Source: Cruise Junkie dot Com


Events at Sea by Riverboats



The events listed have been reported in the public domain or to cruisejunkie by passengers or crew members onboard.  The list is by no means comprehensive.  For that reason it is necessary to be cautious in drawing conclusions from the potentially limited data.  Keep in mind that some companies may be more transparent than others about things that go wrong; conversely, some companies may be better at concealing events and thereby project an appearance that is inaccurate.  With that said, the following list is still interesting, as are the patterns seen viewed separately by ship.



Regions:       US              Europe              Egypt


Events by Riverboats -- US

dd/mm/yy
Ship
Event
Incident
8.4.08
Queen of the West
Majestic America Line
Fire broke out in the engine room while the ship was near Maryhill, WA on the Columbia River. The fire was quickly exteniguished but the ship had to be towed to a state part where it was nudge into the river bank for evacuation of th124 passengers and 53 crew. The only reports of injury were from crew members who suffered smoke inhalation while fighting the fire.
Fire
25.7.07
Delta Queen
Majestic America Line
The ship made an unplanned stop at the Demopolis (Alabama) Yacht Basin to make needed mechanical repairs. The overnight stop allowed the passengers to participate in an extended tour of the city.   as well as providing an economic boost to the business community.
Unscheduled Stop
14.5.07
Empress of the North
Majestic America Line
The 360-foot long ship ran aground off the Alaskan coast and began taking on water near Hanus Reef in Lynn Canal.  It was listing 6 degrees at the southern end of Icy Strait, about 15 miles southwest of Juneau when all passengers and most crew (approx 281) were evacuated to a tugboat and barge.  By early morning the ship was moving toward Juneau with 29 crew members under Coast Guard escort.  The accident occured on day 2 of a 7 day cruise.  For past events for this ship, check hereUPDATE 31 May:  The ship is expected to return to service June 24.
Grounded / Evacuated
21.3.07
Empress of the North
Majestic America Line
The ship reported that 7 of 77 crew (9.1%) and 26 of 169 passengers (15.4%) had reported ill on a 7 day Northwest River cruise that ended today.
Illness
26.10.06
Mississippi Queen
Majestic America Line
The seven day cruise beginning October 25 was canceled the second day after 12 passengers reported ill with norovirus.  Passengers were disembarked at Hannibal and bussed back to St. Louis.  The cruise scheduled for November 1 has also been caceled so that the ship can be throughly and completely disinfected.
Illness /
Cancellations
22.10.06
Mississippi Queen
Majestic America Line
Ten passengers remain hospitalized with gastro-intestinal illness after at least 36 passengers complained of illness, forcing the ship to dock at Paducah, Kentucky.  The illness affected approximately 20% of passengers and crew.  The cruise was ended 2 days early and the ship was cleaned while it returned (passenger-less)  to St. Louis.
Illness
24.3.06
Empress of the North
American West Steamboat
The 360-foot cruise ship with more than 250 people on board ran aground on a sandbar near Washougal, Wash; there were no injuries, the vessel wasn't sinking and a tugboat would be used to refloat it.  In the meantime, passengers were transferred to the Queen of the West, which pulled alongside in order to take aboard passengers and crew members.  The ship was refloated two days later at high tide.  It returned to service April 16th, following repairs.
Grounded
29.11.03
Empress of the North
American West Steamboat

Ship went agrond on the Oregon side of the Columbia River.  Two crew and on passenger suffered minor injuries.
Grounded
24.10.03
Empress of the North
American West Steamboat
The paddle wheel ship was headed upriver to Clarkson when it hit the gate at Ice Harbor Dam and became stuck in the natigagtional lock.  200 Passengers bussed back to Portland.
Grounded



Events by Riverboats -- Europe

dd/mm/yy
Ship
Event
Incident
26.5.07
Bellriva
Rhine Danube Line
More than 20 British tourists were injured when the river ship struck a lock on the Rhine in Alsace, eastern France.   Thirteen of the 22 injured tourists were taken to hospital with concussion. One also had a broken leg. The ship struck a concrete wall designed to prevent vessels moving until the water is high enough at 06:30 GMT.  It had left Strasbourg early on Saturday with 208 people bound for Breisach, on the German side of the waterway separting France and Germany. Collision
25.5.06
River Empress
Uniworld
The river boat hit a bridge on the Danube near Melk at 6 AM.  People were tossed out of beds and the dining room was wrecked.  All passengers (111) were evacuated from the boat and continued their trip by bus to Vienna and Budapest. Several people were injured and sent to hospitals. Story and pictures are available (in German) by clicking here. Collision with bridge
3.10.05
Oltenita
Danube Black Sea Shipping
A fire broke out on the river cruise ship while on the Danube near the Slovak capital of Bratislava.  All 77 tourists from Denmark, Norway, and Belgium evacuated safely.  43 Romanian crew also escaped, though one crew member (a singer in the band) was missing and feared dead.
Fire
4.4.05
River Duchess
Uniworld
The ship crashed into a dockside restaurant in Amsterdam on Sunday.  Police said the ship — owned by US firm Uniworld — went off course due to technical reasons. It could not go into reverse and smashed into a dock, destroying a terrace and part of the restaurant.   About 20 people were seated on the terrace when the accident occurred. A young girl was treated in hospital with head wounds after she fell trying to escape. Two people on the boat were injured. Work was needed to strengthen the restaurant's foundations due to the danger of collapse and will remain temporarily closed. The 110m ship was also severely damaged in the incident. Collision
10.6.04
Viking Europe
Viking River Cruises
The river cruise ship (135 passengers; 39 crew) hit a bridge in Vienna, injuring 19 people. Injuries were minor -- mainly scrapes and bruises. The ship was still function and the damage to the bridge was slight.
Collision
29.3 -  5.04.03
Viking Burgundy
Viking River Cruises
Reported by a passsenger that approximately 90 of the 150 passengers (and a number of crew)  became ill during the cruise, with gastro-intestinal symptoms like Norwalk-like virus.  There was no confirmation of the cause.
Illness



Events by Riverboats -- Egypt


dd/mm/yy
Ship
Event
Incident
2.12.07
M/S Aurora
Nile Cruise
Five Egyptians were killed and two wounded when a fire broke out in the engine room on the Nile cruise ship when it was anchored near the ancient Egyptian ruins of Luxor early this morning, forcing the evacuation of 43 French tourists. The five Egyptians who died were either trapped by flames as they tried to extinguish the blaze or drowned after falling into the river. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Fire
1.12.07
M/S Aurora
Nile Cruise
Five Egyptians were killed and two wounded when a fire broke out in the engine room on the Nile cruise ship when it was anchored near the ancient Egyptian ruins of Luxor early this morning, forcing the evacuation of 43 French tourists. The five Egyptians who died were either trapped by flames as they tried to extinguish the blaze or drowned after falling into the river. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Fire
22.3.06
King Tut
Egyptian Nile River Cruise
An Egyptian crew member was killed when the vessel hit a bridge in Dendera, site of a pharonic temple approximately 480 km south of Cairo.  The crew member died, when the upper bridge dais collapsed under the shock of the impact, and 35 others were injured: 8 more Egyptian crew members and 27 German tourists. The “King Tut” was taking the tourists from Luxor north to Qena. Collision with Bridge
16.10.03
Kempiniski Ganna
A 2002-built Nile cruise ship suffered a fire as it sailed from Luxor to Aswan with 144 passengers.  The captain ordered the ship abandoned.  One passenger remained unaccounted for, 2 were taken to hospital and discharged, and nine treated for injuries.  The fire is thought to have broken out in a passenger cabin.
Fire