New U.S. Coast Guard and Department of Homeland Security regulations are being issued frequently and subject to change depending upon the current alert level. For the latest information, and how it may affect your cruise planning, please check with the Marine Operations Office.

Science Personnel: All personnel joining a cruise on the University of Washington research vessels must have proof-of-citizenship. This means a current, up-to-date U.S. Passport for United States citizens. Non-US participants must have a current up-to-date national passport AND a visa that explicitly permits multiple-re-entry into the United States. If their visas or visa-waivers do not explicitly state this, they must have an accompanying letter, on U.S. Immigration stationery, acknowledging that they are going to participate in an at-sea research mission and that they will be re-admitted to a United States port.

The Principal Investigator or Chief Scientist will be sent an approved form for transmitting the required information on science participants. This must be filled out completely and in our hands at the very least seven business days before the cruise. The ship is required by the new Homeland Security rules to give a 96-hour (four-day) notice of movement—with the listing of all personnel on board along with their citizenship information--before entering or departing any U.S. port. (Many foreign countries have the same requirement.) Therefore, any changes to personnel rosters inside of the 96-hour window may well result in a delayed departure.

New CFRs (Code of Federal Regulations) will go into effect in July 2003, requiring all ships (U.S. and other nations) to exercise positive access control. This means a manned gangway watch, at all times. Either a security guard or a crewmember will permit or deny access to the ship depending upon the person’s identity and business aboard. Once science crew are known and recognized, there should be little impact or inconvenience. However, newly arriving science personnel must be prepared to identify themselves with photo identification when first joining the vessel.

Science Packages and shipping: Any equipment sent by the science party to the ship, whether for loading at our homeport or an outport, must be clearly labeled and identified as to the recipient scientist (c/o the ship) and sender. No packages, boxes, crates, backpacks, suitcases, containers, cylinders or any other type of unaccompanied baggage will be embarked on board unless it is positively identified by a member of the science party for whom it is intended. If no one is available to vouch for a shipment when it shows up at the gangway, it will be left on the pier or returned to the warehouse—raising the possibility of delay and extra charges to the science party by agents, longshoremen, and shippers.

AGENT CHARGES

Please be advised that any science related Agent charges will be passed on to the science project. These may include (and are not limited to):

shipping science gear/cargo/baggage/equipment to & from the port.
warehouse charges for the above.
forklift/truck/crane charges for the above.
Customs clearance and overtime for the above.
transfers of science personnel to/from the airport (unless they ride along while crew changes are traveling.)
meeting arriving science personnel at the airport and shepherding them through Customs/Immigration.
handling messages, inquiries, parts runs, etc. for the science group.
arranging hotels, cabs, drivers, etc. for the science group.
postage, fax, Xerox, e-mail, and telephone charges by the Agent specifically for scientist-related requirements.

The Chief Scientist/Principal Investigator will be responsible for reimbursing the University of Washington for all of these charges. Frequently, Agents from foreign ports submit their invoices to us as much as six months after a port call. Therefore, PIs would be well advised to retain funds on hand for expected billings after their cruises.

Before your cruise, please let us know how, or to whom, we can invoice those charges which appear on our bill from the Agent. Only the Master or his designee (Chief Engineer, Chief Mate or Chief Steward) can sign a work or material order from the Agent. Any s/he signs for the science group will have the word "science" added to the Agent's form. All such obligations incurred by any member of the science party will be included in our subsequent re-invoicing of agent fees to the science party's PI. (It will be the PI's responsibility to track down specific individuals or collaborating institutions within his or her group for these charges later, but the aggregate amount will be due to the University of Washington by the PI upon receipt of the invoice.)