Book Your Next Amazing Cruise with Travel Leader, Jeffrey Cleary
Nearly thirty-six hours after colliding with Pier 27 while docking in San Francisco, the repairs to Ruby Princess are underway and the ship will depart Sunday, July 9, 2023 for a shortened sailing with just two ports of call rather than the original 10-night, 4-port itinerary.
Guests are being provided different options, from full refunds to partial refunds and future cruise credits for the dramatic changes.
Ruby Princess Itinerary Update
Within hours after the “unexpected contact” between Ruby Princess and Pier 27 in San Francisco early in the morning of July 6 as the ship was preparing to dock, repairs were underway on the damaged aft port quarter.
Now, repairs are expected to take another 24 hours or more, and the ship’s estimated time of departure from San Francisco is set at 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 9, 72 hours after its original departure schedule.
Guests onboard have been notified that the revised itinerary is for the ship to sail a 7-night “Pacific Northwest/Alaska” voyage with visits to Ketchikan on Wednesday, July 12 and Prince Rupert on Thursday, July 13. Ruby Princess will return to San Francisco on July 16 for debarkation as originally scheduled.
“Princess has considered all possible alternatives and has selected this itinerary to preserve as much of our guests’ precious vacation time as possible,” the statement from Princess Cruises read. “We deeply regret the disappointment the delays have caused and appreciate our guests’ understanding as we manage this unexpected situation.”
The ship’s original itinerary was also to have included a visits to both Sitka and Juneau as well as scenic cruising in Glacier Bay, none of which is possible now. The calls to Ketchikan and Prince Rupert were always scheduled fur July 12 and July 13, respectively.
While the ship remains docked in San Francisco as repairs continue, guests are permitted to disembark and enjoy the colorful city beginning on Friday afternoon.
Until the extent of the damage and the timeline for repairs was known, it was not possible to permit guests off the ship in case the vessel was to depart on short notice or if the full cruise were to have been cancelled.
Compensation Options
Guests do now have the option to cancel their cruise and will receive a 100% refund of their cruise fare, as well as full refunds of post-cruise hotel packages and transfers booked through Princess Cruises, any prepaid shore excursions for now-cancelled ports of call, and other prepaid items and taxes, fees, and port expenses.
Guests who elect to cancel their cruise will also receive a 50% future cruise credit (FCC) of their fare, which can be used for any future Princess sailing booked by February 1, 2024 and sailing by February 1, 2025.
Even if cancelling, guests may remain onboard until 11 a.m. on Sunday morning, July 9, as they make alternative travel plans.
Passengers who do remain aboard for the now 7-night abbreviated sailing will receive a 75% refund of their fare as well as refunds for pre-paid shore tours for now-cancelled ports of call and the applicable taxes, fees, and port expenses.
These travelers will also receive a 75% FCC for the cruise fare to book a future Princess Cruises voyage.
Repairs Continuing
The repairs to the 113,561-gross ton Ruby Princess are already underway, and will be fully inspected before the ship sets sail on Sunday. The damage was done to the ship’s port aft corner, where significant dents and tears in the hull were seen. Additional scuff marks were also noted on the port side of the vessel.
The ship’s restaurant and hotel operations are not affected by the damage, and at no time has the safety of the guests or crew onboard been compromised. No injuries have been reported related to the incident.
The Crown-class vessel currently has 3,328 guests and 1,161 crew members onboard.
Caribbean Cruises | Carnival Caribbean Cruises | Celebrity Caribbean Cruises | Cunard Caribbean Cruises | Disney Caribbean Cruises | Holland America Caribbean Cruises | MSC Caribbean Cruises | Norwegian Caribbean Cruises | Oceania Caribbean Cruises | Princess Caribbean Cruises | Regent Seven Seas Caribbean Cruises | Seabourn Caribbean Cruises
World Cruise | 2024 Queen Mary 2 World Cruise | 2024 MSC Poesia World Cruise | 2025 Around the World Cruise | Amazing World Cruises | Luxury Cruising | Home
Discover more from Amazing World Cruises
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Recommended Posts
