Port Everglades, along with their cruise line partners Carnival and Royal Caribbean are working with US Customs to launch two new programs this summer. These will be Automated Passport Control (APC) kiosks and Mobile Passport Control (MPC). They’re designed to make entry back into the United States easier for guests following a cruise vacation. Port Everglades is the first cruise port in the country to test the programs, although they’re currently available in several airports and for cruise passengers in Vancouver.
Both programs will streamline the inspection process, and allow officers to focus more on inspecting – and less on technical functions. APC kiosks allow passengers to provide their documents and customs forms before speaking with a customs officer. The MPC is an app that will allow US citizens debarking a cruise ship to complete their customs declaration right on their phone, quickening their clearance time in the terminal.
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Additionally, US Customs and Border Protection’s Global Entry program, which gives preferential processing to guests who are global entry cardholders, has been available at Port Everglades since last summer.
Nine cruise lines, one ferry, and over 40 cruise ships sail from Port Everglades. It’s one of the three busiest cruise ports in the world, and over 3.7 million passengers went through in 2015. Visit their website at porteverglades.net.
