Regarding the EES on a cruise

Never been on a cruise, but would expect in a situation like yours, you would be funneled to the passport control station on the dock. Much like being funneled off an airplane to the passport processing point.

Is that not how it works?

When you disembark the cruise you definitely go through a passport control station. However, we'll have 2 stops in Iceland before we disembark for good in Reykjavik.

The cruise line is your best source for how this is handled. Call them.

With cruises that start in the US and disembark in a Schengen country, EES would usually occur at disembarkation for official entry. Interim port stops are often considered 'in transit.' You had better hope they dont just haul a kiosk on board. Not if you want to disembark any time that morning or afternoon. Most cruise ships have thousands of pax that need to be processed. Hopefully the cruise terminal will have multiple kiosks, plus the extra personnel to handle all of the inevitable snafus. Then you would do the passport exit business at the airport before flying home.

Thanks so much for your thoughtful replies. I'm not really sweating the issue, just curious. Perhaps when I return I'll post an addendum to how things were handled as we disembarked in Reykjavik. Happy travels, regardless.

My wife and I will be on the same cruise ship as OP. Fortunately we don't have any tight connection on disembarkation day -- just need to check into our Airbnb, which may not be available until later in the afternoon anyway.

However, same as OP, we will be flying out 5 days later. Hopefully the EES at the cruiseport is sync'ed with the airport so that there won't be any undue delay when we are trying to catch the flight.

Hopefully the EES at the cruiseport is sync'ed with the airport

The various entry and exit points are neither stand alone data storage locations, nor are they "synched" with any other entry or exit points. All data collected are stored in high security centralized data centers that are accessed by any authorized user, such as visa or passport control.

I may be incorrect, but my impression of EES is that it is a constant monitor. You might see a line that indicates that if you have registered, you can proceed to the e-gates, but more likely, you will go to an EES kiosk, scan your passport, and it may or may not ask for more actions. It might direct you to an e-gate, or to a manual booth, It could ask you for pictures, fingerprints, or ask questions, or not.

We have not yet done the EES. Our last visit to a Schengen country was last July, before the EES took effect. Some of the answers I've seen online seem ambiguous, suggesting that it's only as you leave the Schengen Zone that they will do the EES process.

Starting in June, we will be on a cruise that begins in Boston (Massachusetts, USA) and goes to various places in Canada, Iceland and Greenland. One of the earlier stops is St. Pierre and Miquelon, which despite being a stones throw from Newfoundland, is part of France. But what I read tells me that it is not in the Schengen area. That would make our first Schengen stop in Isafjordur, Iceland. Our last Schengen stop is in Reykjavik, as apparently Greenland.(despite being administered by Denmark) is also not in the Schengen area.

By today's standards, it's a small ship, but there will still be 1000 people disembarking into Isafjordur, a town of 3000 people. If there's an EES process that takes even a few minutes per passenger, that might be a long wait. I'm looking to clarify where the process might take place, in Isafjordur (our first Schengen stop), or Reykjavik, our last.

Some of the answers I've seen online seem ambiguous, suggesting that it's only as you leave the Schengen Zone that they will do the EES process.

EES is Entry/Exit System
https://travel-europe.europa.eu/en/ees

I'm looking to clarify where the process might take place,

The only place that can give you a sure fire answer would be your cruise line. We can tell you what will most likely happen, but no one here works for your cruise line or a Schengen Passport Control office.

If your cruise is the late June Volendam, then it appears that you neither embark nor disembark in any Schengen country. All of your port stops are short day stops,with no overnights. For that reason you may simply be considered "in transit" and not have to go through EES at all. But im not a Schengen Immigration official.

Thanks. It is the Volendam. We'll be in Reykjavik for 2 days, and seven days in Iceland overall. I didn't think to call Holland America. I'll give that a try.

But I guess it doesn't really matter if, how or where the EES might take place; it's out of our control and it will just take some time. If I I understand correctly there's nothing to be done before our trip, we simply need to have our passports, which of course we will.

Thanks again.

We have have had many trips with Holland Am. They are very good at handling the port requirements. Often you don't need more than the ships ID.