Scandal on the Baltic Sea: Ferry Berlin” stops – 500 travelers affected!

Scandal on the Baltic Sea: Ferry Berlin” stops – 500 travelers affected!

An unusual incident caused a stir on the Baltic Sea today when the hybrid ferry “Berlin” had to be brought to a standstill on its route from Rostock to Gedser due to a mechanical defect. Captain Jörg Ellner stated that Denmark was only 20 meters away, but the ferry had to turn around, giving the approximately 500 passengers an unexpected return to Rostock and resulting in a delay of seven hours. Many of the travelers reacted to the situation in different ways. While some saw the inconvenience as an adventure, others were more desperate, as passenger Regina Jahr reported.

The situation was particularly tense on the car deck, where many passengers remained locked in the car for over an hour without receiving any comprehensive information. The ferry crew tried to communicate from car to car by addressing each other personally, as not all loudspeaker announcements were received everywhere. The problem was a defective locking pin on the bow visor, which despite all efforts could not be remedied at first.

Passenger reactions and care

The safety of the passengers was never at risk, emphasized Scandlines spokeswoman Anette Ustrup Svendsen. While waiting, the passengers were provided with food and drinks. Such incidents are not common on the Baltic Sea, especially for a ship like the “Berlin” that operates on this route, as Rostock and Gedser are the only suitable docks.

Normally unloading a ferry only takes six minutes. However, due to the incident, trucks and cars had to turn backwards off board or on the deck, which took additional time. After this incident, there was no space left on the fully occupied ferry “Copenhagen”, which was used as a replacement vehicle. Nevertheless, the crew managed to quickly bring the situation under control by appointing a specialist company for Rostock, which was ultimately not needed. The problem was finally resolved around 9 p.m.

Safety drills and ferry operations

The ferry "Berlin" was not only involved in this incident, but also in a previous police exercise on February 19, 2025. This exercise, which took place between 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., involved the use of two inflatable boats that circled the ferry while a loudspeaker announcement informed passengers of the situation. People listened on board and onlookers watched the action eagerly from the railing. According to a spokesman for the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania State Criminal Police Office, the exercise was part of the maritime training of a special operations team in which Scandlines was involved as a partner.

The Baltic Sea is served by over 100 ferry and ro-ro lines, with passenger traffic declining in recent years due to competition from low-cost airlines and the loss of duty-free sales. However, ferry travel remains a popular means of transport and carries over 100 million international ferry passengers every year. The range of services ranges from simple crossings to mini-cruises, which underlines the attractiveness of the ferry lines. A fixed timetable is particularly desirable on heavily frequented routes in order to best meet passenger needs.

Today's experience with the “Berlin” shows once again how essential such ferry connections are for mobility in the Baltic Sea region. Despite the difficulties and the delay, the passengers ultimately reached their destination safely and can look back on an exciting story.

For further details and information about the incident and ferry operations, we recommend taking a look at the reporting from Moin.de, NDR and forschungsinformationsysteme.de to throw.