Rhine, Danube Water Levels - Are Cruise Lines Sharing Info?

[bean42]

Hi Steamboats

 

Any rain forcasts yet??

 

Still holding thumbs Main will be OK

Frankfurt to Nuremburg mid Dec

 

many thanks for all your imput and advice for us all - holding thumbs for you & your mom also

rgds

[2DesertRats!]

Weather.com forcast for Nuremberg Germany is for rain Friday 2 Dec. and again Rain/Snow Monday 5 Dec through Wed. 7 Dec.

 

Things may be improving folks.

 

Leaving on Nuremberg to Frankfurt 7 Dec. on Uniworld. Will try to drop a "situation report" from the boat.

[greenman1168]

at_nyc,

I tend to agree with you, that Viking River Cruises had prior knowledge of predictable disruptions and should have had an acceptable alternative to the disrupted cruise (and that is NOT a bus) or offer of full credit on a future cruise. As passengers we are in a position of disadvantage, low river levels never having occurred before at this season, so how were we supposed to know we should buy the insurance for that eventuality.

 

It seems that Avalon customers are much happier with their substitutions. I don't know if this is because they were actually treated better by their cruise line, or if they are exceptionally happy and forgiving cool cruisers.

 

I also agree that I would rather have the chance to cancel than watch my money go down the drain. This was a once-in-a-lifetime splurge we would never have indulged in for a bus tour...and I am one of those persons that can't sit for hours without severe edema and debilitating arthritis pains. Which is why we also popped for the pricey business class flight, doubling the cost of the cruise in our case.

 

What Viking is offering at the moment is not adequate compensation for the bus cruise, but it seems that Avalon customers feel that the substitution was in the passengers' favor.

 

Weren't Viking the ones who were quoted in the article http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/news/news.cfm?ID=4665

 

Still, if a potential make-shift Christmas markets cruise is unacceptable, at least one line is allowing guests to rebook.

 

"Passengers do have the option to cancel for any reason [for future cruise credit], but the vast majority are continuing travels since we're trying to provide as close to the original product as possible," said Richard Marnell, Viking's senior vice president of marketing. "We're not required to offer the cancellation option, but we do understand that people want their cruise to be perfect."

 

Hopefully they will change their sotto voce tune of non-communication and pitiful compensation,(which is in direct contrast to what their VP of marketing says in the article), as they risk the ire of hundreds of unhappy cruisers. Some of whom will litigate, and none of whom will be repeat customers.

Hope this is resolved satisfactorily for you and all the other Viking passengers, and I also hope that it rains or they improve their customer service model by the time we cruise in just over two weeks.

Cheers!

[greenman1168]

2 Desert Rats, thanks for the good news! I've been checking weatherunderground but didn't find a longrange forecast like that. Hope your cruise is wonderful!

[steamboats]

It´s just a little rain and nothing for Southern Bavaria. So nothing to feed the Danube river as Nuremberg is North of the water devide. So that water is going to the Main and Rhine river.

 

steamboats

[suspaul]

We leave this coming Sat. for the Rhine Getaway with Viking on the Helvetia - Basel to Amsterdam. I have had some communication with Viking regarding changes and at this moment they have nothing to report but will let us know on Wed. or Thursday. We do have the insurance and are able to cancel for whatever reason, sure we'll get future trip vouchers but will only be out the cost of the insurance should we decided not to go.

 

This is only my opinion but if I were doing a once in a lifetime splurge and investing so much money in a trip I would definitely have some type of travel insurance to cover the my costs should something come up. Yes, insurance is just that...insurance, hopefully you may not need it but if you do you have some form of compensation.

 

Pretty much what can go wrong is happening with the river cruises right now, we've got bombs unearthed in the Rhine and elsewhere, low water levels, warmer weather than usual but we are still planning to go and have a great time. Sorry for the dissatisfaction on the part of others and I truly hope you did get some enjoyment out of your trip. We travel often and very seldom does everything go as one expects but you have to take the good with the bad.

[greenman1168]

Well, if there is ever a next time, we will get the insurance. The cost of insurance was 10% of our package, amounting to a steep $1400 for insurance alone, on top of the $14m000 for the package. We thought this insurance was in the event that we were responsible for the cancellation, not the event of the cruise line substituting a bus tour for a cruise. This situation was known of beforehand by Viking and they should have told us there was a chance of the cruise turning into a bus tour...but then we wouldn't have booked it at all. So that's why they didn't mention it during the insurance sales pitch. They just kept repeating, "you can cancel for any reason, any reason, any reason". Of course we didn't know until 10 days ago that the river was at 100 year lows...but THEY did!

