DDSG: ​​ABBA performers bring Swedish feeling to the Danube

The Austrian shipping company DDSG Blue Danube, one of the successor companies to the legendary First Danube Steamship Company, offers so-called themed cruises year-round, especially during the warmer months, departing from Vienna, among other destinations. These cruises differ from scheduled cruises in that they focus not only on transportation but also on entertainment and culinary delights. One prime example of this is the ABBA cruise ("Swedish Night"), which currently departs from the Vienna Handelskai Shipping Center. The flagship MS Admiral Tegetthoff is used for this. But what exactly does an ABBA evening on a DDSG ship entail, and is it even worth it?

Upon boarding the MS Admiral Tegetthoff, passengers are greeted by a friendly welcome from DDSG crew members. After presenting their reservation on a smartphone or traditional paper, any remaining fare is collected, and a table is assigned. On two decks, the catering company commissioned by the shipping company has already set up a festive table and lovingly arranged the menu as a "message in a bottle."

The fact that the DDSG does not offer catering itself, but rather relies on service providers, has a very long tradition. Simply put, the Steamship Company has always leased this out, and not even consistently, as it varies from ship to ship. Thus, to this day, there are various caterers serving food, but they are permanently assigned to each ship. On the MS Admiral Tegetthoff, this is Pal Szakal's JP Donau Catering.

After a humorous welcome from the captain, things get underway in two senses of the word: the commander gives his crew the order "Cast off," and thus the ship sets sail. At the same time, the ship's chef declares the buffet open, which naturally causes queues on both decks where it was set up. When it comes to food, many people obviously have to be quick, lest they run out of food. This concern is utter nonsense, because the catering staff at JP Donau Catering always make sure there's always more than enough to choose from for everyone.

Swedish buffet: classic or vegetarian or simply both?

What belongs to an ABBA evening? That's right, Swedish food, and what can't be missing? The classic meatballs, which many people inextricably associate with the furniture store Ikea. Scandinavian cuisine is also known for its excellent salmon and appealing potato variations. Here, too, the passengers thoroughly enjoyed themselves. A positive point is that there were always alternatives for vegetarians: for example, the meatballs were offered in both classic and meat-free versions, and the latter were quite good. The Swedish buffet is rounded out with fruit, apple pie with vanilla sauce, and other Swedish pastries. No one leaves the ship hungry.

The food was always of the highest quality and delicious, ready for collection from the buffet. Thus, as an interim conclusion, everything was excellent in terms of culinary delights, and considering today's prices in "better restaurants," the fare of €75—including the Swedish all-you-can-eat buffet—isn't really expensive. You'd pay a lot more in fine dining, but a cruise isn't included.

ABBA performers create a good atmosphere

The artists of "ABBA Revival" will perform in several show blocks in the bow area on the deck. Since it's widely known that the "real ABBA band" hasn't performed in person for a long time, it's unnecessary to explicitly point out that these are artists who play and sing the Swedes' songs under official license. The DDSG makes no secret of this on its website, introducing the artists and even providing links to their websites. This way, you can find out exactly who will be performing in advance.

The performers do a very good job, transforming the MS Admiral Tegetthoff into a veritable party boat during the approximately 2,5-hour cruise on the Danube, albeit at a high level. Thus, ABBA's best songs and the Swedish buffet fit together very well, a kind of harmonious symbiosis.

It's worth noting that the €75 fare includes catering, the show, and the ride. Drinks, however, must be paid for by bank card or cash to the waiter. Prices for thirst quenchers and drinks are average. They're not dirt cheap, but they're not overpriced either. They're fairly normal prices, similar to what you'd pay in restaurants in rural areas.

Pleasant cruise, but the toilets…

The cruise departs from the DDSG Shipping Center at Vienna's Handelskai. From there, the cruise initially heads toward Korneuburg as the sun gradually sets. The cruise is held at a leisurely pace, so it's possible that a river cruise ship might overtake you. The MS Admiral Tegetthoff then turns around and heads back toward Vienna. Shortly before the lock, it turns again and heads back to the starting point, where the DDSG's approximately 2,5-hour themed cruise ends.

