Toddler Taken to Hospital After Fall on Mein Schiff 7 in Madeira
The incident underscores how cruise ships rely on coordinated onboard and local medical teams when emergencies unfold in port, even as voyages continue as planned.
A 2-year-old child was taken to Dr. Nélio Mendonça Hospital in Funchal after falling aboard TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 7 while the ship was docked in Madeira on April 22, 2026. TUI Cruises said the child was not critically injured and was in good condition with family members after being taken ashore for observation.
The fall happened during an overnight port call on a Canary Islands and Madeira itinerary. Authorities have not confirmed what caused it.
Emergency response during the Madeira call
Madeira’s Integrated Medical Emergency System activated the Rapid Intervention Medical Team, known as EMIR, which responded directly to the vessel along with an ambulance. Emergency responders found the child conscious and already being attended by the ship’s medical staff, with the child’s mother present.
The Administration of the Ports of the Autonomous Region of Madeira, or APRAM, said the incident occurred while Mein Schiff 7 was alongside in Funchal but took place inside the ship.
Authorities in Madeira estimated the fall at roughly 6 to 10 feet. Initial accounts suggesting the child may have fallen from a balcony have not been confirmed, and the circumstances remain under investigation.
The child was “never in a critical condition” and did not have “life-threatening injuries,” TUI Cruises said, adding that the hospital stay was for routine observation.
Ship and itinerary continue after overnight call
Mein Schiff 7 was sailing a seven-night roundtrip cruise from Gran Canaria that departed April 20. The vessel arrived in Funchal at 7 a.m. for an overnight call, with departure scheduled for April 23.
Because the ship was already scheduled to remain in Funchal overnight, the medical evacuation did not alter the port call. Mein Schiff 7 is due to continue to Santa Cruz de La Palma, Tenerife and Puerto del Rosario on Fuerteventura before returning to Gran Canaria on April 27.
Earlier emergencies involving TUI cruise operations
The Madeira case follows prior fall and overboard emergencies involving TUI cruise operations, though no link has been established between those incidents and the current investigation. On Oct. 14, 2022, a passenger died after falling from a balcony cabin aboard Mein Schiff 6 during an Aegean Sea voyage.
In November 2025, a 76-year-old passenger went overboard from the TUI-operated Marella Explorer 2 near the Canary Islands. The Spanish coast guard launched a search, but the passenger was not recovered.
