Rhine water levels 2018 and similar topics

[Walsen]

We just returned from a Viking river cruse from Basel to Amsterdam. We were on the Kara\Hlen river boats we had to do a ship swap 1\2 through the cruse. Viking took very good care of us during the entire cruse. They put us on board on a smaller day cruse boat so that we could see the rhine river gorge. as a bonus we were able to spend a little extra time at Heildeburg had a great meal at a local Brewery. When we were at Colome they told us that the water levels were at the lowest ever. On the trip from Colome to Kinderdike there was some place that we were scrapping the bottom of the ship. It was still a Great cruse We are really happy with everthing

[Laura Macky]

24 minutes ago, RiverCruiseKim said:

Hi Robin,

 

We we’re driven through the Rhine gorge section on a bus to see the castles - not exactly the best vantage point. I did notice the smaller tour boats going up and down the gorge while we were driving so I wondered why they didn’t try to arrange something like that for us. 

 

As as far as hotels they put us up in Cologne for two nights at a Marriott and one night in Amsterdam at the Sheraton at the Airport. Most people were really unhappy with the Sheraton since we were so far away from the heart of Amsterdam with very limited food choices - most ended up eating in the airport. 

 

There were quite a few excursions cancelled - I can’t remember all of them off the top of my head but we never made it to Speyer, the castle Vollrads wine tasting was cancelled, and I think there may have been something else in Koblenz that was cancelled. Some of the other excursions like the Marksburg castle tour still happened but there was not a lot of participation as it was a 2 hour bus ride there and 2 hours back - most people I talked to who didn’t do it said the long bus ride was why. 

 

As as far as food and drinks there was an included buffet breakfast at the hotels each morning but for lunch and dinner you were on your own and just given money - I believe it was $30 euros each for lunch and $50 for dinner. The unlimited drinks we completely lost out on and were not compensated for in any way. 

 

We did use a travel agent and I talked to her right after finding out the cruise ship would not continue and she said we would talk again when we got home. If she can’t help then I plan on contacting Uniworld as this was absolutely not up to the standards for what we paid for this trip. 

 

Kim

 

Tauck did that for us although my husband and I flew home that day, but I was talking about it with someone else on the ship who does a lot of river cruises and they say that not all river cruises are equal especially when something goes wrong.

[Shappy]

Just got home last night from Avalon's Artistry II Oct 11 sailing from Amsterdam to Remich.  The only inconvenience was that were were not able to sail the Rhine gorge but they more than made up for it by putting us on a day excursion boat, a beautiful fun lunch in Rudesheim, etc.  Avalon was a class act in my opinion and I felt very well taken care of and extremely happy with the trip and how Avalon handled everything.  

 

The Rhine just appears to be drying up.  Shoreline, beaches and islands in the middle of the river!  Sunny, warm weather the entire trip and zero rain.  We spoke to lots of Germans who expressed much dismay (except for obviously enjoying the heavenly weather.)  

 

We went to Oberwesel and Mainz at the end of the cruise and the Rhine is almost empty save an occasional barge. 

 

 

[notamermaid]

Hello Shappy,

I am glad to read that you have had such a good time. I saw the Artistry II docked for a while at Engers. This is part of that itinerary, isn't? But did you stay longer than planned and took the excursion from there? Can you remember the name of that boat and/or the company?

We do not hear much about this itinerary, it is one of the rarer ones. Incidentally, it is a more fortunate one to do in drought as, like you have hinted at, the tricky Rhine gorge is easier to manage with an excursion boat and then you can rejoin the Avalon towards Amsterdam without much impact!

 

notamermaid

 

[Shappy]

Not sure if we were docked in Engers.  It was Sunday October 14.  We were bussed into Rudesheim (about 1 1/2 hours) so got to see the Rhine from the bus too.   Had a beautiful lunch and on to our excursion boat through the Rhine Gorge.   All was wonderful and went off seamlessly.  This was the only change to our itinerary and was so minor I don't anyone noticed we were all having such a good time!  Avalon did an outstanding job dealing with this.  

 

 

[austinetc]

Arrived in Amsterdam for our Oct 26th A-B Grand European Tour.  Waiting for us was an email from Viking.

 

Friday hotel somewhere in Amsterdam (not specified).  Saturday bus to ship in Mainz with a tour and lunch in Cologne. Sunday a boat tour down river to Koblenz. Lunch and tour of Marksburg Castle. Bus return to Mainz. Monday tour of Mainz and the Gutenberg Museum.  They confirmed the ship swap in Passau and that the ship would end short of Budapest with hotel stays there.  25% credit for a future cruise.

