Danube Low Water Levels Disrupt European River Cruises

Exceptionally low water levels on the Danube River are disrupting river cruises, with Reuters reporting that the conditions are affecting both cruise operations and tourism across Hungary.

According to the news agency, several vessels have become stranded north of Budapest after the Danube’s water level in the Hungarian capital dropped to within eight centimeters of previous record lows on Thursday morning.

Avalon Waterways confirmed that it had canceled a limited number of departures earlier this week because of low water levels on both the Danube and Rhine rivers.

Reuters also reported that the conditions are impacting additional tourism activities, including sightseeing excursions and day cruises.

Viking has been notifying guests about itinerary adjustments through individual emails, while social media posts from passengers indicate that some sailings have been affected.

AmaWaterways has published a travel advisory on its website, warning that unusually low water levels are affecting portions of both rivers.

As river conditions continue to evolve, modifications may include changes to ports, embarkation or disembarkation locations, motorcoach transfers, ship scheduling or other itinerary elements,” the company explained.

“Please know that every adjustment is made with the comfort and safety of guests as our highest priority,” AmaWaterways added, noting that guests booked on impacted cruises are being contacted directly by email.

Riviera Travel River Cruises is also among the operators dealing with the challenging river conditions.

During the summer months, water levels can fluctuate on Europe’s rivers which may result in low water conditions in specific destinations,” the company stated on its travel advice page.

“As ever, we monitor this very closely and we will contact you immediately if there is likely to be any impact to your upcoming cruise,” Riviera continued.

The company also noted that river conditions can change quickly, meaning updates are provided whenever possible. However, Riviera said that “it is impossible” to determine whether a particular sailing will be affected more than a few days before departure.