No More Last Minute Check In

[Stevesan]

Just received this notice from my travel agency:

 

Cruise ships departing from U.S. ports are required by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to provide the full passenger and crew manifest to the U.S. government 60 minutes prior to departure. All cruise guests will need to be checked in or on board at least 90 minutes prior to the ship's scheduled departure time.

 

I suspect "late" arrivals are rare, but it's good to know the rule.

[Onbec]

This may be "the Rule" but I would think that "exceptions" will be premitted for say a flight full of passengers arriving late due to weather delays.

[ILoveScotland]

This may be "the Rule" but I would think that "exceptions" will be premitted for say a flight full of passengers arriving late due to weather delays.

 

I suspect you're right but only if those passengers booked their flights through the cruise line. The rest of us better get to the ship early.

 

Of course, like others, we go into the port city a day early and get onboard as close to noon as possible.

[manbehindthecurtain]

This is a new rule by CBP. Presently they are still a little lenient on this issue, but as of August 2008 a ship is not allowed to sail within 60 minutes of submitting the report. So if someone would check in late, the ship would not be allowed to leave port until 60 minutes after the final report is issued.

 

To prevent late sailings, checkin within 60-90 minutes will not be allowed, only in exceptional cases (such as a large group of passengers with delayed flights).

[MSBYRDY]

All the more reason to do the online checkin, then you're covered if you should arrive late. It only applies to those who haven't done that.

Marilyn

[shotei]

My understanding is that by checking in on-line, well in advance of embarkation date, you have taken care of this. If you've done the on-line check-in, you can show up at the pier later than the 90 minute requirement and still be allowed on-board.

 

Marc

[Susie51]

Sometimes ship are late disembarking. What would this do to the 90 minute rule if people are still in line to get on the ship?

[cruisinjudy]

Ryndam did not embark until late February 25th due to cleaning after the noro virus, but they had people checking in at the regular time. Everyone was checked in long before sailing, but the ship sailed as soon as they had everyone on.

[jhannah]

My understanding is that by checking in on-line, well in advance of embarkation date, you have taken care of this.

Not so. The manifest is the listing of souls on board. Just because I check in online doesn't mean I'm onboard. The manifest can only be produced once boarding has been completed and everyone's key card is scanned "in" at the gangway.

 

This works the same for airline passengers. The manifest can only be delivered to the flight attendants once everyone is onboard the aircraft.

[docksider21]

Not so. The manifest is the listing of souls on board. Just because I check in online doesn't mean I'm onboard. The manifest can only be produced once boarding has been completed and everyone's key card is scanned "in" at the gangway.

 

This works the same for airline passengers. The manifest can only be delivered to the flight attendants once everyone is onboard the aircraft.

 

 

Right. CBP is concerned not only with who is onboard, but who was scheduled to be onboard, but is not there.

Just like if you check your luggage through on the airlines,

but dilly dally and miss your flight, they will pull your checked lugage.

[bepsf]

Just like if you check your luggage through on the airlines,

but dilly dally and miss your flight, they will pull your checked lugage.

 

Um, no they won't...

Having been bumped of a flight at the last minute (through no fault of my own - I was on a flight that had been switched to a replacement aircraft that didn't have a Row 3...) and deciding that I didn't want to go on the trip after all, I was informed that my luggage was on it's way without me.

[Jemima]

Um, no they won't...

Having been bumped of a flight at the last minute (through no fault of my own - I was on a flight that had been switched to a replacement aircraft that didn't have a Row 3...) and deciding that I didn't want to go on the trip after all, I was informed that my luggage was on it's way without me.

 

We were on a delayed flight from Montreal to Cleveland a couple years ago. One passenger got up and left the plane. We were not allowed to fly until he was located and went through security again. We were told if they couldn't locate him, the plane and, I assume. passengers and luggage would have to redo security. While this was a Canadian airport, would this be true in a US airport or at a US port. If a passenger checked-in, boarded the ship, left the ship and didn't return; would that hold up sailing?

[docksider21]

FYI,

 

Here is the text from the actual Department of Homeland Security

Regulation. (Actually, only part of it, it is long).

 

The point is, this is a government reg, not just a cruiseline policy.

Do not assume that for some reason it does not apply to you.

