Galveston, TX, Dec. 18, 2022 - Ruby Princess departed Galveston Sunday, Dec. 18, on an 11-day sailing to Mexico and the Caribbean, marking Princess Cruises' first cruise from Galveston in six years.
It was the first of 16 sailings from Galveston on Ruby Princess' winter schedule which includes 5- to 11-day voyages along with two 16-day, ocean-to-ocean Panama Canal transits between Galveston and San Francisco. It is estimated that Ruby Princess will carry upwards of 50,000 passengers from Galveston during its winter/spring 2022-23 schedule, with many guests opting for pre- or post-cruise land stays to explore the historic seaside city.
To mark the Princess' return to Galveston, Princess President John Padgett hosted a traditional maritime plaque exchange with Galveston Port Director Rodger Rees and Wharves Board Chairman Harry Maxwell prior to departure.
"Galveston is an important port for Princess Cruises and provides an exciting and easy-to-reach option for millions of people living in the southwestern U.S. to enjoy the ultimate in classic cruise vacations marked by our Princess MedallionClass service," said Padgett. "We appreciate the support of the Port of Galveston and the greater Galveston community for helping make this day possible."
Rees added, "Cruising from Galveston has never been better. Adding the first-class Ruby Princess to our sailing schedule, with its enticing itineraries, offers our cruise guests yet another spectacular sailing experience. These itineraries are a nice addition to our current ports of call. As the fourth most popular homeport in the U.S., we're excited to welcome this beautiful ship to Galveston."
The 113,561-ton Ruby Princess offers guests a wide range of onboard amenities including nearly 900 balcony cabins, as well as a luxurious spa, a delicious array of dining options, dazzling entertainment, four pools and acres of teak-planked decks for sunning and relaxing.
The 3,080-passenger ship has 19 passenger decks and guests are served by 1,100 crew members.
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About the Galveston Wharves at the Port of Galveston
Located at the entrance to Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel, the Port of Galveston has been a thriving maritime commercial center since 1825. Just 45 minutes from open seas, the 840-acre port has infrastructure and assets to serve growing cruise, cargo and commercial businesses.
The port is the fourth most popular cruise homeport in the U.S. The port also leases and maintains a wide range of cargo facilities on the deep-water Galveston Ship Channel, which is ranked among the top 50 busiest U.S. cargo waterways. The Galveston Wharves is a self-sustaining city entity whose mission is to generate and reinvest port revenues to benefit the Galveston community with economic growth, jobs and sales tax revenues.
About Princess Cruises
One of the best-known names in cruising, Princess Cruises is the world’s leading international premium cruise line and tour company operating a fleet of 15 modern cruise ships, carrying millions of guests each year to 330 destinations around the globe, including the Caribbean, Alaska, Panama Canal, Mexican Riviera, Europe, South America, Australia/New Zealand, the South Pacific, Hawaii, Asia, Canada/New England, Antarctica, and World Cruises. A team of professional destination experts have curated 170 itineraries, ranging in length from three to 111 days and Princess Cruises is continuously recognized as “Best Cruise Line for Itineraries.” In 2017 Princess Cruises, with parent company Carnival Corporation, introduced MedallionClass Vacations enabled by the Medallion device, the vacation industry’s most advanced wearable device, provided free to each guest sailing on a MedallionClass ship. The award-winning innovation offers the fastest way to an effortless personalized vacation, giving guests more time to do the things they love most. The company is part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE:CUK).