mein schiff 3 canaries cruise cancelled

Cruise to Canaries cancelled after collision in port

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Canary Islands cruise cancelled after Bremerhaven collision

Holidays in the Canary Islands for thousands of tourists have ended before they even began. The Mein Schiff 3 cruise ship, which had been due to make a crossing to the archipelago, suffered a spectacular accident in the German port of Bremerhaven after colliding with two cargo vessels as it began its departure, according to the German newspaper Bild.

Night-time collision with two cargo ships

The incident occurred during the night of Sunday 25 October, when the ship belonging to the company TUI Cruises collided with two cargo vessels that were moored at the quay. According to the German police, the cruise ship had previously been struck by a strong gust of wind, although the exact circumstances of the accident remain under investigation.

The impact caused significant material damage to the starboard side, including the destruction of several lifeboats. Despite the seriousness of the damage, there were no injuries and no water entered the vessel.

Voyage to the Canaries called off

The most immediate consequence has been the cancellation of the crossing that had been destined for the Canary Islands. The 2,428 passengers who had booked the cruise will have to return to their homes.

The accident took place during the manoeuvre to leave the port of Bremerhaven. The Mein Schiff 3 ended up striking two cargo ships that were moored there. Images circulated by the German press show visible damage to the side of the cruise ship, especially in the area where several lifeboats were located, which were seriously affected by the collision.

Ship to be moved to a shipyard for repairs

According to the German daily Bild, the scale of the damage means the ship must be moved to a shipyard for repair work. For the time being, TUI Cruises has not confirmed whether other crossings planned for the coming weeks will need to be cancelled.

The chairman of the TUI group, Sebastian Ebel, has spoken about the accident in comments to the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, reported by Bild. “In a case like this, you can also see just how stable a ship really is,” said Ebel, who highlighted the resilience of this type of vessel and argued that cruise ships are among the safest means of transport.

The executive acknowledged that he received news of the collision quickly and said his main relief came on learning that no one had been injured. He also avoided jumping to conclusions about the causes of the incident. “One should not speculate,” he said, insisting that what happened will need to be analysed before the circumstances of the accident are determined.

Weather conditions and the role of tugboats

Ebel admitted that weather conditions can play an important role in such manoeuvres, though he recalled that tugboats are there to help maintain the stability and control of large vessels during port operations.

The collision has been a major setback for the 2,428 tourists who had been due to enjoy a crossing to the Canary Islands. The company has decided to cancel the cruise entirely, as the damage prevents the Mein Schiff 3 from continuing its itinerary in operational conditions. Passengers will have to return to their places of origin while the ship is prepared to enter a shipyard.

The investigation must now establish exactly what caused the collision, what influence the strong gusts of wind had, and whether the repairs will affect future departures of the vessel. For now, the only thing confirmed is that the cruise ship will not reach the Canary Islands on this crossing and that, despite the spectacular accident, all of its occupants emerged unharmed.

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