News

Border control kiosks installed on cruise ship

February 2, 2018

The MV Kydon operated by Ferries del Caribe has become the first cruise ship to install border control kiosks on a ship or a ferry, according to itbusiness.ca. The operator has installed two BorderXpress kiosks on the ship, following a 5-month pilot program, in which the kiosks were successful in expediting passenger processing and improving the overall passenger experience without compromising safety, according to a press release.

The ship offers service from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The BorderXpress kiosks can be used by U.S. citizens, U.S. legal permanent residents, Canadian citizens, travelers with a visa waiver, and travelers entering with a B1/B2 or D visa.

Unlike airport border control kiosks, the cruise ship kiosks connect via satellite to a secured segregated VLAN for communication, sending passenger encrypted information to a border control agency that returns a government response in seconds. A border services agent then verifies the passenger's receipt and decides whether or no to allow them into the country.