Key Aspects:
- A toddler was hospitalized for observation after falling about 10 feet aboard Mein Schiff 7.
- The incident took place while the ship was docked in Funchal, Madeira.
- Authorities say the circumstances of the fall are still under investigation.
A 2-year-old child was taken to the hospital after suffering a fall aboard the TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 7 while the vessel was docked in Funchal, the capital of Portugal’s Madeira region.
According to local reports from a Portuguese media outlet, the incident took place on April 22, 2026, while the ship was alongside the port, prompting an emergency response from regional medical teams. Authorities told the media outlet the child fell from a height estimated to be about 6 to 10 feet.Â
When emergency responders arrived on board the ship, the child was reportedly conscious and receiving attention from the ship’s medical staff. He was accompanied by his mother.
Madeira’s Integrated Medical Emergency System activated the Rapid Intervention Medical Team (EMIR), which responded directly to the vessel along with an ambulance. After being assessed onboard, the child was transported ashore to Dr. Nélio Mendonça Hospital in Funchal.
TUI Cruises later confirmed the incident with Cruise Hive and said the child is doing okay.
“We can confirm an incident on Mein Schiff 7 in Madeira involving a child. However, the child was never in a critical condition, nor did it have life-threatening injuries. It was in hospital for routine observation, though the child is in good condition and with family members,” the cruise line stated.
In a statement cited by another Portuguese news agency, the Administration of the Ports of the Autonomous Region of Madeira (APRAM) confirmed the incident occurred while the ship was docked but noted that the event took place within the vessel itself.
Investigators are still working to determine how the fall occurred, although there is unverified speculation that the child may have fallen from a balcony.
Previous Incidents
Mein Schiff 7, one of TUI Cruises’ newest members of the fleet that debuted in June 2024, was sailing a 7-night cruise from Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands, which departed on April 20, 2026.
After a day at sea, the 3,984-passenger vessel arrived at 7 a.m. on April 22 for an overnight call. The incident took place sometime during its port call, but as the ship is not departing Funchal until April 23, the child’s injury did not hinder the ship’s schedule.
It is not the first time TUI Cruises has experienced a medical emergency. On October 14, 2022, a passenger died after falling from a balcony cabin aboard Mein Schiff 6.Â
The person reportedly fell several decks from Deck 10 and landed on a lifeboat deck below during a voyage in the Aegean Sea.
In November 2025, a 76-year-old passenger was reported missing after falling overboard from the TUI-operated Marella Explorer 2 near the Canary Islands. A search was launched by the Spanish coast guard, but the passenger was never recovered.
Cruise Hive extends its best wishes to the family and is hopeful the child fully recovers.
Mein Schiff 7 will sail to St. Cruz de la Palma and Tenerife in the Canary Islands, as well as Puerto del Rosario, Fuerteventura, before returning to Gran Canaria on April 27, 2026.
