Low Waters on the Elbe

[journey47]

Well, how's the trip going? We're packed and ready to fly out tomorrow.

[CPT Trips]

You'll enjoy the bus tour. Seriously. The rides haven't been too long. We are being treated very well and are enjoying the trip.

 

We prepared and packed for much colder weather than we experienced, mid to high 50s and not much colder at night. Very unusual weather according to the Germans.

[JVilleGal]

You'll enjoy the bus tour. Seriously. The rides haven't been too long. We are being treated very well and are enjoying the trip.

 

 

 

We prepared and packed for much colder weather than we experienced, mid to high 50s and not much colder at night. Very unusual weather according to the Germans.

 

 

Glad you are having a great time! Sadly others paid for a River Cruise and not an expensive bus trip :(

[CPT Trips]

We are not cruising! Think lemonade.

 

Also only half our trip was to be cruising any way. GCT also offered us many options if we chose not to do the diverted tour. As I posted somewhere here before, they are bending over backwards to keep us happy and, the PDs are great.

[kathybon]

Hello! Is GCT offering any financial compensation to account for it not being a cruise if you elect to take the bus trip? Can you tell us whether you stayed overnight between Berlin and Dresden, and whether that was on a boat or in a hotel? Thanks!

[CPT Trips]

Hello! Is GCT offering any financial compensation to account for it not being a cruise if you elect to take the bus trip? Can you tell us whether you stayed overnight between Berlin and Dresden, and whether that was on a boat or in a hotel? Thanks!

 

Yes, they are offering compensation. It's a combination of future credit and refund. $50 per person future cruise credit and a refund of 25% of the per diem fare/cost for each day not cruised. We were scheduled to cruise 7 days and cruised none, so $350 credit for everyone. The refund is trickier as there are different fares also the pre and post cost enters in, still based on seven days not cruised.

[kathybon]

Thank you for the info on compensation - that's very helpful!

 

Can you please tell us where GCT stays overnight between Berlin and Dresden when they would otherwise be on the boat? Do they put up passengers in some town (hotel or boat) along the Elbe (perhaps Wittenberg?) to help reduce the bus rides? Thanks!

[CPT Trips]

We were 4 nights on the boat in Wittenburg.

[kathybon]

Thanks! That should reduce the amount of time in the bus significantly! We are on an upcoming Christmas markets cruise, so hopefully GCT will use the time on the bus to bring us to additional markets!

[CT customer]

My husband and I took the 9/17/15 Elegant Elbe "cruise" departing from Prague with final embarkation in Berlin. We stayed one night in hotels at each end. Otherwise we were housed and fed on two different boats for 7 days but were bused each day to the advertised destinations. We were not notified of the low water conditions until 9/11 when were already in Europe and did not have time to rearrange our travel plans. Our friends from home we were to meet in Prague were notified on the 15th, the night before they were to fly. Other

passengers we later met did not learn of the change in plans until arriving for the "cruise" on the 17th. It was not long before we learned that Viking had not cruised on the Elbe since late June of this year due to low water but relied I guess on the naïveté of its customers to trust that they would deliver the "river cruise" they promised and we paid for. Needless to say there was universal anger at the deception for which Viking offered us a $1000 voucher toward another cruise! Ha! We will never fall for Viking's slick advertising again and have been advised by more seasoned cruisers to stick to Uniworld and AMA Cuise Line in the future.

[JVilleGal]

I don't understand how they legally can get away with this. Never mind the cruise contract, the fact that the boats never moved for weeks would or should not be allowed to be a simple change in itinerary. Some one is going to need to be mad enough to do something about it. JMHO

 

Deception - you decide?

Edited November 9, 2015 by JVilleGal

[CPT Trips]

Thanks! That should reduce the amount of time in the bus significantly! We are on an upcoming Christmas markets cruise, so hopefully GCT will use the time on the bus to bring us to additional markets!

 

If you are due to Christmas cruise the Elbe, I suggest you call GCT now to find out their plans if they deviate your cruise. Also find our what all your options will be. We were notified of the deviation and our options only about a week in advance.

