Boarding in Europe Could Take 90+ Minutes Now: Royal Caribbean Warns Transatlantic Guests About New EU Checks
/If your cruise starts in Europe this fall, pack a little extra patience for embarkation day. Royal Caribbean is warning guests on two upcoming transatlantic sailings that boarding could take much longer than usual — possibly more than 90 minutes — because of the European Union's new Entry/Exit System, known as EES.
The warning went to guests booked on two sailings that leave Europe for the United States later this month. Odyssey of the Seas sails a 14-night transatlantic from Civitavecchia, the port for Rome, on October 25, calling at La Spezia, Barcelona, Cartagena, Lisbon and Ponta Delgada in the Azores before arriving at Cape Liberty in Bayonne, New Jersey. Explorer of the Seas follows on October 31 with a 13-night crossing from Barcelona, visiting Palma de Mallorca, Cartagena, Ponta Delgada and King's Wharf in Bermuda before arriving in Port Canaveral, Florida, on November 13.
So what is EES, exactly? It is the EU's new digital border system, replacing the familiar passport stamp for travelers who are not EU or Schengen nationals — and that includes U.S. citizens. Instead of a stamp, your entry or exit is recorded electronically, paired with biometric checks such as a facial scan and fingerprints. Because these sailings depart the European Union, every guest must clear face-to-face immigration inside the terminal after check-in but before boarding — regardless of citizenship or residency. That extra step, multiplied across thousands of passengers, is what stretches the line.
Royal Caribbean's practical advice is straightforward, and worth following even if you are not on one of these two ships, because other Europe departures can be expected to feel the same growing pains as the system rolls out.
First, arrive only at your pre-selected check-in time. Terminal space is limited, and the line warns that guests who show up at other times may be turned away to wait outside — not where you want to spend a chilly late-October morning in Rome or Barcelona.
Second, check your documents now, not at the pier. You need a passport book — not a passport card — valid for at least six months after your cruise ends. Guests who arrive without one will be denied boarding. If your nationality requires a U.S. visa or ESTA to enter the United States, make sure it is in order before you sail, and note this trap: if you have received a new or replacement passport since your ESTA was approved, you must apply for a fresh ESTA. The approval is tied to the specific passport, so an unexpired ESTA on an old passport no longer counts.
Third, one thing you do not need yet is ETIAS, the EU's separate travel authorization. Its launch has been postponed, no firm start date has been announced, and it is not expected until 2027 — so do not pay any website claiming you need it for this fall's trip.
What does this mean for trip planning more broadly? Transatlantic sailings remain one of cruising's great values — long, relaxed stretches of sea days at per-night prices that are hard to beat — but embarkation day in Europe now deserves the same respect as a flight connection. Fly in a day early, keep your arrival time, bring a charged phone and a snack, and treat the terminal wait as part of the journey rather than a surprise.
The ships, the ports and the sea days have not changed. Only the line at the door has — and now you know to expect it.