New Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) regulations, expected to be effective January 1, 2003, will require every passenger boarding a cruise ship from a U.S. port to provide additional personal data to the cruise operator in advance of embarkation. In accordance with the Border Security Act, the cruise operators must submit the complete passenger and crew manifest electronically to the INS prior to embarkation. Failure to provide this information required by the U.S. government may result in denial of boarding.

In order to facilitate the collection of this information, and minimize time spent in the boarding process for passengers, the cruise industry’s travel retailers will be required to collect and report much of this information. Each cruise line will establish a method whereby this information will be collected electronically and accurately.

The following data will need to be collected for all passengers prior to sailing: Ship Name, Sailing Date, Last Name, First Name, Middle Name, Date of Birth, Gender, Nationality, Country of Residence, Document Type (P= Passport, V= Visa, A= Alien registration), Document Number, Document Country of Issuance, Date of Document Expiration, City of Issuance, Destination, Address in the United States, and a unique passenger identifier or reservation number. More information and detail regarding these requirements will be published as it becomes available from the government.

Prestige Travel Systems will be developing a form for independent agents to use in order to collect this information. When this form is complete it will be available on our website under the "Agency Forms" section.