Low Danube and Rhine Water Disrupts Peak River Cruise Season

Updated September 15, 2026

Low water on the Danube and Rhine escalated from itinerary disruption to passenger evacuations this summer after two Viking river ships ran aground. Viking Ullur became stranded on the Danube near Vidin in northwestern Bulgaria in late July, leading to the evacuation of 186 passengers. Viking said no one was injured and the vessel remained safe throughout the incident.

River levels also reached new lows in Budapest and Romania. Operators canceled select departures, exchanged passengers between ships, changed embarkation points and replaced portions of cruises with hotels and coach transfers.

Viking ships run aground on the Danube and Rhine

Viking Ullur was carrying 186 passengers and 52 crew members when it ran aground during exceptionally low water conditions. Passengers were transferred ashore and continued their itinerary with alternative transportation, including a planned day in Bucharest. The incident followed the June 29 grounding of Viking Einar on the Rhine near Cologne. No passenger evacuation was reported in connection with that grounding.

Viking continues to use sister ships sailing the same itineraries in opposite directions when a section of river cannot be passed. Guests and luggage can be transferred to an identical ship beyond the affected stretch, with passengers placed in the same stateroom category. In June, guests on a Rhine itinerary spent about five hours traveling by coach from Koblenz to Strasbourg before boarding another Viking ship.

Danube and Rhine reach record lows

A late-July reading placed the Danube at Budapest at 10 centimeters, below the previous record low of 33 centimeters set in 2018. The river also fell to its lowest level in about 30 years in Romania. Earlier in the disruption, several cruise ships were stranded or waiting in ports around Budapest and Mohács, according to Laszlo Somodi, chief executive officer of Hungarian sightseeing operator MAHART-PassNave.

On the Upper Danube, low water affected journeys between Regensburg and Passau, around Dürnstein and Melk, and between Vienna and Budapest. The Rhine faced restrictions around Koblenz and Rüdesheim and near Maxau, where some sections were unsuitable for navigation. The Kaub gauge on the Middle Rhine also fell below its previous 2018 record during the summer.

Gauge readings do not directly correspond to navigable fairway depth. Captains must account for vessel draft, local channel conditions and a safety margin before attempting a passage.

Cruise lines revise summer itineraries

Avalon Waterways canceled a small number of Danube and Rhine departures, including select late-July Danube Dreams sailings. Some cruises scheduled to embark in Nuremberg were moved to Passau.

AmaWaterways said it had not canceled a departure because of the low-water conditions, although some itineraries required substantial changes. Guests aboard AmaMagna were disembarked above Budapest and moved into hotels and buses when the Budapest-Vienna section became difficult to navigate. The line has also used alternative docks, coach transfers and sister-ship exchanges.

Uniworld implemented ship swaps on Rhine departures, including changes involving S.S. Elisabeth and S.S. Antoinette. On a separate Danube sailing aboard S.S. Emilie, the ship could not continue beyond Vilshofen. Guests missed stops in Deggendorf, Regensburg and Nuremberg, while Linz was added and some destinations were visited by bus. Passengers flying from Nuremberg disembarked a day early, stayed overnight in a hotel and received airport transfers.

Riviera Travel continued operating with revised routes and daily guest updates. At least one passenger booked on a Rhine and Switzerland sailing was notified that the itinerary would instead visit the Netherlands and Belgium, with a full refund offered as an alternative. The company said other responses could include changed day plans or ship swaps.