October 18, 2026
Royal Caribbean Warns of 90-Minute Boarding Waits in Europe Under New EU Biometric Checks
Royal Caribbean says guests on the October 25 Odyssey of the Seas and October 31 Explorer of the Seas transatlantic sailings should expect boarding in Europe to take 90 minutes or more as the EU's new biometric Entry/Exit System requires face-to-face fingerprint and facial scans for every passenger.
Royal Caribbean is warning guests on two late-October transatlantic crossings that boarding in Europe could take a lot longer than usual. The EU's new biometric Entry/Exit System means every passenger, regardless of citizenship, must clear a face-to-face immigration check with fingerprint and facial scans inside the terminal after check-in and before boarding, and the line says the wait could exceed 90 minutes.
The affected sailings are Odyssey of the Seas departing Civitavecchia (Rome) on October 25 for a 14-night crossing to Bayonne, New Jersey, and Explorer of the Seas departing Barcelona on October 31 for a 13-night crossing to Port Canaveral. The cruise line is asking guests to arrive only at their pre-selected check-in time, and to bring a passport book rather than a card, valid at least six months past the end of the cruise.