While the interior and exterior decks are in clean and orderly condition, the restrooms could definitely be improved. They don't smell particularly fresh after a while, and simply walking near the entrances to the restrooms isn't exactly appealing. However, it's not just the shipping company that needs to take action here; passengers are also being urged to leave the restroom as you would like to find it.

Conclusion: Recommendation – The overall package is right

The €75 fare seems quite high at first glance, considering it's for a 2,5-hour boat trip, and similar services are available on the same route, for example, in the Wachau region, only cheaper. However, considering that the themed cruise includes an extensive all-you-can-eat dinner buffet and an impressive ABBA show, it's not really that expensive. Tickets to ABBA shows cost money, and meals in better restaurants cost money anyway. When you add both together, the DDSG offer is competitive and impressive. A boat trip is also included.

The only criticism – the restrooms – has already been mentioned. Otherwise, praise must be given to the artists, the DDSG crew, and the catering team, who all contribute to a fantastic evening. Anyone looking to enjoy food and shows on the Danube rather than in the countryside will not go wrong with the DDSG's Swedish evening, and you'll certainly have a great time.

These themed cruises will be offered during the current season on Saturday, August 16, 2025, and Saturday, October 4, 2025, each departing from Vienna on the MS Admiral Tegetthoff. Tickets are available at DDSG sales outlets, via the DDSG website, and at travel agencies. Advance reservations are recommended.

Finally, a few words about the history and development of DDSG, for it was once the largest inland shipping company in Europe, and in its heyday was so dominant that one could speak of a near-monopoly on the Danube – both in terms of passengers and freight. The two world wars and the Iron Curtain changed the company forever, and it was broken up and privatized in 1990.

Once the largest shipping company on the Danube

The abbreviation "DDSG" is a veritable generic term for shipping on the Danube, as the Donau-Dampfschiffahrts-Gesellschaft (Danube Steamship Company) was not only the pioneer in this segment, but during its heyday, it was so successful and dominant that competitors had difficulty establishing themselves. The company, which was originally privately owned, benefited greatly from the fact that during the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the country's territory was extremely large, and both passenger and freight transport on the Danube was significantly faster and cheaper than overland.

The DDSG suffered its first major setback after the First World War, as Austria's territory shrank significantly, and the most important shipyard and coalfield were suddenly located abroad, in Hungary. However, an agreement was reached with dictator Miklos Horthy, so that neither the manufacturing and maintenance operations nor the coal mine were expropriated, but remained within the DDSG group. The management of the First Danube Steamship Company succeeded in adapting to the changing European landscape and getting the company back on track.

This was done under adverse circumstances, as complicated conditions prevailed in Austria at the time, culminating in the establishment of a dictatorship by Engelbert Dollfuss. Under his successor, Kurt Schuschnigg, considerable pressure was exerted, so that for "patriotic reasons," the DDSG shipyard in Korneuburg was awarded the vast majority of production and maintenance contracts. The Erste Donau-Dampfschiffahrts-Gesellschaft (First Danube Steamship Company) was not considered a healthy company anyway, but rather a company that was extremely ailing, but somehow always managed to stay afloat and pay its bills and wages.

After the Second World War, de facto at the end

Severely damaged, the consequences of the Second World War almost dealt the DDSG a fatal blow, as it lost its Hungarian shipyard and the local coalfields for good. At that time, most ships were still coal-fired. The fuel had to be sourced elsewhere at high prices, which ultimately accelerated the switch to oil-fired and subsequently to diesel engines, but only slowly, because there was a shortage of pretty much everything, especially money and operational ships, as anything that could sail was confiscated by the Soviets as "German property." The DDSG's post-war shipping operations could initially begin not from Vienna, but from Linz, which was located in the American occupation zone. With the conclusion of the State Treaty, it was stipulated that the "Soviet DDSG," including confiscated ships, had to be returned to the Austrian DDSG. Almost nothing was in "as-new" condition.

