So many people cruising without passports on Independence this morning

[urk1919]

Hello everyone,

I disembarked the Independence of the seas today, amazing cruise, sad it is over.  Huge shoutout to all the staff on the Independence, they really do an amazing job.

 

Anyway, I found it very interesting as I was disembarking this morning in Port Canaveral there was a HUGE line of people waiting to check out with their birth certificate instead of a passport... meanwhile I cruised right through what must have been 200+ people in line waiting to have their birth certificate examined... and they just scanned my face as I walked right out with no issue. 

Do other people have this experience where the birth certificate line is so long?  I can't believe so many people don't have passports!! 

 

Happy to answer any questions on the independence as well :), 4 day going to Nassau and Perfect Day including July 4th

[AshleyDillo]

1 minute ago, urk1919 said:

Do other people have this experience where the birth certificate line is so long?  I can't believe so many people don't have passports!! 

Seems to happen a lot for those shorter cruises that attract a lot of first-timers who don't want to invest in a passport. I love being able to just cruise on by that long line and out of the building!

[Jolly Ogre]

HaHA...I love it...it is what we do, but even better we get a porter to take our bags and he just escorts us thru and even under the ropes to an empty facial scanner and away we go all for about $5-$6...easy peasy!

[Neesa]

So true, when we were checking in for the Wonder June 25, 2023 the young lady was visibly as well as verbally so thankful we had passports. She told us most had birth certificates this sailing & when she asked why she was told it was to expensive to get them. Same when we disembarked, while we were nearly first off the ship that morning they asked if we had passports and guided us to the left side (facial recognition) The right side had been set up with several stands for those with birth certificates. I'm guessing they were prepared after the embarkation we had. I'm thinking the fact that there were nearly 4,500 first time cruisers had much to do with it. 

[TXcruzer]

On 7/7/2023 at 10:52 AM, urk1919 said:

Hello everyone,

I disembarked the Independence of the seas today, amazing cruise, sad it is over.  Huge shoutout to all the staff on the Independence, they really do an amazing job.

 

Anyway, I found it very interesting as I was disembarking this morning in Port Canaveral there was a HUGE line of people waiting to check out with their birth certificate instead of a passport... meanwhile I cruised right through what must have been 200+ people in line waiting to have their birth certificate examined... and they just scanned my face as I walked right out with no issue. 

Do other people have this experience where the birth certificate line is so long?  I can't believe so many people don't have passports!! 

 

Happy to answer any questions on the independence as well :), 4 day going to Nassau and Perfect Day including July 4th

Remember, LESS than 1/2 of the US adult population has a passport.

[WAAAYTOOO]

Our only sailing (so far) where I had to sail with my BC was last month on Mainer.  The BC check-in line was very short,  I was delayed maybe 2 minutes longer than I would have been with the passport facial recognition process.  When we disembark Serenade in a couple of days my experience may be different.  Guess I will have to wait and see !

[OCSC Mike]

This stuff varies by cruise.

My extended family was on the June 4th Wonder sailing and my 2 young nieces sailed with BC's. It didn't take them very long at all to get through their line and quickly meet up with those of us who breezed through the facial recognition line.

[smokeybandit]

56 minutes ago, TXcruzer said:

Remember, LESS than 1/3 of the US adult population has a passport.

As of 2022, 45% have a currently valid passport.

[TXcruzer]

20 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

As of 2022, 45% have a currently valid passport.

I stand corrected

[smokeybandit]

1 minute ago, TXcruzer said:

I stand corrected

I would be curious what percentage of cruisers don't have passports.

[TXcruzer]

4 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

I would be curious what percentage of cruisers don't have passports.

I have wondered that many times, I have researched it unsuccessfully

[WAYNO]

What we're experiencing, a lot, on multiple cruises. 

The lines to get past Customs and out of the terminals, have been lengthy.  Agents make their way along this line, inviting Americans with passports to come this way. They don't seem to have a lot of takers.  Seconds later, we are done. 

[Bowen]

4 hours ago, urk1919 said:

Hello everyone,

I disembarked the Independence of the seas today, amazing cruise, sad it is over.  Huge shoutout to all the staff on the Independence, they really do an amazing job.

 

Anyway, I found it very interesting as I was disembarking this morning in Port Canaveral there was a HUGE line of people waiting to check out with their birth certificate instead of a passport... meanwhile I cruised right through what must have been 200+ people in line waiting to have their birth certificate examined... and they just scanned my face as I walked right out with no issue. 

Do other people have this experience where the birth certificate line is so long?  I can't believe so many people don't have passports!! 

 

Happy to answer any questions on the independence as well :), 4 day going to Nassau and Perfect Day including July 4th

I have family members who have a passport and use it to board, then disembark with their birth certificate because they refuse to go through any type of facial scanning, which many ports now utilize. 

