Low levels on the Danube July 2015

[Avalon Waterways]

WATER LEVELS ON THE DANUBE: AN UPDATE

As we have previously reported, due to the lack of rain in Europe, water levels between Regensburg and Passau are low. To date, these water levels have caused one cruise cancellation (WPZ 50719 aboard the Avalon Affinity) and have affected one sailing day for the Avalon Vista (WBN 50712), now docked in Passau. We have also put in place contingency plans for the Avalon Expression, set to arrive in the region tomorrow (WNB 50718 and WNBO 50721). If you are scheduled on the cruise-only portion of the Legendary Danube itinerary aboard the Expression (WNBO 50721), we will be reaching out to you with additional information. We also invite you to contact us at 866.397.6593 or email traveleradvisory@globusfamily.com (our U.S. office hours are Monday through Friday, 6 AM to 6 PM MT and Saturday, 7 AM to 3:30 PM MT).

 

The good news? Because the nature of rivers is to ebb and flow, much can change daily. Rain has been forecasted so we are all doing our best rain dances in hopes that more rain makes its way to Europe (specifically, the Danube) ... soon. In the meantime, we will provide additional posts on this page as needed.

 

Thank you for your understanding and support.

[pams17]

We're scheduled to sail from Budapest to Nuremberg starting 24 August on Scenic Jasper. I hope it rains some in the next month to keep the river levels from getting too low.

 

I've been tracking the ship and so far it's keeping to its schedule, at Melk on its way to Nuremberg. I think Avalon Affinity was canceled because of low water between Regensburg and Nuremberg. I'll be watching with interest to see how the Jasper deals with that section this weekend.

 

We've decided that we will have a good time no matter what, although we really hope that if low water disrupts the schedule we at least won't have to move off the boat. If the bus rides get too long then we can just lounge on the boat or explore locally.

How do you track a ship? We leave Budapest August 30.

[GoInOnaCruz]

Hi, I read the statement from VRC about cruises on longboats involving a ship change at the point of the lowest water. We are traveling from Budapest to Amsterdam on a longboat on August 8. Is this typically the most drastic thing they have to do (and I realize this seems to be a particularly difficult season due to the soaring temperatures in the region) or do they ever have to resort to more extreme measures? I remember reading a lot about busing during the floods in spring 2013 but of course I realize that is a wholly different situation. Thanks!

Edited July 19, 2015 by GoInOnaCruz

[notamermaid]

GoInOnaCruz,

 

companies decide this at very short notice (sometimes) in accordance with the information given to them by "their people" in the affected areas. Cruises can be cancelled, or with Viking, as they now have so many boats on the rivers they can do a ship change. So with that happening you can actually complete your cruise rather then leaving midway, possibly. I mean change in Passau for example and then go to Amsterdam rather than stay in Passau for three days hoping to get past the low water "bottle neck" only to be told you will not make it to Nuremberg or to the Rhine at all.

 

Such a scenario - with the dreading bussing - is more likely during flooding as authorities can close whole river sections for days. Lower water can often pass within a few hours with widespread rain in the respective area. That is the company's, meaning the captain of the affected ship's - decision.

 

notamermaid

[GoInOnaCruz]

GoInOnaCruz,

 

companies decide this at very short notice (sometimes) in accordance with the information given to them by "their people" in the affected areas. Cruises can be cancelled, or with Viking, as they now have so many boats on the rivers they can do a ship change. So with that happening you can actually complete your cruise rather then leaving midway, possibly. I mean change in Passau for example and then go to Amsterdam rather than stay in Passau for three days hoping to get past the low water "bottle neck" only to be told you will not make it to Nuremberg or to the Rhine at all.

 

Such a scenario - with the dreading bussing - is more likely during flooding as authorities can close whole river sections for days. Lower water can often pass within a few hours with widespread rain in the respective area. That is the company's, meaning the captain of the affected ship's - decision.

 

notamermaid

Thanks notamermaid. That was what I was getting out of this but wanted to be sure. I know a lot of people don't like the thought of changing ships, but with my husband still working and having set aside this time for vacation, this a best-case scenario for us. I'm relieved for us but feeling sad for those whose trips are being disrupted by mother nature!:(

[tinkky]

We have been stuck on wharf outside Passau for 3 nights now onboard the Uniworld Marie Christne. Seems we are going nowhere.bussing 2.5 hrs each way not my idea of fun. And expensive hotel room in Middle of nowhere.

[jeb_bud]

How do you track a ship? We leave Budapest August 30.

 

http://www.vesselfinder.com or http://www.marinetraffic.com . Enter the name of your ship and it will be displayed on the map. Zoom in and you can see exactly where the ship is.

