Monday, October 26, 2026

Salvage Teams Continue to Fight Fires on Two Boxships at Sea

container fire — Salvage crews continue to fight the fires at sea on the HMM and Seaspan vessels (file photo)

Salvage teams are continuing to work on two different containership fires. Both Seaspan, as the owner of the Espirito Santo Express, and HMM updated on the status of their vessels, highlighting the difficulties the industry faces from fires at sea.

A spokesperson for HMM told The Maritime Executive that the firefighting operations aboard the HMM Platinum are “in the final dampening-down stage. Once the fire is fully extinguished, the vessel is scheduled to proceed to a near port to conduct follow-up measures and investigations.”

The company emphasizes that all 24 crewmembers are safe. The vessel continues, however, to indicate on its AIS transmissions that it is under “Restricted Manoeuvrability” and moving at less than 1 knot. The ship had approached Durban and continued to show it as its destination, but it appears to have moved further out to sea based on the AIS data. The HMM spokesperson told us that the “vessel attempted to proceed to a port in South Africa but is currently remaining offshore due to adverse weather conditions.” Tugs are reported to be standing by as a precaution.

The 63,000 dwt ship departed Kattupalli International Container Terminal in India on September 27 and was reported to have approximately 2,300 TEU aboard, according to the claims consultants. The ship was scheduled to proceed on a month-long crossing to Santos, Brazil, and the reports indicate the fire began while the ship was south of Lavanono, Madagascar, around the beginning of the month. The ship has been holding east of South Africa for approximately two weeks or more, planning on proceeding to a port of refuge.

At the same time, reports indicate that salvage teams reached the containership Espirito Santo Express (132,789 dwt), which had been abandoned by its crew on October 15 in the middle of the South Atlantic more than 1,000 miles from Brazil. The ship, which was built in 2018, is reported to have a capacity of 11,800 TEU and was operating under charter to Hapag-Lloyd, shared with Ocean Network Express (ONE).

Seaspan, the vessel’s owner, reports that smoke, and subsequently the fire, was observed emanating from cargo located in the cargo bay area, forward of the accommodation block. It reports that active measures are underway to stabilize the vessel with on-site firefighting operations.

Hapag-Lloyd advised customers that the full extent of the incident and its potential impact on the vessel and cargo remain under assessment. It repeated Seaspan’s statement that the focus is on managing the incident and stabilizing the vessel. Hapag said it is not yet possible to determine when detailed information would be available about cargo damage.

Aging Freighter Banned From European Ports for Skipping Yard Date

Lira, seen here in Novorossiysk in 2016 (VesselFinder)

A 42-year-old general cargo ship characterized as high-risk has been banned from European ports for failing to call at a repair yard as agreed.

The Paris MoU, a regional system of 28 maritime authorities that aims to eliminate substandard shipping in European waters and the North Atlantic region, said that the MV Lira (IMO 8516744) will not be allowed into any port in the bloc after failing to call at a repair yard in Greece.

The 1985-built ship had been detained at the Port of Olbia, Italy, but left on October 3. While one of the conditions for the ship's release from Olbia was that she head straight to a yard in Piraeus, the ship refused to honor the agreement to proceed for repairs.

The Paris MoU said that it had received a communication from the coordinator of the Piraeus Port State Control office on October 15 indicating that the vessel had not arrived at the port and had also failed to give any updates regarding its arrival.

Although the Paris MoU did not reveal the deficiencies that led to the vessel's detention in Italy, the fact that the vessel is sailing under the flag of Tanzania means she is considered very high-risk under the Paris MoU's inspection priority scheme. The 89-meter vessel was sailing under the Panamanian flag before changing to the flag of Tanzania.

Rather than inspecting at random, the Paris MoU uses risk-based targeting in which every ship is assigned a risk profile of high, standard or low, based on its type, age, flag performance, track record, and the operating company's deficiency and detention history. While high-risk ships are often inspected every five to six months, low-risk ships go years between inspections. Annually, the Paris MoU oversees the inspection of more than 17,000 foreign ships.

The Paris MoU's detention rate for ships that do not meet the set standards has long averaged four percent. For ships with a history of repeated detentions, the MoU can escalate to refusal of access and even a ban that can become permanent for repeat offenders. Last year, a total of 688 vessels were detained across European ports, while 19 ships were banned.

Top image courtesy VesselFinder.

