Key Aspects:
- Carnival Cruise Line is streamlining back-to-back cruise procedures with facial recognition technology.
- The new process is being tested onboard Carnival Conquest and Carnival Magic, but may be introduced fleetwide.
- Not all guests are happy with the change, but they can opt out of the technology use if preferred.
A back-to-back cruise can be a great way to enjoy a longer cruise vacation without traveling between homeports, but guests sailing more than one voyage in a row still need to complete the appropriate paperwork.
This includes customs and immigration paperwork, which is typically taken care of through passport checks and inspections in between cruises. Carnival Cruise Line is now testing how to make this process faster and smoother for their back-to-back guests.
Standard procedure on Carnival ships is that back-to-back guests need to debark their ship, speak with appropriate agents in the cruise terminal and present their identification, then reboard the ship.
Now, the cruise line’s brand ambassador, John Heald, has announced a new procedure is being put in place onboard two ships to smooth out the back-to-back process.
“Here on the Carnival Magic and Carnival Conquest we are testing something for our back to back cruisers. Working with United States Customs and Border Protection we been able to have the inspectors come onto the ship rather than these back to back guests have to walk into the terminal,” he explained.
“On board guests will use the facial recognition scanners or have a manual check with the officers and that’s it, all done.”
This will greatly speed up the procedure for back-to-back guests to switch between ships, causing less interruption to their cruise experience and letting them get back to the fun right away for their next sailing.
Read Also: Do I Need a Passport to Go on a Cruise? – Full Guide
Heald notes this new procedure is just in a test phase but may yet be rolled out to other homeports.
Carnival Magic is currently homeported from Miami, offering 6-8-night Eastern and Southern Caribbean voyages. Carnival Conquest is also homeported from Miami, but offers primarily 3-4 night Bahamas itineraries.
On both ships, eager cruisers can combine the alternating itineraries for outstanding back-to-back voyages.
Not All Guests Are Happy With the Change
Within minutes of Heald’s announcement, however, at least one unhappy guest reached out to note they would prefer not to consent to the use of facial recognition technology.
“I read about the B2Bs having facial recognition on board. I am on the Conquest. Do I have the right to not use the facial recognition,” the guest asked. “It is a 4th amendment right not to. This is a breach of the US Data Laws and Protection. Why does Carnival need this?”
Heald’s initial announcement did say that “guests will use the facial recognition scanners or have a manual check with the officers.” This seems to indicate that travelers will be able to choose if they’d rather not use facial recognition for their customs clearance.
When the technology was first introduced to the Port of Jacksonville in 2023, US Customs and Border Protection verified that guests can choose not to use it.
“U.S. travelers and select foreign nationals may opt out of the facial biometric process and can request a manual document check from a CBP Officer, consistent with existing requirements for admission into the United States,” they stated.
Heald does respond to the guest’s concern, noting that not all guests will be using the facial recognition even on back-to-back sailings.
“This facial recognition technology to clear USCBP is only for those guests that have a passport,” he said.
As to the amendment rights and data laws and protections, guests could consult a legal expert for those concerns. The Fourth Amendment to the US Constitution, however, only discusses against “unreasonable searches and seizures” but has no bearing on identification processes.
Nevertheless, Heald suggests “you should discuss this with the USCBP inspector who I am sure will help you accordingly.”
Does Facial Recognition Really Help Cruisers?
As facial recognition scanners have been added to different cruise homeports, both the cruise check-in and debarkation processes have been greatly sped up.
It might take 20-40 minutes to check in for a cruise, even with priority line access. Similarly, debarking and passing through customs after a cruise might take 15-20 minutes. Now, the scanners take just seconds to verify guests’ identities and keep the line moving.
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This new process will undoubtedly be welcomed by most back-to-back cruisers, giving them even more time to enjoy their vacations without interruption.
