The Ruby Princess departed Galveston on Sunday afternoon on a 11-day sailing to Mexico and the Caribbean, marking Princess Cruises’ first cruise from Texas in six years, according to a press release.

Today’s departure is the first of 16 sailings from Galveston on the 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.

According to a press release from Princess, it is estimated that Ruby Princess will carry upwards of 50,000 passengers from Galveston during its winter/spring 2022-2023 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 Princess Cruises’ amazing vacation experience,” 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.”