River Cruising Water Cooler

[Daisi]

Wow...this is really sad. Just read a report on the Hungarian paper that the missing are the boat's owner, his sister, their 19 yr. old neighbour and her boyfriend (who had proposed on the boat according to his friend), and friends.

 

So tragic.

Edited May 21 by Daisi

[Canal archive]

I’ve been trolling through the information on line as to the current owner of the assumed perpetrator of this horrendous accident and it now looks like Nico Cruises are no longer the owners I have sneaking suspicion that Nico cruises were the operator and Mystic Invest Holdings of Portugal the owners. I’m not paying for full interest in the Marine information so someone who does may get further. Still an horrendous incident so so sad.

[notamermaid]

I have put a bit of info in the Danube thread. After some digging I gave up on figuring out the current info on the ship. Nicko Cruises gave the ship up with the end of the season in 2022. Nicko Cruises was never the owner, it was a long term charter with Nicko branding.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

In the Danube thread I wrote:

quote "It appears that Nicko Cruises is not running the MS Heidelberg this year. I guess it is a different, perhaps only part-season, charter by someone else. The company offering the MS Heidelberg for charter is this one: https://www.starlingfleet.com/en/our-fleet/

" end quote

 

When I click on the link it does not work, i.e. some host message comes up. Odd. Perhaps it works with you from a different country.

 

notamermaid

 

[Canal archive]

mysticinvest.com is the website of the company that owned MS Heidelberg they look like a well established Portuguese travel company. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, Canal archive said:

mysticinvest.com is the website of the company that owned MS Heidelberg they look like a well established Portuguese travel company. 

I believe this is the company that used to have a monopoly on building and staffing river ships on the Douro, and which has now started the Atlas Ocean Voyages expedition cruise line.  I didn't know they had river activities outside Portugal.

[notamermaid]

Mysticinvest is the company that took over the Nicko Cruises brand after the collapse: https://www.pluta.net/en/press/press-release/restructuring-expert-mr-michael-pluta-sells-nicko-cruises-to-mystic-invest.html

This may or may not mean that the ship was with Nicko Cruises. Ships often belong to some one else, like is the case with the Scylla ships sailing for various companies.

 

It is a curious case with the ship. As noted by "swiss ships" the KFGS* Heidelberg was deleted from the Swiss register, they give the date as 28.3.2024. https://www.swiss-ships.ch/news/news.html

That would almost coincide with the sailing from Köln-Niehl harbour to Budapest (or further) and the change of livery noted in a photo from 1 April. According to the news reports the ship was on an itinerary with passengers, I presume a return trip Engelhartszell. Something that happens often with German cruise lines these days. But it is not clear what the nationality of the passengers is. The ship is due to arrive at Engelhartszell during the night.

*KFGS is Kabinenfahrgastschiff, the official German word for a river cruise ship.

 

None of that explains why on earth the tragedy happened. I just find it interesting to note the recent history of the ship.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[gnome12]

2 hours ago, notamermaid said:

None of that explains why on earth the tragedy happened. I just find it interesting to note the recent history of the ship.

I am speculating but if what we heard is true, young people celebrating a proposal, I assume that there was alcohol involved.

[Host Jazzbeau]

[Canal archive]

Snap I tried but my so called computer skills are woefully inadequate.

Although let’s not apportion blame yet - dark night, small boat/large boat and high water not the best of situations - sat in the cabin toasting a happy event, there but for the grace of your God put a less manoeuvrable cruise ship in the mix and this happens so very very sad.

[notamermaid]

On 5/20/2024 at 9:10 PM, notamermaid said:

It is not clear which charter it is, I could not find any info on that. However, the ship is listed as being part of the Starling Fleet: https://www.starlingfleet.com/en/our-fleet/

 

The website did not work yesterday, now it is back. Hey, presto, the Heidelberg is no longer listed. In the Danube thread we have had more conversation - the MS Heidelberg appears to have been sold to the Chinese.

 

A comprehensive report from Hungary: https://hungarytoday.hu/fatal-collision-between-speedboat-and-hotel-boat-on-the-danube/

 

German news says that another body has been recovered.

 

notamermaid

 

 

 

[gnome12]

12 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

The website did not work yesterday, now it is back. Hey, presto, the Heidelberg is no longer listed. In the Danube thread we have had more conversation - the MS Heidelberg appears to have been sold to the Chinese.

