Princess partners with CBP

PRINCESS Cruises and US Customs & Border Patrol (CBP) have introduced facial biometrics at the Port of San Diego.

The partnership covers the debarkation process, which will see passengers pause for a photo, which will be compared to their existing passport or visa.

Once verified, passengers are allowed to proceed through inspections and exit the terminal.

The improved arrival process using facial biometrics verifies a traveller’s identity within two seconds, and is more than 98% accurate.

The process further secures and enhances the customer experience, while protecting the privacy of all travellers.

Americans and select foreign nationals who are not required to provide biometrics and wish to opt out of the new process can request a manual document check from a CBP officer, consistent with existing requirements for admission into the United States.

To date, facial biometric comparison technology is available at 16 seaports across the United States, and has been successfully used to process arriving passengers on cruise vessels in Florida, New Jersey, New York, Texas, California, Washington, Louisiana, Alabama, and Maryland, as well as Puerto Rico.

“As cruise travel resumes around our nation’s ports, it is increasingly important to implement this technology and safely restart cruising, a vital sector of the US travel economy,” said CBP Director of Field Operations San Diego Jennifer De La O.

“With the biometric facial comparison process, travellers have the benefit of secure, touchless, and streamlined entry procedures into the United States while CBP protects the privacy of all travellers.”

As of this month, Customs & Border Patrol has leveraged facial biometrics to prevent more than 1,600 impostors using genuine travel documents from illegally entering the United States.