notamermaid

Wow, highly unusual. The link does not appear, but you are fully right about the maintenance being annual and scheduled in advance. Just for info's sake I posted about it in the thread on the Moselle. This is part of my post: quote "This is scheduled always far in advance. River cruise companies for example will have already adjusted their itineraries on the Moselle for next year accordingly as the dates have been published, even online for the general public to see." end quote notamermaid

Yesterday morning a manoeuvre at Rüdesheim did not go as planned. A 135m river cruise ship demolished a green buoy trying to leave the dock at 8.30am. Those river traffic signs can take a minor impact, but this one was too much. The buoy had to be replaced by a boat of the authorities. Not too big a deal, but the captain still faces what we call an "Ordnungswidrigkeit", the sort of thing we would get for running over a small street sign in our car I suppose: https://www.presseportal.de/blaulicht/pm/43615/5261095 No damage to the ship, it is on its way to Trier. One of the maintenance boats on the Rhine, the St. Goar: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_von_Schiffen_der_Wasserstraßen-_und_Schifffahrtsämter#/media/Datei:Arbeitsboot_St._Goar_(1).JPG It was probably this one which was called in to replace the buoy as she is stationed quite close. Or a similar vessel. I know this is stretching language skills but for fun, if you like such technical stuff, have a look at the first couple of minutes for the images of the different buoys and tons (or cans?) that André Heller makes in his workshop in a village high above the Rhine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC2-NCBFZB8 The river is loosing water in this heat but rain is forecast so I am confident. Kaub gauge at 146cm. Upward trend from Saturday. notamermaid

Close it was indeed. Nice that you can now go to Deggendorf. The graph shows the dip just before the rain, or rather the water the Danube got from the rain around Regensburg and further upstream, reached Pfelling: To put it into context, here is an excerpt from the official map showing the gauges: This is the problem stretch, Straubing to Vilshofen. The green marker upstream from Vilshofen is Hofkirchen, then Deggendorf is clear and the marker below the word Bogen is Pfelling. Deggendorf is a more unusual embarkation port. We should have a look at it in a separate post. notamermaid

My pleasure. Nice. We do not hear too much about Tauck. Would be nice if you had time to post a bit after your cruise to inform folks about your experience, you know, what the standard is these days, having got rid of the cobwebs of covid non-cruising and apparent staff shortages in the industry. I believe Tauck has a couple of specials that no other cruise line has as excursions. Would be nice to hear about that. But first, have a great river cruise. notamermaid

Ah, yes thank you for pointing this out. I meant the culinary experience as such, but you need to be a little adventurous as regards the chef's ideas and the fact that they automatically think you the passenger will like it. Being omnivorous works best on CroisiEurope. notamermaid

Indeed. I would say from researching the company over the years and seeing the ships on the Rhine (where I am based of course) that this is a mid-range price company, a perfect fit for those that do not look for luxury onboard but an overall very nice cruise experience. They have older, well-maintained ships and there may be a slight problem with language with some ship staff. The descriptions of the ships: https://www.feenstrarhineline.com/over-de-schepen/ I gather they could be similar or slightly under the experience in quality I had during my cruise, which I loved. I personally would give the Dutch a try for myself. notamermaid

Good news on the Lady Diletta. Inspection yesterday showed that she can sail. Journey will be curtailed but at least the passengers can go down to Mainz (destination would have been Düsseldorf). The injured lady could also return to the ship. https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/baden-wuerttemberg/karlsruhe/fahrgastschiff-auf-rhein-festgefahren-100.html It is a very nice day in the Rhine valley today, not too hot yet where I am. Good day for castle viewing. There are many in the Rhine valley, I actually do not know how many, 60 in the (complete) Middle Rhine valley me thinks. And then there is the Upper and the Lower and the Dutch Nederrijn/Waal... Here is a short video, a teaser perhaps we should call it: The young couple is in what I recognize to be first Stolzenfels Castle and then Ehrenbreitstein Fortress. Last year, I went to Lahneck Castle opposite Stolzenfels, promising myself (and you folks) that I would go to Stolzenfels in the near future. Hope to keep my promise this year! notamermaid

That could have been me. My last trip away from home (long weekend) took me to three castle (hills). Castles and Palaces focus is definitely an option. I have not mentioned this before, there are also the European lines. Just to mention (base country in brackets)*: Riviera Travel (UK), Viva Cruises (Germany), Amadeus (Germany/Austria), Arosa (Germany), CroisiEurope (France). Although for culinary and wine I would tend to think that only CroisiEurope could be a match for the North-American lines. Happy to be proven wrong. CroisiEurope is the main company that will give you access to a wider range of rivers and itineraries that North-American lines do not serve. *not complete notamermaid