UAE Confirms Approaching Oil Spill as Iran Claims Continued Attacks

Persian Gulf oil spill — UAE officials closed beaches and confirmed strong odors from an oil spill likely coming from a VLCC struck earlier in the month (UAE Ministry)

The UAE confirmed earlier reports of a large and spreading oil spill along the Persian Gulf side of the Khor Al Beidah peninsula while Iran continues to claim tanker strikes as it enforces rules for the Strait of Hormuz. It comes as there appears to be a continuing escalation, or propaganda effort, which is being linked to the Israeli legislative elections on October 27 and the U.S. midterm election on November 3.

The slick had first been spotted earlier in the week, likely coming from one of the tankers Iran struck at the beginning of the month. The UAE’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environment was forced to acknowledge the slick as it came ashore along much of the peninsula, and there were widespread reports of a strong odor. The ministry said the odors pose no health risk, but it has ordered the Umm Al Quwain beaches closed. It also warned fishermen to stay away from the affected areas.

It said the coastal areas would remain closed until technical teams complete an assessment. Furthermore, it said efforts were also underway for containment, cordoning, cleanup, and remediation.

Windward AI had detected the spill on Tuesday, saying they believed it was coming from one of the VLCCs, which was about 16 miles off Umm Al Quwain. Reports said the slick has spread more than 22 miles and, based on satellite imagery, is covering an area of more than 60 square miles.

UAE officials have not commented on the source of the spill, but several reports are linking it to the Taiwanese VLCC Gem No. 2 (302,783 dwt), which was struck on October 9. The VLCC, which is registered in Panama, was 13 nautical miles west of Al Jazeera when it was struck.

At the same time, Iran continues to make broad claims about additional vessel strikes, which are not being independently verified. Yesterday, it claimed to have hit four vessels that were involved in ship-to-ship transfers as part of the shuttle service started by the Gulf states to get oil out to the larger crude oil tankers that are not entering the Gulf. Iran also claimed three vessels were disabled after they struck mines, while U.S. Central Command asserts there are no mines in the Strait.

During the week, Iran’s so-called Persian Gulf Strait Authority released data saying that Iranian forces had taken 40 enforcement actions. It raised the count to 122 non-compliant vessels that would be targeted if they cross the Strait, while saying negotiations were ongoing with an additional 19 ships to prevent their listing or to secure removal. It said another 30 might be added due to non-response to its notice, while two had agreed to fulfill obligations for removal.

Five attacks confirmed this week by UKMTO before the additional report received today in the Strait of Hormuz (UKMTO)

Donald Trump responded to the assertions, writing on social media, “Iran is doing everything they can to drive up the price of oil prior to the U.S. midterm election. They are even making up fake hits, mines, and everything else, because more Oil is coming through the Hormuz Strait now than it did even prior to the beginning of the conflict.”

Oil markets, however, continue to be jittery, with the benchmark Brent crude price hovering around $115 a barrel on Friday. US West Texas Intermediate also jumped above $100 a barrel. Analysts noted oil prices are now at their highest since early May.

UK Maritime Trade Operations reported that it received details about an attack on Thursday. It said a tanker reported being struck approximately 7 nautical miles northeast of Limah, Oman, in the Strait of Hormuz. This tanker, it said, was able to continue its voyage.

The weekly summary report from UKMTO listed five incidents spread broadly across the Persian Gulf and the Strait prior to today’s report. It said three vessels had required assistance this week and that since July there had been 79 projectile strikes, of which 57 were on vessels transiting the southern route through the Strait. It puts the tally at 119 vessels reporting damage year to date and 77 crew injured or killed.

UKMTO calculates there were 114 outbound transits in the past seven days, which was down, as well as 127 inbound. It tracks a daily average of between 25 and 35 vessels recently.

Russian Trawlers Go Fishing for Cables

Russian trawlers have been used for intelligence duties since the Cold War, alongside more formal spy ships like the Seliger, above (USN) — Russian trawlers have been used for intelligence duties since the Cold War, alongside more formal spy ships like the Moma-class, above (USN, 1987)

London’s Daily Telegraph has published a lead story outlining how a Russian fleet of trawlers has been surveying and loitering over cables in the waters around the United Kingdom. There is nothing new in Russian trawlers being tasked with non-fishing duties, with some never having been seen to have landed any fish; the novel element of the story is the scale on which the Russians are carrying out this operation.

The Telegraph has logged more than 500 separate incidents where Russian trawlers have either loitered above cables linking Britain with the United States to the West of to Europe to the East, or have precisely followed their routes over long distances. The data was gathered by Global Fishing Watch since 2021, and identified 17 trawlers in particular involved in the activity.

