Ostsee chaos: Ferry Berlin stops with 500 passengers in front of Denmark!

Ostsee chaos: Ferry Berlin stops with 500 passengers in front of Denmark!

An unexpected adventure experienced around 500 passengers from the “Berlin” hybrid ferry, which was traveling on the Rostock route to Gedser on June 15, 2025. Shortly before arrival in Denmark, the ferry had to turn abruptly due to a mechanical defect. The captain Jörg Ellner described that the ferry was only 20 meters from the Danish port when it was forced to take this step. A defective security pen on the Bugvisier ensured that the ferry could not be unloaded because it could not put on in the port. Scandlines spokeswoman Anette Ustrup Svendsen assured that the safety of passengers was always guaranteed, even if the Situation became a test of patience for many.

The return trip to the German coast took about two hours, so the ferry put on in Rostock around 1:15 p.m. There, a little unsorted, she was first fixed with the rear - an unfamiliar situation that led to the first cars had to go out in reverse. Many passengers had to endure on the car deck during this time, promising them to supply them with food and drinks.

Mixed reactions under the passengers

Regina year, one of the travelers, commented on the different reactions on board: While some saw the unexpected turn of their travels as a little adventure, others were desperate and were annoyed about the unclear information situation. Waiting on the car -loaded deck turned out to be stressful, since many passengers had to do more than an hour without information about the situation. Meanwhile, the crew went from car to car to keep the passengers up to date because the speaker announcements did not arrive everywhere.

The violation of the timetables meant that the ferry "Copenhagen", the sister ship of the "Berlin", took over the last remaining passengers, which, however, was not a pleasant solution for everyone due to the high occupancy. The situation in which the "Copenhagen" was already fully utilized led to a delay of a total of seven hours. However, passengers are entitled to reimbursements and compensation if journeys fail or are delayed, as the ADAC explains.

What does that mean for travelers?

passengers, whose journey was significantly disturbed, should find out more about their rights. In the event of delays from one hour, you are entitled to reimbursement of your fare or the opportunity to drive with another ship. The Passenger Rights Act also provides that the ferry company has to offer free food or drinks in order to make such unpleasant experiences a little more bearable. In this case, the crew did everything possible to provide the passengers in the best possible way and to make the waiting time as pleasant as possible.

The "Berlin" itself, a modern ship with a hybrid drive system, was put into service in 2016 and has a capacity of around 1,300 passengers as well as 460 cars and 100 trucks. Technicians repaired the ferry overnight, and from the following Sunday it should drive again as reported. The company took the situation seriously and acted forward to prevent further inconvenience.

In the coming days, it will be shown how the passengers deal with the unexpected circumstances. For the travelers, however, the Baltic Sea remains a popular goal, despite the sometimes unpredictable challenges that a ferry trip can bring.