 

Rumor has it that the Elbe Christmas cruises are unlikely to sail. Note, rumor.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Rumor has it that the Elbe Christmas cruises are unlikely to sail. Note, rumor.

 

If they've all been good little boys and girls, maybe Santa will bring them rain!

[G.M.T.]

If they've all been good little boys and girls, maybe Santa will bring them rain!

 

With his Raindeers.:D

[Viking Cruises]

Dear CT customer,

 

Welcome home. We regret to learn of your disappointment in Viking’s communication of the low water conditions on the Elbe.

 

Our records indicate email notice was sent on September 11th, six days prior to embarkation, alerting all guests of the changes necessitated by low water levels. River conditions are unpredictable and, while the Elbe River has been low for several months, additional notice would be premature and potentially inaccurate. We do, however, understand you were already in Europe when notice was received and regret we were not able to notify you of the changes prior to your departure.

 

The timing of our email notifications is under continuous evaluation and your feedback has been documented for future consideration.

 

CT customer, we value the integrity of your experience and hope you will contact us at TellUs@vikingcruises.com so that we may discuss your concerns further.

 

We look forward to hearing from you.

 

Kind regards,

Viking Cruises

 

My husband and I took the 9/17/15 Elegant Elbe "cruise" departing from Prague with final embarkation in Berlin. We stayed one night in hotels at each end. Otherwise we were housed and fed on two different boats for 7 days but were bused each day to the advertised destinations. We were not notified of the low water conditions until 9/11 when were already in Europe and did not have time to rearrange our travel plans. Our friends from home we were to meet in Prague were notified on the 15th, the night before they were to fly. Other

passengers we later met did not learn of the change in plans until arriving for the "cruise" on the 17th. It was not long before we learned that Viking had not cruised on the Elbe since late June of this year due to low water but relied I guess on the naïveté of its customers to trust that they would deliver the "river cruise" they promised and we paid for. Needless to say there was universal anger at the deception for which Viking offered us a $1000 voucher toward another cruise! Ha! We will never fall for Viking's slick advertising again and have been advised by more seasoned cruisers to stick to Uniworld and AMA Cuise Line in the future.

[kathybon]

If you are due to Christmas cruise the Elbe, I suggest you call GCT now to find out their plans if they deviate your cruise. Also find our what all your options will be. We were notified of the deviation and our options only about a week in advance.

 

Rumor has it that the Elbe Christmas cruises are unlikely to sail. Note, rumor.

 

Hello all - we received the dreaded phone call from GCT today for the 11/29 Christmas Market sailing on the Elbe: 3 nights in a Berlin hotel, 3 nights in a Dresden hotel (should have been on a boat), and 4 nights on a boat docked in Wittenberg. We have a week to decide whether or not to cancel. Uggh.:eek:

[CPT Trips]

FWIW, Dresden is beautiful, we Are there now. You can easily spend three days in town.

 

Did they offer other trip options?

[notamermaid]

Hello CPT Trips,

 

glad to hear you are enjoying Dresden.

 

kathybon,

 

that is not good to hear. A tough decision. I think in your case, judging from CPT Trips experience, I might consider going as you will experience the Christmas markets!

 

If you are unlikely to return to the Elbe for a couple of years it might be nice to do it under those weird conditions. I have heard from Germans from my area that they have enjoyed the markets and believe me they are very popular with the Rhineländers although we have nice markets. :)

 

But do not blame me later. ;)

 

A nice report from the UK: http://www.wanderlust.co.uk/planatrip/inspire-me/lists/top-8-german-christmas-markets?page=all

 

Good luck!

 

notamermaid

[Host Jazzbeau]

I know this wasn't the news you wanted to get from GCT, but at least you got notice 19 days in advance -- unlike the cruise line above who refuses to make any decisions until the last minute!