 

For the last few days the ship I have been focusing on, the Scenic Jasper, has not been displaying up to date on marinetraffic.com, but vesselfinder.com appears to be current.

 

The ship should be in Regensburg today but seems to be stuck in Passau with a number of other river cruise ships.

[Avalon Waterways]

WATER LEVELS ON THE DANUBE: AN UPDATE (7.20.15)

As we have previously reported, due to the lack of rain in Europe, water levels between Regensburg and Passau continue to be very low.

While the Expression was able to traverse the low waters (hooray!), two ships – the Avalon Vista and Avalon Impression – are currently operating under contingency plans and our on-the-ground teams are working closely with affected passengers. We also have contingency plans in place, should waters stay low, for the upcoming Avalon Illumination cruise (WOA/WOV 0722). We have reached out to affected travelers (and their agents).

The good news? Because the nature of rivers is to ebb and flow, much can change daily. Rain has been forecasted so we are all doing our best rain dances in hopes that more rain makes its way to Europe (specifically, the Danube) ... soon. In the meantime, we will provide additional posts on this page as needed.

Should you have any questions, call us at 866.397.6593 or email traveleradvisory@globusfamily.com (our U.S. office hours are Monday through Friday, 6 AM to 6 PM MT and Saturday, 7 AM to 3:30 PM MT).

 

Thank you for your understanding and support.

Edited July 20, 2015 by Avalon Waterways

[tinkky]

Uniworld have been amazing very happy with package they offered plus letting us stay onboard till thursday. while we all get alternative arrangements made.

I presume once all off the will high tail it to Amsterdam to collect new pax.

they say its getting up the river that is the problem.

[Tarheel Traveler]

So the Budapest to Passau stretch of the Danube is passable?

[G.M.T.]

So the Budapest to Passau stretch of the Danube is passable?

 

At present, yes it is passable. But could change for the worse in a few days, if we don't get some rain ( a lot is needed) soon.

[Ozjohnno]

Just received word from my sister that Scenic have just discovered that the Danube has low water and her cruise on the Scenic Pearl has stopped. She tells me that they will all be transferred to the Scenic Ruby which is way upstream by bus. I am constantly amazed that some river cruise companies suddenly discover what others have know about for over a week. Once again Scenic fails the "sniff test".

[Tarheel Traveler]

My daughter is currently on the River Beatrice (Uniworld), traveling from Budapest to Passau this week. So far, they have made it from Budapest to Vienna. Fingers crossed that they can continue on to Passau. The crew is telling them that it looks ok. Rain is expected for the next few days, so that will help.

[schoolinmy3]

My daughter is currently on the River Beatrice (Uniworld), traveling from Budapest to Passau this week. So far, they have made it from Budapest to Vienna. Fingers crossed that they can continue on to Passau. The crew is telling them that it looks ok. Rain is expected for the next few days, so that will help.

 

We are currently in Budapest and are expecting to be onboard tomorrow sailing the Viking VAR (a change from the scheduled TOR which couldn't make the trip back in time due to low water levels). IT IS HOT! But we are currently in our hotel room in the Zenit enjoying refreshing air conditioning. We plan to walk around the city tonight when it has cooled down!

[janecambridge]

We are currently in Budapest and are expecting to be onboard tomorrow sailing the Viking VAR (a change from the scheduled TOR which couldn't make the trip back in time due to low water levels). IT IS HOT! But we are currently in our hotel room in the Zenit enjoying refreshing air conditioning. We plan to walk around the city tonight when it has cooled down!

 

Go to Jewish quarter and fund a ruin inn..Szimpla is a good one.have a beer and a snoop around.Wish I was back there!!

[Tarheel Traveler]

Our daughter reports that there was a big thunderstorm in Durnstein today. (Their 17-mile bike ride to Melk had to be canceled after three miles! The Uniworld guide found them a wine cellar to get out of the lightning, and the ship picked them up!) They are now in Melk. Maybe the rain will help river levels!

[tinkky]

Update on Danube River water levels

 

Due to the current low water levels on the Danube River, Uniworld has had to make the following changes to these cruise programs:

River Princess, July 15, 2015 sailing – This cruise operated normally with the exception of two days without sailing. The itinerary was delivered in full.

River Princess, July 20, 2015 – may experience a delay in sailing of one or two days; however, the program is expected to be delivered in its entirety.

S.S. Maria Theresa, July 12, 2015 sailing – this cruise has ended prematurely. The ship is currently docked in Vilshofen, Germany, and Uniworld is assisting the guests to make alternate arrangements. Uniworld has notified all travel agents about this matter, and the guests may remain onboard with full services until their departure.

