notamermaid

Getting to your river cruise by train is something offered by river cruise lines sometimes but how about making the train journey a proper part of the experience, a rail and sail itinerary. This is Uniworld's Venice and the Swiss Alps as described by travel weekly: https://www.travelweekly.com/River-Cruising/Uniworld-river-cruise-and-rail-tours-in-Europe?ct=river notamermaid

The level at Pfelling may be just about okay but for one ship it did not go as planned. Getting too much left or right of the main navigation channel gets you stuck easily. Regional news says that a Viking river cruise ship got stuck near Deggendorf (that is within the shallow section) early on Tuesday (i.e. yesterday). It was passing a barge. No harm to passengers or damage to ship. Just getting stuck in gravel it seems. The plan was to free it during yesterday, I presume they were waiting for a tug or barge to be available and able to pull. https://www.pnp.de/lokales/landkreis-deggendorf/osterhofen/Auf-Sandbank-gekommen-Passagierschiff-steckt-in-der-Donau-bei-Osterhofen-fest-4427493.html It is actually the third incident on the Danube in or near Germany involving a river cruise ship in ten days. Thankfully no injuries. notamermaid

Rafting is very common in some ports. Usually two ships together. In Vienna we had three together at one point. Not to be too negative about it but here is the situation with Viking. There is the notion that Viking has the prime spots along the rivers Rhine and Danube. That is actually a fact and based on the history of how Viking Flussreisen and then Viking River Cruises came into being. However, these days Viking has so many ships that they raft with each other and sometimes due to lack of space for themselves move out to not so favourable locations. Granted, the rivers are getting busier with other companies and their ships too. As I said this is not a direct criticism but an inherent fact that may get overlooked in advertising. Viking has the great docking locations but you will often not be alone and there is likely to be another ship next to you or nearby, more often than not a Viking ship. The ports on the Seine are somewhat different and I am not familiar with them. The main difference between itineraries as regards docking locations is what has been mentioned already: where do ships dock in Paris and do they go as far as Honfleur or not. On the Seine Viking originally started with 135m ships that cannot go to Honfleur and due to the authorities not granting permission (safety reasons) did not dock in Paris proper but at LePecq. That caused a major logistics/customer satisfaction problem. Uniworld saw the problem and went on to build a 125m ship, the SS Joie de Vivre. Then Viking decided to build four (!) 125m ships for the Seine. The 125m ships dock in Paris proper and CroisiEurope have always docked in Paris proper as they only deploy 110m ships. notamermaid

So you know all about it... sorry that this is putting you in the same position as four years ago. But I am not too pessimistic. We will just need to wait and see. For now, September is better than expected, the problem is just that as I indicated above, we rely so much on rain in autumn, more this year than in the years 2019 to 2021. Normally late November is better than October or early November but 2018 shocked us all. I am happy to report that Kaub is at 97cm, right where the forecast puts it, a drop for sure, but for tomorrow the forecast puts the figures back to 110cm, with 120cm a possibility and the tentative figures go up to 130cm and more for the weekend. If that happens, in consequence, we will have more than just a couple of days of peace of mind. The weather is pleasant but cooler and rainier so the sun is not beating down on us and drying out the land as much as it did in August. Oh, and I think I can put my elaborate cooler fan back in the utility room for this year. My flat has become a pleasant place to be in again. notamermaid

Pfelling gauge at 308cm. A drop and rise overnight that can be seen as daily fluctuation. A band of rain clouds sweeping over the middle of Germany - small amounts of rain for the northern tributaries of the Danube. Scattered showers to the South. Forecast sees a fall in the level for today but staying just above 290cm today and tomorrow. notamermaid

Yes. We are in a much better position than we were in August. It is not perfect as there is not enough water in the soil, i.e. ground water, Spring rain was just too little. A longer dry period could get the river to official low water again. Right now the Rhine in Germany is what I would call quite a bit on the low side. Too low for barges to be more than two thirds loaded, but high enough for river cruise ships. Kaub gauge is at 102cm and falling but it has rained again today so it is promising. Forecast puts 110cm firmly in the table of figures and anticipates a further rise towards the end of the week. notamermaid

That is interesting. CroisiEurope does open days on the ship MS Symphonie, meaning the ship docks in several towns and you can have a look round. Did it several years ago and could also speak to the captain briefly. While not sumptuous I found the cabins looked really nice and the atmosphere was really welcoming with a pleasant colour scheme. The sample menu was French based cuisine with international touches. notamermaid