The assessment in the report is that the trawlers are precisely mapping the routes of the cables, so that at a later stage unmanned submarine vehicles will autonomously be able to interfere with these cables, either by cutting them or by placing sleeves around the cables for the purpose of interrupting the cable’s data flow.

The problem is compounded because the Royal Navy does not have the resources to identify where the trawlers are operating, and then does not have capability to intervene or to monitor the activity, a task often undertaken by submarines.

At present, the Royal Navy is believed not to have a single operational attack submarine available. Of the seven boats in the Astute Class nuclear attack submarine fleet, HMS Achilles is still being built, three are non-operational at the Faslane Naval Base (HMS Astute, HMS Ambush and HMS Artful), two boats are under maintenance in Devonport (HMS Audacious and HMS Anson), and HMS Agamemnon is on pre-delivery sea trials.

The shortage of Astute Class boats is so critical that the Royal Navy had to ask for assistance from a French Navy Suffren Class nuclear attack submarine to escort the ballistic missile submarine HMS Vanguard (S28) out of its base in Faslane when Vanguard began its current patrol in April.

When the Royal Navy has been able to mount effective surveillance, often using sensors towed behind Type 23 frigates, in tandem with maritime patrol aircraft, and with assistance from allies, then the nature of Russian activity has been evident. An operation in British waters by two Kola Bay-based submarines operated by the Russian Navy’s Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research (GUGI), accompanied by an Akula Class attack submarine, was disrupted earlier this year. A GUGI trial of an offensive underwater robot designed to sabotage undersea cables was disrupted in March, in a joint US, UK and Norwegian Navy operation conducted in waters around Svalbard.

Monitoring this threat will be a high priority both for the UK and NATO. But a lack of British capability to take the lead on these operations in UK waters means that much of the Russian activity is either not being detected or is being executed without hindrance. The threat posed is both serious and very real, as cables could be cut unattributably in a period of tension prior to armed conflict breaking out. Such a covert attack could effectively sever communications linking critical essential services with the data centers supporting them, and might take months to repair.

Unexplained Ship Clusters Anchoring off Taiwan

TaiwanPlus TV’s investigative journalist Cadence Quantara has filed a report on an unexplained cluster of shipping which is lingering a short distance off the southwest coast of Taiwan, adjacent to the cities of Tainan and Kaohsiung. On average there are 75 ships maintaining position in the area, with a familiar list of vessels arriving, lingering, departing and then returning, but with the overall number of ships in the cluster remaining roughly constant.

Further out to sea, a smaller number of ships are also gathered, and separately off Taiwan’s northern tip there is another anchorage area within Internal Waters where ships also tend to gather. These concentrations of ships have become more pronounced since March.

The Taiwanese authorities, and the Coast Guard Administration in particular, are perplexed at to what is the common purpose of these groups of ships, and are speculating why this pattern of behaviour has emerged in the last six months. Most of the ships are either cargo vessels or oil/chemical products tankers, and are on the elderly side; of the 75 ships regularly seen in the area, 65 fall into the pan-Asian Tokyo MOU’s High Risk category because of their age and degraded seaworthiness.

The majority of vessels either anchored or on the recurring visitor list are flying fraudulent flags, or flags of convenience from six states: Cameroon, Comoros Islands, Mongolia, Tanzania, Togo and Sierra Leone. Most are Chinese-crewed and appear to be owned or managed by companies registered on the Chinese mainland. Only a small number of these vessels are formally sanctioned.

Examples of some of the dubious vessels on the recurring visitor list include product tankers, the Sierra Leone-flagged Huixin (IMO 9175133) and the Tanzanian–flagged Athena (IMO 9063811). Cargo vessels include the Comoros-flagged Midas or Magician 66 (IMO 9020637), and Tanzanian-flagged Long An (IMO 9140255) and Bao Shun or Ada (IMO 8359081), plus the Pioneer or Win or Shunjia (IMO 9078543) currently Sierra Leone-flagged, the unflagged Chang Shun (IMO 8964056) and the Togo-flagged Hong Tai 58 (MMSI 671756000). Several of the ships have been noted trading with North Korea, or have been designated by the Taiwan authorities as a security risk for having lingered over internet cables.

VesselFinder / CJRC

The ships appear to be neither idling to take on cargo, to discharge cargo, nor even awaiting orders. Most are unladen, prompting questions as to how owners can afford to keep these vessels crewed and at sea without revenue-earning tramp work. To be incurring such losses, the owners are either being compensated for deploying ships into these areas, or there is some form of covert or illicit revenue stream. The ships themselves have almost no capital value sufficient to justify the cost of keeping them afloat.

