Sunita Somvanshi
TUI Cruises has canceled the entire 20-night Canary Islands voyage of the Mein Schiff 3 after the ship collided with a container vessel in the Port of Bremerhaven, Germany, on Sunday evening—destroying lifeboats and tearing a 10-meter gash in a second ship. Passengers booked on the October 25–November 14 itinerary through Portugal, Madeira, Morocco, and Spain will not be sailing.
The collision occurred around 17:00 (5 PM) local time at Bremerhaven’s Columbuskaje terminal as Mein Schiff 3 departed during stormy conditions with severe wind gusts that overpowered tugboat-assisted departure maneuvers in the narrow port channel. TUI Cruises’ initial statement acknowledged contact with one container ship, the 16,520-TEU MSC Victorine, which sustained a 10-meter hull breach above the waterline on its port-side stern. German water police and Bremen port authority logs, however, document that the departure maneuver damaged five vessels in total: Mein Schiff 3, two container ships including MSC Victorine, and two assisting tugboats. No injuries were reported on any vessel, and MSC Victorine confirmed zero water ingress despite the hull breach.
Passengers booked on Mein Schiff 3‘s 20-night voyage to Portugal, Madeira, Morocco, and the Canary Islands have had their entire itinerary canceled after spending days docked in Bremerhaven awaiting damage inspections. Beyond refund and rebooking claims for the current sailing, travelers booked on the next departure scheduled for November 14 face potential delays depending on how quickly German shipyards can source and certify replacement lifeboats and davits.
The reason the trip cannot simply restart after inspection comes down to international maritime safety law. SOLAS regulations—the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea—prohibit a passenger liner from operating when its lifeboats or launching davits are damaged below certified passenger capacity. Because Mein Schiff 3 lost lifeboats and davits in the collision, it cannot legally carry passengers until a certified repair restores full lifeboat capacity, regardless of whether the hull itself is watertight. The five-vessel damage tally and the SOLAS compliance issue are the combination that grounded the ship. For travelers with upcoming bookings, see cruise passenger rights and refund procedures and European storm travel disruption updates.
Was the Mein Schiff 3 Canary Islands cruise canceled?
Yes. The 20-night voyage aboard Mein Schiff 3 to Portugal, Madeira, Morocco, and the Canary Islands was officially canceled after the ship collided with the container vessel MSC Victorine in Bremerhaven, Germany, heavily damaging the cruise liner’s lifeboats and tearing a 10-meter hull breach in the container vessel.
TUI Cruises has not yet confirmed a drydock repair timeline or whether the November 14 departure will proceed as scheduled. German Water Police have opened a formal investigation into the departure maneuver. Passengers on the canceled itinerary should contact TUI Cruises directly for refund and rebooking options.