 

Our start date is one of the few times Viking has two ships going at the same time from both ends.  I'll be curious how the other ship's passengers are handled.  Viking has six ships available forthe Amsterdam to Koblenz run, covering both the A-B and A-Basel cruises.

 

I'm not angry with Viking, though I certainly would like to know in advance the hotel they have us staying in.  Near city center or not?  Otherwise, it is what it is.  Life is a bowl of cherries.  There's got to be a few pits.

Edited October 22, 2018 by austinetc
Fix

[jpintrepid]

If you do end up in a hotel far from the center of Amsterdam, say at Schiphol airport, it is easy to get into the city by train, and service directly to Amsterdam Centraal is frequent. Amsterdam public transport goes everywhere and it’s safe.

[gnome12]

2 hours ago, austinetc said:

Arrived in Amsterdam for our Oct 26th A-B Grand European Tour.  Waiting for us was an email from Viking.

 

Friday hotel somewhere in Amsterdam (not specified).  Saturday bus to ship in Mainz with a tour and lunch in Cologne. Sunday a boat tour down river to Koblenz. Lunch and tour of Marksburg Castle. Bus return to Mainz. Monday tour of Mainz and the Gutenberg Museum.  They confirmed the ship swap in Passau and that the ship would end short of Budapest with hotel stays there.  25% credit for a future cruise.

 

Our start date is one of the few times Viking has two ships going at the same time from both ends.  I'll be curious how the other ship's passengers are handled.  Viking has six ships available forthe Amsterdam to Koblenz run, covering both the A-B and A-Basel cruises.

 

I'm not angry with Viking, though I certainly would like to know in advance the hotel they have us staying in.  Near city center or not?  Otherwise, it is what it is.  Life is a bowl of cherries.  There's got to be a few pits.

It is tough to get you information in advance because it is tough to book large numbers of hotel rooms at the last minute.

[pully8]

Have seen reports of people not being informed of a cancelled cruise in advance and does present difficulties for them.

This current situation has been going on some months and operators need to have plans in place.

we have discussed this for years on going problem it seems.

[G.M.T.]

10 hours ago, austinetc said:

Arrived in Amsterdam for our Oct 26th A-B Grand European Tour.  Waiting for us was an email from Viking.

 

Friday hotel somewhere in Amsterdam (not specified).  Saturday bus to ship in Mainz with a tour and lunch in Cologne. Sunday a boat tour down river to Koblenz. Lunch and tour of Marksburg Castle. Bus return to Mainz. Monday tour of Mainz and the Gutenberg Museum.  They confirmed the ship swap in Passau and that the ship would end short of Budapest with hotel stays there.  25% credit for a future cruise.

 

Our start date is one of the few times Viking has two ships going at the same time from both ends.  I'll be curious how the other ship's passengers are handled.  Viking has six ships available forthe Amsterdam to Koblenz run, covering both the A-B and A-Basel cruises.

 

I'm not angry with Viking, though I certainly would like to know in advance the hotel they have us staying in.  Near city center or not?  Otherwise, it is what it is.  Life is a bowl of cherries.  There's got to be a few pits.

Whatever happens, have a great time. Passau is full of beautiful people, well at least one - me.

[Mark_T]

10 hours ago, austinetc said:

Arrived in Amsterdam for our Oct 26th A-B Grand European Tour.  Waiting for us was an email from Viking.

 

Friday hotel somewhere in Amsterdam (not specified).  Saturday bus to ship in Mainz with a tour and lunch in Cologne. Sunday a boat tour down river to Koblenz. Lunch and tour of Marksburg Castle. Bus return to Mainz. Monday tour of Mainz and the Gutenberg Museum.  They confirmed the ship swap in Passau and that the ship would end short of Budapest with hotel stays there.  25% credit for a future cruise.

 

Our start date is one of the few times Viking has two ships going at the same time from both ends.  I'll be curious how the other ship's passengers are handled.  Viking has six ships available forthe Amsterdam to Koblenz run, covering both the A-B and A-Basel cruises.

 

I'm not angry with Viking, though I certainly would like to know in advance the hotel they have us staying in.  Near city center or not?  Otherwise, it is what it is.  Life is a bowl of cherries.  There's got to be a few pits.

 

That ship swap 'in Passau' will probably be to a ship in Passau, but I suspect it will be from the other side of Bamberg.

 

This is where Viking are winning this year with enough ships to bridge around the really bad bits, so if you prefer a 'cruise' of some sort rather than a cancellation then Viking is the place to be.

