The TUI Cruises liner Mein Schiff 3 collided with a container ship while leaving the German port of Bremerhaven in stormy weather on Sunday evening. No injuries were reported among the 2,428 passengers and 922 crew members on board.
The ship was departing for a 20-day Canary Islands cruise as Storm Manja brought strong winds to Germany’s North Sea coast. Despite help from several tugboats, the 293-meter liner appeared unable to hold its course and side-swiped the MSC Victorine, which was moored at the port. Videos posted on social media show several of the cruise ship’s lifeboats destroyed, and the container ship’s hull was damaged, though no water entered it.
Reports differ on how many ships were hit. Some German media and an initial police report said the cruise ship struck two container ships. A TUI Cruises representative said it collided with only one. Footage suggests the Mein Schiff 3 narrowly missed a second, smaller vessel, the MSC Anne F.
“Fortunately, according to the current information, nobody was injured,” Captain Jan Schubert told passengers.
The ship is now moored in Bremerhaven while the damage is assessed. On Monday morning, TUI Cruises canceled the voyage to the Canary Islands. The MSC Victorine also postponed its departure for Hamburg.
