A gust of wind, three ships and a ten-metre crack: that's the story behind TUI's decision to cancel Mein Schiff 3's Canary Islands sailing this week.
The incident happened on the evening of October 25 as the cruise ship was leaving Bremerhaven, Germany, in stormy conditions. Caught by the wind, the vessel first clipped a smaller container ship, then drifted into a much larger one — the MSC Victorine. Port officials say the impact left a crack roughly ten metres long in the container ship's hull, while the cruise ship came off with damage to its lifeboats, the cranes that launch them, and its outer hull.
It could have been worse. There were 2,428 passengers on board at the time, plus 922 crew, and TUI confirmed nobody was injured. Guests left the ship on Monday morning, and the vessel has stayed berthed in Bremerhaven ever since while repair teams assess the work needed.
The cancelled sailing was the Canary Islands cruise the ship had been due to start. TUI says the damage requires immediate repairs, and technical experts are still working out whether — and how far — later voyages will be affected. The company called the cancellation an extremely difficult decision, saying it was the only responsible choice given its safety standards.
There may also be consequences for the crew: German media report that coastal police are investigating the captain for a possible regulatory offence. Early confusion about how many ships were involved was cleared up by police, who confirmed the three-vessel chain of events.
If you're booked on a Mein Schiff 3 sailing in the coming weeks, it's worth keeping an eye on TUI's updates. The damage is mainly to lifeboat equipment and the outer hull rather than the engines, but the operator won't know the knock-on effects on future departures until repair assessments are complete. Passengers affected by the cancelled Canaries trip face the disappointment of a lost holiday, though the line's framing suggests refunds or rebooking options will be handled as a matter of course.
The bigger takeaway for cruise travellers: severe weather in port can disrupt itineraries even before you've left the dock. Autumn and winter sailings from northern European ports are more exposed to wind-related delays, so travel insurance that covers cancelled departures — and a bit of flexibility in your onward plans — pays off. Anyone cruise-curious but wary of this kind of disruption might also consider booking directly with a line that communicates quickly; TUI put out confirmation of the incident and passenger safety within a day.
For now, Mein Schiff 3 remains in Bremerhaven, and the Canary Islands will have to wait for its next attempt.