[smokeybandit]

Just now, Bowen said:

I have family members who have a passport and use it to board, then disembark with their birth certificate because they refuse to go through any type of facial scanning, which many ports now utilize. 

Which is kind of silly since it's the same end result and their photo is already on file.

[Bowen]

Just now, smokeybandit said:

Which is kind of silly since it's the same end result and their photo is already on file.

I get it. They don’t want what they perceive to be an intrusion. That’s their right.

[smokeybandit]

10 minutes ago, Bowen said:

I get it. They don’t want what they perceive to be an intrusion. That’s their right.

Absolutely. Just as long as they recognize that their security photo is being used a lot more than they think it is.

[Bowen]

1 minute ago, smokeybandit said:

Absolutely. Just as long as they recognize that their security photo is being used a lot more than they think it is.

That's not their issue, their issue is that every time you walk through one of those facial scanners your photo is updated in the database. They don't want that. They want to provide photos on their terms. Just like how people turn off their GPS and stuff, yeah it can probably be extrapolated, but if you'd like to only give information when you want to give it, then that's okay.

[smokeybandit]

Just now, Bowen said:

That's not their issue, their issue is that every time you walk through one of those facial scanners your photo is updated in the database. They don't want that.

This isn't true though. Those photos are deleted the same day.

[Bowen]

Just now, smokeybandit said:

This isn't true though. Those photos are deleted the same day.

I don't believe that, neither do they, so they can err on the side of caution.

[Geezer Of The Seas]

All in, securing passport friendly birth certificates, the photo fee at the post office (fortunately a branch 5 miles from us that does passport apps), the cost of the passports & the cards (a hedge against losing the book, though certainly not necessary) we spent close to $400. The passport price increased the following year. But we got them as a matter of convenience and we're old, what if something goes sideways on a trip. Who knows we might someday visit Canada or Mexico by air or ground? But I certainly understand saving a buck if someone is only contemplating closed loop cruise.

[Ampurp85]

I saw this in April at Port Miami. But I know a couple of people who have passports and then will not use them.

[CanHardlyWait]

2 hours ago, Bowen said:

I have family members who have a passport and use it to board, then disembark with their birth certificate because they refuse to go through any type of facial scanning, which many ports now utilize. 

That's so nuts. You literally don't have to even come to a full stop. Facial recognition is so convenient. I just don't get people who think the government is paying any extra attention to them. If the government really wants to know your business, trust me they will. The rest of us they don't have time for.

[Geezer Of The Seas]

4 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

Which is kind of silly since it's the same end result and their photo is already on file.

What the CBP officer told me at PC in April when we were selected for the deluxe welcome home.  Facial recognition matches what it see to the passport photo in the database.

 

[SpeedNoodles]

On my last sailing (Navigator group cruise) the passport line was queued about 40 people deep, while there was absolutely nobody in the birth certificate queues (3 agents, no passengers).

[Bowen]

5 hours ago, CanHardlyWait said:

That's so nuts. You literally don't have to even come to a full stop. Facial recognition is so convenient. I just don't get people who think the government is paying any extra attention to them. If the government really wants to know your business, trust me they will. The rest of us they don't have time for.

It's so nuts that so many people get bothered by something that affects them not at all. 

[Linda R]

12 hours ago, urk1919 said:

Hello everyone,

I disembarked the Independence of the seas today, amazing cruise, sad it is over.  Huge shoutout to all the staff on the Independence, they really do an amazing job.

 

Anyway, I found it very interesting as I was disembarking this morning in Port Canaveral there was a HUGE line of people waiting to check out with their birth certificate instead of a passport... meanwhile I cruised right through what must have been 200+ people in line waiting to have their birth certificate examined... and they just scanned my face as I walked right out with no issue. 

Do other people have this experience where the birth certificate line is so long?  I can't believe so many people don't have passports!! 

 

Happy to answer any questions on the independence as well :), 4 day going to Nassau and Perfect Day including July 4th

It could be that many of them had kids with them and the kids did not have passports.   We traveled with grandkids last month.  While we have passports the grandkids did not, so we had to go to the line for people with birth certificates.

[Colombia20102018]

One of the things I have never understood is why it takes so long to get a passport in the US. Even before COVID, it was expected to have to wait between four and six weeks. Back in the early 2000s, in most countries in Latin America one could get a passport in one hour. Now that they add the chip technology to the passport, it takes three days. 
What’s the reason behind such a delay in the process? Is it a shortage in manpower? 

[teddy]

3 hours ago, Bowen said:

It's so nuts that so many people get bothered by something that affects them not at all. 

The reason for so many problems. 

[need2cruz]

14 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Our only sailing (so far) where I had to sail with my BC was last month on Mainer.  The BC check-in line was very short,  I was delayed maybe 2 minutes longer than I would have been with the passport facial recognition process.  When we disembark Serenade in a couple of days my experience may be different.  Guess I will have to wait and see !

