The cruise ship Mein Schiff 3 returned to its berth in Bremerhaven after colliding with a container ship while departing on Sunday, October 25. No injuries were reported among the 2,428 passengers and 922 crew members on board, but damage to the ship and its lifeboats left the planned Canary Islands cruise uncertain.
The collision happened during stormy weather as tugboats assisted the cruise ship’s departure. Video footage, verified by the German news agency dpa, shows Mein Schiff 3 moving increasingly close to a moored container ship before making contact. Several lifeboats along the cruise ship’s side were damaged during the incident, according to German media reports.
TUI Cruises spokesperson said the vessel had returned to the pier for a damage assessment and that, based on the information available, nobody had been injured. The company said it would provide further details once reliable findings were available.
German authorities and the cruise line initially gave different accounts of how many vessels were involved. Police said three ships were affected, including Mein Schiff 3 and two container ships, while TUI Cruises confirmed contact with one container ship. The full sequence of events remained under investigation.
The damage extended beyond the cruise ship. German public broadcaster Tagesschau, citing Bremen’s port authority, reported an approximately ten-meter tear in the side of one container ship and damage to two tugboats. No water ingress was reported on the affected vessels. Mein Schiff 3 subsequently returned to the Columbuskaje, where specialists began examining the damage.
Storm Manja was bringing strong gusts to Germany’s North Sea coast at the time. However, the weather’s precise role in the collision had not been established, and water police were investigating the cause.
Mein Schiff 3 had been scheduled to begin a 20-day Canary Islands voyage, returning to Bremerhaven on November 14. Passengers initially remained on board while inspections took place. As of the German reports published Monday morning, October 26, no official decision had been announced on whether the voyage would proceed, be changed or be canceled.
