The 11-day cruise will visit ports in Mexico and the Caribbean.
It marks the first of 16 sailings from Galveston on the ship's 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.
50,000 passengers forecast
It is estimated the 3,080-passenger Ruby Princess will carry upwards of 50,000 passengers from Galveston during its winter/spring 2022/23 schedule, with many travelers opting for a pre- or post-cruise land stay.
Princess President John Padgett hosted a traditional maritime plaque exchange with Galveston Port Director Rodger Rees prior to departure.
'Easy-to-reach' departure port for millions
Padgett called Galveston an important port for Princess that 'provides an exciting and easy-to-reach option for millions of people living in the Southwestern US.'
For his part, Rees called the Ruby Princess itineraries a 'nice addition to our current ports of call.'
