WASHINGTON– As cruises resume this summer after the suspension due to COVID-19, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is working with the cruise industry to make travel safer and more efficient.

As a role model for CBP’s successful public-private partnerships, CBP has worked closely with major cruise lines to implement facial biometric comparison technologies in the arrival process at selected seaports to further secure and improve the inspection process for passengers returning to the US at the end of the year their cruise.

“CBP and its cruise partners have revolutionized the disembarkation process of cruises for all travelers through facial biometrics and improved travel processes,” said Diane J. Sabatino, assistant executive assistant commissioner of field operations for US Customs and Border Protection. “As part of the travel recovery effort, travelers benefit from safe, no-touch, and streamlined entry procedures into the United States, while CBP protects the privacy of all travelers.”

Facial biometrics in the cruise environment is already being used in major air and land entry ports (POUs) and will strengthen CBP’s enforcement capabilities in several cruise ports in the country while improving the customer experience. In addition, CBP and its cruise partners have expanded data-sharing agreements to further enhance the security of cruise travel.

The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which represents more than 90% of the world’s ocean cruise capacity, has joined CBP to recognize the importance of public-private partnerships in improving the cruise experience and promoting the resumption of operations in US ports.

“The health and safety of passengers, crew and the communities we visit is a top priority for the cruise industry, and to that end, the use of biometric technology in cruise terminals is showing impressive results,” said Kelly Craighead, President and CEO of CLIA. “On behalf of the entire cruise community, CLIA looks forward to continuing to work in partnership with the US government to further promote the responsible return to service of US ports, one that takes Americans back to work and offers travelers one of the best ways to experience around the world. ”

To date, face biometric comparison technology is available in 12 seaports in the United States and has been successfully used to process incoming passengers on most cruise lines that have resumed voyages in Florida and Texas.

“As we rebuild the travel industry, biometric technology will play an increasingly important role in ensuring a modern, safer, and more efficient travel system for all,” said Tori Emerson Barnes, executive vice president of public affairs and policy for the US Travel Association. “US Travel commends CBP and its cruise partners for their work in implementing this vital technology and safely resuming cruising, an important sector of the US travel industry.”

The improved arrival process with facial biometrics verifies the identity of the traveler within two seconds and is more than 98 percent accurate. When disembarking the cruise ship in a US seaport, the passengers stop for a photo, which is compared with the existing passport or visa photo of the traveler in secure DHS systems in order to verify their identity biometrically. After an efficient match, passengers pick up their luggage, go through the inspections and leave the terminal. US travelers and selected foreign nationals who do not need to provide biometric data and would like to opt out of the new biometric process can simply request a manual document review from a CBP agent.

If a traveler cannot be compared to a recorded photograph by facial biometrics, the traveler will go through the traditional inspection procedure that complies with existing requirements for entry into the United States.

Currently, more than 88 million travelers have taken part in the biometric face comparison process in the ports of entry by air, land and sea. As of September 2018, CBP has been using facial biometrics to prevent more than 850 fraudsters using real travel documents from illegally entering the United States at the air and land ports of entry. For more information on biometric face comparison technology, please see here.