How are cruise lines dealing with low water conditions?

[dcr_78704]

When being motor coached to the next city....is the time cut short that day? Or do you drive after dinner? I leave Saturday for the Viking Romantic Danube (from Budapest) and expecting lots of buses (unfortunately). My first time on a river cruise. I wish someone would have told me August was not a good time for a river cruise. TIA

[thestrand77]

I am midway through an APT cruise Budapest to Amsterdam on the AmaBella. We have had a couple of changes due to low water. We departed Budapest earlier than planned (17 August instead of 18 August) and spent an extra half day in Vienna. We are now unable to get from Passau to Regensburg and so are going by bus to Nuremberg and swapping ships to the AmaVerde. On both occasions bus tours have been on offer - bus back to Budapest from Vienna, and day trip to Regensburg from Passau. These have been long days so few passengers have taken the original options, but alternative tours have also been arranged.

 

I had been following low water threads for the few weeks before leaving Australia, so I wasn’t taken by surprise by the changes and from my point of view, APT have handled the situation extremely well. Given the extreme dry conditions I think we have been very lucky so far. Most passengers have been similarly accepting, I’ve only heard a few grumbles about having to pack and unpack! I take my hats off to the staff and crew who must have a lot of extra work to do but continue to deliver great service with good humour.