Danube water levels 2018 and similar topics - plus tips and info

[JNJATSEA]

Crystal Mozart Nov 10 - 20

 

Received Crystal letter about the passage between Bratislava & Budapest. Has anyone received the same form letter and if so...any more information? Crystal will say nothing, rather like "watching water boil" - representative on telephone did not know what country Budapest was in so calling is a lost cause.   Anyone joining this cruise? Looking forward to Crystal top notch service, though have never sailed a river cruise with the line - Danke James

[Mark_T]

Ships have been sailing perfectly well between Bratislava and Budapest for some days now and the signs are good that there will be sufficient water along that stretch for the moment, but you are talking about something at least 10 days away so right now certainty is in short supply...

Edited November 2, 2018 by Mark_T

[TimL]

We are on the Viking Egil Nuremberg to Budapest departing November 10th.  I received an email from Viking this morning with this modification:

 

"At this time, we expect your ship will be unable to sail between Regensburg and Passau. To bypass the affected area, we will enact what we call a mid-cruise "ship swap." Because Viking operates identical ships traveling in opposite directions along the river, we are able to transfer you by motorcoach from your ship to an identical sister ship further along the river. There, you can resume your itinerary with minimal impact."

 

 

[Mark_T]

6 minutes ago, TimL said:

We are on the Viking Egil Nuremberg to Budapest departing November 10th.  I received an email from Viking this morning with this modification:

 

"At this time, we expect your ship will be unable to sail between Regensburg and Passau...."

 

 

 

That is consistent with the currently falling water levels in that area and the lack of rain forecast in the right places, but at least it is just a ship-swap and Viking have had a lot of practice with those this year so expect it to go smoothly...

[TimL]

1 minute ago, Mark_T said:

 

That is consistent with the currently falling water levels in that area and the lack of rain forecast in the right places, but at least it is just a ship-swap and Viking have had a lot of practice with those this year so expect it to go smoothly...

Thanks. Does a ship swap affect excursions at all?  We have an 8 hour tour to Munich on the Regensburg day (nov 12th) and a 9 hour Salzburg one the next day.

[Jcat2010]

These are all consistent with viking ship traffic.  They appear to be staging ships for swaps at critical points. Regensburg/Passau appears to be the current sticking point. If I were on viking ship with a Regensburg/Passau swap, I'd ask that they take me from Regensburg to Munich, and return me downstream of Passau  to the swapped ship.  

 

Just me 

[JNJATSEA]

CRYSTAL MOZART has no ship to swap to....anyone onboard Crystal now or the pat cruise

[G.M.T.]

4 minutes ago, TimL said:

Thanks. Does a ship swap affect excursions at all?  We have an 8 hour tour to Munich on the Regensburg day (nov 12th) and a 9 hour Salzburg one the next day.

The ship swap will probably will not affect your excursions, if it is on the Munich day, while you are there the ship would move to Passau day then the bus will take you to Passau. If nop move then back to Regensburg. Save situation for Salzburg excursion, leave Regensburg and rejoin the ship in Passau.

[Mark_T]

3 minutes ago, JNJATSEA said:

CRYSTAL MOZART has no ship to swap to....anyone onboard Crystal now or the pat cruise

 

Crystal have simply been adjusting itineraries to avoid the blockages, so in general you'd expect to be onboard your ship for the duration of the cruise, but no necessarily visiting the ports you were originally scheduled to be at...

 

In a few cases they have had to shorten a cruise but that has not been common from what I've seen reported on here.

[notamermaid]

Looking for your ship in Linz in Austria? You might spot it here: https://www.bergfex.at/sommer/linz/webcams/c7838/

 

On the Danube and on the Rhine several places have good webcams, luckily for us, a few are placed so that you can make out ships.

 

It is worth searching around on the internet. Admittedly some sites are full of advertising, but others are private (sort of, they advertise themselves, i.e. a hotel or similar).

 

notamermaid

 

[Begete]

Has anyone seen or heard anything from or about Uniworld? We are supposed to board the River Duchess in Budapest November 9 and head norther the evening of November 10.

[notamermaid]

1 minute ago, Begete said:

Has anyone seen or heard anything from or about Uniworld? We are supposed to board the River Duchess in Budapest November 9 and head norther the evening of November 10.