I'd love to hear how disembarking with the BC goes.  This will be our 1st time in Tampa w/ some of our travel party not having passports.  We're a party of 8 but the 3 minors don't have a passport.

[RCIfan1912]

Really not very smart. A passport is just so much easier. I don't know why anyone wouldn't have one if they are traveling. 

[need2cruz]

42 minutes ago, RCIfan1912 said:

Really not very smart. A passport is just so much easier. I don't know why anyone wouldn't have one if they are traveling. 

our three children who don't have one are because of incorporative ex spouses.  Maybe you don't know everyone's situations in life.

[RCIfan1912]

18 minutes ago, need2cruz said:

our three children who don't have one are because of incorporative ex spouses.  Maybe you don't know everyone's situations in life.

Oh geez excuse me. For the . 0001 % that can't I apologize. The other 99.999% it's really dumb not to have a passport. 

[TXcruzer]

17 hours ago, Bowen said:

I don't believe that, neither do they, so they can err on the side of caution.

Facial recognition doesn't even take photo when you come back through CBP.  Facial recognition analyzes the ration in spacing between several key points on the face (eye cantus nose bridge among others) This is what facial recognition works regardless of facial hair or a myriad of other changes that can be made to the face.

Refusal to use the facial rec. machines is absolutely anyone's right, but the reasons are bordering on paranoid delusion

[smokeybandit]

8 hours ago, Colombia20102018 said:

One of the things I have never understood is why it takes so long to get a passport in the US. Even before COVID, it was expected to have to wait between four and six weeks. Back in the early 2000s, in most countries in Latin America one could get a passport in one hour. Now that they add the chip technology to the passport, it takes three days. 
What’s the reason behind such a delay in the process? Is it a shortage in manpower? 

Beside the typical governmental inefficiencies, last year the USA processed about 60k passports per day.  

[Bowen]

35 minutes ago, TXcruzer said:

Facial recognition doesn't even take photo when you come back through CBP.  Facial recognition analyzes the ration in spacing between several key points on the face (eye cantus nose bridge among others) This is what facial recognition works regardless of facial hair or a myriad of other changes that can be made to the face.

Refusal to use the facial rec. machines is absolutely anyone's right, but the reasons are bordering on paranoid delusion

Today's delusions are tomorrows FOIA admissions. You do you, my family can do what they want, it's nothing to you. Just stop being rude.

[Bowen]

4 hours ago, need2cruz said:

I'd love to hear how disembarking with the BC goes.  This will be our 1st time in Tampa w/ some of our travel party not having passports.  We're a party of 8 but the 3 minors don't have a passport.

It's very fast, we have a split every time, and without fail the passport lines are slower than the BC lines coming back from Galveston. We sailed in September, January, and April, part of the family used the BC line each time, they were through before the rest of us each time.

[Colombia20102018]

6 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Beside the typical governmental inefficiencies, last year the USA processed about 60k passports per day.  

That’s not a big number for a country with more than 330 million. To me the issue is that the process is outdated. The fact that there is not a passport office despite of having more than 18 million applications per year is ridiculous. Specially if one is only renewing a passport, this process should be all digital by now. The same way that one can renew a driver’s license online. If there was a fee to  pay for a lifetime passport I would pay it.

[TXcruzer]

2 hours ago, Bowen said:

Today's delusions are tomorrows FOIA admissions. You do you, my family can do what they want, it's nothing to you. Just stop being rude.

I am sorry you took it as rude, I was simply stating facts.

 

FOIA admissions?  Admissions of knowing what you look like?? 

[Bowen]

1 hour ago, TXcruzer said:

I am sorry you took it as rude, I was simply stating facts.

 

FOIA admissions?  Admissions of knowing what you look like?? 

Your facts aren't facts at all, though. The original design of facial scanners was to collect (COLLECT) biometric data from foreign nationals, not compare, not snap a shot then immediately delete. Do you think the entire programming was changed because you check a box that says you're an American Citizen and thus that data will not be collected from you? Also, as to your claim that the pictures are immediately deleted, this is false, even by TSAs own verbiage. The pictures are deleted, but kept on the RAM until actually deleted, which normally happens every 24 hours OR after the unit has been powered down for 30 minutes, BUT pictures may be kept if they can be useful to make the whole recognition software more reliable. So, believe what you want to believe, I'm going to let my family believe what they want to believe. If there's one thing I learned in the past three years it's that there's a whole lot I don't know, and I'm not going to dismiss it when other people have opinions that I might think are wild. And I'm still going to be walking through the facial scanning section of customs, but I'm certainly NOT going to be judging anyone for a fool if they decide against it.

[Bowen]

And if you want to verify what I'm saying, go look up TSA biometric data collection on face scans. All of the capability is there, every bit of it. Are they using it on you, maybe, maybe not, but can they take a picture, update your biometrics, and send it to the great warehouse in the sky, absolutely.