Mein Schiff 3 COLLISION: Should This Cruise Ship Have Left Port?

A cruise ship collision caught on camera, destroyed lifeboats, three damaged ships and a cancelled 20-night cruise. But what REALLY happened to Mein Schiff 3 in Bremerhaven, Germany?

On 25 October 2026, TUI Cruises' Mein Schiff 3 collided with two container ships, MSC Victorine and MSC Anne F, while departing Bremerhaven in strong winds. Despite several tugboats assisting, the enormous cruise ship was pushed towards the container terminal, causing extensive damage.

Thankfully, nobody was injured, but the incident has raised serious questions about how the departure was managed.

In this episode of On Watch, Dan and Jay examine the dramatic collision footage, reconstruct the ship's movements using AIS tracking data and investigate what happened in the minutes leading up to the accident.

We explore the cruise ship's recorded speed of 6.6 knots, the positioning of the assisting tugboats, the strong crosswinds and the importance of maintaining sufficient clearance between large vessels. We also explain hydrodynamic interaction and bank effect, including the remarkable connection to Titanic's near collision in Southampton in 1912.

Our investigation also reveals AIS evidence suggesting that MSC Victorine may have been preparing for her own departure shortly before the collision.

With Mein Schiff 3's lifeboats severely damaged, we explain why international SOLAS safety regulations could prevent the ship from returning to passenger service until repairs are completed.

Was this collision avoidable? Should the departure have been delayed? And what went wrong during the manoeuvre?

The German authorities are investigating, and no official determination of responsibility has yet been made.

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