 

A comprehensive report from Hungary: https://hungarytoday.hu/fatal-collision-between-speedboat-and-hotel-boat-on-the-danube/

 

German news says that another body has been recovered.

 

notamermaid

 

I must say that the damage to the hull looks to be much higher than I would expect in a collision with a speedboat.

[Canal archive]

If I remember correctly some time before covid struck several companies were looking to provide Chinese only cruises not the boats actually being sold to Chinese companies.

[pontac]

13 hours ago, Canal archive said:

were looking to provide Chinese only cruises

 

Viking already had Long Ships cruising that catered to Chinese guests. We passed one and the Cruise Director told me it had a Chinese speaking staff, Chines food was served and tour guides spoke Chinese.

 

I know Viking advertise different boats and dates in the US to the UK, they may do in Australia, Canada and they do in China - but I don't know how regularly the Chinese boats cruise

[CPT Trips]

On 1/14/2024 at 3:33 PM, CPT Trips said:

 

… I just discovered that I spelled dagnabbit wrong.

Just for fun - https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-long-linguistic-journey-to-dagnabbit?utm_medium=email&utm_source=pocket_hits&utm_campaign=POCKET_HITS-EN-DAILY-RECS-2024_05_24&sponsored=0&position=10&category=fascinating_stories&scheduled_corpus_item_id=a7ab6fcb-0881-4cf2-b83c-694856fa726c&url=https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-long-linguistic-journey-to-dagnabbit

[Host Jazzbeau]

On 1/14/2024 at 3:33 PM, CPT Trips said:

 

… I just discovered that I spelled dagnabbit wrong.

Thank you for the linguistic explanation in the post above.  Since I first heard it from the 'lips' of Yosemite Sam, I always assumed it was another Warner Bros. Cartoon misspelling designed to relate to their cartoon characters' names [in this case, Bugs Bunny] – similar to the cartoon title Duck Amuck.

[RDVIK2016]

Although they don't qualify as river cruising, the attached photos do at least contain moving water (some rushing, some nearly stagnant) and a boat for a short ride.

 

Branching off of the Isar River is the Eisbach and right next to the Haus der Kunst at the southernmost end of the Englischer Garten you can watch the surfers! 

 

Much calmer waters at Nymphenburg and Schleißheim palaces are a good spot for a ride in a Venetian gondola. 

 

These photos are from 10 days ago.

 

RDVIK

[RDVIK2016]

Another river - no "Hotelschiff" here, but a sightseeing boat on the Salzach River in Salzburg two weeks ago. Water current was quite strong as you can see, but the little boats could handle it.

 

RDVIK

 

Edited May 25 by RDVIK2016
Tried to attach videos. Didn't work. Replaced videos with still photos.

[Canal archive]

Looks like riding the Bore on the River Severn mini version. Gondola’s seem to pop up in the strangest places. Super photos and the theme through a lot of photos and webcams at the moment is the sheer speed of the river flow, shows how much water has been dumped across Europe. One month it’s lack and the next excess, where did that quote come from ‘water, water, everywhere and not a drop to drink?
 

[jpalbny]

4 hours ago, Canal archive said:

where did that quote come from ‘water, water, everywhere and not a drop to drink?

 

"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"

[Canal archive]

Thank you brain now back in gear.

[CPT Trips]

Waka on the Avon River

 

[Canal archive]

CPT which Avon river? In the U.K. we have I think at last count 7 rivers and half of a canal.

[gnome12]

22 minutes ago, Canal archive said:

CPT which Avon river? In the U.K. we have I think at last count 7 rivers and half of a canal.

And we have one here in Ontario as well.

[notamermaid]

Interesting sightseeing boats and water sports about.  On the Rhine we have the typical excursion boats. Talking of boats and ships. On Lake Constance you still get the great old steam ships and one that was deliberately sunk a group of enthusiasts is trying to raise from the lake bed. That body of water is DEEP... The ship is called the "Säntis". Basically, the Lake is one giant dumping ground/graveyard for ships and boats of many shapes and sizes.

https://www.iamexpat.ch/lifestyle/lifestyle-news/130-year-old-swiss-steamship-be-raised-bottom-lake-constance

 

notamermaid