 

Similarly Crystal are being creative with the itineraries, they are not delivering anything like what was booked, but they are doing cruises without ship swaps (because they can't due to lack of ships).

 

APT aren't doing too badly either with creative solutions for those unable to complete a cruise and straight cancellations of cruises they know can't be delivered.

[notamermaid]

austinetc,

Thank you for the info. Have a great time in Amsterdam. You have got a couple of days to prepare yourself for the long bus ride. I wonder how a passenger might feel who has not informed himself so well beforehand and hates bus rides...

It will take around five hours pure driving to get from Amsterdam to Mainz. With a stop in Cologne this is really manageable (for reasonably healthy individuals). It sounds well organized and you will be on an excursion boat! I am glad that this worry is out of the way for you. It would be nice if you could remember the name of the boat and post it, I am just interested who Viking has been able to hire.

Have a great time.

Passau really is an attractive town.

 

notamermaid

 

[Mark_T]

Well, our ticket package just arrived in the mail for our Amsterdam-Budapest cruise with APT on November 10th and I'm sure now that we are doomed...    

 

... it looks like the upgrade fairy has smiled upon us, so cancellation is now a foregone conclusion 🙂 

 

We also received a well timed letter from APT emailed by our TA after she phoned us first, to make sure we were aware of the situation before getting the letter which explains the problems and that they will make a final determination on what is happening a little over a week ahead of the departure date.

 

In short the communication couldn't really be better at this point and APT are certainly staying on top of everything, we just have to keep hoping for some strategically located rain in the next 10 days...

[notamermaid]

9 minutes ago, Mark_T said:

Well, our ticket package just arrived in the mail for our Amsterdam-Budapest cruise with APT on November 10th and I'm sure now that we are doomed...    

 

... it looks like the upgrade fairy has smiled upon us, so cancellation is now a foregone conclusion 🙂 

 

We also received a well timed letter from APT emailed by our TA after she phoned us first, to make sure we were aware of the situation before getting the letter which explains the problems and that they will make a final determination on what is happening a little over a week ahead of the departure date.

 

In short the communication couldn't really be better at this point and APT are certainly staying on top of everything, we just have to keep hoping for some strategically located rain in the next 10 days...

 

I suppose things are getting serious for you now and it is time to start thinking about packing (unless you are like me who does that sort of thing 48 hours before she sets off).

 

APT is really doing well with communication, I must say. And they better be with CruiseCritic being around and us all filling the search engines with hits about low water. We are doing well. Talking of search engines. The river cruise woes have reached Australia and New Zealand in the news in that travelweekly (the Australian version) has published this article: http://www.travelweekly.com.au/article/weather-forces-apt-and-travelmarvel-to-cancel-multiple-river-cruises/

 

Rain is coming to the Rhine valley, but the strategic aspect is very much in the open...

 

notamermaid

 

[Mark_T]

2 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

 

I suppose things are getting serious for you now and it is time to start thinking about packing (unless you are like me who does that sort of thing 48 hours before she sets off).

 

Fortunately we are late packers. We have it down to an art form after many years of me constantly traveling for business and often at short notice, so anything more than 24 hours ahead is a luxury.

 

I just completed a full round the world with additional side trips using only carry-on so a full suitcase is an unbelievable space to fill for me (something my wife finds both useful and inconceivable 🙂 )

 

In any event if our itinerary goes ahead and it brings us close to you at an opportune moment, we certainly owe you coffee and cake for all your work keeping us updated (assuming it is still a little early for glühwein and lebkuchen).

[notamermaid]

18 minutes ago, Mark_T said:

Fortunately we are late packers. We have it down to an art form after many years of me constantly traveling for business and often at short notice, so anything more than 24 hours ahead is a luxury.

 

I just completed a full round the world with additional side trips using only carry-on so a full suitcase is an unbelievable space to fill for me (something my wife finds both useful and inconceivable 🙂 )

 

In any event if our itinerary goes ahead and it brings us close to you at an opportune moment, we certainly owe you coffee and cake for all your work keeping us updated (assuming it is still a little early for glühwein and lebkuchen).

 

Thank you. Coffee and cake would be lovely.  I am a traditionalist, no Christmas decoration or Lebkuchen and Christmas biscuits before the Monday after Sunday of the Dead.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

I have completely forgotten to mention the river levels today. They have not changed much. Here goes: Maxau 321cm, Kaub 29cm, Koblenz 24cm. The graph predicting water levels at Maxau is going up nicely on Sunday but whether that will have any more than a slight impact to get us out of the very low water zone into the low water zone remains to be seen. The levels are beyond anything that can be helped with just a couple of hours of rain. I am a bit sceptical about getting to sort of normal river cruise traffic soon especially after reading several comments of local authorities spokespersons in newspaper articles over the last few days.