The Taiwanese authorities at first thought that the ships might be positioned for some hostile security or intelligence purpose. The south-west cluster is within about 15 miles of three major Taiwanese airbases, at Pingtung, Tainan and Chiayi, plus a number of hidden highway airstrips, as well as the Tsoying Naval Base. The Taiwanese armed force mounted Exercise Han Kuang in this area in August, a major air and naval test of Taiwan’s ability to respond to a surprise attack.

But with few constraints, the Taiwanese Coastguard can board and inspect those vessels which are anchored close in and within Internal Waters, and neither regular PLA personnel nor military surveillance equipment have been found on board the vessels. Possibly the ships are trying to normalize a Chinese presence in Taiwanese waters, innocent for the moment but capable of being exploited for some military purpose sometime in the future, as part of an invasion or blockade.

In the meantime, the vessels can possibly be prompted by Chinese authorities to inflict unattributable damage to internet cables, as a small number have been identified doing by the Taiwanese authorities. A regional security consultancy believes some of the vessels may belong to Chinese mainland organised crime groups and be involved in illicit food smuggling into mainland China, in particular of frozen meat, or of pharmaceuticals; this view is supported by the location of the cluster – inside Taiwanese Internal Waters – where Chinese authorities cannot intrude to board them, and also by the short duration of the trips vessels in the cluster make before returning. Some are known to have conducted illicit trading into North Korea.

No one explanation appears to cover the purpose of the clustered group as a whole, unless it is a gathering of ships whose owners are all losing money by remaining afloat while their revenues have sunk. The Taiwanese authorities appear to be at a loss to know what is going on too, because they would have the legal right to board or seize ships should they have cause or a suspicion to initiate such action. The Coastguard report they have frightened off 240 of these ships – but they keep coming back.

The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Maritime Executive.

New Lease on Life for Historic Tall Ship Providence

Tall ship Providence (left) during a call in Boston in 1980 (City of Boston Archives)

The recently-formed United States Maritime Foundation (USMF) is set to acquire the tall ship Providence with the intention of reopening it as a museum, educational and tourist attraction in the port city of Alexandria, Virginia.

The Providence, a replica of an 18th-century ship that played an instrumental role in the American Revolution, was facing the prospect of fading into oblivion after its previous owner, the Tall Ship Providence Foundation, suspended its educational and tour programs in June. Considering that the ship had become a top tourist destination, the charity said the decision to suspend operations was not made lightly.

A longtime attraction on the Alexandria waterfront, the Providence is a reproduction of the sloop Providence, originally named Katy, which was built in 1769 and was one of a fleet of ships owned by John Brown of Providence. Six years later, the ship would go on to become the flagship of the tiny Rhode Island Navy, which was created to protect the interests of Rhode Island merchants against British naval captains.

The original Katy, however, gained historical significance in 1775, when legislation was passed authorizing her purchase, along with another ship, to serve as the first ships of a new Continental Navy. Following her commissioning into the Navy, she was renamed Providence in honor of both her city of origin and the fact that all the Rhode Island delegates to the Continental Congress were from Providence. The passage of the legislation remains the reason why October 13 is still celebrated as the birthday of the U.S. Navy.

Construction of the replica ship, a project spearheaded by a young Harvard graduate named John Fitzhugh Millar, started in 1973 and was completed three years later. The ship went on to serve as Rhode Island's official tall ship for years, offering educational sailing and tours and participating in tall ship events. The ship even appeared in the second and third movies of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

In February 2015, Providence was nearly destroyed by a severe storm while in dry dock at Newport Shipyard. One of her jack stands collapsed, the ship fell, the mast and spars were shattered, and the jack stand punched a large hole in the hull. Two years later, the Tall Ship Providence Foundation purchased the ship with the intention of restoring her to her previous glory and using her as the centerpiece of a new maritime museum in Alexandria.

The nonprofit ran into financial challenges, which forced the suspension of operations in June, and USMF is stepping in to give the ship a new lease on life. Founded last year, the nonprofit organization has presented a proposal to the Alexandria Waterfront Commission under which it intends to acquire Providence and its pier as soon as next month, keeping the tall ship running for education and tourism.

