The Marine Corps is a department of the Navy, there's no question about it. But when Marines go on ship, it can be a frustrating time for them. Being separated from the rest of the world, getting sea sick, or just wasting time on your command's idea to make itself look good in front of the Navy makes the experience horrendous.

Some Marines might actually like the idea of going on ship. It gives you the chance to experience the world in a way not many others will be able to. What usually ends up killing the enthusiasm, however, is what ends up happening on ship. It usually causes Marines to hate their lives even more than they already do.

Here are just a few of those things.

Gym hours

(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Jasmine Price)

You'll just have to find the time.

It's important to note that larger ships will have plenty more gyms but on smaller ships, the options are extremely limited. Given the fact that you'll be at sea for a long periods at a time, exercise is crucial. While the option to do cardio-based workouts exists, the ability to lift weights is one that many Marines choose to supplement the other options.

What trips you up is that the Navy sets specific time frames to allow Marines the chance to get their work-out in. The problem is that they take it upon themselves to take the best hours and give Marines the time slots where they'll likely be working. What's worse is you'll find sailors working out during "green side" hours but Lord help you if you get caught during "blue side" hours.

Ship tax

(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Immanuel Johnson)

You will end up paying at some point.

We get it. Every unit on ship MUST give up a few bodies to assist in day-to-day tasks but it doesn't change the fact that Marines get annoyed over having to go sort the trash.

Rude higher ranks

Before you go on ship, your First Sergeant will hammer you with learning Navy rank structure so you can give the proper greeting to whomever rates it. But you'll find gradually that you won't get the greeting back. Now, a Navy Chief isn't required to return your "good morning" but it's usually just common courtesy. This is what separates Marines from Sailors.

If you tell a Marine Staff Sergeant "good morning" they'll return it happily, usually with a "good morning to you, devil dog," but on ship, Sailors will just kind of scoff and keep walking. But rest assured, if you don't give a proper greeting, your First Sergeant will hear about it.

Breakouts

(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Juan A. Soto-Delgado)

The solution is simple: tell the other platoons to get off their asses and do some work.

"Breakouts" are when the mess deck needs to get food out of storage so they'll set up a line of Marines and Sailors from one place to another to pass the supplies along in the easiest way possible. The annoying part actually comes at the fault of other Marines. A problem you'll likely face is having to be the on-call Marine for every ship duty, every day.

Lack of respect

(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Angel D. Travis)

You still have to show some respect, though.

If you're a Marine grunt on a Navy ship, don't hold your breath waiting for respect from Naval officers because you'll rarely get it, if at all. They'll act like that snobby rich kid you knew in high school whose parents bought them everything and who never had to worry about any real problems, and they'll treat you like the dirty trailer park kid who wears clothes from the second-hand store.

This isn't the case for every officer on ship; some will be pretty down-to-Earth, but plenty will just look at you like a peasant and avoid you like the plague. At the end of the day, though, their job exists to support yours.

Replenishment at sea

(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Juan A. Soto-Delgado)

This makes you wonder what the hell happened and it adds to an already growing disdain toward the Navy.

A RAS is where another ship pulls up next to yours to send supplies so you don't find yourself starving or throwing a mutiny aboard the USS whatever. This usually comes just at the right time and you'll be able to buy chips or whatever at the store. It's a few hours of work but it's well worth it.

Where the problem lies is that the ship will call upon every available person to line up and help with the effort and the Navy will send people to help but, over time, you'll notice the Sailors have disappeared and only Marines are left.