Budapest's popular illumination cruises past Hungary's
brightly lit Parliament building may be a thing of the past for river cruise
lines.
The evening Danube sailings that had become a staple of
Budapest itineraries were halted by the river cruise lines following the deadly
May crash of a Viking river ship and a small tour boat, said AmaWaterways
co-founder and president Rudi Schreiner.
While some companies like Crystal have resumed the sailings, other lines, including AmaWaterways and Avalon, continue to keep their ships
docked at night while the investigation continues into who was at fault when
the Viking Sigyn hit the Hableany sightseeing boat during a stormy nighttime
cruise, killing 27 people on the Hableany.
The boat carried South Korean tourists. Seven people were
rescued and one tourist remains missing. The Hableany sunk and was raised from
the bottom of the Danube by a floating crane on June 11.
The Viking captain was arrested and later released on bail.
While some restrictions on turning around along the most
crowded areas of the Danube in Budapest were implemented in January, some have
called for a complete ban on illumination sailings by the larger ships since
the accident.
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Update: This updates an
earlier story to clarify the ban has been lifted and some lines have resumed
the illumination cruises.