Imo, this is a valid interpretation. I don't agree with it, but the main characters are typically the heroes of their own narrative, so we really only get to see things through the eyes of the heroes. Voyager fucks with this multiple times by having Seven set people straight on their ideas about the Borg. In fact, maybe this is one of the reasons I enjoy Voyager, because the Voyager crew aren't really about building reputation and prestige anymore, they're about making it home. So, there's a bunch of things that happen with Voyager that probably wouldn't have happened with the Enterprise (including landings that don't involve crashing, voyager's landing struts are sick AF). That doesn't mean they abandon their principles, and their encounter with the Equinox sort of serves as a dark mirror in that regard. I think it's the case that the Voyager crew manage to preserve the spirit of Starfleet principles when they do play fast and loose with some of the protocols and conventions, which was not the case with the Equinox.

Also, shout out to my man Tuvok, best security officer of any Trek, change my mind.