Hello to you. Due to the water level problems this has become a long thread and info other than "Kaub at x cm" is scattered throughout. Several cruisers have contributed not just with short reports from their river cruises but have also supplied photos that I am sure will raise the anticipation level. Happy reading. To find other cruisers you could join or start a roll call. Have a look where your itinerary may fit in, basic distinction is between Viking river roll calls and other river roll calls. Your date has just made me think. I am getting ready to write a little about Andernach and really needed to jog my memory about the short day trip. It was last November, shortly before Advent! Time flies. notamermaid

Oh no, not here. I mean most people either get vaccinated with a booster or not, wear a mask or not, no fuzz, no big words. A minority is actually scared. But our government in Berlin is closer in thinking to "never let a good crisis go to waste" which is something some media outlets appear to be agreeing with. Walking through the streets you would hardly notice anything, institutions with service counters and supermarket checkouts have plastic panes, hand sanitizers are here to stay it seems, but under the surface there is more and there is this uneasy feeling. Readily nurtured by some of those in power. I would not say any of this if I did not have the feeling they will not let us enjoy autumn and winter in peace and just get on with work (tourism in my case) and travel. That's it for now, will see how it progresses. notamermaid

It is important to look at the details, I agree. Perhaps not the best line to choose for the OP, but the CroisiEurope itinerary that goes to Honfleur is a really nice one. I got the 2023 catalogue in the post this morning and noticed that the Seine itinerary does not include the Normandy landing beaches. The company has a different focus, but that may just be the German sailings. Do check the offers of the company in English but be aware that the company is French and prides itself on French-European cuisine with the alternative choices for "picky eaters" somewhat limited. My choice would be a one-way trip. Your mother being active perhaps she would enjoy a train ride back to Paris. It is a relatively short journey. But sailing out of Paris and back into Paris has its draw, no doubt. notamermaid

After the brief dip during yesterday afternoon, Pfelling gauge rose again and is now at 308cm. notamermaid

Well, politics could fix it to some extent, but Berlin is Berlin. The baby boom - well I could say something about recent medical procedures which I will not and if cooler homes and snuggling up helps against the feeling of "what a terrible world for children to live in" we can only hope and will find out next year. Sailing in the Rhine Gorge without the lights on the castles, I do not like that. I was getting a bit worried there, but it seems only to be from 10pm to 6am, so if that happens it does not sound too bad. Not sure how all that will affect Christmas lights and safety in large cities. Nobody will turn off the street lights but additional light from shop windows is always comforting. Another thing. Mask mandates. In the medical sector masks are worn at all times I believe. On a lot of public transport, depending on region. This could be extended to the general public again but is still debated. It will be down to the individual states to come to a regulation. We will see how that develops. I will need to look into this again. Depending on your take on things, what a local newspaper recently had was a full "propaganda page" or "information sheet" on getting a second booster jab. It has made me wonder if we may see implications for travelling in autumn and winter but so far I have not read anything that would indicate a change to the current entry requirements for Germany. notamermaid

Indeed!! The German public will not be happy about something happening to the Christmas markets. Third year in a row would surely put us on the brink of revolution - would me, anyway. I was looking for something else and then found this article which explains some of the things that are happening. Important sentence to take away from this: "So far, lawmakers have shied away from demanding that the hospitality industry cut back on its electricity consumption, or turn down the heating." https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-energy-crisis-how-will-the-tourism-industry-get-through-the-winter/a-63045829 Personally I take this article like so many with a pinch of salt, but the facts are there. notamermaid

Good to read. Have a great time in Passau and enjoy the Wachau valley in Austria. Beautiful daytime sailing. notamermaid

Oh Canada, of course. I had somewhat forgotten about the ties. Wish I had the chance of signing somewhere. Watched some footage and commentary from news outlets. A couple of US ones - oh dear. If that was all I knew about America I would have a sad image put in my head... Anyway, the bond and togetherness in grief is so moving to see as universally the late Queen's achievements and her life are acknowledged. Without getting too political, in a republic like mine it feels impossible that we should ever come together to mourn a person in such a manner. For myself, I feel my life is lacking because of it. I have heard today that a lady living not far from me has booked a plane ticket and is flying to London for the funeral. Oh that is nice. Have a good flight. @Canal archive glad it has worked out for you to be in the street for that difficult but important moment. Something to truly cherish. notamermaid

Oh I had not even thought that far, I do not like scaremongering. I mean theoretically there may not be enough fuel to go around, but it would not be because the Rhine is low, it would mean that it would be taken from unnecessary activities and allocated to necessary activities to keep the economy going. No, it is only September, I do not think like the media writes... Okay, let us start with one thing. Our Federal Government has told us to save energy and actually put it into writing, like what public buildings are supposed to do, for example turn off the heating in hallways. I have not looked at details but our lives as locals will be that tiny bit different from the norm. I have no idea if anything has been agreed for the tourism sector, like reducing the heating in hotel lobbies as an example. It is a bit odd, you know, we are aware of energy saving measures without some guy in Berlin telling us to. But that is too political (when you live on the Rhine Berlin is like a foreign country 😉). I will see what info I can get hold of through work that may affect travellers further. Some measures for autumn and winter are decided in Berlin, others are the responsibility of the individual states. notamermaid

