Drought threatens Europe's river cruises

River tours on the Danube and Rhine face mounting risks as concern grows that prolonged drought conditions will continue to trouble Europe's main waterways.

After many weeks of hot and dry weather across the continent, Danube levels at Budapest have hit record lows, and vessels on lengthy sections of the Rhine are struggling to carry freight and passengers.

Low flows have turned navigation into a headache for cruise operators, fueling worries that ever-hotter summers will disrupt the easygoing trips travelers expect, The Telegraph newspaper reported.

Viking, the world's largest river-cruise brand, said last week that more than half of its departures from July to mid-August had been hit by low water levels in Europe. The situation is forcing shortened itineraries and bus transfers for passengers.

Analysts caution that if shallow conditions persist, travelers may abandon river cruises for more predictable vacation options.

According to financial ratings agency S&P Global, the low water levels "pose a risk to river cruise operators and could affect future river cruises, resulting in vouchers, cancellations, and higher costs".

S&P Global said in a report: "If low water conditions are prolonged or become more volatile over future years, this could affect future bookings and overall demand for river cruises if customers become wary of the certainty of river conditions."

Extended sections of the Danube have shrunk to three-decade lows, making the waterway impossible to navigate for larger ships. As the river receded, it has exposed sunken Nazi warships in Serbia and a 700-kilogram unexploded British bomb near Virt, Slovakia.

The circumstances have sparked complaints from cruise ship guests that big portions of their itineraries have been swapped for punishing bus transfers.

Viking insisted last week it has kept sailings on schedule, yet between 10 and 12 percent of Danube and Rhine customers chose to cancel, and the company is offering vouchers for future cruises in return.

But the shallow water conditions have caused increasing disruptions for Viking's operations, with two of its ships having run aground. In Bulgaria last month, police evacuated 186 passengers from the Viking Ullur after it struck a sandbank on the Danube. At the end of June, the Viking Einar ran aground on the Rhine as it moved to dock in Cologne, Germany, with about 190 passengers aboard.

Viking said it was "uniquely positioned to manage water-level situations such as these".

In a statement, the operator added that it runs a network of "sister ships" to enable "ship swaps", so guests can "transfer to their exact same stateroom on an identical sister ship on the other side of the affected section of river".

Other operators in Europe have warned that low water levels are causing disruptions. Riviera Cruises canceled three Danube departures last week and six scheduled for this month are being reviewed. Emerald Cruises and Tours alerted its customers that the situation was causing challenges for ships along the Danube, Rhine, and Main rivers.