You are here already. Well, I was just fiddling around with webcam sites and posted this little film above for your benefit - and everyone else who likes shipspotting.

 

notamermaid

 

 

 

[Mark_T]

9 minutes ago, Begete said:

Has anyone seen or heard anything from or about Uniworld? We are supposed to board the River Duchess in Budapest November 9 and head norther the evening of November 10.

 

She is scheduled to be in Budapest on the 8th so all looks good if you board on the 9th...

[Flamencacha]

1 hour ago, Begete said:

Has anyone seen or heard anything from or about Uniworld? We are supposed to board the River Duchess in Budapest November 9 and head norther the evening of November 10.

Hey on the Danube down stream.  They wouldn’t let me on board but she appears to be down stream from Linz,  she rafted with us on the Panorama. 

[Coral]

6 hours ago, JNJATSEA said:

CRYSTAL MOZART has no ship to swap to....anyone onboard Crystal now or the pat cruise

 

Worst case - you may do an itinerary similar to what I am doing November 20th (not Budapest).

[Begete]

53 minutes ago, Flamencacha said:

Hey on the Danube down stream.  They wouldn’t let me on board but she appears to be down stream from Linz,  she rafted with us on the Panorama. 

Thank you...but what does “rafted with us on the Panorama” mean?

[G.M.T.]

Rafting is when two boats are moored (tied up) together is one berth, so if your boat is on the outside you have to go though the first boat to get to yours.

 

When rafted you can look into the cabins of your cruise neighbour, no binoculars are needed.

[B'Elanna]

On 11/1/2018 at 9:41 PM, worldtraveller99 said:

Hi B'Elanna we are on that cruise too, as is Gregg from Ohio - see All Christmas Markets 2018 Cruises Roll Call thread in All Other River Cruise Roll Calls! I received my tickets yesterday. The ship has been happily chugging between Vienna and Passau all month, so I trust that at least that section will be fine. Long term forecasts are rain just when we arrive, oh well, but at least hopefully we will make it all the way to Nuremburg. Please do join us on the Roll Call - and come and say hallo in the bar!

Hi Gregg,

 

Good to know!

 

I looked for the roll call but couldn't find it. Can you direct me to it? I will try again later.

[JNJATSEA]

Anyone joining us on Crystal Mozart Nov 10 cruise?

 

Thx

 

J

Edited November 3, 2018 by JNJATSEA

[Mark_T]

7 hours ago, B'Elanna said:

Hi Gregg,

 

Good to know!

 

I looked for the roll call but couldn't find it. Can you direct me to it? I will try again later.

 

I suspect that this is the one you are looking for...

 

 

[bubbulz]

Uniworld's SS Maria Theresa made it into Bratislava and now is in Budapest for the first time in ages. Hope this trend continues!

[Flamencacha]

So do I, Avalon Panorama was notified in writing that we will also be going to Budapest via the Danube. 

47 minutes ago, bubbulz said:

Uniworld's SS Maria Theresa made it into Bratislava and now is in Budapest for the first time in ages. Hope this trend continues!

 

[G.M.T.]

The Danube levels between Passau and Regensburg are like Cruisecritic ALL went down.

 

The river are now back to the pre-rain levels. No rain insight for at least 6 days.

 

Haven't see any cruise boats between Passau and Regensburg on Marinetraffic. I have that vessel tracking sites do not always show the same information. The web sites I uae are:

 

https://www.marinetraffic.com/

https://www.vesselfinder.com/

https://www.cruisemapper.com/

https://www.fleetmon.com/

[Mark_T]

7 minutes ago, G.M.T. said:

Haven't see any cruise boats between Passau and Regensburg on Marinetraffic. I have that vessel tracking sites do not always show the same information.

I agree, I've not seen anything either.

 

One to watch over the next couple of days is 'Excellence Melodia' She is still north of Nuremberg at the moment but is trying to reach Passau. She is travelling empty so making good speed and progress, but I fear she will come to a halt soon...

Edited November 4, 2018 by Mark_T

[claudiaYVR]

On 11/2/2018 at 9:58 AM, JNJATSEA said:

CRYSTAL MOZART has no ship to swap to....anyone onboard Crystal now or the pat cruise

Friends on Mozart right now. Today in Passau, scheduled to arrive in Budapest on the 7th. So far no indications of a change in the itinerary and BTW they are having a wonderful time.