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A Ruby Princess cruise that crashed into a San Francisco pier caused delays for thousands of passengers set to sail to Alaska

Jul 8, 2023, 10:39 IST
Insider
Princess Cruises' Ruby Princess ship.Princess Cruises
  • A 113,000-ton cruise ship collided with a dock in San Francisco on Thursday.
  • The crash resulted in a hole in the ship's left side and delays for passengers on the next trip.
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A passenger who watched the Ruby Princess cruise crash into a San Francisco pier on Thursday said the ship was "spinning pretty quick" as it approached the dock.

The cruise ship, one of over a dozen sailing under Princess Cruises, had been returning from a 10-day cruise from Alaska when it collided with Pier 27 in San Francisco. The crash resulted in a hole in the ship's left side as well as damage to the dock, local station KGO reported.

No injuries were reported, and guests and crew on board were not in danger during the "unexpected contact with the dock," Princess Cruises said in a statement to Insider.

Officials with the US Coast Guard told the San Francisco Chronicle that as of Thursday, they would be investigating the crash.

One passenger, Paul Zasso, told the outlet that the ship had been "spinning" and that he had caught the crash as he looked out the window.

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At least one video online posted to YouTube by user Christine Calara shows the rear of the ship scraping against the port as a loud creaking noise is heard.

Crews managed to weld the hole shut by Friday morning, and Princess Cruises said repairs would likely "take upwards of 24 hours."

For the new set of passengers supposed to set sail on Thursday, the ship will now depart on Sunday evening, shortening the 10-day trip into a 7-day sail to Alaska and back, according to the statement from Princess Cruises. Currently, 3,328 guests and 1,161 crew are on board, per the statement.

"Guests will be free to come and go from the ship while alongside in San Francisco beginning this afternoon. 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 read. "We deeply regret the disappointment the delays have caused and appreciate our guests' understanding as we manage this unexpected situation."

Coast Guard Petty Officer Levi Read told KGO that the concern was whether or not the ship could "transport passengers and operate safety."

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Guests who decide to take the shorter cruise will receive a 75% refund, as well as an equal amount of credit for a future cruise, per the statement.

The Ruby Princess ship, built to carry over 3,000 passengers and 1,200 crew members, is 950 feet long and weighs over 113,00 tons, according to Princess Cruises.

The US Coast Guard did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

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