AmaSofia Encounters Propulsion Failure During Inaugural Rhine Voyage – 18 March 2026

On 18 March 2026, the newly delivered river cruise vessel AmaSofia, operated by AmaWaterways, experienced a dual propulsion failure during her inaugural voyage on the Rhine River near Urmitz, Germany. Both port-side and starboard aft engines failed in succession, leaving the vessel with reduced propulsion in a confined and heavily trafficked section of the waterway. The vessel was safely anchored and subsequently towed to Koblenz for repairs.

All passengers and crew remained onboard throughout the incident. AmaWaterways implemented contingency plans to maintain onboard activities and adjusted the itinerary to include shore excursions in Koblenz while repairs were completed.

The bridge team reported loss of power on the port-side engine, followed shortly by failure of the starboard engine. Both affected engines were located aft, leaving only the forward engine operational. With reduced propulsion and safety concerns in the confined Rhine section, the vessel halted navigation and anchored west of Urmitz-Bahnhof. A cargo vessel was engaged to tow AmaSofia to Koblenz, where shore-based engineering teams joined onboard technical staff to diagnose and repair the propulsion system.

Passengers and crew

• All passengers and crew remained safely onboard throughout the incident.
• Passenger manifest included travel advisors attending the ASTA River Cruise Expo.

Fatalities

• None reported.

Injuries

• None reported.

Rescued

• All passengers and crew remained safely onboard; no evacuation required.

Upon loss of propulsion, the vessel anchored safely in the Rhine. A cargo vessel was engaged to provide towing assistance to Koblenz. Shore-based engineering teams from AmaWaterways joined onboard technical staff to assess and repair the dual engine failure. Shipboard leadership communicated contingency plans to passengers, including maintenance of planned scenic cruising through the Rhine Gorge once repairs were completed.

The vessel was moored alongside in Koblenz for propulsion system repairs. The scheduled port call at Rüdesheim was replaced with shore excursions in Koblenz. Onboard activities continued during the repair period. AmaWaterways indicated that efforts were ongoing to restore full propulsion capability as quickly as possible, with plans to resume scenic cruising through the Rhine Gorge upon completion of repairs.