From January to February 1905, "Friedrich Carl" participated in training exercises in the Baltic. While cruising north of the Great Belt, she struck a submerged shipwreck but suffered no significant damage in the accident. Beginning on 23 March, she again accompanied Wilhelm II, this time aboard the HAPAG steamship , for another voyage to the Mediterranean. While the ships were in Lisbon, they were visited by King Carlos I of Portugal. German Chancellor Bernhard von Bülow sent a message to Wilhelm II in Lisbon suggesting he visit Morocco, and on 31 March "Friedrich Carl" and "Hamburg" arrived in Tangier, where they encountered the French cruisers and . Wilhelm II made a speech where he supported Moroccan independence, which led to the First Moroccan Crisis. The following day, the two German vessels steamed to Gibraltar, where "Friedrich Carl" accidentally collided with the British pre-dreadnought battleship . During the cruise, Schmidt transferred to "Prinz Heinrich". On her return to Germany in June, she resumed her role as flagship, apart from during a maintenance period from 10 to 26 August.