AI Powered Face Scanning Expedites Cruise Ship Boarding in Vancouver

Facial scanning technology has made identifying cruise ship passengers in Vancouver, Canada, more efficient.

This has allowed passengers to board cruises in less time while enabling the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA) to accommodate growing crowds.

Here’s how it works: Passengers heading to destinations like Alaska or Hawaii have their photos taken by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents using iPad-like devices.

The captured photos are then analyzed based on the photos in the passengers’ travel documents, confirming their identities. The new process takes mere seconds compared to the older, more manual procedure.

Cruise ship passengers previously used kiosks that would scan their passports; however, this method was only available to American and Canadian nationals. Travelers from other countries still had to undergo manual checks. 

Unlike the old system, all vacationers can use facial screening regardless of nationality. Those who prefer manual inspection can still be accommodated. They must request it from a terminal representative when they approach the primary inspection point.

Facial screening is currently only being used for embarkation. At the end of the cruise, passengers will still go through kiosks as part of Canadian customs and immigration.

A Joint Project between the US CBP and VFPA

The Vancouver Port Authority partnered with US Customs and Border Protection to implement the new screening system at the Canada Place cruise terminal. Pangiam, a technology company recently acquired by BigBear.ai, developed the biometrics system.

VFPA CEO and President Peter Xotta told Daily Hive, “Our ongoing partnerships with government and industry are crucial to enhancing the award-winning Canada Place cruise terminal and ensuring it can continue to meet growing demand while enhancing the experience of passengers.”

The new system’s introduction is timely, given the terminal’s growing number of cruise passengers. Canada Place is expecting its biggest cruise season this year, with a 1.6% rise in passengers from 1.25 million cruisers in 2023 to 1.27 million in 2024.

In the last few years, major cruise lines, including Carnival Cruise Line and Holland America Line, have also adopted facial recognition technology for embarkation.