 

I am posting this article in German because I love the large photo. It is the Bingen Mouse Tower (Binger Mäuseturm) on the island in the Rhine and people walked across the very low section of the riverbed there onto the island. The caption says that the last time this was possible was 15 years ago (when many places along the Rhine had record low water levels that have now been replaced by lower record low water levels!): https://www.echo-online.de/lokales/region/niedrigwasser-am-rhein-naturschauspiel-und-problem_19137542

The ferry that takes visitors across to the island stopped operating a few days ago due to the low water level.

 

notamermaid

 

[acwmom]

1 hour ago, notamermaid said:

I have completely forgotten to mention the river levels today. They have not changed much. Here goes: Maxau 321cm, Kaub 29cm, Koblenz 24cm. The graph predicting water levels at Maxau is going up nicely on Sunday but whether that will have any more than a slight impact to get us out of the very low water zone into the low water zone remains to be seen. The levels are beyond anything that can be helped with just a couple of hours of rain. I am a bit sceptical about getting to sort of normal river cruise traffic soon especially after reading several comments of local authorities spokespersons in newspaper articles over the last few days.

 

I am posting this article in German because I love the large photo. It is the Bingen Mouse Tower (Binger Mäuseturm) on the island in the Rhine and people walked across the very low section of the riverbed there onto the island. The caption says that the last time this was possible was 15 years ago (when many places along the Rhine had record low water levels that have now been replaced by lower record low water levels!): https://www.echo-online.de/lokales/region/niedrigwasser-am-rhein-naturschauspiel-und-problem_19137542

The ferry that takes visitors across to the island stopped operating a few days ago due to the low water level.

 

notamermaid

 

Wow, that is an impressive picture! Having cruised past it last year, with tons of room to spare, it's easy to see why ships can't sail.

 

Robin

[notamermaid]

And here is a video to go with the photo of the area. The ships that pass each other at 1:56 look scarily close: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we6tZNjv20A

 

notamermaid

 

 

[Laura Macky]

So sad notamermaid.  😞

[kathywin53]

impressive video, certainly not what one expects on a river cruise.

 

[Mrs Miggins]

Just returned from Scenic Rhine highlights.  Had to embark Jewel in Worms not Basel.  Stayed there a couple of nights then ship moved to Frankfurt.  Then we had to pack, all take an all day excursion then further 2 hour coach trip to Cologne to transfer to Amber, incidentally newer ship with friendlier crew.  2 days there then off to Amsterdam

We had a great time because we met such lovely people but really not terribly impressed with Scenic.  Not their fault about river levels but entertainment, food, interaction with senior staff not really 5 star.

[Rusty3]

Our Crystal Mahler cruise is scheduled to depart Amsterdam to Budapest on Nov. 4, our flight to Amsterdam is set for Nov. 1. That is one week from now!

NOT ONE WORD from Crystal or our TA at this late date regarding what to expect. Unlike a few others on this thread we are not so sanguine with the idea of boarding our flight without any notion of what will happen upon arrival in Amsterdam. After 23 ocean cruises with Crystal I am  shocked by how there has been no information forthcoming.... How hard would it be to send us a date certain as to when they will issue the decision as to cancelation or other options. At this point we would accept the cruise cancellation and full refund with a big sigh of relief .... even though we have looked forward to this river cruise after booking it almost 2 years ago. Anyone out there who has info regarding Crystal's response to recent Rhine/Danube sailings please share.

Thanks to all of you!

[gigmom23]

Our cruise on the Crystal Bach from Amsterdam to Frankfurt is supposed to start Oct 28, with us flying to Amsterdam this coming Saturday, the 27th. We’ve had no communication from Crystal yet about any changes to our cruise. Given the present circumstances on the Rhine, I don’t think the adage of “no news is good news” applies. We’re hoping for the best, but the total lack of communication from Crystal is troubling. 

[Rusty3]

Gigmom, thanks for the reply. I would love to hear from you upon any Crystal communication. I assume from your post that you will take your flight as scheduled, even without more info from Crystal ..??  All I can tell from online weather forecasts (10 and 14 days out) is there is low probability of sufficient rainfall to change the rivers' levels enough for the cruise boats.

I'll post here as soon as I learn anything relevant to this issue.

Other Crystal passengers?