03/08/2026
Danube at Record Low. Operations at Full Speed. 🌊
At just 9 cm, on 2 August 2026, the water level fell to the lowest ever recorded in Budapest, breaking the previous record of 33 cm, set in October 2018.
For river cruising, low water doesn't simply mean ships sail differently.
Sometimes, they don't sail at all.
For our teams, it means something entirely different: a map that suddenly becomes much bigger. 🗺️
Instead of welcoming guests in Budapest or the usual ports, over the past month we've already been operating from places that rarely appear on our standard itineraries—Komárom, Gönyű, Nyergesújfalu, Baja, Mohács, or even Bratislava, Vienna, Tulln, Krems, Vukovar, Ilok and Novi Sad. Hundreds of extra kilometres. Earlier departures. Later arrivals. Longer days for everyone involved. 🌅🌙
Every cancelled docking becomes a logistical puzzle. Every alternative port requires new routes, new timings and often completely reimagined programmes. That's where local knowledge stops being an advantage—and becomes a necessity. 🎯
The real heroes of these weeks are the people behind the operation: bus drivers, local guides, escorts, office coordinators and ship crews. They leave before sunrise, return long after sunset, adapt, improvise and somehow still welcome every guest with a smile. ❤️👏
We're incredibly grateful to every colleague and partner taking part in what has become Operation Low Water 2026. 📉⚓️
Yet the impact reaches far beyond tourism. Record-low water levels affect shipping, energy production, water management and everyday life. The exceptionally low water level is already having a serious impact on the cooling capacity of Hungary's only nuclear power plant, which is operating at reduced output and could eventually be forced to shut down.
Visitors may have noticed another visible consequence since yesterday: Budapest's iconic landmarks are temporarily without their famous evening illumination, as reduced energy production has led to measures aimed at easing demand. 💡
No one knows how long this period will last…
What we do know is this: we'll keep showing up—for our partners, for their guests and for each other. We'll keep ”Moving People”, even when the circumstances are far from ordinary.
That's what our partners expect from us—and what our teams deliver every single day.
Because despite the early mornings, late nights and unexpected challenges, we'd much rather be solving problems than watching river cruising come to a standstill.
The Danube will rise again. Until then, we'll rise to the challenge—together. 🌊💙