There is still a chance it might rain before December 17, but this has already been way too much worry and frayed nerves for the money, therefore all thoughts of ever booking another river cruise have been effectively squelched for us.

[YoungDubFan]

I haven't taken my river cruise yet - scheduled for May 2012, but in all the research, on all the lines, I remember reading a comment that in case of low water levels, a bus trip will be substituted. I think all of the river cruise companies are very forth coming with this information.

 

Here is the quote from Avalon's web page: "In the event of water level problems or any problems of a technical nature, it may be necessary to operate the itinerary by motorcoach or to alter the program."

 

I understand why some people may be upset if their cruise is changed to a bus tour from the expected cruise, but as many people have mentioned, there is nothing that the River Cruise companies can do about the weather. It is a day to day thing, and there is always hope for rain. Even if not in the forecast, I can't imagine that the European weather people are 100% accurate, and there is always a chance for rain. Given this, I really think the companies are doing the best that they can. They have all told the passengers in advance that things can change. This is part of the risk when signing up for these types of vacations.

[greenman1168]

YoungDubFan,

This obviously varies by cruise line...nothing on Viking's web page or the info, verbal and written, that I got from the Viking sales rep before I paid in full made such a disclaimer. So far I haven't found it in the fine print in later mailings concerning our booking.

It is pretty clear from posts on several threads on this topic that Avalon communicates better with its customers and offers alternatives that their customers can live with, some Avalon cruisers caught in this disruption even say they got a better vacation than the cruise would have been. Doesn't seem that way with Viking. Poster "at ny_c" on this and another thread about low Danube water levels describes Viking's unacceptable attitude and compensation in detail.

[Paulmj]

At my request, our travel agent contacted a supervisor at Tauck this morning. The response is that rain is/has been/will be falling and the river level is rising. Apparently a bcc: on this message has been sent to the Almighty.

 

Bottom line is we should anticipate a wonderful time, and thereby we should raise our voices in Hallelujah!

 

Even beyond the bottom line is the caveat that the Tauck insurance package that we purchased at the time of booking does not permit cancellation for any non-medical reason.

 

The good news as I mentioned earlier, is that if a travel company has to deal with unexpected events, nobody does this better than Tauck. In part, this is what you pay for.

[greenman1168]

paulmj, from our collective bcc lips to God's ears! Wishing you and your group a fabulous RIVER CRUISE!

Cheers!

Edie

[Ozjohnno]

I realise this is a very personal and therefore a very subjective discussion BUT in no way could I pay for a river cruise and accept a bus tour in its place - no matter what the fine print says. If I wanted to see Europe a lot cheaper then I would have booked a bus tour knowing that I'd have to pack and unpack every day and that I'd be staying in Hotels and not onboard a beautiful river boat. I truly feel for those of you that have been made to accept something that you didn't pay for. Given that the weather conditions and river levels have been there for all to see and Analise I find it impossible to believe that the River Boat companies are acting as if these conditions are a surprise to them.

 

Paulmj, I asked on the Tauck Facebook page about their planned Xmas Market sailings and their response was .....

 

"Hi Rod – While current water levels on the Rhine are indeed lower than average (mostly in places north of where our cruise operates) significant rain is forecasted prior to the start of our first Christmas market cruise on December 4th. We...’ll continue to monitor water levels on the Rhine, and at present we anticipate running our cruises as planned. Low water levels do occasionally occur, so it’s not something we haven’t encountered and successfully dealt with in the past. Contingency plans are dependent on the particulars of the circumstances, so we can’t really detail them in advance. If you have additional questions, the folks in our Guest Relations department (GuestRelations@tauck.com) will be happy to help!"

 

I wish you all sufficient water and a very successful cruise (not a bus holiday).

 

Rod

[shoshona2]

Hi Rod,

 

When I booked our Tauck Rhine River Cruise two years ago, I was told that if the river was too low or too high for the river boat, we would have 5-star hotels to stay in since they have their land tours going all the time in Europe. You can cancel the land tours at any time for any reason and get your money back. The boats are different since Tauck rents them. The insurance always covers all of their tours if you cancel for illness. This is one of the reasons we will always book Tauck. This is a once in 100 year drought. I feel sorry for all that are inconvenienced, but if you are on Tauck, you will have a good vacation!!

 

Sheila

[greenman1168]

ozjohno, couldn't agree more!

