October 26, 2026 — TUI Cruises has cancelled a three-week Canary Islands voyage on Mein Schiff 3 after the ship was pushed by storm-force winds into two container ships while leaving Bremerhaven, Germany, on Sunday evening. No one was hurt, but the ship needs urgent shipyard repairs.
What happened
The German line’s 2014-built Mein Schiff 3 (99,526 GT, about 2,500 guests at full capacity) had just cast off from Bremerhaven’s Columbuskaje at about 5:30 p.m. local time on Sunday, October 25, bound for La Coruña, Spain. Strong gusts caught the ship despite tug assistance and it drifted into berthed container vessels, including the 16,520-TEU MSC Victorine. German media and police said a second container ship was also struck; TUI’s own statement referred to only one.
- Damage: Several of the cruise ship’s lifeboats, their davits and parts of the outer hull were badly damaged. German media reported a long tear in a container ship’s hull above the waterline. Police said neither container ship took on water.
- On board: 2,428 guests and 922 crew. No injuries were reported.
- Afterwards: The ship returned to Columbuskaje with tug assistance, and guests stayed aboard overnight with venues operating normally. Bremen’s water police are investigating and imposed a departure ban on all three ships.
- Cancellation: After inspection, TUI Cruises cancelled the voyage, which was due back in Bremerhaven on Saturday, November 14. The line said it “deeply regret[s] the inconvenience this causes.”
The cancelled sailing
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Ship | Mein Schiff 3 (TUI Cruises) |
| Departure | Bremerhaven, Sunday, October 25, 2026 |
| Planned route | Western Europe and Canary Islands (first call Porto, Thursday, October 29), with stops in Portugal, the Canaries, Morocco and Spain |
| Planned return | Bremerhaven, Saturday, November 14, 2026 |
| Status | Cancelled |
| Return to service / next sailing | TBA |
| Guest compensation | TBA (not yet published) |
What it means for airline travelers
- If you were booked on this sailing: the cruise is off. TUI Cruises has not yet published refund or compensation terms, so keep all receipts (hotels, rail, flights) and contact the line or your agent before you make new plans.
- Getting home from Bremerhaven: guests who flew in for this cruise now need flights home nearly three weeks earlier than planned. Bremen (BRE) is the closest airport, with Hamburg (HAM) the bigger option. If you are flying standby, check loads on several routings before you leave the ship — 2,400 people heading home at once will fill the obvious flights.
- Booked on a later Mein Schiff 3 sailing? The return-to-service date is TBA. Hold off on non-refundable flights or hotels until TUI confirms your departure is going ahead.
- Northern Europe in late autumn: this is the second storm-related disruption at North Sea and Channel ports in days. If you are embarking in Germany, the Netherlands or the UK, arrive at least a day early and leave slack on the way home.
Sources
- Seatrade Cruise News — Mein Schiff 3 damaged in collision with two container ships
- Cruise Hive — Mein Schiff 3 Lifeboats Torn Apart in Bremerhaven Container Ship Collision
- Cruise Industry News — Mein Schiff 3 Damaged Leaving Bremerhaven
- t-online — “Mein Schiff 3”: Kreuzfahrt-Kollision in Bremerhaven
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