RZW'sYaYA Posted August 18, 2015 Author #26 Share Posted August 18, 2015 I understand your point about the weather and having a crystal ball but at least be upfront with your 'guests' and allow them to make informed decisions. Something doesn't pass the smell test. I agree with you GentlemanCruiser...yes...no one has a crystal ball regarding the weather. But they do have a weather forecast and it is not going to rain enough to fill the river enough to float the ships through out the cruise. They should allow the passengers to make an informed decision based on what VRC know at the time and then give the passengers the opportunity to change or cancel the trip without penalties'. Many of us have traveled before and we booked a river cruise not a bus tour. :mad: I have been watch the Alerts on VRC and they are canceling the cruises with a window of less the week. That is wrong. The weather shows no sign of significant rain in the next 30 days so why o why wait until 7 days out??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPT Trips Posted August 18, 2015 #27 Share Posted August 18, 2015 I don't put much faith in weather forecasts much further out than 4 or 5 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RZW'sYaYA Posted August 21, 2015 Author #28 Share Posted August 21, 2015 DGHand, Have you heard anything regarding your sailing??? I have been checking the link provided by Jeff in Torrance (see above) but I can not access our own trip via VRC. Can you??? Thanks for any info you can provide... YaYa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff in Torrance Posted August 21, 2015 #29 Share Posted August 21, 2015 looks like our trip is a "go," with significant modifications. I just received the following email: Thank you for choosing Viking Cruises for your upcoming European voyage. This message is to let you know that the Elbe River is currently experiencing unusually low water levels. Viking’s nautical department, a team of professionals that continually monitors all the rivers we sail on, anticipate that levels will increase somewhat this week due to recent rainfall. However, parts of the river are likely to remain unnavigable, and as a consequence it will be necessary to make some changes to your itinerary. At this point it is unlikely that your ship, Viking Fontane, will be able to reach its regular embarkation port of Melnik in time for your departure. Following the start of your journey in Prague, you will therefore instead be transferred to Meissen in Germany on Day 2 for embarkation on identical sister ship Viking Schumann. Further details are not available at this point as conditions are still changing. We expect all included excursions to take place, although some may be operated by motorcoach from your ship. If and when water levels rise further, Viking will do everything possible to restore your itinerary as it was originally planned. We are confident that you will still enjoy your trip with us very much, but wanted to make you aware of the necessary alterations as soon as we ourselves learned. As an additional gesture of goodwill, we are extending a Future Cruise Voucher valued at $1,000 per person. Future Cruise Vouchers will be emailed to you separately; please allow two weeks for delivery. Should you need to contact the ship on arrival, please call Viking Schumann at +49 174 346 34 53. If you have any questions, please call Customer Relations at customerrelations@vikingcruises.com or 1-877-668-4546, extension 4525, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., PDT. We look forward to welcoming you to Prague and wish you a wonderful journey. Sincerely, Stephanie K. Maldonado Senior Manager, Customer Relations Viking Cruises Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare notamermaid Posted August 24, 2015 #30 Share Posted August 24, 2015 Hello, according to the German national authorities (water and shipping) the river level on the Elbe is still very low and falling in parts. There is no rain forecast in the region for tomorrow and the day after. Temperatures are due to rise to 27 degrees and possibly even higher the day after that. notamermaid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare steamboats Posted August 24, 2015 #31 Share Posted August 24, 2015 I´ve checked this morning and the river gauge at Dresden was down to 73 cm again (it was up to 1.60 m). steamboats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RZW'sYaYA Posted August 24, 2015 Author #32 Share Posted August 24, 2015 Jeff from Torrance, Thank you for the information! I wish you much luck on your trip! I truly hope you can experience a RIVER cruise and NOT a floating in place hotel and bus tour. My husband and I are not impressed with the VRC token “gesture of goodwill”. Goodwill would be to allow the customer to either cancel the trip (WITHOUT penalties) or move the funds to another. We have been on (too) many bus tours and don’t want to another, this was the main reason we thought we would try a river cruise…but we are afraid it’s going to turn out to be another bus tour! UGH! If you could post to your travel experiences for us who are following you on this adventure. I know my husband and I would be grateful as well I am sure others. We were so looking forward to the river cruise experience…now not so much…and I am afraid all of this has turned is off to the experience and may never try another. So, again please let us know how it goes for you. We will be sailing (?) on the Fontane September 11 but arriving in Prague on the 8th. Again…Thank you! YaYa From Northern California Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RZW'sYaYA Posted August 24, 2015 Author #33 Share Posted August 24, 2015 Hi NotAMermaid, Thank you for the update on the water levels...It doesn't look good...We here in California are suffering major drought...5 years running now. We tend to forget other countries may be experiencing the same thing. Again thank you, YaYa from California Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RZW'sYaYA Posted August 24, 2015 Author #34 Share Posted August 24, 2015 Thank you Steamboats for the update on the river levels...so sad! Please keep us posts...very concerned not just for our trip but for drought problems too! YaYa from Northern California Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viking Cruises Posted August 25, 2015 #35 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Dear RZW’sYaYa, We appreciate your concern about the low water levels currently impacting Elbe River cruises. While September 11th is still a few weeks away and too early to determine if and how your sailing will be affected, we would encourage you to contact us at tellus@vikingcruises.com so that we may answer any questions you may have about current river conditions. Best regards, Viking Cruises Jeff from Torrance' date='Thank you for the information! I wish you much luck on your trip! I truly hope you can experience a RIVER cruise and NOT a floating in place hotel and bus tour. My husband and I are not impressed with the VRC token “gesture of goodwill”. Goodwill would be to allow the customer to either cancel the trip (WITHOUT penalties) or move the funds to another. We have been on (too) many bus tours and don’t want to another, this was the main reason we thought we would try a river cruise…but we are afraid it’s going to turn out to be another bus tour! UGH! If you could post to your travel experiences for us who are following you on this adventure. I know my husband and I would be grateful as well I am sure others. We were so looking forward to the river cruise experience…now not so much…and I am afraid all of this has turned is off to the experience and may never try another. So, again please let us know how it goes for you. We will be sailing (?) on the Fontane September 11 but arriving in Prague on the 8th. Again…Thank you! YaYa From Northern California[/quote'] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare xpcdoojk Posted August 25, 2015 #36 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Let me translate... please don't talk about us in public.... :D jc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JVilleGal Posted August 25, 2015 #37 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Yep and minus torrential rains the Elbe is not likely to have water any time soon :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare steamboats Posted August 25, 2015 #38 Share Posted August 25, 2015 You can check the Dresden river gauge here. It´s updated every 15 min. It´s gone up a little to 79 cm this morning. You can also see the impact of the rainfall last week. Today it´s rainy but there´s another heat wave coming in by tomorrow. steamboats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RZW'sYaYA Posted August 25, 2015 Author #39 Share Posted August 25, 2015 LOL...isn't that the truth...O well...I'm not saying anything that isn't true! Plus, I have contact them...I got the same line as the one posted...very frustrating! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JVilleGal Posted August 25, 2015 #40 Share Posted August 25, 2015 LOL...isn't that the truth...O well...I'm not saying anything that isn't true! Plus' date=' I have contact them...I got the same line as the one posted...very frustrating![/quote'] Deceptive! The reason I will say NEVER, as in never will I cruise with Viking :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor@cruisecritic Posted August 25, 2015 #41 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Steamboats, you are our weather bible. Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting about this! Carolyn Carolyn Spencer Brown Editor in Chief Cruise Critic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JVilleGal Posted August 25, 2015 #42 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Steamboats, you are our weather bible. Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting about this! Carolyn Carolyn Spencer Brown Editor in Chief Cruise Critic This is why we need a "like" button :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RZW'sYaYA Posted August 25, 2015 Author #43 Share Posted August 25, 2015 And if there's too much water that's not good either! Catch 22... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RZW'sYaYA Posted August 25, 2015 Author #44 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Thank you SteamBoats for the Link! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JVilleGal Posted August 25, 2015 #45 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Sounds like there is still trouble on the Danube. Both Avalon & Viking FB pages have travelers asking & tell what they have been told. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor@cruisecritic Posted August 25, 2015 #46 Share Posted August 25, 2015 We've reached out to all the majors today and aren't hearing too much about the Danube. Still troubles on the Elbe though. Carolyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JVilleGal Posted August 25, 2015 #47 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JVilleGal Posted August 25, 2015 #48 Share Posted August 25, 2015 (edited) These two just off FB.... Wondering minds are concerned! Edited August 25, 2015 by JVilleGal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RZW'sYaYA Posted August 26, 2015 Author #49 Share Posted August 26, 2015 SteamBoats, Thank you for keeping us up to date on the weather! It seems one day I'm packing for a heat wave the next for rain...Please keep up the post! I won't close and zip up my luggage until the morning of the 7th! YaYa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RZW'sYaYA Posted August 26, 2015 Author #50 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Hi JVilleGal, I can't seem to read your post from FB??? Could you tell me what they say...sorry! YaYa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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