‘We were spinning pretty quick’: Ruby Princess cruise ship crashes into San Francisco pier

Conor Powell
·2 min read
143

A Princess Cruises ship crashed into a pier in San Francisco as it was preparing to dock after a 10-day Alaskan cruise, officials said.

The 113,561-ton Ruby Princess “made unexpected contact with the dock at Pier 27” at the port of San Francisco Thursday morning, Princess Cruises said in a statement obtained by CNN.

“There were no injuries and at no time were any guests or crew in danger,” the company said. “The ship is safely alongside and disembarkation is complete.”

Passenger Paul Zasso said he knew something seemed off as the ship approached the pier.

Princess Cruises said it was still planning to board passengers onto the Ruby Princess, but it was not clear when the ship would leave for Alaska. - KGO
Princess Cruises said it was still planning to board passengers onto the Ruby Princess, but it was not clear when the ship would leave for Alaska. - KGO

“I noticed we were spinning pretty quick, to be that close to the dock,” Zasso told CNN affiliate KGO. “I was mid-ship, portside, looked out the window, and we smacked into the dock.”

The US Coast Guard is now investigating the crash, Petty Officer Hunter Schnabel told CNN.

The ship, which can accommodate 3,080 guests and 1,200 crew, suffered damage to its left rear side. The dock was also damaged, Princess Cruises said.

The 951-foot-long Ruby Princess was refurbished in 2018, according to Princess Cruises. - KGO
The 951-foot-long Ruby Princess was refurbished in 2018, according to Princess Cruises. - KGO

While investigators assessed damage to both the ship and the pier, Princess Cruises said it was still planning to board passengers for another 10-day, roundtrip journey to Alaska. But it was not immediately clear when the Ruby Princess would be able to start its next voyage.

Jim Simpson and his family are among those waiting to set sail to Alaska.

“I don’t swim that good. I just think they patch it up,” Simpson told KGO.

But he said he’s not worried.

“It’s a 10-day cruise, there’s plenty of time,” he told the affiliate. “We can make up time moving and things like that. So I don’t think it’s going to be an issue.”

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