Passengers Aboard Ruby Princess Cruise Ship in San Francisco Face Delays Due to Vessel Damage
SAN FRANCISCO – Passengers aboard the Ruby Princess cruise ship will have to extend their stay in San Francisco as repair work on the damaged vessel is still underway. The ship, which collided into Pier 27, will remain docked through the weekend pending clearance from the U.S. Coast Guard.
Princess Cruises, the company operating the Ruby Princess, stated late Friday afternoon that the ship’s departure has been rescheduled for Sunday at 4 p.m. Originally, the cruise line had hoped to obtain authorization to set sail on Friday.
“After today’s inspection by the U.S. Coast Guard, Princess Cruises has been advised that Ruby Princess will be cleared to sail once the area damaged in yesterday’s incident in San Francisco has been fully repaired,” the cruise line said in a statement.
As a result of the delayed departure, the company has modified the trip itinerary from a 10-day voyage to Alaska to a 7-day trip. Passengers have been given the option to cancel their cruise with a full refund, along with a 50% credit for a future trip. Alternatively, passengers who choose to continue their trip on the Ruby Princess will receive a 75% refund and a 75% credit for a future voyage.
Despite the unexpected halt, passengers are free to come and go while the Ruby Princess remains docked in San Francisco.
During a Zoom interview, Ruby Princess passenger Paige Gacayun assured that the ship’s atmosphere is calm and not chaotic. “Everything is up and running and going, so it’s like we’re at sea. The only things we don’t have access to are the casino and the boutique shops,” she mentioned.
Gacayun expressed confidence in the cruise line’s efforts to repair the damage. She even decided not to immediately inform her family members, who were traveling with her, about the accident. “As we were boarding, somebody in front of us turned around and said, ‘Hey, did you guys hear about the hole on the ship?’ And I was like, ‘No, don’t tell them!’ My family was all surprised when they found out,” she explained.
The collision with Pier 27 resulted in a significant gash in the ship’s underside. Gacayun and her travel companions boarded the ship on Thursday around noon.
Upon arrival in San Francisco, the Ruby Princess made unexpected contact with the dock while returning from a 10-day roundtrip to Alaska. Fortunately, no injuries occurred, and none of the 3,328 guests or 1,161 crew members on board were in danger. All passengers were allowed to disembark Thursday morning.
Later that afternoon, a new group of passengers boarded the damaged ship, expecting to set off on a journey to Alaska. However, they were instead confined to the ship overnight at the San Francisco Port.
Despite the long delay, some passengers maintained a positive outlook. “The comedy show last night was great. Breakfast buffet was great,” wrote Lisa Barnes on a Ruby Princess Facebook page. “I’m happy to be on the boat. Walked four miles around the ship yesterday, doing the exploring thing. Life is good.”
Passengers have mentioned that the captain has been providing updates on the ship’s status, although some have expressed frustration with the limited information provided. Don Thompson, a passenger, stated that guests were unaware of any issues with the ship until the originally scheduled departure time. “Overall, they kept it pretty quiet, and I’m going to guess that 75-80% of the passengers had no idea until the first announcement came Thursday night,” he revealed.
Thompson has chosen to remain aboard the Ruby Princess, hoping that the inconvenience will ultimately be worthwhile.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and passengers await further updates regarding the repairs and the resumption of their journey.