rick Sternbach commented, "The only place Captain Janeway's quarters logically fit was on deck three. It was the only logical place we could plant a bay consisting of five big windows." (Cinefantastique, Vol. 27, No. 4/5, p. 45) Another interior facet that mirrored the Intrepid-class' exterior design was the curved outer wall of the quarters. The angled ceiling of the Galaxy-class quarters was eliminated, however; this is what facilitated the increased availability of spaciousness. Richard James commented, "It allows the action to get right up to the windows now." (The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine issue 1, p. 69)

Rick Sternbach observed that the production team learned from the past in other ways too; having discovered the five-bay quarters set could be split into multiple arrangements of smaller bays, Sternbach oversaw that the variety of Intrepid-class quarters had a range of bays. "I made sure that there were anywhere from one to four window bays on the exterior hull, so we can say that Tuvok's quarters are there, Chakotay's quarters are there. Janeway is the only one who's got the full five bays." Although this distinctive feature of the captain's quarters meant that its location was obvious to the production team, determining where specific other crew quarters were would realistically have taken them considerably more investigation. (Star Trek Monthly issue 21, pp. 25-26)

According to Rick Sternbach, some of the Intrepid-class junior quarters were built on the same area of Paramount Stage 9 as they had been since Star Trek: The Motion Picture. (Star Trek Monthly issue 21, p. 29) The captain's quarters were on Paramount Stage 8 and could be redressed as various other crew cabins. (Star Trek Monthly issue 27, p. 61)

A miniature tree included in Neelix's quarters was created by the company HMS Creative Productions, Inc. [10]

As can be determined from the second draft script of "Prime Factors", Tom Paris' quarters were scripted to appear in that installment. This scene was changed, however, so that it was filmed on the set for Voyager's mess hall. The scene's scripted description made a judgment about the character of Paris based on the state of his quarters, stating, "Paris' quarters are a mess. Apparently, tidiness is not a priority for Paris."

NX-class info[]

The set for the NX-class captain's quarters was built on Paramount Stage 8. ("A Day In The Life Of A Director – Roxann Dawson", ENT Season 3 DVD special features) The captain's quarters had to be decorated in such a way as to make their contents look unplanned, even though every detail actually had to be heavily scrutinized. "As mundane as, 'What are we going to put on the walls in my room?' And 'What does this guy do? And what things did he do in the past that we can bring on this trip?'" related Jonathan Archer actor Scott Bakula. "This trip wasn't planned, so it's not like I had a designer come in and do my quarters." (Star Trek Monthly issue 85, p. 17) In fact, Bakula had some strong notions about how Archer's quarters should look, such as suggesting that it include a vintage 1960s NASA ashtray he had been given by a fan. "He thought that this would be a great addition to Archer's quarters," recollected Set Decorator James Mees. "I also worked with Scott in choosing photographs for this set, and both he and Rick Berman suggested the sports artifacts used here. They felt these props would help the audience understand the kind of person Archer was before he came aboard Enterprise." (Star Trek: Communicator issue 152, p. 36)

In unused dialogue from the script of ENT: "The Andorian Incident", T'Pol told Phlox, when he invited her to dine with him in the mess hall, that she preferred to eat in her quarters. Phlox agreed that he initially did so too.

In an ultimately unused line of dialogue from the writers' second draft script of "Breaking the Ice", ditanium was mentioned as being used in the construction of NX-class quarters (specifically, Travis Mayweather's quarters). In the same teleplay's stage directions, T'Pol's quarters (which first appear in "Breaking the Ice") were simply described as "small and austere." The episode's final draft script continued this description by adding that the room had "a bed, a desk, and a small, low table on which two or three unlit ceremonial candles sit. There are a couple of Vulcan artifacts on the wall." A metallic pentagonal wall-hanging in T'Pol's quarters was originally made for Star Trek: Voyager. ("Stigma" text commentary, ENT Season 2 DVD)

In the script of "Cold Front", the crew quarters were described as "a small room with a set of bunk beds, a couple of desks, lockers, etc." The scene description, specifically describing quarters shared by Daniels and an unnamed bunkmate, went on to say, "A few personal effects are strewn about, giving the room a 'lived in' look." The final draft script of ENT: "Shockwave", describing the same room after having been sealed since "Cold Front", stated, "The room is exactly as it was the day it was sealed." Similarly, the final draft script of "Future Tense" stated about the same cabin, "The room hasn't changed since we saw it in 'Shockwave, Part Two.'"

In the final draft script of "The Catwalk", a particular set of quarters were non-specified and no indication was given as to where exactly on Enterprise they were located. This differs from how these quarters are depicted in the final edit of the same episode, as they are clearly shown as T'Pol's quarters and their position is also clearly evident.

In the final draft script of "", T'Pol's quarters from an alternate timeline were described thus; "The room looks very different from the one we're familiar with… it's been lived-in for well over a century, and is filled with a variety of Vulcan and alien artifacts."

In the final draft script of "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II", Soval's quarters aboard the NX-class ISS Avenger were described thus; "A Spartan, modest room, with few personal touches."

External links[]

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