Key Aspects:
- TUI Cruises has cancelled the 20-night Canary Islands sailing for Mein Schiff 3 following the ship’s collision with two container ships in Bremerhaven on Sunday, October 25.
- The cruise ship now requires urgent repair work that must be undertaken in a shipyard, including lifeboat, crane, and hull repairs.
- It is unknown whether any additional voyages will be impacted by the incident but TUI Cruises is keeping guests informed as details are confirmed.
TUI Cruises has provided Cruise Hive with an update on Mein Schiff 3 following the cruise ship’s collision with two container ships while leaving Bremerhaven, Germany, just after 5 p.m. on Sunday, October 25, 2026.
The collision happened as the cruise ship was moving away from the dock, but strong winds pushed the vessel into what the cruise line now confirms are two container ships. Initially, it was believed Mein Schiff 3 had only contacted one container ship.
“We can confirm that, as the Mein Schiff 3 was leaving Bremerhaven in the late afternoon of 25 October, a collision occurred with two container ships,” the cruise line stated to Cruise Hive. “The safety of our guests and crew is our top priority. We are therefore very relieved that, according to current information, no one has been injured.”
Nevertheless, the collisions are not without significant consequences for the 2,428 guests and 922 crew members that were onboard Mein Schiff 3 at the time.
The cruise line noted that technical teams immediately inspected the cruise ship and determined that the damage caused in the collision requires urgent repair work that cannot be completed while sailing and must be completed in a shipyard.
“In light of this, we have decided to cancel the planned cruise to the Canary Islands. This decision has been extremely difficult for us to make. We know how much our guests were looking forward to this cruise and deeply regret the inconvenience this causes,” the statement explained.
“At the same time, we are convinced that this is the only responsible decision to ensure our high safety standards are maintained.”
Mein Schiff 3 was departing Bremerhaven to begin a 20-night Canary Islands itinerary that included port visits in Portugal, several Canary Islands destinations, and both Morocco and Spain as the ship would have made her way back to Germany for debarkation on Saturday, November 14.
For now, the 99,526-gross ton ship remains in Bremerhaven and evaluations are ongoing.
“Based on this, we will determine whether—and to what extent—subsequent voyages may be affected. As soon as we can reliably assess any potential impact on future sailings, we will proactively inform all booked guests,” the cruise line stated on its website.
Police Report Details Damage
An update from the Wasserschutzpolizei of the Bremen Police Department has provided further details on the damage to all three ships. The update confirms that a gust of wind impacted Mein Schiff 3 and caused the cruise ship to drift as it was underway, while both container ships were moored.
The smaller container ship, MSC Anne F, only had minor damage, but the larger container ship, MSC Victorine, had “considerable damage.”
“The collision tore open several meters of the port side of the larger container ship and deformed the container guides,” the report explained.
As the reported damage was above the waterline, there was no water ingress on any of the vessels and no injuries were reported related to the incident. For Mein Schiff 3, the damage was not only to the lifeboats, but also to their associated cranes as well as the ship’s hull.
Investigations into the incident are continuing, and the Bremen Police Department has confirmed that the maritime safety authority, Dienststelle Schiffssicherheit, has issued a sailing ban on all three ships.
According to t-online, the police department has also confirmed that it is beginning an investigation into the cruise ship’s captain and whether he may have fulfilled his duty of care. This is standard procedure after such an incident and if found derelict, the captain may face a fine.
