Royal Caribbean expands facial recognition technology at U.S. ports

Even your phone does it. Royal Caribbean is now expanding its facial recognition trial at US ports so passengers can disembark without long queues.

The line has been finding ways to streamline the process of passenger embarkation and disembarkation from smartphone apps, check-in agents equipped with iPads to the very latest: facial recognition technology. Thanks to the facial recognition technology by IDEMIA, clearing immigration and customs will be as simple as looking into a camera. “The capture and match process averages about two seconds per passenger, which is significantly faster than the manual review process,” says Paul Kolebuck, an IDEMIA vice president. The technology verifies passengers’ identities by taking facial scans at boarding and departure and comparing them to a U.S. government database of passport photos. None of that fuss with passports and travel documents anymore. Officials still reserve the right to ask passengers for travel documents and passengers can also opt to forgo facial screening and go through traditional procedures. Royal Caribbean says the system has been popular with passengers, and plans this year to add it to other large-volume Florida ports handling more than one million people a year. Capt. Thomas Hinderhofer, Royal Caribbean’s director of Cape Liberty Cruise Port and Miami Cruise Terminal A, said in a press statement that the technology allows passengers to seamlessly pass through the federal customs and immigration inspection process. “We received very positive guest feedback.” “We look forward to having this solution available in more ports nationwide,” he said. “Innovative solutions that improve our guests’ total experience — including the final step of clearing Customs in a fast, secure, frictionless process — is Royal Caribbean’s way of the future.” We’re just waiting for Royal Caribbean to announce a global rollout, fingers crossed!