The Ruby Princess, a cruise ship that accidentally struck a dock at San Francisco’s Pier 27 on Thursday morning, has finally set sail from the city around 3:40 p.m. on Sunday. The departure follows clearance given by the U.S. Coast Guard in the early hours of Sunday morning.
According to Chief Petty Officer Levi Read, a public affairs specialist with the Coast Guard, the ship received the go-ahead around 1 a.m. after undergoing a final inspection of the repairs. Crews had been diligently working to repair the hull since the vessel made an unexpected contact with the dock during the docking procedure. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, according to Princess Cruises, the company operating the ship.
In a statement issued on Friday, Princess Cruises revealed that once the ship was underway, it would follow a modified route for its 7-day Pacific Northwest/Alaska voyage before returning to San Francisco on the originally scheduled date of July 16.
As a gesture of goodwill, the company offered passengers, numbering approximately 3,300, a full fare refund if they chose not to continue with the cruise. Alternatively, if they decided to proceed with the shortened trip, a 75% fare refund was provided.
On Sunday, the company released an official statement confirming the completion of repairs on the Ruby Princess. After undergoing inspection and receiving certification from the United States Coast Guard, the ship was deemed safe and ready for sailing. As a result, the Ruby Princess was expected to depart from the Port of San Francisco at 2:30 p.m. PT on Sunday for its 7-day Pacific Northwest/Alaska voyage. The itinerary included stops at Ketchikan on July 12 and Prince Rupert on July 13, with a return to San Francisco on July 16 for disembarkation as initially planned. The ship currently accommodates 2,677 guests and has a crew of 1,161 members.
