Ruby Princess Departs on Inaugural Voyage from Galveston, Marking Princess' First Cruise from Texas in Six Years

[LACruiser88]

December 18, 2022 5:44 PM EST   Ruby Princess Departs on Inaugural Voyage from Galveston, Marking Princess' First Cruise from Texas in Six Years   113,561-ton Ship to Offer 5- to 16-Day Cruises, Carrying Upwards of 50,000 Passengers from Galveston During its Winter/Spring 2022-23 Season     SANTA CLARITA, Calif., Dec. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ruby Princess departed Galveston this afternoon on a 11-day sailing to Mexico and the Caribbean, marking Princess Cruises' first cruise from Texas in six years.     Today's departure is the first of 16 sailings from Galveston on Ruby Princess' winter schedule which includes five- 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 a pre- or post-cruise land stay 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 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 customers 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.

Edited December 19, 2022 by LACruiser88

[milogurd]

@ceilidh1 Is doing a "live from" for this cruise:

 

[satxdiver]

We are booked on the April cruise out  of Galveston.  Thankfully Princess has returned after being absent and hopefully will remain in coming years.  We are already booked on the March 2024 cruise as well.  We can drive to the port in about 4 hours so much better than flying or driving 1000+ miles.  We have been on the Ruby before.  We will be watching for a live account.

[Roberto256]

At least galveston avoids the fog of the houston ship channel...

 

[eclue]

Believe me, the fog also affects Galveston!

 

[voljeep]

21 minutes ago, eclue said:

Believe me, the fog also affects Galveston!

 

we sometimes follow the KHOU morning weather ... not sure if/why we would ever sail out of Galveston tho,

[eclue]

4 minutes ago, voljeep said:

we sometimes follow the KHOU morning weather ... not sure if/why we would ever sail out of Galveston tho,

It doesn't happen that often...not a big deal.