Luxury Cruise Ship Collides With Cargo Vessels in Germany, Cancels Voyage
The Mein Schiff 3 sustained damage and will undergo repairs, affecting passengers' planned trip to the Canary Islands.
A luxury cruise ship, the Mein Schiff 3, collided with two cargo vessels in Bremerhaven, Germany, on Sunday, leading to the cancellation of its planned voyage to the Canary Islands. TUI Cruises confirmed the incident, stating that no passengers were injured but that the ship required shipyard repairs.
The collision occurred as the Mein Schiff 3 was departing the port during stormy weather. Following the incident, technical teams and experts inspected the vessel and determined it needed to be taken to a shipyard for repairs, according to a TUI Cruises spokesperson.
Bremen Police reported the collision Sunday evening, noting that the ship impacted two container ships in adverse weather conditions before returning to Columbus Quay. The police statement indicated that no one was injured, but information regarding the exact extent of the damage and the cause of the accident is still being gathered. An administrative offense investigation into the captain of the Mein Schiff 3 has reportedly been opened by the police.
Video footage shared online appears to show the cruise ship scraping against a cargo ship, damaging lifeboats along its side. TUI Cruises stated that the safety of passengers and crew is their top priority and that canceling the cruise was the only responsible decision to maintain high safety standards. The company is focusing on keeping guests informed and assisting them with the next steps.
The incident has drawn reactions from online users, with some expressing sympathy for the affected passengers. One Reddit user, who claimed to be on another cruise ship in Bremerhaven, reported that the port was closed shortly before their scheduled departure due to strong winds and that they could see the Mein Schiff 3 docked back in port via a bridge camera.