Travelers to and from Martha’s Vineyard have dealt with delays, mechanical breakdowns, and on at least one trip Sunday — a boozeless cruise.
According to Robert Davis, general manager of the Steamship Authority, the ferry service had to discontinue sale of beer and wine on at least one trip because an employee got sick, and the remaining employees, who are foreign workers on visas, were unable to perform the job.
“I am aware of one such instance over the weekend that alcohol sales were suspended as our license with the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC) requires sales be performed by a citizen of the United States and over 21 years of age,” Davis wrote in an email. “In this one instance, the U.S. citizen assigned to that vessel felt ill and was relieved, but the remaining concession employees did not satisfy the serving [requirements]. Our concessionaire, Centerplate, has been actively seeking to recruit employees which meet those requirements established by the ABCC.”