- Viking River Cruises & AmaWaterways: Both have issued active travel alerts regarding “exceptionally low” waters. They are modifying itineraries daily but continuing most trips.
- Uniworld is handling changes on a case-by-case basis.
- Riviera Travel is offering full refunds or future cruise credits for passengers who prefer not to take heavily modified trips.
The Danube River is experiencing severe, record-low water levels due to intense heatwaves and a lack of rain across Europe. This has caused major disruptions for summer river cruises, forcing lines to alter schedules, swap ships, or use buses to transport guests.
The Danube in Budapest dropped within centimetres of its lowest level in history. In Romania, the river is at a 30-year low. Water levels are so low that sandbanks, rocks, and even World War II shipwrecks are completely visible. The tightest bottlenecks are on the Upper Danube between Regensburg and Passau, around Dürnstein and Melk, and stretches between Vienna and Budapest.
Only a small number of lines, such as Avalon Waterways, have fully canceled specific routes. Most cruise companies are avoiding total cancellations by using creative workarounds to keep trips moving: Cruise lines with identical sister ships will sail two boats up to a shallow zone from opposite directions. Guests pack their bags, take a bus past the shallow water, and board the identical sister ship to finish their trip.
Ships are unloading heavy items or sailing half-empty to sit higher in the water. In severe sections, guests are being bussed to tourist spots or transferred past unnavigable waters via motorcoach. Ships are unable to dock at key main ports like Budapest. Instead, they are stopping up to a 90-minute drive away, requiring extra bus travel.