I can imagine that it must have been amazing professionally to use all the new options. I have also been using satnavs on land trips for many years, have used google maps on holiday but you will not see me going to England without an AA atlas. I rely on both methods keeping me going or arriving at my destination. Funny you should mention that, I looked at one of the dailies from my river cruise in 2013 day before yesterday. I suppose it is the way to go forward that people can opt out of all the paper printing. Me, I keep dailies and I want the company to print them for me! But back to the maps. The question was for purchase but I cannot think of additional ones. I had mentioned free tourist maps from organisations, here is one on the castles in the Upper Rhine valley: https://www.upperrhinevalley.com/sites/default/files/public/content/2723/urv_schloesser_und_burgen_en_web.pdf The one on the Middle Rhine valley is currently unavailable and will be back online in a few weeks time (I phoned the tourist organisation). notamermaid

I am also glad that now they ask you if you want to stay or change to another website. It was so annoying before. With the new options I was able a few years ago to determine that the US and UK websites of Viking have different front pages and "small print", i.e. the differing terms and conditions necessitated by US laws and UK/EU laws. Unfortunately, Viking is again giving me pains with the default - they switch me to the US website again. CroisiEurope and others either ask or do not care. notamermaid

Good to hear. This is the graph at Dresden: 103cm right now. Have a great cruise @retep55555. notamermaid

Thank you for the photos, exactly the maps I linked. I love those fan-folding maps (a "Leporello" in German), they are great! I know we both do not. At least not all the time. The annoyance I feel at work sometimes when the young ones do the marketing via facebook etc. I join in with the old folks who still use atlases... Nothing beats the feel of a good map in paper format when you are standing in a pedestrian precinct looking for the way. A mixed approach works bets I find. Like the dailies on the smartphone if you like that and the map in the reception shop for purchase. notamermaid

Viking and Arosa ships actually came from the same shipyard in Germany, they differ in hull design but carry more or less the same number of passengers. 135m is indeed the longest you can have - the widest is different, we have three bigger ones than the standard 11.5m: the Mozart, the Amamagna and the Arosa Sena. But they are restricted to places where the rivers and locks allow them to sail. In Russia the ships have different sizes. Good point about the passenger count, if you enjoy space it is really worth paying attention to that. You can have a 110m ship with 128 passengers (Avalon) and a 135m ship with 166 passengers (Avalon) or indeed as mentioned 135m and 190 passengers (Viking) - and variations of those figures with other companies. notamermaid It was supposed to be 135m in the Paris dock (imagine stern French guy watching the manoeuvre near the Eiffel Tower "Zis is not pruper turning - non!") then Viking went to maximum allowed by the authorities - 125m. Uniworld beat them to that by about two years with the Joie de Vivre (also 125m). notamermaid

As of 4 June Arosa as a company does not require proof of vaccination or recovery anymore. But regulations of various countries still need to be adhered to so the Douro still cannot be sailed by those who do not meet the requirements. Here are the details: https://www.arosa-*****/river-cruises/company/current-travel-information.html I am a little surprised they have taken that step now, I expected it later in the year. But from an economic point of view it makes sense to do this sooner rather than later. A test instead of vaccination or recovery would have the same effect of opening up the booking to everyone but with all regulations scrapped in Germany (more or less) the consumer is probably more content with having a completely open and normal river cruise... A couple of weeks ago I saw that another European company (small one that charters ships) had moved to "3G". Cannot remember the name. Question is whether and when international river cruise companies will follow suit. notamermaid

This small country in Europe borders on the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and France, but also has a coastline along the North Sea. Despite the country bordering on the popular river cruising countries there is the somewhat curious fact about Belgium that none of the large and at the same time popular river cruising rivers flow through it. Yet the country is sometimes visited on river cruises that focus on this part of Europe. The Meuse is the longest river that flows through Belgium but of the over 900kms only 183kms are actually in Belgium. And the Meuse is sailed by river cruise ships but nowhere nearly as much as the other rivers we so often talk about. So we need to have a different approach here I think and say: tell us about Belgium! The country, the towns, the excursions from the Netherlands, the waterways that crisscross Belgium and are used by river cruise ships. To start us off with the waterways here is the European map, which you need to enlarge quite a bit to see the waterways of Belgium: https://unece.org/DAM/trans/main/sc3/AGN_map_2018.pdf notamermaid

