October 4, 2026 — Royal Caribbean pushed back boarding for today’s Legend of the Seas cruise from Barcelona after a record-breaking storm slowed the ship’s return to port. The same storm cancelled 385 flights at Barcelona-El Prat Airport over the weekend.
Royal Caribbean, part of Royal Caribbean Group, told guests on Saturday that weather was affecting the ship’s return to Barcelona. Boarding for the Sunday, October 4 sailing moved from 11:00 a.m. to about 1:00 p.m. The latest check-in time was set at 6:00 p.m., with final boarding at 6:30 p.m. The line asked guests not to arrive early, warning it would be “uncomfortable waiting outside” in the rain. No compensation was announced, and the actual sail-away time has not been reported (TBA).
The sailing
Legend of the Seas is an Icon-class ship carrying about 5,610 guests. The seven-night Western Mediterranean cruise is scheduled as follows. No port changes have been announced.
| Date | Port |
|---|---|
| October 4 | Barcelona (boarding delayed two hours) |
| October 5 | Palma de Mallorca |
| October 6 | Marseille |
| October 7 | La Spezia |
| October 8 | Civitavecchia (Rome) |
| October 9 | Naples |
| October 11 | Barcelona |
The storm in Barcelona
Catalonia’s weather service put 20 counties under a red alert for what local media called a historic rain event. Central Barcelona recorded roughly 190 to 213 mm (about 7.5 to 8.4 inches) of rain, depending on the station, the city’s wettest day in at least 20 years. Two deaths were confirmed.
- Flights: Barcelona-El Prat (BCN) cancelled 385 flights across the weekend, 220 on Saturday and 165 on Sunday, according to El Nacional. Delays ran to four hours.
- Trains: Most Rodalies commuter lines were suspended, and high-speed service was halted between Barcelona-Sants and Camp de Tarragona. Parts of the metro flooded.
- Restrictions: Movement restrictions were lifted at 2:00 p.m. Sunday across most of Catalonia. The red alert for Barcelona was due to run until 9:00 p.m.
No other cruise ship delays in Barcelona were reported in the sources checked today.
What it means for airline travelers
- Standby into or out of Barcelona will be tight for days. Passengers from 385 cancelled flights are being rebooked onto the remaining seats. Check loads carefully and have a backup routing.
- Don’t count on the train as a fallback. Flying into Madrid and taking the high-speed train is a common plan B, but that line was cut near Tarragona on Sunday. Confirm that service has resumed before you rely on it.
- If you missed the ship, the next call is Palma de Mallorca (PMI) on October 5. Call Royal Caribbean before buying a ticket, since the line must approve joining at a later port.
- Sailing from Barcelona later this week? Arrive at least a day early. A weekend like this one is why that advice exists for nonrev travelers.
- Interline rates: Nothing in today’s reports affects travel-industry rates or eligibility.
Sources
- Cruise Hive: Royal Caribbean Delays Legend of the Seas Due to Bad Weather Conditions
- El Nacional: Entran en vigor las restricciones por el temporal en Catalunya, DIRECTO
- The Olive Press: Two die as mini-hurricane gives Barcelona wettest day in 20 years
- Euro Weekly News: Chaos in Catalonia: flights, trains cancelled, roads closed
- El Pespunte: Lluvias en Barcelona: nuevo Es-Alert por riesgo de desbordamiento del río Besòs
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