AmaWaterways Alters 1 Danube Cruise Into Bus Tour as Low Water Disrupts 16 Ships

3 articles · Updated · New York Post · Aug 24

A week-long AmaWaterways “Romantic Danube” sailing was cut back to Melk, with passengers bused to Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest and housed one final night in a Budapest hotel.
Low Danube levels—driven by weak Alpine snow runoff and summer heat—left key stretches unnavigable, forcing the cruise to operate largely as a floating hotel rather than a city-to-city river voyage.
Passengers received a 50-euro onboard credit for two missed ship meals, but some said that did not cover added costs and that compensation or rebooking options remained unclear.
AmaWaterways said 16 ships across six Rhine and Danube itineraries are currently affected, and that it prefers adapting routes over canceling departures, unlike some rivals.
The disruption highlights a broader river-cruise risk in Europe: more frequent weather extremes can radically reshape itineraries, while U.S. force-majeure rules may limit travelers’ refund rights.