Princess Cruises' Grand Princess' Hawaii to San Francisco cruise was cut short over the weekend when a side hatch on the ship opened while at sea, this first reported by CruiseCritic. The ship is being forced to return back to Honolulu, Hawaii to be repaired. The ship is scheduled to arrive in Honolulu on Monday afternoon where the guests will be flown to San Francisco.
Princess Cruises Statement
Princess said in a statement, "While at sea after departing from Maui, a tender platform on the starboard side of Grand Princess opened. The platform sustained damage, such that it could not be closed. Although the platform is not part of the watertight integrity of the vessel, as a result of it opening, the hull sustained minor localized damage which has been secured."
They went on to say, "The Captain has confirmed that the ship is safe and secure and he is communicating updates to guests on a regular basis."
Compensation
Guests are being flown from Honolulu to San Francisco, the original destination of the ship. Princess Cruises is offering guests a 50 percent refund and a future cruise credit equal to the amount of the refund. Princess is also covering hotel and transfer costs for passengers aboard Grand Princess.
Grand Princess was on a 15-night sailing from Honolulu to San Francisco.