Germany Launches Cleanup to Remove Dumped Munitions From WWI and WWII

Munitions on the seabed just off Lubeck, Germany (GEOMAR)

Germany has embarked on an immediate project to recover tons of munitions that were scattered on the floor of the North and Baltic seas at the end of World Wars I and II. The discarded bombs and shells are becoming a threat to the marine environment due to the release of toxic chemicals.

More than 1.5 million tons of ordnance were intentionally dumped in German waters at the end of WWII, with around 300,000 tons of unexploded ordnance lying in the German Baltic Sea and the rest in the German North Sea.

A study by the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel last year found that the ordnance was increasingly becoming a risk to the marine environment owing to corrosion and the release of toxic chemicals. Ammunition-related chemicals were detected in water samples collected from the Baltic Sea, with concentrations in some samples approaching critical toxicological thresholds. (The concentrations in most samples were well below all relevant limits for health and safety, including drinking water limits.)

As corrosion progresses, contamination is expected to increase, raising the risk to the environment. The threat is exacerbated by rising temperatures and increased storm activity due to climate change, which further accelerate the release of chemicals.

Following a push for the dumped ordnance to be classified as “historical contaminants of emerging concern,” the German federal government has launched a project to remove the munitions. As an immediate task, the government has contracted for the construction and operation of a platform that will be used to remove dumped ordnance.

As part of the project, the research vessel Heincke has also been deployed on a two-week expedition to visit several dumping sites in the German Bight to map hidden munitions under the sand and prepare a pilot recovery operation. The research team aboard the 55-meter vessel, which is operated by the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), will also investigate how chemicals released by the munitions are affecting marine life by sampling water and sediments around wrecks lying on the seabed, most of which have been mapped and documented.

During the expedition, the team intends to survey the wreck of SMS Mainz, a German World War I light cruiser that sank in the North Sea in August 1914 during the Battle of Heligoland Bight and is among the wrecks that have already been the subject of research. The team will also visit the wreck of the battle cruiser Blücher. For both wrecks, the researchers will analyze their condition, and specifically the threat their munitions pose to the marine environment.

“After over 100 years on the sea floor, there is a heightened risk that the wrecks will collapse. That is why it’s important to monitor their condition. In addition, with increasing corrosion, toxic and carcinogenic explosives are released from the remaining munitions. These pollutants pose a threat to marine life, food safety and human health,” said Matthias Brenner, leader of the REMARCO project.

As part of a further project dubbed CONMAR, Heincke will subsequently be deployed to seven munitions dumping sites in the German Bight. Previous research has shown that the munitions lie beneath the sand and can be mapped using magnetometry.

Scientists contend that Germany’s munitions clearance operations could serve as a model for the removal of such hazardous waste around the world.

Borr Drilling Jackup Loses Stability and Sinks off Gabon

Prospector 5 (file image courtesy Borr Drilling)

[Breaking] On Saturday night, a jackup rig operated by Borr Drilling sank off the coast of Gabon, leaving one dead and four people missing.

According to Borr, the rig Prospector 5 was conducting pre-loading of its jackup legs when it suffered a punch-through - an accident in which the spudcan on the bottom of a leg suddenly penetrates the sediment, sinks into the mud and throws the rig into a list. The incident was severe enough that the rig lost stability and sank.

110 people were rescued, one has been found dead and four remain missing.

E&P leaseholder BW has confirmed the casualty and identified the location as its Dussafu license area off the coast of Gabon.

"We are deeply concerned for those who remain unaccounted for and everyone affected by this incident. Our immediate priority is supportingd the ongoing search and rescue efforts and the welfare of all personnel involved," Borr Drilling CEO Bruno Morand said in a statement on Sunday.

Punch-through events are among the most serious hazards for jackup operations. They occur without warning and severe cases can result in one leg falling several feet into the mud, creating a significant and sudden list. The biggest risks, according to training institute Pisys, occur when a stiffer layer overlays softer sediments, or when the composition of the silt isn't uniform - giving the operator the impression that the bottom has more holding power than it really does.

Cruise Ship Damaged as It Hits Containership Departing Bremerhaven

cruise ship hitting containership — Mein Schiff 3 hitting the MSC container vessel (screen grabs from passenger videos)

The German cruise ship Mein Schiff 3 and one of MSC’s large containerships sustained significant damage as the cruise ship was attempting to depart Bremerhaven late Sunday afternoon bound for the Canary Islands on a three-week cruise. Police reports cite strong winds from a storm, and the authorities have detained the ships as part of an ongoing investigation.

