Mein Schiff 3 cruise ship hits two container ships in Bremerhaven; voyage canceled and captain under investigation

A three-week trip to the Canary Islands ended almost as soon as it began. TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 3 collided with two moored container ships while leaving the German port of Bremerhaven in stormy weather on Sunday, Oct. 25, forcing the cruise line to cancel the voyage and send the ship to a shipyard for repairs.

No one was hurt, and none of the vessels took on water, police said. German police have since opened proceedings against the cruise ship’s captain, DW reported.

What happened in Bremerhaven

Tugboats were helping the nearly full ship leave port on Sunday evening when a gust of wind pushed it toward two container ships tied up nearby, police told DW. Seatrade Cruise News put the time at around 5:30 p.m. local time, shortly after the ship left the Columbuskaje cruise terminal bound for A Coruña, Spain. Northern Germany had been dealing with gale-force winds and heavy rain since Friday.

TUI Cruises confirmed the crash in a statement quoted by Seatrade: “We can confirm that, as the Mein Schiff 3 was leaving Bremerhaven in the late afternoon of October 25, a collision occurred with two container ships.”

The ship kept its power and steering and returned to the terminal with tugboat help.

Mein Schiff 3 collision at a glance

How bad is the damage?

All three ships were damaged, all of it several meters above the waterline, according to DW.

• MSC Victorine: The larger container ship, a 16,520-TEU vessel built in 2023, took the worst of it. Several meters of its port side were torn open and container guides were bent, DW reported.
• The second container ship: minor damage.
• Mein Schiff 3: Photos showed damage to lifeboats and the bridge area, and Seatrade reported that several lifeboats appeared to have been hit.

DW said the damage is estimated in the millions of euros. The exact cause has not been officially determined.

Why are police investigating the captain?

A police spokesperson told DW that administrative-offense proceedings were opened to determine whether the captain breached his duty of care during departure. Police have not said what the suspected lapse was. Broadcaster RTL reported that investigators spoke with the captains of all three ships overnight into Monday. No finding of fault has been announced.

Cruise canceled, more trips uncertain

TUI Cruises said technical experts began inspecting the ship right after the accident and found damage that “requires urgent repair work to be carried out at a shipyard,” Seatrade reported. The company called the cancellation “the only responsible decision,” according to DW.

Passengers were allowed to stay on board overnight, with restaurants and other venues running as normal. The trip had been scheduled to return to Bremerhaven on Nov. 14.

In an update posted Oct. 26, TUI Cruises said the ship remains in Bremerhaven and that it is still assessing the full damage. It will decide “whether, and to what extent, subsequent cruises are affected” and will notify booked guests directly.

Mein Schiff 3 was built in Finland in 2014, sails under the Maltese flag and carries about 2,500 passengers. It had a major two-week upgrade in Rotterdam this spring.

What passengers are entitled to

German news channel n-tv asked travel lawyer Kay Rodegra about passengers’ rights under German travel law. His answers, translated:

• Refund: Passengers on a cruise canceled at the outset are entitled to a full refund of the trip price.
• Replacement trip: There is no legal right to a later replacement cruise, though the line and the customer can agree on one. Passengers can also turn down a replacement offer and take the refund.
• Extra damages: A claim for wasted vacation time may be possible, but not if the operator can show it was not at fault, so responsibility for the collision matters.

This is general information, not legal advice. Booked guests should check with TUI Cruises or their travel agent.

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