SAN FRANCISCO – The Ruby Princess cruise ship docked at Pier 27 in San Francisco set sail on 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 voyage to Alaska after receiving the green light from the United States Coast Guard. Repairs have been reported complete and have passed inspection and certification.
There were originally 3,256 guests on the cruise, but the cruise line said there are now 2,677 guests on the ship. The number of crew remained the same at 1,161.
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Guests had the option to cancel their cruise with a 100% refund and also receive a 50% credit toward a future trip. Passengers who chose to continue their journey on the Ruby Princess will receive a 75% refund and a 75% credit towards future travel.
Katherine and Patrick Hanson, who remained on the ship, said the captain and crew have handled the unprecedented situation perfectly.
The captain has been great, he’s been notifying us 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 voyage that will be cut short.
“Let’s keep going, you only live once,” said Katherine Hanson. “It was better for an accident to happen here than in the middle of the ocean.”
the ship had crashed into the pier on Thursday morning causing a cut on the bottom. Crews worked throughout the weekend to repair the hole before the start on Sunday.
The ship will call at Ketchikan on July 12 and Prince Rupert on July 13, returning to San Francisco on July 16.
It was originally scheduled for a 10-day voyage but was cut short due to damage.
The cause of the initial crash is still under investigation by the US Coast Guard.
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