 

Happy Sails! :)

 

 

 

[CITE: 8CFR231.2]

 

[Page 412-413]

 

TITLE 8--ALIENS AND NATIONALITY

 

CHAPTER I--DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

 

PART 231_ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE MANIFESTS--Table of Contents

 

Sec. 231.2 Electronic manifest and I-94 requirement for passengers

 

and crew onboard departing vessels and aircraft.

 

(a) Electronic submission of manifests. Provisions setting forth

requirements applicable to commercial carriers regarding the electronic

transmission of departure manifests covering passengers and crew members under section 231 of the Act are set forth in 19 CFR 4.64 (passengers

and crew members onboard vessels) and in 19 CFR 122.75a (passengers

onboard aircraft) and 122.75b (crew members onboard aircraft).

 

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

 

Bureau of Customs and Border Protection

 

19 CFR Parts 4 and 122

 

[uSCBP-2005-0003; CBP Dec. 07-64]

RIN 1651-AA62

 

 

Advance Electronic Transmission of Passenger and Crew Member

Manifests for Commercial Aircraft and Vessels

 

AGENCY: Customs and Border Protection, DHS.

 

ACTION: Final rule.

 

 

B. Vessel Requirements

 

As explained in the NPRM, and mentioned previously in this final

rule, CBP determined that the appropriate level of security for vessels

departing from the United States is to prevent such a departure with a

high-risk passenger or crew member onboard (a known or suspected

terrorist identified by vetting against the terrorist watch list). This

determination was based on CBP's recognition that the commercial vessel

travel industry operates in a vastly different manner than does the air

travel industry. Commercial vessel carriers typically allow boarding

several hours (usually three to six hours) prior to departure. (CBP

also notes that the definition of ``departure'' for commercial vessels

is found in 19 CFR 4.0(g) and, for APIS purposes, is regarded to mean

the moment when the vessel, with all passengers and/or cargo onboard,

leaves the dock directly en route to its foreign destination.) Thus,

unlike the commercial air travel environment, a manifest transmission

requirement designed to prevent the possibility of a high-risk vessel-

boarding likely would require extraordinary adjustments to the

carriers' operations and have a significant impact on passengers. This

would frustrate CBP's intent, and the purpose of various requirements

governing Federal rulemaking, to achieve the agency's goal (enhanced

security) without imposing an unreasonable burden on affected parties.

 

Thus, CBP proposed that vessel carriers transmit passenger and crew

manifests for vessels departing from the United States no later than 60

minutes prior to departure. This timing requirement will remain the

same in this final rule. This change will achieve the level of security

sought by CBP for these vessels and thereby meet the purposes of the

governing statutes, including the pre-departure vetting mandate of

IRTPA. CBP noted in the NPRM that the electronic system for

transmission of required vessel manifest data (arrival and departure)

is now the (Internet-based) eNOA/D system of the U.S. Coast Guard

(USCG). This is not an interactive system; so, unlike air carriers

operating under the APIS 30 interactive or AQQ options, vessel carriers

would not have to obtain system certification.

 

After transmission of the manifest data, the initial automated

vetting process, which will involve vetting against the same terrorist

watch list used for aircraft passenger vetting, CBP will issue a ``not-

cleared'' instruction for matches, possible matches, and incomplete/

inadequate passenger records or crew data. Passengers or crew who are

not matched by CBP will generate ``cleared'' messages. Carriers will be

able to prevent the boarding of ``not-cleared'' persons if such persons

have not already boarded (due to the very early boarding allowed). CBP

notes that a ``not-cleared'' message returned to the carrier by CBP for

an inadequate record would instruct the carrier to retransmit complete/

corrected data.

 

CBP proposed that, during further vetting (which is the same

process as described previously for air carriers), passengers and crew

for whom ``not-cleared'' instructions were generated during the initial

automated vetting procedure would be either confirmed as high-risks or

resolved and cleared. The proposed rule pointed out that the current

requirement for batch manifest transmission--no later than 15 minutes

prior to a vessel's departure from a U.S. port--does not provide enough

time to fully vet passengers or crew members or allow, where necessary,

for the removal of a confirmed high-risk passenger or crew member from

a vessel prior to departure. The APIS 60 procedure implemented under

this final rule will provide CBP the time it needs, in the great

majority of cases, to fully vet ``not-cleared'' passengers and crew

members and to remove those confirmed as high-risk from the vessel

prior to departure, thereby achieving the appropriate level of security

sought by CBP. CBP does not guarantee these results in every instance

and much depends on the carriers' procedures for locating and de-

boarding identified high-risk travelers.

