Carnival Cruise Line continues to expand its use of facial biometric technology to expedite disembarkation. Its partnership with U.S. Customs and Border Protection has already improved the experience for more than 3 million Carnival passengers.
Nine of Carnival's 14 homeports in the U.S. use this technology: Miami, Port Canaveral, Tampa, Jacksonville, New York, Baltimore, Mobile, Galveston, and Long Beach. At all homeports where facial biometrics is used, disembarkation has been expedited by an average of 30%, in what Carnival claims is the largest implementation of this technology in the cruise industry.
“Thanks to our collaboration with CBP (U.S. Customs and Border Protection), these technological solutions make the process more efficient, while offering passengers a sense of security and protection, knowing that their data is protected,” said Christine Duffy, President of Carnival.
Passengers disembarking ships at the end of a closed-loop cruise (a round-trip trip in the U.S.) stop at a kiosk with a camera to have their picture taken. Within seconds, the image is biometrically compared to the photo in their passport or visa to verify their identity with over 98% accuracy.
“Through our partnership with Carnival Cruise Line, we will continue to transform cruise operations by leveraging technology and improving processes, while strengthening our data-sharing agreement to enhance the security of U.S. seaports,” said Diane J. Sabatino, CBP Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner of the Office of Field Operations.
U.S. travelers and certain foreign nationals who choose not to undergo the facial biometric process may request a manual document check from a CBP officer, in accordance with existing requirements for admission to the U.S.
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