A medical evacuation operation was carried out by Spanish maritime authorities after the TUI Cruises vessel Mein Schiff Relax departed from the Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canary Islands on the night of 13–14 February 2026. Shortly after departure, the ship’s medical team concluded that a crew member’s condition could not be treated safely on board and that urgent hospital care would be necessary ashore, prompting a request for external assistance.
In response to the medical request, Salvamento Marítimo tasked the rescue vessel Salvamar Tenerife to intercept Mein Schiff Relax at sea. On arrival, rescue teams executed a transfer of the ill crew member from the cruise ship to the rescue craft, a manoeuvre that required coordination between the cruise vessel’s officers and the rescue unit. Upon completion of the transfer, the patient was conveyed to the quay at Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where personnel from the Canary Islands Emergency Service (SUC) were positioned to assume responsibility and transport the individual to a hospital facility for further medical treatment.
Official sources have not disclosed details such as the crew member’s nationality, rank onboard or the nature of the medical condition that led to the evacuation. The operation underscored routine collaboration between shipboard medical staff and shore‑based search and rescue agencies to ensure that serious health events can be managed when they arise shortly after a vessel’s departure from port.
For more Mein Schiff Relax incidents and accidents, see the ship's CruiseMinus page.