Carnival no-wait check-in at Miami

Carnival Cruise Lines has followed the lead of Costa Cruises and installed some test-run self-service check-ins at Miami. The kiosks require you to pre-register on the internet and you must be a USA/Canadian citizen, so it’s not a great benefit to the UK passenger, but there are some rumours that the self-service system may arrive at Southampton by 2010, as part of the port upgrade that is taking place there. The reduction in focus on UK identity cards makes an early appearance of self-service check-in more likely, as the data in those cards would have had to harmonise with the new service. Now the UK government has downgraded its focus on an ID card, the standard passport alone will be the document of choice at Southampton as it is in the USA.

Self-service kiosks can print a receipt, after you’ve swiped your passport or credit card, which you then take to another desk for your cabin key. They can also take cash deposits from people who want to use cash, rather than a credit card, for their onboard spending, although this dual system may be separated if it proves to slow down the check in process too much. Costa is planning to have more self-service systems at other American ports after the success of its Port Everglades pilot.

Carnival lobby courtesy of djonemore