| 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 departure. Failure to provide this information required by the U.S. government may result in denial of boarding. The Cruise Line Coalition, a communication partnership of the major cruise line associations, is working with the cruise lines and travel agents regarding the new requirements. "This is an immediate issue of extreme importance to travel retailers selling cruise vacations," says Bob Sharak, executive director of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). Cruise lines will be asking for this additional passenger information prior to January 1, 2003. The cruise lines will be communicating directly with agents regarding the specifics and data collection details. In the meantime, passengers who have questions are encouraged to contact their cruise consultant directly. | The following data will need to be collected for all passengers prior to sailing: | | 
| Ship Name | |
| Sailing Date | |
| Passenger's Last Name, First Name, Middle name or Initial | |
| Date of Birth | |
| Gender | |
| Nationality | |
| Country of Residence | |
| Document Type (P= Passport, V= Visa, A= Alien registration) * | |
| Document Number * | |
| Document Country of Issuance * | |
| City of Issuance * | |
| Date of Document Expiration * | |
| Destination Address in the United States | |
| A unique passenger identifier or reservation number | * For U.S. citizens and other travelers exempt from the passport or visa requirements, this information may not be required for certain itineraries. Passengers should consult with the Travel Agency at time of booking for complete data requirement details. More information and detail regarding these requirements will be published as it becomes available from the government. "Our highest priority is the safety and security of our passengers and crew," said Michael Crye, president, International Council of Cruise Lines. "By working together with government agencies such as the INS, we are able to continue to provide a safe and secure shipboard environment. At the same time, our travel agents can assist in minimizing delays at boarding by collecting this information in advance." ### The Cruise Line Coalition is a joint communications initiative formed by the International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL), Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), North West Cruiseship Association (NWCA) and Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) to educate the public and travel agents about the multifaceted, global nature of the North American cruise industry. |