During the Nazi era, parts of the DDSG were incorporated into the "Hermann Göring" company. This was precisely why the Soviet Union considered the shipping company, including its subsidiaries, to be German property. The First Danube Steamship Company, or the sad remnant that operated on the Danube during the occupation, was essentially ripe for bankruptcy, and there were repeated discussions about winding the company up. However, many jobs depended on it, and the shipyard in Korneuburg, in particular, de facto had only the DDSG as a customer.

State-appointed management and political wishes

With the Republic of Austria as owner, the DDSG not only survived the following decades, but also stabilized itself, returning to operating as a proud, profitable shipping company on the Danube. Naturally, because European logistics as a whole had changed, and the Iron Curtain also massively dampened passenger demand, the company never regained its former size and dominance. The scheduled cruise segment changed increasingly, as it increasingly took on a tourist and regional character, for example, in the Wachau region. Theme and special cruises, which have always enjoyed great popularity, were expanded. Demand in the freight sector initially remained weak, but the fact that Austria is a neutral state was helpful for the DDSG, as it is widely known that the Alpine republic did excellent business with East and West and was considered a place where contacts were made and deals were brokered. Austria was also a transshipment hub, from which the freight division benefited.

The state, as owner, was often not a sustainable owner in the Alpine republic, especially in the third quarter of the 20th century. It is well known that positions were awarded not based on qualifications, but on party membership and friendships. Prime examples of this were the Austrian Federal Railways, Austrian Airlines, and also the DDSG (German Railways). At the shipping company, this was expressed in the following way: while investments were made in new ships, their deployment was not truly based on business criteria. The example of the "Donaupfeil" is emblematic of how politicians wanted to erect a kind of "monument" on the Danube, but not much thought had been put into it. On the one hand, the hydrofoil was not designed to cope with the conditions on this river. On the other hand, they wanted to establish fast routes between Vienna and Budapest at any cost, but apart from the "Donaupfeil," no comparable ship was available. How was this solved? They simply used it to its full potential, and there was no backup available. The result was numerous outages, so that just three years later, the power had to be pulled. Another example is the shipping center, which was planned and built completely out of touch with the needs of the area. Needless to say, the construction costs got out of control.

Federal government has broken up and sold DDSG

The German government in power at the end of the 1980s failed to recognize the potential of the DDSG and decided to privatize the unified company. To this end, the original company was transformed into a holding company, and the freight and passenger divisions were spun off into separate limited liability companies. Thus, 1990 marked the end of the "old DDSG." A buyer was quickly found for the cargo division, but the situation for the passenger division was different. Several attempts failed, and in 1995, liquidation was decided upon. The ships were sold individually, with some going to private shipping companies. Vienna saw an urgent need for action, so the port and the tourist office (also formerly a state-owned company) founded a successor company, DDSG Blue Danube GmbH, and with this company purchased five ships, including the flagship MS Admiral Tegetthoff, from DDSG Donaureisen GmbH, which was in liquidation.

The focus of activities is on Vienna and the Wachau region. Last year, competitor Brandner Schiffahrt was acquired and its fleet, which also originated from the "old DDSG," was integrated. The company offers scheduled cruises with a strong tourist focus, as well as themed and special trips. DSSG Blue Danube is also the operating carrier behind the Twin City Liner. The company is not active in the Danube cruise sector. This was a consideration within the "old DDSG," but could no longer be implemented because the owner, the government, had already decided on breakup and privatization.

DDSG Blue Danube, along with First-DDSG, is one of two operating shipping companies considered the official successors to the legendary First Danube Steamship Company. The crews are obviously proud of this, as captains often emphasize this very fact in their speeches. Although the company is organized differently, the history of DDSG continues. The signs point to gentle growth, so we can expect one or two new additions in the coming years. However, "aggressive expansion" as we know it from aviation is not to be expected. Why should it be? Quality clearly takes precedence over quantity at DDSG.