[greenman1168]

Thanks Sheila (shoshona2) and paulmj. I never heard of Tauck before I stumbled upon cruisecritic and your testimonials. Sounds well worth the money! Bye bye Viking, Hello Tauck! for us from now on.

[Paulmj]

Thanks Sheila (shoshona2) and paulmj. I never heard of Tauck before I stumbled upon cruisecritic and your testimonials. Sounds well worth the money! Bye bye Viking, Hello Tauck! for us from now on.

 

Sheila wrote a review. Tells it as it is:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=83827

[Viking Cruises]

Dear Viking Guests,

 

We understand that you have questions and concerns about how river water levels have affected your cruise, or if your upcoming trip will be affected. Please consider that we always do our best to provide you with accurate, up-to-date information regarding itineraries that are specific to ships and destinations around the world. Weather-related changes that are beyond our control are particularly challenging, but we will continue to do everything in our power to provide you with a wonderful travel experience.

 

If you have recently returned from a cruise and are disappointed with how it was affected by the river levels, please first accept our apologies and then contact us directly so that we may discuss your concerns with your personally.

 

If you have questions about your upcoming cruise, we also encourage you to contact us directly so that we may address your questions on an individual basis as they will pertain to your ship and itinerary.

 

In each case you can reach us at TellUs@vikingrivercruises.com or 1.877.668.4546, extension 4525 (Customer Relations).

 

With warm regards and best wishes for a happy holiday season,

Viking River Cruises

[at_nyc]

If you have questions about your upcoming cruise, we also encourage you to contact us directly so that we may address your questions on an individual basis as they will pertain to your ship and itinerary.

The ship and itinerary was clearly mentioned on the original post: Legend.

 

If Viking does care about their custome, which I saw no sign of during the cruise, you can make it clear to all to see how you intend to "compensate" their lost of time & money by turning a your "luxury cruise" into a bargain bus tour!

[editor@cruisecritic]

Shelia, loved reading your review -- I cruised on Tauck's Swiss Jewel in August and Lynn Hardcastle was managing things -- she was marvelous, just as you said. Our review is here: http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=529.

 

Thanks for your review, which really took me back to a lovely experience.

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn Spencer Brown

Editor in Chief

Cruise Critic

 

 

 

Sheila wrote a review. Tells it as it is:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=83827

[editor@cruisecritic]

PaulMJ this is awesome news, did your agent (or Tauck) say where they got the info? I know if we hear it from Steamboats we're in good shape :) but would love to know if this is really a good development....

 

Carolyn

 

 

At my request, our travel agent contacted a supervisor at Tauck this morning. The response is that rain is/has been/will be falling and the river level is rising. Apparently a bcc: on this message has been sent to the Almighty.

 

Bottom line is we should anticipate a wonderful time, and thereby we should raise our voices in Hallelujah!

 

Even beyond the bottom line is the caveat that the Tauck insurance package that we purchased at the time of booking does not permit cancellation for any non-medical reason.

 

The good news as I mentioned earlier, is that if a travel company has to deal with unexpected events, nobody does this better than Tauck. In part, this is what you pay for.

[stretchcruz]

That would certainly be great news for all involved (passengers and cruise lines both)!!! Hope it is true.....

[pacmom]

editor@cruisecritic, spoke with AMA rep this afternoon. He says the port of Budapest is open again. We leave on Wed., will try to post re:water levels. Pat

[shoshona2]

Hi Paulmj,

 

The review which was posted is by Host Sheila so I cannot take credit for it, but I always post here about what a great company it is. we are leaving on February 29th for our 18th Tauck tour which is to India.

 

Good luck to all of you going on the Christmas river cruises. I will be thinking good thoughts for all of you.

 

Bon Voyage!

 

Sheila

[Paulmj]

PaulMJ this is awesome news, did your agent (or Tauck) say where they got the info? I know if we hear it from Steamboats we're in good shape :) but would love to know if this is really a good development....

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn, I have no names nor did I ask for one. The travel agent said they spoke to a supervisor at Tauck and this was the information they got.

 

There is also some input on Tauck's Facebook page which also essentially says the same thing.

 

Hopefully, things are looking up everywhere. :-)

[steamboats]

There have been heavy storms and rain in Northern Germany which might affect the lower Rhine river. But there´s no major rain in the forecast for Southern Germany neither for Bavaria (Danube river) nor for Baden-Wurttemberg (Upper Rhine river).

 

steamboats