TUI Cruises' Mein Schiff 3 collided with two container vessels while departing Bremerhaven, Germany, on the evening (local time) of Sunday, October 25, according to police.
The cruise ship had left the Columbuskaje and was passing through the container terminal area in stormy weather when the collisions occurred.
One containership sustained a tear approximately 10 metres long in her side, the Nordsee-Zeitung first reported. Bremen's ports department later gave a 10-metre figure and said there had been no water ingress aboard the affected ships.
Several of Mein Schiff 3's externally mounted lifeboats were damaged. Two tugs were also damaged during the incident, according to Tagesschau.
Schiffe und Kreuzfahrten identified one of the containerships as MSC Victorine and said the cruise ship's forward section had made contact with her stern.
TUI Cruises confirmed a collision with one containership. The company said 2,428 guests and 922 crewmembers were on board Mein Schiff 3 and that no one was injured, which matched initial information from police.
In a statement supplied to Kreuzfahrttester.com, TUI Cruises said the ship was, "back at the pier, where the damage sustained is to be assessed".
Strong gusts were reported during the departure. The Nordsee-Zeitung suggested the wind prevented the cruise ship from making headway and that the assisting tugs could no longer push her clear.
The local water police is investigating, and the cause and full extent of the damage had not been established as of Monday, October 26.
Guests and crew were permitted to remain aboard while specialists examined the ship.
Mein Schiff 3 had been scheduled to begin a 20-night round trip from Bremerhaven to the Canary Islands, returning on November 14, with calls including Lisbon, Funchal, Tenerife and Agadir.
Whether the voyage would proceed remained uncertain as of Monday.