Danube cruise ship runs aground in Hungary, stranding passengers over New Year

Around 200 river cruise passengers were forced to spend New Year’s Eve stranded on the Danube after their hotel ship ran aground near the Hungarian town of Gönyű, derailing a festive journey from Germany to Slovakia.

The 135-metre-long MS nickoVISION, operated by nicko cruises, became stuck in shallow waters during the night between Tuesday and Wednesday as it was travelling from Budapest towards Bratislava, iho.hu reported. Despite repeated rescue attempts, the vessel remained immobile for more than 24 hours.

Low water levels disrupt Danube cruise

The cruise had departed from Passau on 26 December, offering passengers a holiday itinerary that included Melk, Vienna and Budapest, with a starting price of around EUR 1,276 per person. However, low water levels on the Danube had already caused problems earlier in the journey.

Instead of sailing into Budapest, passengers were transported to the Hungarian capital by coach for sightseeing, before returning to the ship to continue the cruise. The next scheduled stop was Bratislava on New Year’s Eve: a destination the ship ultimately never reached under its own power.

Rescue attempts fail

At around midnight, the MS nickoVISION ran aground near Gönyű. A tugboat arrived on Wednesday to pull the vessel back into deeper water, but the attempt proved unsuccessful. A second rescue effort on New Year’s Day also failed, leaving the ship stuck in the riverbed.

With no immediate solution available (and with public holiday staffing complicating rescue operations), passengers had little choice but to ring in the New Year on board.

Stranded on the Danube: “Everyone still enjoyed it”