MSC Group’s cruise arm, MSC Cruises, has partnered with Amadeus-owned digital identity solution provider Vision-Box to offer an end-to-end biometric experience for its cruise passengers.
News of the collaboration coincides with the inauguration of MSC's new terminal in Miami, which the company said is now "the most advanced cruise terminal in the world" and can process 36,000 passengers each day using biometric capabilities from Vision-Box.
With the technology in place, travelers essentially become their own passports, Amadeus said in a release.
“We set out on this groundbreaking project to redefine the terminal experience with our guests in mind, to create a seamless experience that enables guests to begin their holiday with reduced friction in the terminal,” said Luca Pronzati, chief digital technology officer for MSC Cruises.
“Five years of collaboration have yielded a system that’s scalable globally,” Pronzati said. “This is how we plan to stay ahead—by turning complex tech into a seamless experience for guests.”
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Prior to their cruise, travelers use MSC's app to create a digital ID and to complete their pre-check at home. Once at the cruise terminal, those that have done the pre-enrollment can quickly enter using one of 18 biometric stands that verify their identity. Getting on and off the ship is also faster as passengers simply walk through one of more than 20 contactless, biometric gates, with no need to show documents.
Amadeus said that the contract marks a “major step” toward digitizing the cruise journey and could become a model for the industry to implement biometric capabilities.
“I am convinced that this strategic collaboration between our companies is a powerful game‑changer for the whole cruise industry,” said Jeff Lennon, senior vice president of border authorities for Amadeus. “Imagine an airport’s speed meets a cruise’s grandeur. This partnership proves that seamless travel isn’t a fantasy—it’s here, and it’s setting the stage for every port worldwide.”
When Amadeus acquired Vision-Box In January 2024, its capabilities were brought beyond travel booking to boarding and border control. Not long after the acquisition, Luis Maroto, president and CEO of Amadeus, mentioned bringing the technology to other parts of its business: “It's going to be much more than just the airport field,” he said in February of last year.