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The Viking Ullur had to be evacuated after running aground on the Danube River on Tuesday, according to a report by Bulgarian News Agency (BTA).
Over 185 passengers and 50 crew members were onboard the vessel when it became stranded at river kilometer 817.
The news agency said that the incident is linked to low water levels on the river, which have been disrupting cruise and shipping operations across the region for the past few weeks.
Local Border Police coordinated the evacuation process, which took place near Vidin in Northwestern Bulgaria, the report added.
BTA noted that Viking was able to get another riverboat to the location, with passengers set to be transferred to the vessel to continue their cruise.
The backup ship, however, could not get close enough to the Ullur, prompting Border Police to intervene, the report added.
After failed refloating efforts and further assessments, guests were evacuated by a patrol boat from the Vidin Border Police Vessels Base.
Passengers had to disembark due to low supply levels, the news agency said, noting that the Ullur was scheduled to visit Vidin to take on water and food.
Passenger luggage was also being transferred on Tuesday, BTA added, noting that it is unclear if crew members will remain onboard the Viking vessel.
Border Police was quoted as saying that the Ullur could stay stranded for an extended period depending on navigation conditions and refloating options.
In addition to Bulgaria, the itinerary of the 2019-built ship also includes visits to destinations in Serbia, Romania, Croatia and Hungary.
As previously reported by Cruise Industry News, various cruise lines are currently being affected by low water levels on the Danube and Rhine rivers.
In addition to Viking, brands like Avalon Waterways, Ama WaterWays and Riviera Travel River Cruises also had to adapt their operations to cope with the record-low levels.
