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Avalon just addressed water issues

JVilleGal

By JVilleGal,
in River Cruising

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lahlah57

lahlah57

Posted
Posted
05548196b4175e450d9289c88cd208bc.jpg

 

This just appeared on my Facebook feed!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Can't argue with this FYI! It is a well done info for your trip with a little humor added. Mother nature can have twist and turns which my make travel interesting! I hope you still go and take what comes:D!

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Pywacket15

Pywacket15

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I am on a river cruise on the Rhone now, and have spent the past 2 days in Avignon. All passenger cruises on the Rhone have stopped as of yesterday and today, Friday my Avalon Burgundy and Provence cruise northbound has been converted to a bus tour. Water levels expected to peak this weekend according to our captain. Disappointing but out of anyone's control.

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dln929

dln929

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Yes, it's aways good to be kept in the loop especially when it's about the water levels. Viking has a page on their website about current conditions and it's continuously updated. We're not on the Rhine until mid August but I've made a habit of checking the updates on possible interruptions just so I can prepare myself for the possibilities.

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Host Jazzbeau Great Review Rare

Host Jazzbeau

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It's nice that Avalon has published this statement, but it seems to understate the problems. "Some modifications including occasionally changing embarkation and disembarkation locations" hardly covers total cessation of traffic on the Rhine and the Rhone, or cruises turned into bus tours (as stated by Pywacket15 above).

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CPT Trips

CPT Trips

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It's nice that Avalon has published this statement, but it seems to understate the problems. "Some modifications including occasionally changing embarkation and disembarkation locations" hardly covers total cessation of traffic on the Rhine and the Rhone, or cruises turned into bus tours (as stated by Pywacket15 above).

 

D'accord.

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MERLOTCHAMPAGNE

MERLOTCHAMPAGNE

Posted
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Yes, it's aways good to be kept in the loop especially when it's about the water levels. Viking has a page on their website about current conditions and it's continuously updated. We're not on the Rhine until mid August but I've made a habit of checking the updates on possible interruptions just so I can prepare myself for the possibilities.

 

 

Where on the Viking website can you find this info? We're doing the Danube, Rhine and Main in August and would very much like to follow the updates.

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pully8

pully8

Posted
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agree. a nice pr gesture. we try to find the official current info from independent sources. it seems to take awhile to filter to passengers directly on board. we have had a variety of experiences on board including being given a letter explaining the new arrangements, which was rescinded after a short time. we were given new verbal instructions with a new letter to follow.

communication is mixed. reality is once on board go with the flow or bus whatever is provided. at least by looking at official websites the real situation is evident in real time, but its not easy when internet is not optimal.

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sunsetbeachgal

sunsetbeachgal

Posted
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I am on a cruise on the Rhine right now, where the river level is very, very high and I think lots of trips are being negatively impacted, not just embarkation or disembarkation, but also by having long bus rides to get to tours. We embarked in Mannheim rather than in Basel, and were bused to meet the ship, which turned out to be a good decision by the captain. He said some ships are stuck in Strasbourg or Basel, and may be there awhile.

Edited by sunsetbeachgal
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Bluehair

Bluehair

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Due to travel to Paris tomorrow for 11 day Burgundy and Provence tour with Avalon. What chance of completing this trip as planned in the opinion of more experienced travellers? This is our first river cruise.

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Pywacket15

Pywacket15

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Due to travel to Paris tomorrow for 11 day Burgundy and Provence tour with Avalon. What chance of completing this trip as planned in the opinion of more experienced travellers? This is our first river cruise.

 

 

All I can tell you us that we are leaving the Avalon Affinity Burgundy/Provence northbound river portion of the trip today in Avignon. We have only made it as far as Avignon. We were to finish the river portion of the cruise in Lyon on Monday. There have been no river boats sailing on the Rhone since Thursday and we have been rafted in Avignon with several other boats for 2 days. We have heard that this water situation won't change until Monday at the earliest. So Affinity will not be going north (albeit without passengers) for a few days yet. I have no further info to share except to say Avalon is doing it's best in rearranging our schedules and making hotel accommodations in Lyon where we will end up staying for 3 nights to continue the tour We are being bussed to some scheduled and some unscheduled tours over the next few days. We will then be going to Paris by train as scheduled to finish out the tour

 

To further complicate things Euro Cup is going on making accommodations scarce in some cities and rain in Paris and Northern France feeding the river systems.

 

All river boats on the Rhone have been affected, not just Avalon

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Pywacket15

Pywacket15

Posted
Posted
It's nice that Avalon has published this statement, but it seems to understate the problems. "Some modifications including occasionally changing embarkation and disembarkation locations" hardly covers total cessation of traffic on the Rhine and the Rhone, or cruises turned into bus tours (as stated by Pywacket15 above).

 

 

our current Avalon trup has been dramatically impacted so their posted msg is quite an understatement indeed. Avalon is doing their best to rearrange us.

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caviargal

caviargal

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our current Avalon trup has been dramatically impacted so their posted msg is quite an understatement indeed. Avalon is doing their best to rearrange us.

 

It is often a moving target for the river cruise lines and I think that is part of it, with the other factor being they are trying to avoid mass cancellations.;)

 

As for the Rhone, we have done that route 2x, once in summer and once in fall. Both had high water issues. AMA handled this wonderfully and we were able to sail the entire time and they simply reversed some of the ports. We did not miss anything.

 

Uniworld's boat on that river was larger and had more of a struggle with the water levels. We did sail the entire itinerary but had to go back to Avignon multiple times to dock overnight as we could not stay in the ports planned. They made it work.

 

"River happens" and you just never know.

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