Danube Cruise Ship Runs Aground In Hungary, Stranding 200 Passengers On New Year

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A river cruise on the Danube was disrupted over the New Year after a cruise ship carrying around 200 passengers, including 46 tourists from Malta, ran aground in shallow waters in Hungary and remained stuck for more than 24 hours.

The incident involved the 135-metre-long MS nickoVISION, operated by nicko cruises, which became grounded near the Hungarian town of Gönyű around midnight between Tuesday and Wednesday. The vessel was travelling from Budapest towards Bratislava at the time.

The cruise had departed from Passau, Germany, on 26 December, with planned stops at Melk, Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava. Earlier in the journey, low water levels on the Danube had already caused delays.

The ship was unable to sail directly into Budapest, and passengers were taken there by coach for sightseeing before returning to the vessel.

While continuing the voyage on New Year’s Eve, the ship ran aground in a shallow section of the river. A tugboat arrived on Wednesday to try to pull the vessel into deeper water, but the attempt failed.

A second tugboat made another effort on New Year’s Day, though the ship remained stuck. Per reports, the public holiday made it harder to arrange assistance.

With no immediate solution, passengers remained on board and marked New Year’s Eve on the ship. According to an account shared with Maltese media, the crew organised a gala dinner with music and entertainment, allowing celebrations to continue despite the situation.

On the morning of 1 January, a decision was taken to stop further towing attempts. Passengers were asked to pack their belongings and were transferred by barge to another vessel, which was arranged to take them onwards to Bratislava. The plan also included accommodation at a hotel.

References: timesofmalta, dailynewshungary