S.S. Maria Theresa, July 26, 2015 sailing – this sailing has been canceled. We are in the process of contacting all guests, and we will issue full refunds and a goodwill future cruise credit.

These are currently the only cruise programs that have been affected by the low water situation on the Danube. We will update this page as new information becomes available. For questions about an upcoming sailing, please contact your travel agent or Uniworld at 1-800-733-7820. To contact Guest Relations during your trip or after you return home, please email customerservice@uniworld.com.

Please be assured that the safety and security of our guests, vessels and crew is our top priority, and we appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding with these unexpected changes.:eek:

[tinylady]

I am reading this topic with interest. I won't be on a river cruise this year, unfortunately. However, I am booked for my third for 2016.

What I find very interesting is the difference in positions re ship swapping. Given the options that are available once Mother Nature has done her bit, I would have to say, my feeling is that a ship swap, while not ideal,is by far a much less disruptive prospect than cancelled cruises, docked for days and having long bus rides to see the sights. I am sure that most lines will in different circumstances be forced to make one or all of these calls. I travel a long way to Europe so given the other options a ship swap would, definitely, be my preferred option. Again I'd like to say how interesting it is to read opposing viewpoints.

 

On another note, I received an email from Truck stating that they were lowering their pricing due to the strength of the US$ to the Euro. Great news for some, however, I am in Canada and our dollar has tanked so no joy for me. I wonder how prices are for our Aussie friends if booking with Tauck.

Here's hoping the rivers get back to normal soon, nobody wants a bus tour.

[sahara1]

We will leave Viking Bestla

OnSun and. Move to Viking Eisrla. Meanwhile will bus to Regensberg and Nuremberg. Not ideal but at least we continue. Don't know why they didn't tell is sooner.

Edited July 24, 2015 by sahara1

[davidrw]

Don't know why they didn't tell is sooner.

 

I think that is a deliberate tactic.

 

When I got stuck in the German lock strikes a couple of years ago the CD remained cheerful, however she went somewhere quiet and spent a day on her phone whilst we were out on outings.

 

An hour after we were due to sail she made an announcement "You will have noticed that we have not moved, please attend a meeting in an hour""

 

At least that way most people could relax (I didn't as I had been following the news on the BB) and she had the options available when she talked to us.

[carolb2087]

Hello from Viking Eistla. We will be swapping ships with you tomorrow. While I agree it is not what any of us want to do it will let us continue on with our cruises with the least amount of inconvenience. That being said you are coming over to a fantastic crew. They have spoiled the guest this week and we will find it difficult to leave them behind. Have a fantastic remainder of your trip you are in wonderful hands. As a side note we received information from Viking before we left home that this might be a possibility if we did not get rain. The cruise director continued to keep us informed up until the official announcement was made by the Captain. Then we were updated with an informative hour of all the details to make the swap easy. Well done!!!! Loving our Viking cruise.

[sahara1]

The Bestla was great also. Today we drive 3 hrs to Nuremberg and then board Eistla. A great experience.

Edited July 26, 2015 by sahara1

[sbjornda]

It looks like the Scenic Jewel has successfully made it from Passau through Regensburg to Nuremberg, and the Scenic Crystal made it from Bamberg to Nuremberg and is now continuing towards Regensburg, so maybe the crisis is averted for now. I was keeping an eye on their positions to see whether they would perform a ship swap, but it looks like none was needed.

 

What I'm learning from all this is the importance of being able to be flexible about last minute changes and quite literally to "go with the flow". We're scheduled to take our first river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest boarding Aug. 31st, with Scenic. At first the news of low river levels had me frustrated and disappointed, but now I see that this is part of river life and there really are no guarantees, so just relax and enjoy what you can.

[Fairfield Nana]

Great posting--nicely said! I agree totally and feel that the worst day adventuring on a trip to a new land--especially Europe-- is better than most days safely at home. The wonderful sights and people (not to mention food & drink) to be experienced given the chance and courage, are totally worth it!!

[banditoo]

It looks like the Scenic Jewel has successfully made it from Passau through Regensburg to Nuremberg, and the Scenic Crystal made it from Bamberg to Nuremberg and is now continuing towards Regensburg, so maybe the crisis is averted for now. I was keeping an eye on their positions to see whether they would perform a ship swap, but it looks like none was needed.

 

What I'm learning from all this is the importance of being able to be flexible about last minute changes and quite literally to "go with the flow". We're scheduled to take our first river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest boarding Aug. 31st, with Scenic. At first the news of low river levels had me frustrated and disappointed, but now I see that this is part of river life and there really are no guarantees, so just relax and enjoy what you can.

The perfect attitude for traveling anywhere! Be flexible, consider it an adventure and perhaps have some backup plans in mind....:)