You know it's because they're on 'shore leave' unless you activate them while docked ?
However I have left dock a few times and forgotton to do this....which IS annoying, and furthermore, if I'm paying them ALL of the time I would expect them to follow me around like a lost puppy. And be there for when I do want to activate them.
Flimley
Shore leave huh? That's even a more ridiculous idea. So I suppose when we activate them they magically teleport to whatever place we are at? At no cost or time to get there? Or are they just freeloading onboard our ship as stowaways? If indeed that is FD's position then it's even more ridiculous than not being able to activate them in ship.