Grounding on the Danube: River Cruise Ship "Viking Ullur" Stuck

As drinking water on board began to run low, swift action was required. However, a direct passenger transfer to the replacement ship "Vivaldi" failed. Because of the extreme low water, the rescue vessel could not get close enough to either the port or starboard side of the Viking Ullur without risking running aground itself. Ultimately, the Bulgarian border police took over the rescue operation, safely bringing all 186 passengers ashore using small, shallow-draft boats. From there, buses transported them back to Bucharest, while the 52 crew members had to remain on board for the time being.

A much larger problem lies behind this incident, though: Europe is experiencing a historic drought in the summer of 2026. The water levels of the Danube have dropped massively. Although the official fairways should theoretically still be deep enough, the river currently forgives no nautical mistakes. This poses a massive challenge for tour operators and vacationers alike. Many cruise lines are currently forced to adjust their routes, swap ships, or transport passengers around impassable sections by bus.

Fortunately, the legal situation for the affected passengers is clear: under the EU Package Travel Directive, the tour operator must cover the costs for evacuation, accommodation, and a pro-rata refund of the travel price. But the ongoing drought is not just hitting vacation cruises—freight ships can barely navigate, and power plants along the Danube have to reduce their output due to a lack of cooling water. We can only hope that the water levels on Europe's second-longest river will soon recover.