The recreation room (often abbreviated to rec room) was an area aboard a starship where crew-members could relax and take part in recreational activities while they were off-duty.
In the 23rd century, Constitution-class starships had at least six recreation rooms spaced out across the ship. In 2270, when of the recreation rooms aboard the USS Enterprise was equipped with a holographic projector, which was a move towards the holodecks of the 24th century. Also Four-dimensional chess (TOS episodes: "Charlie X" & "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield"; TAS episode: "The Practical Joker"). (TOS novel: Spock's World) (TOS novel: My Enemy, My Ally)
Chinese Checkers were going to be played (TOS novel: Legacy) while waiting for the survey party to be finalized for Alpha Octavius Four.
When the Enterprise was undergoing her 18 month long refit, some within the Federation felt that the new recreation rooms of the Enterprise and other ships were too large and luxurious. However, when it was revealed that none of the people complaining about recreation rooms were actually people who had spent their careers in space, their complaints were quickly dismissed. (ST reference: Mr. Scott's Guide to the Enterprise)
See also
Connections
- Recreation room article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.