by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 7:55 AM ET, Fri July 31, 2026
Viking issued an official statement after nearly 200 river cruise passengers were evacuated from the Viking Ullur this week after it ran aground near the city of Vidin, Bulgaria, as the Danube River faces unprecedentedly low water levels.
Local police and first responders had to evacuate 186 passengers after the ship ran aground, according to The Independent. Fifty-two crew members might have been required to remain on board for the ship’s refloating.
While other sources reported that the ship ran out of food and water ahead of their supply stop, Viking has since said that "At no point did the vessel run out of onboard provisions or experience a shortage affecting guests or crew."
Bulgaria’s state news agency BTA reported that the ship ran into a shallow shoal.
"We can confirm that the Viking Ullur experienced a grounding incident on the Danube River on July 28, 2026, after coming into contact with a sandbank during a period of exceptionally low water levels," Viking told TravelPulse. "The safety and wellbeing of our guests and crew is always our highest priority. There were no injuries to guests or crew, and the vessel remained safe throughout the incident. Guests have been safely transferred ashore and will continue their planned itinerary with a full day in Bucharest before concluding on Thursday as scheduled. Viking will communicate any further updates directly with impacted guests and their Travel Advisors."
Guest V.L. Sorrell, MD, posted photos and images of the incident on X (formerly Twitter).
It’s an all-too-common occurrence for boats along the Danube these days, where record-low water levels have led to marooned cargo ships and the end of pleasure cruising for local operators in Central Europe, particularly.
Several river cruise ships have run aground this year near Budapest, according to previous reports, with some river cruise lines like Avalon Waterways canceling some of their summer Danube cruises due to the record-low water levels.
Around 600,000 river cruise travelers pass through Hungary’s portion of the Danube each year.
Central Europe has been under a prolonged drought this year, with heat waves causing major evaporation and forcing nuclear plants, which rely on river water to cool reactors, to shut down in Romania and Hungary.
Lowering water levels can also introduce old dangers: Budapest closed its Margaret Bridge last week after a World War II-era bomb was found exposed in the water at the base of the bridge. Budapest authorities reported Danube water levels at just 9 inches on Wednesday, July 30, the lowest it has ever been.
UPDATE: Previous reports stated that the Viking Ullur ran out of food and water, prompting the rescue, which Viking said is untrue. The correction has been made. Viking's official statement on the grounding has also been added.
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