For any of you who were in Alaska during the last few weeks of the season, you may have seen something unusual; people like me out in the pouring rain standing on the pier attaching the lines to the ship’s tenders. You may ask yourself “why?” Good question. Why?

A few years ago, in response to the crackdown on illegal aliens working in the United States, non-US citizens employed on cruise ships were prohibited from “working” ashore in US ports. That meant that ship’s photographers were not allowed to do their thing at the bottom of the gangway and crew members could not carry bags or boxes for guests on their pier unless they were US citizens. Silly but technically correct so all cruise lines complied.

This year at the end of the summer with just a few weeks to go in Alaska, all cruise ships were told that non-US crew members no longer could throw the tender lines ashore.  When a ship comes in to port, burly longshoreman are there to catch and attach the big rope lines of the ship. But when the ship is at anchor and a little tender comes alongside, it is usually one of the crew that jumps off and attaches the lines. No more. you got it; from now on it must be a US citizen or a longshoreman.

As  most cruise lines do not have US crew in deck positions like able bodied seamen or bosons, to comply with this new requirement every cruise line in Alaska asked any and all US crew to help out. In many cases that meant singers, dancers, and even lecturers standing on the pier for hours sometimes in the rain to attach and detach the tender lines.

As one of the few US citizens on the Navigator available to pitch in, I was a linesman for two weeks! What was funny to me was that when guests saw my US counterparts, a singer and dancer from the production cast, they were curious and asked why are you here, what are you doing, etc. However, when they saw me, it was as though this was a normal part of my job!