A ban on the popular nighttime illumination cruises past
Budapest's brightly lit Parliament building has been lifted. But not all river
lines are rushing to resume the sailings.
The government ban was implemented after a deadly collision
on an illumination sailing in May between a Viking ship and a small touring
boat, which sank, killing 27 South Korean tourists.
AmaWaterways co-founder Rudi Schreiner said his ships have halted the cruises while
officials continue their investigation into the accident.
Likewise, Avalon Waterways said it has decided to "discontinue
illumination sailings at this time."
Officials with Crystal and Amadeus, however, say they have
resumed the cruises, which under new rules implemented in January require ships
to go farther beyond the crowded stretch of the Danube immediately in front of
the Parliament before turning around.
Viking declined comment about whether it has resumed the
night-time sailings.
Uniworld CEO Ellen Bettridge issued a statement saying, "Neither
Uniworld nor U River Cruises offered illumination cruises or excursions before
the incident. Uniworld changes docks in Budapest where guests can see the
Parliament building illuminated when passing between the two dock locations.
This route hasn't been affected."
The hesitation by some to continue the cruises, or to
classify them as illumination sailings, no doubt stems from concerns by
operators about balancing customer expectations with respect for the dead,
uncertainty about who was at fault, increased liability and attempts to avoid
further scrutiny and quell calls for a permanent ban on illumination cruises by
the larger vessels.
One question river lines are no doubt weighing is just how
important illumination sailings really are to passengers.
Pete Larson, a river cruise specialist and owner of
RiverCruiseGuru.com, said he thinks they are important "for some."
"I've been on
the illumination cruise with Emerald Waterways, and it was magnificent,"
Larson said. "I thought it was a highlight of the cruise for sure. My wife
couldn't have cared less. In fact, she slept through it. So it depends on the
person, I believe."
Since the accident, he said, he has not had any complaints
from clients booked on ships that had to skip the nighttime sailings. Nor has
anyone inquired about illumination cruises during the booking process, Larson
said.
Concerns have long been brewing about the potential for
accidents on the crowded river at night, prompting the new restrictions in
January and calls by some for a permanent ban on the cruises by larger ships.
Whether or not they will be allowed to continue, and how
they might be regulated, will likely be determined by the outcome of, and
response to, the findings of the investigation of the May 29 accident, in which
the Viking Sigyn hit and sank the small tour boat as they both passed under a
bridge.
In the meantime, river cruise operators might have to look
to alternative land options for soaking in the spectacular view, since a
visitor only needs to cross one of the many bridges from the Pest side of
Budapest to the rising elevations of Buda for equally if not even more stunning
views of the Parliament and Pest's brightly lit skyline.