Here is the thread on the Main river. It runs entirely through Germany from East to West and joins the Rhine opposite the old town of Mainz. The river is navigable for a length of 388km from Bamberg to the mouth as a federal waterway, a few more kilometres can be sailed by small boats. At Bamberg (harbour) barges and river cruise ships divert into the Main Danube Canal leading to the Danube. To continue with more info here is the wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_(river) Like the Moselle, the Main is a river that is rarely sailed by river cruise ships on its own, but is combined in an itinerary with another river or canal, a standard shorter route is for example from Frankfurt to Nuremberg, which is already on the Main Danube Canal. So much from me as a start. Over to you. Tell us about your experience. Further travel tips and info always welcome. notamermaid

Cruisecritic.co.uk ran this story on 11 April: https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/news/3982/ TUI, apart from being a European well-known package tour operator, rang a bell with me as regards river cruising. There was something, in German, let me think... I have found it, TUI Sonata! Digging a bit deeper in my brain and consequently the internet, I re-found this article about the end of river cruising for TUI: https://www.schiffe-und-kreuzfahrten.de/sonstige-reederei/kein-tui-flussgenuss-mehr-aus-fuer-flusskreuzfahrtschiffe-ende-oktober/52455/ The TUI Sonata was one of four ships of TUI Flussgenuss that was an enterprise serving the German river cruising market. Sailings only started in 2011, it ceased operations at the end of the 2014 season. As a company not being a complete newcomer to river cruising as such, this article from the German correspondent with Seatradecruisenews, reads a little differently: http://www.seatrade-*****/news/news-headlines/tui-returns-to-the-rivers-with-three-vessels-for-the-uk-market.html And this is how travelweekly ran the news: https://www.travelweekly.com/River-Cruising/TUI-launching-river-cruises-in-2020 TUI UK will operate these three ships solely for the UK market. The vessels have not been confirmed yet, it will be interesting to learn which ones they have chosen. The WT Sonata mentioned in the article, when it started sailing for TUI, was a new-built, a so-called twincruiser, a design that is a kind of pushboat in that the driving vessel is separate from the passenger vessel, both parts together have a standard length of 135m, the longest allowed on the rivers she operates on. notamermaid

There are rivers and landscapes beyond the standard Rhine, Main, Moselle, Danube, Seine and Rhone, or even the Elbe and the Douro, the last one getting ever more popular. Here is the catch: you cannot see them on a 135m ship. Even the 110m ships might not be small enough. Do not get me wrong, I am not talking of the very expensive barge cruises on the canals in France. I mean other rivers and canals built as trading routes. They criss-cross Europe and give you access to towns and landscapes that you might never have heard about... So, in order to see such places you need to downsize, go for the smaller ships and forget about multiple dining options, swimming pool, sundeck lounge, etc. If you are still interested read on. One example of such a cruise crossing Europe is CroisiEurope's offering: Amsterdam to Berlin! Yes, there is a different way out of Amsterdam, you do not need to go to Cologne. :) The problem: there are very few sailings. But to give you an idea what is possible on smaller ships, here is the itinerary: http://www.croisieurope.co.uk/cruises/amsterdam-berlin-formula-port/port-without-transfer I have given the Neckar and Oder rivers their own threads and mentioned a few companies in those. More info to come. And please ask away... beyond the language divide I might be able to find out something for you. :) notamermaid

The ITB (Internationale Tourismusbörse Berlin) is behind us and one of the topics that has left me contemplating is "overtourism". Even if you are new to the subject the idea is easy to grasp: there are places in the world that are so heavily visited by tourists that the negative side effects are straining the place and the people who live there. On the "negative bucket list" this year is - among others like Venice with 22 million visitors a year :eek: - also a popular river cruise destination: Amsterdam! Those are the places people should not go to this year to give them a rest. Here is an introduction to the topic: http://www.dw.com/en/overtourism-where-will-it-take-us/a-42863355 And this is the situation in Amsterdam: http://www.dw.com/en/overtourism-swamps-amsterdam/a-41746155 Now, river cruising is still a niche product which becomes apparent in the fact that the ITB had no separate section for it but listed the articles and events under cruising on its website. Yet with small places like Rüdesheim on the Rhine having a relatively high number of tourists, overtourism is something that could affect us river cruisers more than we like. I do not mean to be a spoilsport but living on a river and working in the industry has made me sensitive to the subject. Your thought and comments are very much welcome. notamermaid

As the UK-based company moved onto the North American market last year I think it is time that past and future cruisers and all those interested in the company as such were given a "venue" to discuss and share info. You may also post as a present cruiser from a ship, of course. :) Just a few basics. Riviera Travel has been around for some years, offers also land trips and is expanding with its river cruise section. Their latest ships have all been given names of famous novelists and poets of the United Kingdom and this is the latest offering for river cruisers. The Robert Burns, soon to be christened: http://www.travelweekly.com/River-Cruising/Omega-World-Travel-CEO-named-godmother-river-cruise-ship notamermaid P.S.: the photo or rendering of the Robert Burns was taken in front of the Lorelei rock on the Rhine

