I remember an interview with Garrett Wang who talked about a conversation with Rick Berman where he asked him whether Kim would ever be promoted to Lieutenant. Berman pretty much shot him down, saying that someone has to be an ensign.

I always thought it would’ve been a fun twist if Harry got a promotion once Tom got demoted in Thirty Days.

To offer a counter-point to humanocentric ships: different species have different environmental preferences and needs. We know Vulcans are used to warmer temperatures and higher gravity; Andorians thrive in cold environments, Tellarites (from what little I recall) gravitate towards swamps and bogs.

It seems pragmatic to have ships favor a species on account of not having to maintain several layers of environmental settings, some of which might be opposed if not outright incompatible. A ship full of Benzites would have an atmosphere that does not necessitate wearing the breathing apparatus we see Mendon wear; a ship full of Elaysians may be able to run minimal artificial gravity, etc.

Normally I’d agree with you wholeheartedly, but didn’t the episode explicitly state and show that the ships were amidst a gargantuan field of interstellar ice?