Norwegian Encore delays 3,958 guests in San Francisco customs screening

Norwegian Encore held up more than 3,000 guests in san francisco on April 28, 2026, after Customs and Border Control screening at the Port of San Francisco took hours. Some passengers never got ashore, and those who did could not reboard the 169,116-gross ton ship until the clearance process finished.

Port of San Francisco

The ship arrived for an overnight visit after leaving Miami on April 11 and visiting Colombia, Panama and Mexico, making San Francisco its first U.S. port call on the itinerary. All passengers had to go through immigration screening there because they were returning from an international destination.

The current 18-night sailing was supposed to give guests one full day in San Francisco before disembarking on April 29. Passengers on the 22-night sailing were supposed to have two full days in the city before the ship continued to Astoria, Oregon, and Victoria, British Columbia.

Facial Recognition Breakdown

The screening slowed after the facial recognition technology normally used for U.S. citizens broke. That forced all passengers into the biometric process usually reserved for international guests, which included photographing, fingerprinting and interviews.

David Jones said, “They asked you questions…I showed him my driver’s license, my veteran’s card, showed them everything,” while Arthur Morrisette said, “I’ve been on five cruises and I’ve never had a problem, ever…I’ve never gone through this anywhere,”

Norwegian Encore Itinerary

Guests who got ashore were not allowed to reboard until clearance was complete. Norwegian Encore is scheduled to arrive in Seattle, Washington, on May 3, 2026, where the remainder of the current passengers will disembark and the Alaska season begins.