Used different search criteria and now found a local news article including confirmation by police of the accident and that an investigation is ongoing (which is normal): https://www.radiokw.de/artikel/kreuzfahrtschiff-mit-schubboot-auf-dem-rhein-kollidiert-1425053.html Second ship involved was a push barge. notamermaid

So you found more details on that than me. Swiss ship? Could be tons of different ones or rather one of a ton that are registered in Switzerland, or of course a "proper" Swiss one. I must admit that I am a bit concerned about the accidents and fires this year, the season started late and I feel more incidents than usual have come to our attention. Just a feeling or statistically correct or even significant I have no way of knowing. Hope the people all recover quickly including the obviously unhappy captain/officer and that the passengers are not put off river cruising. The Kvasir is obviously able to sail, i.e. was declared fit for sailing by police, as she is now in Rotterdam. notamermaid

And just like the Viking Hervor, I think all river cruise ships will get through the Rhine Gorge very comfortably. At Kaub we saw the level peak at midnight and it is going down again but at 109cm there is nothing to worry about and I may not even post an update tomorrow. When is the last time I skipped a day posting? July? What an extraordinary year. @worldtraveller99 You asked me to update a bit on the situation when autumn comes. Will get back to that soon as we may see some happenings out of the ordinary as regards life and travelling in Germany. notamermaid

Pfelling gauge is at 296cm. That means while the Rhine is out of the "danger zone" for river cruise ships, the Danube in Germany is still too low to sit back and relax. But let's be glad it is over 290cm and keep watching. Till tomorrow. notamermaid

As much as I would like to say that is exaggerated - it is not exaggerated. I have not read any German news about this yet, a police report may come up regionally though. On the Rhine tragic news about drownings dominate the headlines in the area. By the way, on the Danube at Lindau a river cruise ship collided with another ship while trying to turn around to go downstream to Austria. Name of ship - as is usual practice - not disclosed. Busy rivers. The dock at Wesel itself is notorious for tricky situations by the way. It appears to be how the landing stage is designed and placed close to the navigation channel. notamermaid

That sounds a nice alternative. Passau tourism website gives this info: https://tourism.passau.de/leisure-sports/cycling/ notamermaid

Forgive me in my European ignorance, I pick up on this thinking that hurricane season is a logistical thing that is important to you, maybe for flight arrangements? For a river cruise on the European continent the weather is not a big consideration unless you really prefer hot to cold weather as such or want snow or autumn foliage. May is a great time but October can be lovely too. There are so many river cruise lines that you could consider and a spreadsheet with comparisons is a good thing to do. They differ slightly in some things, more in others. Definitely consider all three. I think the one thing that always sticks out with me when I think of comparisons and when people have come from ocean cruising to river cruising to ask our advice is payment policy. Viking appears to be the line that asks for full payment far before others do, i.e. it could be 90 days, six months or even earlier, the latter of which seems to usually apply to Viking. Read the terms and conditions and see if that is an important aspect for you. Have fun planning. notamermaid

Update on Kaub gauge: 113cm! According to the forecast triple figures are here to stay at least until Wednesday. I was in the Eifel region just past Andernach yesterday and it was pouring down. It has cooled down a lot but while it felt cool yesterday, today has been pleasant. Oh and newsworthy is an earthquake near Mulhouse. Happened yesterday, was not minor, i.e. a bit stronger than what we usually get in the Rhine valley, or rather, geologically this is called the Oberrheingraben: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_Rhine_Plain http://www.seismo.ethz.ch/en/earthquakes/switzerland/eventpage.html?originId='c21pOmNoLmV0aHouc2VkL3NjMjBhZy9PcmlnaW4vTkxMLjIwMjIwOTEwMTYzMzUwLjE5NjA3MS45Nzk0OQ=='&date_ch=2022-09-10&time_ch=17:58&region=Mulhouse F&magnitude=4.7 It was also felt in Germany of course, about up to Freiburg. With things calming down about river levels we should have a look at places along the river again. I think Andernach this coming week. I have a couple of photos and an article that may be of interest. Have a good week. notamermaid

The river levels are certainly looking better and promising. Not ideal in Germany but better. Pfelling gauge is now at 297cm and still rising so that is good. In Budapest the level is low again but not as low as in August. The level there will hopefully rise soon, I am not sure if a higher volume of water is coming from Austria already, i.e. how much it has rained in Austria, or if they need to wait for the wave coming from Germany: notamermaid