Passport control kiosks installed on first cruise ship
Cruise operator Ferries del Caribe has scored an industry first with the installation of automated border control kiosks aboard a passenger ship.
The kiosks were installed on the MV Kydon which sails between Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
After a successful five-month pilot program, two of Innovative Travel Solutions’ BorderXpress kiosks from Vancouver Airport will stay on the ship permanently.
The BorderXpress kiosks can be used by US citizens, and legal permanent residents, Canadian citizens, and travelers with the ESTA Visa Waiver Program.
"Today marks a momentous occasion for the cruise ship industry, and we are proud that our line of BorderXpress self-serve kiosks were chosen as part of this industry first," said Chris Gilliland, director of ITS, Vancouver Airport Authority.
"No matter where they are implemented, BorderXpress kiosks enable immigration officers to process more passengers per hour, reduce passenger wait times and overall operating costs, and free up border officers to focus on security, intelligence and enforcement activities."
The cruise ship kiosks are able to work by connecting via VLAN satellite.
Passengers scan passports at the kiosk which is transmitted to a border control agency that responds in seconds.
A printed receipt is then produced for a border services agent to physically verify travel documents before allowing a traveler into the country.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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