46 Maltese tourists stuck on Danube cruise for New Year after ship ran aground
After being stuck for over 24 hours, the passengers were transferred to another boat
Updated Friday 2 January, 2.14pm
A large group of Maltese passengers spent their New Year’s Eve celebrations stranded in the middle of the Danube River after their cruise ship ran aground.
The 46 passengers were travelling aboard the MS nickoVision on a holiday cruise along the Danube. It departed on December 26 from Passau, Germany. Of the approximately 200 passengers on board, 46 are Maltese.
A passenger on the cruise, who wished to remain anonymous, told Times of Malta that the ship had visited Melk, Vienna and Esztergom, and was making its way towards Budapest.
However, the vessel was unable to proceed due to low water levels - an early sign of the difficulties to come. Instead, passengers were taken by coach to Budapest for a guided tour.
After returning to the ship, the next scheduled stop was Bratislava on New Year’s Eve. However, at around midnight between Tuesday and Wednesday, the ship ran aground in shallow waters while en route.
A tugboat arrived on Wednesday in an attempt to pull the vessel into deeper waters, but the effort was unsuccessful. As a result, passengers had no choice but to celebrate New Year’s Eve on board, with a gala dinner, a DJ and singing.
“We can’t really do anything about it. But last night was really beautiful. Everyone was happy, and we all still enjoyed it,” the passenger said.
On the morning of New Year’s Day, a second tugboat made another attempt to free the ship, but it remained stuck. He added that, due to the public holiday, it has been difficult to secure assistance.
“We have now been told to pack our belongings, and after lunch, we will be taken by barge to another vessel, which will take us to Bratislava. The plan is to stay at a hotel,” he said.
The company's website warns customers that river cruises are strongly dependent on the weather situation and that low water levels may force a change in route.
Responding to questions, Nicko Cruises said that the boat “accidentally left the river fairway on its way from Komárom to Bratislava” on December 31, but it ensured that the situation is “fully under control”.
“Water level fluctuations are very common, and they can occur unexpectedly at any time due to weather, rainfall or seasonal changes,” it said.
“To ensure that our guests are still able to visit the highlights Bratislava and Linz, we have arranged for them to disembark and stay at hotels for the remaining two days of the journey.”
The company said that the cruise will be completed as planned on January 3 in Passau and added that any excursions that could not take place will be refunded.