Repaired Ruby Princess leaves San Francisco with 579 fewer passengers
SAN FRANCISCO – The Ruby Princess cruise ship docked at Pier 27 in San Francisco set sail Sunday with 579 fewer passengers.
The cruise line announced that the ship was ready to depart at 2:30 p.m. for a 7-day Alaska voyage after receiving the green light from the US Coast Guard. The repairs were reported complete and it passed inspection and certification.
Originally, there were 3,256 passengers going on the cruise, but the cruise line said there are now 2,677 guests on the ship. Crew numbers remained the same at 1[ads1],161.
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Guests had the option to cancel their cruise for a 100% refund, and also receive a 50% credit towards a future trip. Passengers who chose to continue their trip on the Ruby Princess will receive a 75% refund and 75% credit for a future trip.
Katherine and Patrick Hanson, who remained on the ship, said the captain and crew handled the unprecedented situation perfectly.
The captain has been great, keeping us up to date step by step, making announcements,” said Katherine Hanson.
The Northern California couple said they decided to stay on the ship to enjoy what they can of the trip, which will be cut short.
“Let’s just roll with it, you only live once,” Katherine Hanson said. “It was an accident better to happen here than in the middle of the sea.”
The ship had struck the jetty on Thursday morning and caused stains on the underside. Crews worked all weekend to repair the hole ahead of Sunday’s departure.
The ship will stop in Ketchikan on July 12 and Prince Rupert on July 13, returning to San Francisco on July 16.
It was originally planned for a 10-day journey, but it was cut short due to the injury.
The cause of the first crash remains under investigation by the US Coast Guard.
