Karen, Over at CC it was mentioned that gurkhas were security guards on cruise ships. I find this quite interesting. This is news to me.

This from the Princess website:

"Each Princess ship carries a security staff of between 3 to 12 personnel depending upon the size of the ship and the area in which the ship is cruising.

A unique aspect of Princess' onboard security team are the security watchmen, those security personnel mostly seen at the gangways of each Princess ship while in port. These watchmen are from Nepal and are all ex-British Army Gurkha soldiers, a legendary fighting force that has been a part of the British Army for nearly 200 years. Upon completion of their British Army service in the legendary Brigade of Gurkhas, they are recruited by Princess and are assigned on board as part of the ship's regular security staff. In recognition of their service, and in keeping with their history and tradition, their shoulder flashes depict the famous crossed khukris, the legendary fighting knife of the Gurkha."