Your reasoning is far more sound than mine, based mostly on aesthetics. It just seems like Petersburg had too much on its plate already, in too many theaters, to be able to afford yet another distraction.
Jeez, this is just epic in the true sense of the word. Grand-scale, heroic, real. I'm loving the footnotes and lexica, as well. Glad I finally put my mind to reading this.
I'm surprised the EMH didn't get replaced after the return to the Alpha Quadrant.
Wonderful idea, brilliant execution, but honestly, I'm kinda glad things happened as they did. ;)
There were like 20-30 years between the E-C and E-D, and I'm pretty sure Starfleet had a flagship during that hiatus.
Also, IIRC from the Star Trek Encyclopedia (nerd street cred), the Sovereign class is 150 or so meters longer than the Galaxy class, although it might not have as much height...
Oh man, no Worf or Picard? There goes Chain of Command, like half of the good Borg episodes and the Klingon Civil War arc. No Troi either? I'd think she'd get replaced. A ship of a thousand plus, with families and all sorts of species and cultures needs some emotional support.
But I see what...