 

For vessels departing from foreign ports destined to arrive at a

U.S. port, CBP is retaining the current requirement to transmit

passenger and crew arrival manifest data at least 24 hours and up to 96

hours prior to a vessel's entry at the U.S. port of arrival. This

requirement is consistent with the USCG's ``Notice of Arrival'' (NOA)

requirements. (Under 33 CFR 160.212, arriving vessel carriers transmit

manifest data to the USCG to meet its NOA requirement. The data is then

forwarded to CBP, permitting additional compliance with CBP's APIS

requirement with the one carrier transmission.) Moreover, the threat

posed by a high-risk passenger or crew member once onboard a vessel is

different to some extent from that posed by a high-risk passenger

onboard an aircraft. A hijacked vessel's movements over the water and

its range of available targets could be more readily contained than

those of an aircraft, thus reducing the opportunity for a terrorist to

use the vessel as a weapon against a U.S. port or another vessel.

[bob brown]

We were on a delayed flight from Montreal to Cleveland a couple years ago. One passenger got up and left the plane. We were not allowed to fly until he was located and went through security again. We were told if they couldn't locate him, the plane and, I assume. passengers and luggage would have to redo security. While this was a Canadian airport, would this be true in a US airport or at a US port. If a passenger checked-in, boarded the ship, left the ship and didn't return; would that hold up sailing?

That's a good question which I don't believe is addressed in the excerpt in docksider21's post. The regs seem to be designed to prevent someone already on the "watch list" from boarding, but doesn't address the issue of someone not on the list from boarding and leaving something bad behind in baggage.:(

[shotei]

Not so. The manifest is the listing of souls on board. Just because I check in online doesn't mean I'm onboard. The manifest can only be produced once boarding has been completed and everyone's key card is scanned "in" at the gangway.

 

I'm interpreting this differently from you, JHannah. Here is a quote from the preliminary page of HAL's on-line check-in procedure:

 

"For your convenience, and to expedite your embarkation, we encourage all our guests to check-in online. For the most accuracy onboard your ship, please try to submit these forms 30 days prior to your departure.

 

New U.S. government security regulations require us to submit certain guest information to law enforcement authorities at least 60 minutes prior to departure. To meet this requirement, we must have the necessary information in our records at least 90 minutes before departure. If we do not have your information by this deadline, you will be unable to sail. Guests are urged to complete the Online Check-in process before leaving home. Guests who wait to check in at the terminal risk being unable to sail even if they arrive at the terminal before the vessel leaves. You will be responsible for all costs you incur to join the vessel at the next port."

 

That quote backs me up implicitly, but admittedly not explicitly. I've read over the government's position (in a post above) and here's what it means to me:

 

They want the passport numbers of everyone who is scheduled to be on the ship well in advance (at least 60 minutes) so they can see if there is anyone who they would like to keep from boarding. If you've checked in on-line, they can send your passport # to the Feds, giving them enough time to ban you if necessary, even if you haven't showed up at the pier yet. If you've not checked in on-line, they don't have enough information to go through the process for you until you show up at the pier.

 

Therefore, I've come to the conclusion that you could check in on-line, show up at the pier just before the boarding deadline, and still be allowed aboard. If you haven't checked in on-line and show up with less than 90 minutes to go before the boarding deadline, you may not be able to board.

 

That's the way I see it. Since I always show up way early anyway, it doesn't really matter to me, but I see no reason to get people with later flights into a panic.

 

Marc

[wrp96]

We were on a delayed flight from Montreal to Cleveland a couple years ago. One passenger got up and left the plane. We were not allowed to fly until he was located and went through security again. We were told if they couldn't locate him, the plane and, I assume. passengers and luggage would have to redo security. While this was a Canadian airport, would this be true in a US airport or at a US port.

 

The difference between you and bepsf is international flights versus domestic flights. On an international flight they have to pull the bag, on a domestic flight they don't.

[lka1012]

and deciding that I didn't want to go on the trip after all, I was informed that my luggage was on it's way without me.

 

So, did your luggage have a good trip?:D

[iancal]

My experience on Canadian domestic flights is that they definately do pull the baggage from those checked in but not boarded at departure time. Alas, I have had a number of delayed flights because of this.