Antigua & Barbuda Says Local Cruise Sector Ready for New Passport Regulations

The President of the Antigua & Barbuda Cruise Tourism Association (ABCTA), Nathan Dundas, has indicated that the country is ready for immigration changes in the cruise sector due to go into effect in 2008.

As of January 31, 2008, drastic changes will be put into effect for American cruise passengers traveling to the Caribbean.

United States Embassy Consul General in Barbados Clyde Howard, reported that it was recently announced by the US State Department that immigration officials will no longer be allowing cruise passengers to enter a country on a simple statement.

He explained that in the recent past, the only requirements needed by travelers was proof of their nationality; if the visitors indicated that they were US or Canadian citizens, they were almost surely allowed to enter without showing any documents.

Mr. Dundas said that while America is now on a mission to catch up with the rest of the industry so far as passport requirements are concerned, provisions were already being put in place for quite some time in an effort to effect a smooth transition when the time arrives.

"The cruise lines have been preparing for this for the last three to four years now with respect to all of their repeat passengers being notified and any new passengers that are booking cruises will also be notified," Dundas told the Antigua Sun.

He indicated that with this foresight, many cruise passengers have already been prepared through some serious marketing drives that have taken place through the cruise lines. As for European and other trans-continental tourists, the cruise president said that these passengers will not be affected by this situation.

These tourists, the cruise president elaborated, have usually been in possession of the necessary travel documents. "It's only the Americans; it's a big change for them because they have been so accustomed to use just their driver's license prior to this new arrangement that is in place. And since many of them did not have US passports before, we are trying to do our part to make the process go smoothly."

Just recently and in anticipation of the WHTI, the U.S. State Department announced a temporary relaxation of passport rules as a result of longer processing times for nationals who had applied for passports and had not yet received them.

July 23, 2007   Posted in: Caribbean