Edited November 10, 2015 by Host Jazzbeau

[Magnum60]

When a river cruise turns into a coach tour what type of meal vouchers are handed to guests at the hotel their cruise company has put them in? Do you get three meals a day? Those meals are figured into your cruise fare. Are the menus for those meals similar to and as diverse as the menus you would have had were you aboard your ship or are you given an institutional meal and a pat on the back from your cruise line saying 'having a a nice day, want seconds?'

Many riverboat lines offer free local wine and beer with lunch and dinner. Do the hotels offer the same service and if not - is there a refund? Those free beverages are part of your cruise fare. How about a cruise line that touts itself as an all inclusive cruise line? You paid for it so is it going to happen in the hotel? Looks like the financial road could get a little 'bumpy' staying in a hotel rather than your ship [which happens to be stuck in the mud 100 miles away].

[CPT Trips]

If they've all been good little boys and girls, maybe Santa will bring them rain!

 

Weihnachtmarkt habt vielen Kohle fuer Kinder :cool:

[CPT Trips]

When a river cruise turns into a coach tour what type of meal vouchers are handed to guests at the hotel their cruise company has put them in? Do you get three meals a day? Those meals are figured into your cruise fare. Are the menus for those meals similar to and as diverse as the menus you would have had were you aboard your ship or are you given an institutional meal and a pat on the back from your cruise line saying 'having a a nice day, want seconds?'

Many riverboat lines offer free local wine and beer with lunch and dinner. Do the hotels offer the same service and if not - is there a refund? Those free beverages are part of your cruise fare. How about a cruise line that touts itself as an all inclusive cruise line? You paid for it so is it going to happen in the hotel? Looks like the financial road could get a little 'bumpy' staying in a hotel rather than your ship [which happens to be stuck in the mud 100 miles away].

 

Not a problem with GCT. Westin and Radisson full breakfast buffet, lunch and dinner in local restaurant daily. 2 drinks per person, beer, wine or soft drink and usually coffee. Last evening they cashed us out . . . we ate at a place our PD suggesteddinner, two beers and tip for exactly the cash. Some folks went fancier and spent more. Others ate lighter, more basic and saved some €.

 

Tomorrow, in Prague, instead of the scheduled as advertised "dinner on your own" we are going to a folkloric show and meal on GCT's €. Touristy? Ayup. But that is what are we anyway. They also added 2 tours to the itinerary and made one optional an included tour. When I look at our thirteen day itinerary, we have spent less than ten hours more on a bus than was scheduled. No complaints from my end.

[editor@cruisecritic]

Yay! So glad to hear you got to do the river part of the trip. Loved ours in September and no regrets, but would have liked to have moved on the river :) -- can't wait for your review....

 

Carolyn

 

 

Very happy to report that the Elegant Elbe trip on the Viking Belya was able to do its entire planned trip on the river - Oct. 18 - 15. It was the first time they were able to do that in 3 months. A truly wonderful experience - more on that later.

[JVilleGal]

Congratulations !!!

[JerseyGem]

Hello all - we received the dreaded phone call from GCT today for the 11/29 Christmas Market sailing on the Elbe: 3 nights in a Berlin hotel, 3 nights in a Dresden hotel (should have been on a boat), and 4 nights on a boat docked in Wittenberg. We have a week to decide whether or not to cancel. Uggh.:eek:

 

We're just back from our deviated Essence of the Elbe cruise (non-cruise) with GCT. My DH (CPT Trips) will post more later (when he wakes up LOL), but I'll just comment now that we had a wonderful time and thought that GCT went out of their way to make our non-cruise a great vacation.

 

Our 7 day non-cruise was divided just as your cruise will be- 4 days docked in Wittenberg with bus trips (near and a little far) plus 3 nights in a hotel in Dresden (in town trips and one more distant). We saw and did everything that we would have with the original cruise itinerary, except see the banks of the Elbe as we sailed along. As DH mentions elsewhere on this thread, GCT added extras to keep us busy and happy. We had fewer people (many cancelled- almost 50%) which made it much easier for our PDs to do more with the two smaller groups.

 

Would I have preferred to cruise? Yes. But we both had such a wonderful time that we just can't find anything to really complain about! I'm very glad we didn't cancel.

 

Lynn