First of all, where is the river and why do I start a thread on it? The Neckar is a river in Germany for its entire length and is a tributary to the Rhine coming from the South East, i.e. joining the Rhine at Mannheim on the right bank. The Neckar is 362km long and has been an important trading route for centuries - first for food from the large foresty areas and later, since the industrial revolution, for the large factories developing on its banks. This may lead you to think that the Neckar is a dirty canalized river with little appeal - you are right to some degree, but also mistaken. I will come back to that later. The Neckar has some relevance for river cruisers as it is not only a river used by barges but river cruise vessels are also allowed to sail it - up to a length of 105m, the ships that is. Ok, this would mean that you past cruisers on the large ships have not sailed the Neckar, but many of you have at least have seen its banks - at Heidelberg on an excursion from your Rhine cruise! Here is the wikipedia page on the Neckar: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neckar notamermaid

Beyond the standard ports... part 1 I would like to start with a port that some of you have stopped at, some have been to on an excursion and the city is well known: D?sseldorf, the capital of the "Land" of North-Rhine-Westfalia . However, being relatively close to the more alluring Cologne it is not a typical stop for river cruise lines. Comparing it to Cologne one can say that it is younger, somewhat less historically interesting in an all-encompassing sense due to the lack of Roman antiquities, more stylish and vibrant in a fashion sense and with a leaning towards modern art. The harbour area has been refurbished with modern architects having been "let loose" with ideas. ;) D?sseldorf is said to have the "longest bar" in Germany in the old town. The district of Benrath with its baroque palace has an unusal claim to fame: it is a dividing line between German dialects - very important for linguists - called the "Benrather Linie". Here is a short video to give you an idea of what to expect: http://www.dw.com/en/a-checklist-for-d%C3%BCsseldorf/a-36475922 notamermaid

Hello everone, I would like to start this thread on the Moselle, a tributary to the Rhine and a beautiful river to cruise along. Some of you already have, so I would like to invite you all to share your experiences and any tips you might have for future cruisers. I will try to add some facts and trivia and tips of my own. The Moselle has its source in the Vosges mountains in France, forms the border between Luxembourg and Germany and then flows through Germany, meeting the Rhine in Koblenz at the famous Deutsches Eck. In folklore the Rhine is often referred to and depicted as "Father Rhine" and the Moselle as "Mother Moselle". The Moselle is often called "lovely" or "gentle" as opposed to the "wilder and stronger" Rhine. Most cruisers go as far upstream as Trier, for example on the Viking Cities of Light itinerary; there are some companies that turn, i.e. let the passengers disembark, at Remich, a small town further upstream. It is possible to go further into France and barges do so on a regular basis serving the industrial areas of Lorraine, the region in France bordering on Luxembourg and Germany. The Moselle meanders a lot and that explains some of its appeal in my opinion. The towns are not as industrial and large as on the Rhine, making the cruising less spectacular but giving plenty of "small town charm" to travellers' experiences. Trier, of course, is the exception being a large university town and the oldest town in Germany. In the hills overlooking Trier there was a Celtic settlement and the Romans founded the town giving it the name that evolved into present-day Trier. notamermaid

Here is a cruise critic article on the popularity of river cruising among UK travellers: http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=6885 A recent study published by IG River Cruise shows that in 2015, for the first time, North-American travellers outnumbered German travellers on European river cruises. The German news agency dpa issued an article. But more on that later. notamermaid

I have not found the river Meuse featured yet under the river cruise basics sticky, so, as Avalon will be sailing on the river from this season I have decided to write a little about this river in Western Europe. Hostjazzbeau, might the cruisecritic editors have some time during the season to write a little for all cruisers? The Meuse has a wikipedia site in English. Here goes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meuse You might be surprised to learn that it is 925 km long, making it a major river in Europe. The Meuse is navigable for small boats, but a section has been altered so that it can be used for industrial river transport. Companies line the river especially around Lüttich, i.e. Liege. Other areas are more picturesque, the town Namur is famous for its scenic setting. The Meuse has - as you can probably imagine - played a major role in the two World Wars. The river played a prominent part in the Third Reich expansion plans. The Ardennes mountain region that the Meuse flows through is most known for its role in the Battle of the Bulge. The Meuse joins the Rhine (Waal) to form the river delta around Rotterdam. It would be interesting to find out how much river cruisers like the new itinerary. notamermaid