The cruise to the Canary Islands took just a few minutes. Shortly after setting sail, the Mein Schiff 3 collided with two cargo ships whilst still in Bremerhaven. The cruise ship, owned by Tui Cruises, was actually due to sail to the Canary Islands. However, the departure manoeuvre failed due to a storm.
«I think that’s it for our trip,» says a woman in one of the numerous video clips. The botched departure manoeuvre can be seen online from various angles on many platforms and social media sites. And the passenger was to be proved right: the *Mein Schiff 3* has sustained significant damage. The cruise across the Atlantic has had to be cancelled for the time being.
The accident was caused by strong winds. The storm had prompted many shipping companies to set sail earlier than planned. They wanted to get out to sea quickly, before the storm hit. The Mein Schiff 3, however, did not manage to set sail in time. The ship was buffeted by the gusts. Although the small pilot boats did everything they could, they were unable to prevent the collision.
Accident in Bremerhaven: Storm pushes Mein Schiff 3 into a freighter
There were 2,428 passengers on board the vessel, which is operated by a Tui subsidiary. The impact with the two container ships, which were being loaded and unloaded in Bremerhaven at the time, was so severe that the ship was literally sliced open along its side.
It was actually due to set sail for the south on Sunday evening, but that won’t be happening for the time being. The police report that a strong gust of wind caught the huge ship. The height of the Mein Schiff 3 acted like a sail. Investigators report that the damage to the cruise ship is «substantial». One of the two freighters sustained only minor damage to the container slings on the port side, i.e. the left. It was also torn open over a length of several metres, though high enough above the waterline.
‚Timeless‘ Canary Islands cruise must be postponed for the time being
The cruise ship, however, had to return to dock along with its 922 crew members. It is as yet unclear how long the repairs will take. Tui stated that cancelling the cruise had been unavoidable. They regretted this, but said it had been «the only responsible decision».
The trip, which has been put on hold indefinitely, had the sadly fitting name ‚Timeless Canary Islands‘. The plan was for a 20-day cruise, which was to make various stops along the way. In the Canary Islands, the itinerary was to take in La Gomera, Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria, where the cruise was due to end.
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