Royal Caribbean Warns Odyssey Guests to Avoid Naples Protest Area
Passengers received stateroom letters the day before the demonstrations; Royal Caribbean guaranteed return to the ship for guests on its shore excursions.
Royal Caribbean warned passengers aboard Odyssey of the Seas to avoid part of Naples during demonstrations planned for Saturday, October 24, 2026. The ship completed the port call and departed on schedule.
The advisory focused on Piazza Garibaldi, a major transport hub near Napoli Centrale railway station, approximately 1.5 miles northeast of the cruise port. The protests were unrelated to the ship.
Passengers received letters in their staterooms on Friday, October 23, after local authorities notified Royal Caribbean about the planned demonstrations. The cruise line recommended avoiding the affected district during the afternoon; it did not ask passengers to remain aboard or cancel the Naples visit.
Return arrangements differed by excursion booking
The advisory warned that “localized disruptions to pedestrian and vehicle traffic may occur” around Piazza Garibaldi. In addition to the main railway station, the area serves Metro connections and other local transport, making disruption relevant to independent passengers using rail links toward Pompeii and other destinations outside central Naples.
Odyssey of the Seas was scheduled alongside from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. Royal Caribbean urged independently travelling guests to build sufficient time into their plans to reach the pier and board before departure. Those passengers remained responsible for meeting the ship’s schedule.
Guests taking shore excursions purchased through Royal Caribbean received an assurance that their return to the vessel was guaranteed.
Demonstrations extended beyond Naples
Protests were also organized in Rome, Milan, Turin, Bologna and Florence. The demonstrations concerned rising living costs and economic hardship, alongside government policies, military expenditure and plans for migrant detention.
Euronews reported confrontations between protesters and police in several Italian cities, including stone- and bottle-throwing and the use of firecrackers. Police responded with water cannons and tear gas in some locations. Additional soldiers had been deployed in several cities as tensions increased, and drones were used to monitor demonstrations. No violence was reported at the Naples cruise terminal.
Elsewhere, P&O Cruises’ Iona omitted Le Havre on October 18 because of ongoing protests in France and rearranged the remaining itinerary.
Odyssey of the Seas heads across the Atlantic
For Odyssey of the Seas, Naples was the final port call on a seven-night Greek Isles and Italy voyage that left Civitavecchia, near Rome, on October 18. Earlier visits to Messina, Santorini and Mykonos had proceeded without reported problems. The voyage was the ship’s final roundtrip Mediterranean sailing of the season.
The ship’s October 25 departure begins a 14-night transatlantic crossing to Cape Liberty, New Jersey, followed by winter cruises to Florida, the Bahamas and the Caribbean. Odyssey of the Seas is scheduled to return to Europe in April 2027.
