River Cruise Passengers Celebrate NYE Stranded on the Danube
A group of nearly 200 passengers on a luxury river cruise were forced to make the best of it and celebrate New Year’s Eve while they were stranded on the Danube. Local authorities said they were in no danger, but due to low water levels, which are continuing to fall, there was no way to release the cruise ship Nicko Vision from the gravel bottom of the river.
The ship, which is 135 meters (443 feet) in length, was making its way along the Danube during a cruise that began on December 26 in Passau, Germany. Passengers speaking to the media said they had already encountered problems forcing them to leave the ship and go by bus to Budapest. However, they had been able to rejoin the cruise ship and were proceeding to Bratislava, where they were due to spend New Year’s Eve.
Overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday, the cruise ship registered in Switzerland, however, came to an abrupt stop in the river. Local authorities said the water level is about 23 centimeters (9 inches) below normal levels and continuing to fall. The low water levels may have also displaced a navigational marker in the river.
No one was injured during the grounding, and the authorities set a river tug in an attempt to free the stranded cruise ship during the day on Wednesday. When it became clear the ship was not going to be freed, the passengers and crew made the best of it and had a gala party stuck on the river.
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On New Year’s Day, the decision was made to evacuate the passengers from the ship, but low water levels made it impossible to risk moving another cruise ship alongside. The authorities placed a barge in the river and evacuated 211 passengers who were then transferred to another river cruise ship, Viva Two of Scilla Cruises, to continue their journey. Reports indicate that the 46 crewmembers have remained aboard the stranded Nicko Vision.
Authorities said that with the public holiday, it was difficult to find more resources to address the situation. They are planning to make a new attempt to free the cruise ship, but warned that with falling water levels, it might be stuck for some time to come.
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