A luxury river cruise ship, the Nicko Vision, became stranded on the Danube with nearly 200 passengers aboard as they prepared to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Local authorities assured that the passengers were safe, but low water levels, currently about 23 centimeters (9 inches) below normal, prevented the ship from being freed from the riverbed. Initially, passengers had faced difficulties that required them to travel by bus to Budapest, but they later rejoined the cruise and continued toward Bratislava.
On the night between Tuesday and Wednesday, the Swiss-registered ship came to an unexpected halt. Efforts by local authorities to dislodge the vessel using a river tug were unsuccessful, prompting the passengers and crew to host an impromptu gala party while stranded. Fortunately, no injuries were reported during the grounding.
By New Year’s Day, authorities decided to evacuate the 211 passengers due to the ongoing low water conditions, which made it unsafe to maneuver another vessel alongside. They were transferred to another cruise ship, Viva Two, while the 46 crew members remained on the Nicko Vision. Authorities noted that the public holiday complicated the situation, but they plan to attempt to free the ship, despite the likelihood of it remaining stuck for an extended period.
