Rusty100 Posted June 1 #1 Share Posted June 1 Hi It looks like the new EU Entry/Exit system (EES) is being implemented from October 6th. For non-EU citizens, when you make your first visit after this date, you have to have your fingerprints / image stored. Has anyone heard any information on what the implications are for cruises visiting EU countries, particularly with port calls / excursions in mind? I can't imagine that many of the cruise ship ports are configured for processing large numbers of visitors on their first visits over a narrow time window. Would be great to hear if anyone has heard anything about how this is being managed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldubs Posted June 1 #2 Share Posted June 1 (edited) I'm pretty shaky on this so take the following with a grain of salt. What I read is it will take longer in general to process travelers as this rolls out. For cruise passengers, I read this was to be the responsibility of the cruise lines and would happen at the non-EU embark port. There is concern cruise lines are not going to have systems in place to do this. I'll bet a cup of Lido Deck coffee EES is delayed again. I guess this is bad news for folks who like to collect passport stamps. Edited June 1 by ldubs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KBS1607 Posted June 1 #3 Share Posted June 1 @Ludus, I agree! I’d say the 12th of Never. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare CDNPolar Posted June 2 #4 Share Posted June 2 Right now it appears that the EES program roll out will START in October. Does not look like it will be in every EU airport on any one day in October. The information I read suggested the start of the roll out in October. We fly into Barcelona in mid-October and I really hope that this is started then so that we can get it over with sooner rather than later. If not October we then fly into Amsterdam late November and perhaps take care of this at that point. It seems as though under the watchful eye of Immigration officials we will scan our passports, have a photo taken, and render our fingerprints all at the same terminal. The articles I read make it sound seamless and simple. ETIAS is apparently going to become active in roll out early 2025. So, EES and ETIAS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBP&O2/O Posted June 2 #5 Share Posted June 2 There was a rumour that the last delay was a political one in that the French government didn't want it before the Olympics? Presumably they are expecting chaos😄 From what I am seeing, I am going to have to change my flights in November, as we only have a 1hr 30min transit/connection time in Amsterdam ... normally that would be 'do-able' but now who knows🤔 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty100 Posted June 2 Author #6 Share Posted June 2 Many thanks all for the responses. My question is about arriving at a port call on a cruise as your first entry into the EU after EES comes in (currently scheduled October 6th) rather than an airport. I just can't quite imagine how a (small) EU port will handle the numbers of people coming off for excursions who need their biometric data recorded for their first entry into the EU, post EES implementation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallasm Posted June 2 #7 Share Posted June 2 The necessity of EES depends on whether it is disembarkation in a final port or it is a port visit. Cruise ship will handle this as for most visits in a foreign port today as for example a port visit in Turkey at a Mediterranean cruise. Also many cruises are within Schengen area - cruises from Southampton visiting Schengen area will be affected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty100 Posted June 2 Author #8 Share Posted June 2 3 minutes ago, hallasm said: The necessity of EES depends on whether it is disembarkation in a final port or it is a port visit. Cruise ship will handle this as for most visits in a foreign port today as for example a port visit in Turkey at a Mediterranean cruise. Also many cruises are within Schengen area - cruises from Southampton visiting Schengen area will be affected. So in my particular case, embarkation and disembarkation are in Southampton - and the cruise visits various (Schengen) EU ports during the trip. Do you know how that would that be affected? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallasm Posted June 2 #9 Share Posted June 2 1 minute ago, Rusty100 said: So in my particular case, embarkation and disembarkation are in Southampton - and the cruise visits various (Schengen) EU ports during the trip. Do you know how that would that be affected? I currently do not know the exact EES procedures that will be implemented but I would assume that passports are scanned in Southampton or it happens on board before the first Schengen port. If it only concerns visits to Schengen ports, I don't think that biometric data is necessarily collected. I am sure that the cruise guests will not notice the big difference from today. Time will show - we know once implemented but there might be a transition period for cruise ships. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldubs Posted June 2 #10 Share Posted June 2 4 hours ago, hallasm said: I currently do not know the exact EES procedures that will be implemented but I would assume that passports are scanned in Southampton or it happens on board before the first Schengen port. If it only concerns visits to Schengen ports, I don't think that biometric data is necessarily collected. I am sure that the cruise guests will not notice the big difference from today. Time will show - we know once implemented but there might be a transition period for cruise ships. What you explain is what I'm reading too. I think the transition is likely to take awhile as I'm also reading cruise lines are not close to interfacing with the EES system. We sail out of Southampton for EU ports in October. I guess we will find out. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPT Trips Posted June 2 #11 Share Posted June 2 EES implementation sounds a lot like REAL ID. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare CDNPolar Posted June 3 #12 Share Posted June 3 All this will have its hiccups in the implementation, but I think for us when EES and ETIAS is done next year, that our transit through the first Schengen country will be a breeze. Where the EU passports flow through an automated scan and we line up, that will all be gone. I know that folks love their passport stamps, but this will be so quick and seamless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookies52 Posted September 1 #13 Share Posted September 1 On 6/2/2024 at 12:27 PM, Rusty100 said: So in my particular case, embarkation and disembarkation are in Southampton - and the cruise visits various (Schengen) EU ports during the trip. Do you know how that would that be affected? They won't be, short answer. EES registration is not required for round-trip cruises starting and ending outside Schengen ports if they only stop in Schengen. See the presentation here, from the CLIA. The plan is to only register stop outside Schengen or on one-way cruises, where people are entering and staying within Schengen. For all other itinerates, it will be done based on a risk basis. Lines already need to report missing passengers to local authorities, so the risk of someone entering and staying in the zone off a round-trip cruise is already minimal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare GeezerCouple Posted September 1 #14 Share Posted September 1 On 6/2/2024 at 5:45 PM, CPT Trips said: EES implementation sounds a lot like REAL ID. 🤣 In which case, "not to worry"! It will take years and years and YEARS to be implemented... if ever! GC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9265359 Posted Monday at 09:36 AM #15 Share Posted Monday at 09:36 AM On 6/1/2024 at 2:09 PM, Rusty100 said: It looks like the new EU Entry/Exit system (EES) is being implemented from October 6th. The start date for EES has been confirmed as the 10th November 2024 - eu-LISA - EU Commissioner Ylva Johansson Visits eu-LISA Headquarters in Estonia (europa.eu) The discussions focused on the Agency's main achievements and ongoing work at operational level as well as important organisational changes, in particular in view of the forthcoming launch of the Entry/Exit System (EES), which has now been officially announced to enter into operation on 10 November 2024. The website to keep an eye on is the official EES website - EES - European Union (europa.eu) There has not been any announcement of the start date of the linked travel authorisation system ETIAS but it is rumoured that applications for it will start to be allowed in May 2025 and the authorisation required from November 2025, and the official website is ETIAS - European Union (europa.eu) Since people get confused between the two, EES is a system to control how long someone has been in the Schengen Area and ETIAS is to control what type of person is in the Schengen Area - the Schengen Area being all of the EU countries other than Ireland and Cyprus, plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare CDNPolar Posted Monday at 10:35 AM #16 Share Posted Monday at 10:35 AM However.... If I am correct with this, with the EES, there is NOTHING that I can do in advance because this will all be done - fingerprints and picture - when I land at the airport, whereas with ETIAS, I will have to apply for my ETIAS online before travelling to Europe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9265359 Posted Monday at 02:04 PM #17 Share Posted Monday at 02:04 PM (edited) 3 hours ago, CDNPolar said: However.... If I am correct with this, with the EES, there is NOTHING that I can do in advance because this will all be done - fingerprints and picture - when I land at the airport, whereas with ETIAS, I will have to apply for my ETIAS online before travelling to Europe. Correct. EES (Entry Exit System) is to control how long you have been in the Schengen Area and the fingerprints and photograph are to make sure that it is actually you that has entered and left the country. And so there is nothing to do in advance, just having your fingerprints and photo taken on the first time you arrive and those details recorded against your passport. The only potential thing you can do in advance when EES is up and running is to check on the website that will be available to see that you have not exceeded the 90 days in 180 rule that applies to those arriving without a visa. ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) is to control who comes into the Schengen Area and when it is in operation visa exempt visitors (hence it is not a visa or visa waiver) will need to apply before they travel, and will need to declare such things as employment, criminal convictions, travel to war zones, etc. and then either you will be approved to travel or you won't be. Edited Monday at 02:04 PM by 9265359 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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