TUI Cruises' Mein Schiff 3 collided with two berthed containerships while departing Bremerhaven at about 17:30 on October 25 after Bremen police said a wind gust pushed the tug-assisted cruise ship toward the Stromkaje. The larger vessel, the 16,520-TEU MSC Victorine, suffered a hull tear reported at roughly 10 meters above the waterline along with deformed container guides, while the smaller containership sustained lighter damage. Mein Schiff 3, carrying 2,428 passengers and 922 crew, suffered damage to lifeboats, their launching equipment and its outer structure. No injuries or water ingress were reported. Authorities prohibited all three vessels from sailing, and TUI Cruises has cancelled the 20-day Canary Islands voyage because the cruise ship requires shipyard repairs.
Bremerhaven · October 25, 2026
A 293-Meter Cruise Ship Was Blown Into a 366-Meter Containership
Police say a strong gust caught Mein Schiff 3 during departure at approximately 17:30 and pushed the ship toward two containerships berthed along the Stromkaje.
Cruise VesselMEIN SCHIFF 3
TUI Cruises · Malta flag
Length
293 m
Gross Tonnage
99,526 GT
Passengers
2,428
Crew
922
×
Strong gust during departure
Primary Cargo CasualtyMSC VICTORINE
MSC · Liberia flag · built 2023
Capacity
16,520 TEU
Length
365.97 m
Deadweight
203,855 t
Beam
51 m
Reported Hull Tear~10 m
Above MSC Victorine's waterline.
People Aboard Cruise Ship3,350
Passengers plus crew at time of casualty.
Reported Injuries0
No injuries reported on the three vessels.
Water IngressNone
Authorities report no flooding.
Ships Under Departure Ban3
Cruise ship plus two containerships.
Mein Schiff 320-Day Cruise Cancelled
TUI Cruises says the ship now requires repairs in a shipyard. The Canary Islands itinerary scheduled through November 14 has been cancelled.
MSC VictorineContainer Service Interrupted
MSC Victorine was operating on MSC's SWAN / Premier Alliance FE6 network and was due onward toward Felixstowe. Its departure now depends on inspection and repair clearance.
Three Ships · Two Industries · One Port Casualty
The Damage Spread From Cruise Operations Into a Major Asia-Europe Container Network
The collision halted a passenger voyage while simultaneously removing two MSC vessels from immediate service pending inspection.
MEIN SCHIFF 3Cruise ship · 99,526 GT
DamageLifeboats, launching equipment and outer shell damaged.
People2,428 passengers + 922 crew.
OutcomeReturned to Columbuskaje after collision.
Commercial20-day Canary Islands cruise cancelled.
Next StepShipyard repair required.
MSC VICTORINE16,520-TEU containership
DamagePort-side hull torn open over several metres; reported at roughly 10 m.
StructureContainer guides and deck structures also damaged.
FloodingNo water ingress reported.
NetworkMSC SWAN / Premier Alliance FE6 service.
Next StepInspection and repair before clearance to sail.
MSC ANNE FReported second vessel · 964 TEU
Built2007
Length139.1 meters
FlagPortugal
DamagePolice describe lighter damage to the smaller containership.
StatusAlso subject to departure restrictions pending assessment.
The Casualty Sequence
1
Departure
Mein Schiff 3 leaves Columbuskaje with tug assistance for a Canary Islands voyage.
2
Wind Gust
Police say a strong gust catches the large-sided cruise vessel near the Stromkaje.
3
Contact
The cruise ship is pushed against two containerships moored along the container terminal.
4
Damage
MSC Victorine's hull is torn and cruise-ship lifeboat equipment is crushed and damaged.
5
Shutdown
Three ships are prevented from departing while police, class and technical teams assess the casualty.
Cruise Consequence3,350 People and a Cancelled Voyage
The casualty immediately ended the planned cruise before its first scheduled destination and forces TUI Cruises into repair, passenger handling and itinerary recovery.
Container Consequence16,520 TEU Temporarily Removed From Service
MSC Victorine was scheduled on a major East-West service. Structural repair and regulatory clearance can affect onward schedules, cargo connections and subsequent port windows.
Crosswind Maneuver Margin Explorer
See how rapidly lateral wind load rises on a high-sided passenger ship and compare it with a simplified tug-and-thruster control reserve.
Engineering Scenario
Conditions
CROSSWIND
→→→→
Estimated Lateral Wind Load
257 tfCalculated from wind speed, projected area and aerodynamic coefficient.
Entered counterforce is close to the modeled crosswind load. Real maneuvering margin would depend on gust direction, tug geometry, thruster effectiveness, current, vessel motion and response time.
This is an illustrative physics model, not a reconstruction of the Bremerhaven casualty. Wind force uses F = ½ρCdAV² with air density of 1.225 kg/m³. Actual ship handling depends on changing wind angle, exposed geometry, hydrodynamic forces, current, tug position, towline angle, propulsion limits, thruster performance and human decisions. Published reports do not establish the exact instantaneous wind force or control forces acting on Mein Schiff 3 at impact.
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