According to the media reports, the Mein Schiff 3 (99,526 gross tons) had 2,428 passengers and 922 crew aboard as it was departing. The cruise ship, registered in Malta and operated by TUI Cruises, is 293 meters (961 feet) in length and was built in 2014.

The ship reportedly held off the pier in Bremerhaven after its departure at 5:10 p.m. before starting its exit from the harbor. Images show tugs alongside and a heavy swell in the harbor.

Mein Schiff 3 was passing alongside the smaller MSC feeder MSC Anne F (11,800 dwt), and a tug can be seen pushing the cruise ship away from the docked containership. It is unclear if the MSC Anne F was hit, although the police statement references “minor damage” to the 964 TEU vessel. Registered in Portugal, it had arrived in Bremerhaven on October 24 from Tangier.

Next tugs can be seen frantically working as the cruise ship approaches the larger MSC Victorine (203,855 dwt), which had been on dock since October 24. The bridge wing of the cruise ship appears to have made first contact, clipping the container stacks and then the port stern corner of the 366-meter (1,210-foot) containership. The cruise ship continued forward, with reports saying at least four lifeboats/tenders were destroyed. The cruise ship also sustained hull damage.

MSC Victorine is reported to have an approximately 10-meter-long gash in its hull above the waterline. The container guides were also deformed during the allision.

There were no reports of injuries to the passengers or the crew aboard any of the vessels. The police also reported there was no water ingress.

The cruise ship returned to its dock, and the captain told passengers they would remain aboard overnight, inviting them to enjoy the bars and lounges. Today, TUI Cruises issued a statement reporting that technical teams had inspected Mein Schiff 3 and that the “damage discovered necessitates urgent repairs at a shipyard.” Obviously, the current cruise has been canceled, and the company is saying it will have to determine what happens for the later scheduled trips.

The police, water police department, and the port authority are investigating the circumstances. It is not yet known if the ship had a pilot aboard. Questions are also being raised about the wind strength and whether the port should have been closed.

Captain investigated after cruise liner hits two container ships

26.10.2026,

Photo: Sina Schuldt/dpa

By dpa correspondents

Following a shipping accident in the northern German port of Bremerhaven, police are investigating the captain of the TUI cruise ship Mein Schiff 3 (My Ship 3).

A police spokeswoman stated on Monday that administrative offence proceedings had been initiated against him: “Investigations are under way to determine whether he breached his duty of care.”

The police did not initially provide any further details, such as exactly what the alleged breach of duty of care relates to.

The news had initially been reported by broadcaster RTL.

A strong gust of wind caused the cruise ship carrying more than 3,300 passengers and crew to collide with two container vessels while leaving the port of Bremerhaven, police said, sharing new details about Sunday's accident.

Mein Schiff 3 was departing for the Canary Islands on Sunday evening when a gust of wind pushed it towards two container ships moored alongside the harbour wall, police said.

One container ship was severely damaged by the collision, while the other one sustained slight damage, according to police. The cruise ship was also severely damaged, with images showing that the ship's on-board lifeboats were crushed.

"The collision tore open the port side of the large container ship over a length of several metres and deformed the container guides," police said.

No one was injured on any of the three ships and no water entered the vessels, as the damage occurred a few metres above water level, according to police.

Mein Schiff 3 returned to the cruise ship terminal following the collision and all three vessels have been barred from leaving the port.

The police estimate the damage to property to run into millions.

The smaller container ship sustained minor damage, whilst the larger one sustained significant damage. The TUI ship was also significantly damaged.

TUI Cruises confirmed on Monday that it was cancelling the cruise in light of the crash. According to the operator, the cruise ship requires repair work at a shipyard.

According to TUI, 2,428 passengers and 922 crew members were on board the cruise ship at the time.

An eyewitness video verified by dpa shows the cruise ship leaving the port accompanied by tugboats in choppy waters.

The vessel can be seen moving increasingly close to a container ship moored alongside the harbour wall before striking it.

"I think that’s it for the trip," a woman can be heard saying in the clip.

German police: Strong wind pushed cruise liner into container ships

26.10.2026, DPA

Photo: Sina Schuldt/dpa

A strong gust of wind caused a cruise ship carrying more than 3,300 passengers and crew to collide with two container vessels while leaving the German North Sea port of Bremerhaven, police said on Monday, sharing new details about Sunday's accident.

TUI-operated Mein Schiff 3 was departing for the Canary Islands on Sunday evening when a gust of wind pushed it towards two container ships moored alongside the harbour wall, police said.