European cruise operators cancel Danube, Baltic trips over low water, storms

Several major cruise lines have withdrawn or altered itineraries on the Danube, Rhine and in the Baltic Sea because of unusually low river levels and unsettled weather. AIDA Cruises, TUI Cruises (Mein Schiff fleet), MSC Cruises, Costa Kreuzfahrten and Nicko Cruises are among those that have scrapped whole seasons in the Eastern Mediterranean and Persian Gulf, as well as specific river cruises such as the Danube journey of the ship Belvedere that was to sail from Passau to Budapest in July 2026. The same low‑water conditions have forced the grounding and rescue of vessels on the Rhine, while stormy conditions in the Baltic have led to rerouting or cancellation of trips to ports like Stockholm and Riga. The disruptions affect a wide range of planned sailings across 2026‑2028, impacting holiday plans for many European travelers.

These cancellations are being tracked in a regularly updated cruise‑cancellation ticker, which lists the affected routes and ships for each operator. The combined effect concerns seasonal programmes in the Orient, Trans‑ and North‑European itineraries, and numerous river cruises that depend on adequate water depth.