01/08/09, 17:12:27 UTC

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Cruise sector ready for new passport regulations

antiguasun.com

The President of the Antigua & Barbuda Cruise Tourism Association (ABCTA), Nathan Dundas, has indicated that the country is ready for immigration changes in the cruise cruise sector due to go into effect in 2008.

As of 31 Jan., 2008, drastic changes will be put into effect for American crusie passengers travelling to the Caribbean.

United States Embassy Consul General in Barbados Clyde Howard, reported that it was recently announced by the US State Department that immigration officials will no longer be allowing cruise passengers to enter a country on a simple statement.

He explained that in the recent past, the only requirements needed by travellers was proof of their nationality; if the visitors indicated that they were US or Canadian citizens, they were almost surely allowed to enter without showing any documents.

“That practice is going to end as of 31 Jan; everyone is going to have to have proof of citizenship identity. Individuals are going to have to show it to a border control agent,” Howard said. He added that there are provisions in the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) to deal with travel by sea and travel by land.

Dundas said that while America is now on a mission to catch up with the rest of the industry so far as passport requirements are concerned, provisions were already being put in place for quite some time in an effort to effect a smooth transition when the time arrives.

“The cruise lines have been preparing for this for the last three to four years now with respect to all of their repeat passengers being notified and any new passengers that are booking cruises will also be notified,” Dundas told the Antigua Sun.

He indicated that with this foresight, many cruise passengers have already been prepared through some serious marketing drives that have taken place through the cruise lines. As for European and other trans-continental tourists, the cruise president said that these passengers will not be affected by this situation.

These tourists, the cruise president elaborated, have usually been in possession of the necessary travel documents. “It’s only the Americans; it’s a big change for them because they have been so accustomed to use just their driver’s licence prior to this new arrangement that is in place. And since many of them did not have US passports before, we are trying to do our part to make the process go smoothly.”

Just recently and in anticipation of the WHTI, the US State Department announced a temporary relaxation of passport rules as a result of longer processing times for nationals who had applied for passports and had not yet received them.

As a result of what has been dubbed a record-breaking demand for American passports and according to the WHTI, all travellers, including Canadians, are required to carry a valid passport or some other appropriate document when travelling to the United States from within the western hemisphere.

In addition to this soon to be implemented measure, Howard said that some time later in 2008, additional requirements will be put in place whereby the ultimate requirements for sea travellers will be the same as those travelling by air, which is a passport or an acceptable substitute for a passport.

No concrete date has been put forth for this implementation, but US immigration has said that 60 days advanced notice will be given.

 Printable Version  | published Jul 11, 2007