Mein Schiff 3 Collides with Container Ship in Bremerhaven – 25 October 2026

Mein Schiff 3 returned to Bremerhaven, Germany, on 25 October 2026 after colliding with a container ship while departing the port in stormy weather. The cruise ship had 2,428 passengers and 922 crew members on board. No injuries were reported among those on the cruise ship.

The vessel sustained damage to its hull and several lifeboats. It returned to the Columbuskaje terminal for a damage assessment, and the 20-night Canary Islands cruise due to operate from October 25 to November 14 was subsequently cancelled.

Mein Schiff 3 was leaving Bremerhaven with tugboat assistance when the contact occurred. Video footage verified by German news agency dpa showed the ship approaching a moored container vessel before making contact.

Strong gusts associated with Storm Manja were affecting Germany’s North Sea coast at the time. However, the weather’s precise role in the collision had not been established in the initial reporting. Water police began investigating the cause.

Initial reports differed on the extent of the incident. Police said three vessels were affected: Mein Schiff 3 and two container ships. TUI confirmed contact with one container ship.

Reporting that cited Bremen’s port authority described a tear about 10 metres long in one container ship’s side and damage to two tugboats. No water ingress was reported on the affected vessels. TUI said more information would be provided once reliable findings from the inspections were available.

After the collision, Mein Schiff 3 returned to the terminal for inspection. Passengers initially remained on board while the damage was assessed.

On October 26, TUI cancelled the planned Canary Islands voyage. The cancellation affected the vessel’s scheduled 20-day itinerary, which had been due to return to Bremerhaven on November 14.

The cause of the collision remained under investigation in the initial reports. It had not been established whether weather, vessel handling, or another factor contributed to the contact. The final extent of the damage and any repair timetable had not been publicly confirmed.