I beg to differ on a couple points.
First, traveling to Sri Lanka isn't exactly cheap or easy, and when you get there, you're going to pay $2100 for a non all inclusive trip - and only three trips per year.
It's slightly more accessible and cost effective than the Saratoga given the flight time to get to the boat (about 22-24 hours form here) and another full day on the boat to get to Bikini. You'll need nearly 3 weeks of leave to cover the entire trip.
Second, the CV-34 isn't lacking in history or combat experience.
She was not completed by the end of WWII and was laid up from 1946 to until she was she was completed in 1950as the prototype for the SCB-27 carrier modification program, intended to prepare WWII era Essex class carriers for more efficient operations of jet aircraft, including stronger flight deck, catapult and arresting gear, as well as revised fuel accommodations for both additional fuel and multiple fuel types and incorporation of the combat survivability lessons learned in WWII, including relocation of the ready rooms from below the flight deck to below the main deck (thus the escalator), along with the hull blisters and modifications to provide the necessary internal volume and to make the ship stable with the additional top weight. Prior to the fuel handling modifications Navy jet aircraft burned avgas like the reciprocating aircraft aboard ship with a lubricant added to the fuel during the fueling process. The net result of the use of avgas was higher hot section temperatures, more frequent hot section inspections, replacements and failures as well as a high rate of flameouts and lost aircraft due to failed fuel controllers, which were intended to be lubricated by the slipperier kerosene based jet fuels of the time.
She sailed with TF77 in Korea from October 1952 to April 1953, earning 2 battle stars with her pilots flying both strike missions and shooting down enemy Migs.
The CV-34 was also the last SCB-27A or SCB-27C carrier updated to the SCB-125 standard, which included the change to an angled flight deck, mirror landing system and other operational improvements in elevator arrangement. The CV-34s modification incorporated additional changes including an aluminum clad flight deck, stronger arresting gear and stronger steam catapults than the other SCB-125 ships making her the sole SCB-125A ship as budget limitations prevented those additional improvements from being added to the other SCB-125 ships.
The CV-34 again served in combat in Vietnam, with Carrier Air Group 16 flying 12,000 combat sorties with A-1 Skyraider, F-8 Crusader and A-4 Skyhawk aircraft between April and December 1965 and nearly 8,000 combat sorties from May 1966 to October 1966 during Rolling Thunder launching planes on Dixie and Yankee stations before a fire started in a flare locker resulted in 43 deaths and sent her back to the US for repairs.
In July 1967 the CV-34 and CAG 16 was again off Yankee station as the flagship of Carrier Division 9 and remained on station with her airdrop flying combat sorties over North Vietnam until January 1968 before returning to the US for a refit. In October 1967 John McCain, who had also survived the fire in October 1966, was shot down over North Vietnam in the his A-4. Also during this cruise the CV-34 assisted the USS Forrestal after she also experienced a catastrophic fire on the flight deck. This cruise involved 9500 combat sorties in 122 days on station and included 181 strikes in the Hanoi-Haiphong areas.
The CV-34 was again on Yankee Station with F-8s and A-4s from CAG 19 flying Steel Tiger missions over the Ho Chi Minh trail during five line periods from May until November1969 with an excursion to Korea flying reconnaissance missions in October.
The CV-34 returned to California for modifications to operate the then new A-7 Corsair II aircraft and with those modifications complete and both F-8s and A-7s aboard the CV-34, CAG 19 again flew Steel Tiger missions over the Ho Chi Minh trail from May 1970 until the end of November flying 5,300 sorties including strikes in support of the Son Tay raid.
The CV-34 received an upgraded all weather carrier landing system and departed in May 1971 for a 6th cruise to Vietnam flying airstrikes over Laos as well as participating in operation Proud Deep, attacking three airfields in North Vietnam.
CV-34 made a seventh cruise to Vietnam in June 1972. She collided with a replenishment ship, losing a shaft and two propellers, and spent most of August-November in Yosuka under repair. She returned to the line in time for the Christmas Bombing campaign in December 1972 and flew her last airstrikes over North Vietnam on 27 January 1973 when the peace accords were signed in Paris, and flew her last combat sorties over Laos on 22 February 1973.
In all, the CV-34 received 10 battle stars for her service in the Vietnam war during seven combat cruises the longest of which included 169 days on the line.
The CV 34 made an additional Indian ocean and western pacific deployment from October 1973 to June 1974 before making her final (15th) WESTPAC deployment from September 1975 to march 1973, before being decommissioned into the reserve fleet in April 1976 after a 26 year career.
Only three aircraft carriers can match her record of 7 consecutive deployments to Vietnam from 1965 to 1973, and only one (CV-61 Ranger) exceeds it with 8.
Essex Class carriers:
The CV-10 Yorktown and CV-12 Hornet each had a single cruise
The CV-11 had two cruises.
The CV-20 Bennington had three.
The CV-37 Princeton had four cruises, but that was after her conversion to a helicopter assault ship (LPH-5), as did The CV-45 Valley Forge in the same role as the LPH-8
The CV-14 Intrepid and CV-31 Bon Homme Richard had five.
The CV-19 Hancock had six.
Midway Class carriers:
CV-42 Franklin D. Roosevelt had one.
CV-41 Midway had three, four if you include the evacuation of Saigon in 1975
CV-43 Coral Sea had seven plus the evacuation of Saigon.
Forrestal Class carriers:
CV-59 Forrestal, CV-60 Saratoga and CV-62 Independence each had one.
CV-61 Ranger had 8 cruises to Vietnam.
Kitty Hawk Class carriers:
CV-66 America had three cruises to Vietnam.
CV-63 Kitty Hawk and CV-64 Constellation had seven.
Enterprise Class carrier:
CVN-65 made six cruises plus the evacuation of Saigon in 1975.
When you consider the CV-34's role in advancing carrier aviation into the jet age, and her service in Korea and Vietnam, it's hard to conclude that she was not historic.
