Danube water levels 2022 and similar topics - plus tips and info

[Seattle1964]

50 minutes ago, steamboats said:

In Saxonia there are large wild fires.

 I hope the best for all and that everyone is safe.  This is sad news for me and such things I never heard of when I was growing up in the region.  I really don't understand how so many aren't taking all of this with great earnest!  It's one thing to have your school replaced by a fashion mall (real story) but to literally have your world burning is just unimaginable.  It will only get worse, I'm afraid.

All the best to everyone and let's not forget our Ukrainian friends... they'd probably trade for wild fires in a heartbeat.

Sort of makes our first-world problems rather insignificant.  Not that $10k USD isn't significant... but it isn't a human life or the place I grew up that is gone forever.  Humility. 😌

 

Edited July 29, 2022 by Seattle1964

[drisro1]

Update on water levels, after bottoming out at 252 around 0700 there has been slow rise to 258. Looks like there was rain over last 24-36 hours in the watershed area, so I expect more rise over the next couple days.  I have seen no ships passing through the low area today, but several docked at Passau, maybe waiting for the rising water to dash through the shallows!

[Canal archive]

It certainly won’t be a dash more of a gentle cruise and usually for some reason during the night. Maybe it’s something to do with the moons effect on the rivers.

[Daisi]

Looks like it’s raining good in Budapest.

[garlinn]

On 7/28/2022 at 10:38 AM, steamboats said:

And the steamboats in my profile picture is the Belle of Louisville...

DW properly dressed boarding the Belle of Louisville during the 100th birthday cerebration.

[Canal archive]

How very pretty, well done.

[notamermaid]

On 7/28/2022 at 11:19 AM, braemar12 said:

I will be going on the Amadeus Silver iii next Sunday. It will be interesting to see if she will be in Cologne next Sunday - this cruise is expected to go down the Rhine, to Rudesheim then along the Main/Danube to Miltenberg/Wertheim, Wurzburg, Bamberg, Nuremberg, Regensburg and Passau. Hopefully it will go according to schedule.

I am sure you have seen that the Amadeus Silver III used the window of opportunity when the river rose fast and for a short time after some rain (previous poster mentioned it). The Esprit also did it. The former is happily sailing on the Main now while the latter is on the Main Danube Canal. Both waterways are no real challenge in low water. I did not have time to look at other ships. Pfelling peaked at 288cm and further developments have already been reported. Thank you for that, folks.

 

Next challenge for the Amadeus Silver III is the Rhine Gorge. Could work.

 

Getting to the ship at Cologne - did you organize this yourself or was there an offer by the river cruise company booking that through them?

 

Hope you have a great time.

 

notamermaid

 

 

 

[braemar12]

I booked this river cruise using the Amadeus UK brochure. Fred. Olsen Travel are the general sales agent for Amadeus and Fred. chartered Amadeus Princess for a couple of seasons to sail as Brabant. I was originally booked to go on Brabant in 2021 for a cruise from Budapest to Cologne and this cruise will allow me to visit some of the ports that I was supposed to have called at on that cruise.

 

 

[steamboats]

15 hours ago, garlinn said:

DW properly dressed boarding the Belle of Louisville during the 100th birthday cerebration.

 

Very nice!!

 

steamboats

[drisro1]

The water levels are not updating at Pfelling or any of the other stations near there since about 1300 on July 31, so I have no idea what they are. Had gotten up to 268 as I was checking yesterday. Not sure if the website is down or what. Still seeing no passage through shallow area, but several ships on both sides, Deggendorf about 5 and Passau about 10.

[notamermaid]

Could be maintenance on that website. At 1pm the river level was 265cm. That is about what the forecast suggested for today. Little change anticipated for today and so far this holds true (at 3pm). Downward trend expected for tomorrow. Cloudy day in the South of Germany tomorrow, rain of note expected West of Regensburg. Which may give a rise at Pfelling on Tuesday but it is too early to say if and how much it will.

 

@Seattle1964 That burger looks vicious. I think I will skip and move onto whatever fruit you grow there.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

On 7/29/2022 at 7:39 AM, steamboats said:

BTW I purchased a Steiff armadillo later... and still have it.

I did not know they produce that. Different markets, different animals. Kangaroos in Australia I am sure. Never actually looked at the collection that much. Perhaps they have river sirens as well... I guess the market for an Isar fairy of sorts may be a bit small, though.

 

So, the Danube: Pfelling gauge has the daily fluctuation we know but on a higher level than it had been a few days ago. 264cm (1pm local time) is not enough though. A few clouds carrying and distributing rain have formed over the Bavarian Forest which is potential water from Deggendorf downstream. Does not look too good for today, perhaps a bit of rain around Ulm. But there is a greater likelihood of rain for the Upper Danube during the night.

 

The temperatures are rising again, Thursday looks to be the hottest day this week. After that we will see thunderstorms and a temperature drop. A chance for the Danube and the large river cruise ships? Perhaps another window of opportunity, that is my guess. One thunderstorm is not enough to keep the level high over a long period. We will just see a spike again as we did with the last bit of rain. Am I too pessimistic? We will find out at the weekend.

 

notamermaid

 

[steamboats]

3 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

I did not know they produce that. Different markets, different animals. Kangaroos in Australia I am sure.

 

I bought it here in Munich at Kaufhof - it was on sale 😂.

 

steamboats

[notamermaid]

10 minutes ago, steamboats said:

 

I bought it here in Munich at Kaufhof - it was on sale 😂.

 

steamboats

Oops, I thought it was the souvenir from Kentucky. Tells you I do not go to the big shops that much... When was the last time I was in a Kaufhof, hmm, I think 2019.

 

By the way, folks, Kaufhof/Karstadt Galeria is a chain of German department stores full of goodies and if you are a big shopper you can find lots of nice things beyond standard souvenirs (i.e. do not look for typical souvenirs in there). Here is the list of stores: https://www.galeria.de/filialen

I see Regensburg has got a shop.

 

I go to the one in Cologne here on the Rhine for food shopping and to use the toilets. Easier than café and nicer than public convenience. Cannot believe I have not been to Cologne city centre since 2019!

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

It is August, time to look back at July on the Danube at Pfelling. Not a happy sight:

 

On 9 July the river level fell below 290cm (the RNW line) and has stayed below since. See the window of opportunity for sailing for the large river cruise ships during the night of 27/28 July. 12 hours of an almost decent volume of water during which time the level peaked at 288cm.

 

According to BAfG (the water authorities) much of August is unlikely to improve as there is too little water in the ground from the long dry conditions. They do not directly refer to river cruising but general conditions along the river. Just to clarify.

 

notamermaid

 

[drisro1]

Thanks for the discouraging update.  The River Princess, on which we are supposed to cruise Aug 12-19, was scheduled to go from Regensberg to Straubing today and on to Passau tomorrow. Looks like it went to Straubing and then back to Regensberg.  I wonder if they are doing ship swap or “land cruising” the rest of the way to Vienna.  No notice of cancellation of our trip at this point.  We embark at Nuremberg so at least the ship is on the correct side of the impasse. Hoping for rain soon.

[steamboats]

3 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Oops, I thought it was the souvenir from Kentucky. Tells you I do not go to the big shops that much... When was the last time I was in a Kaufhof, hmm, I think 2019.

 

I bought it at least 10 years ago.

 

steamboats

[notamermaid]

37 minutes ago, drisro1 said:

We embark at Nuremberg so at least the ship is on the correct side of the impasse.

Which means you will be cruising from Nuremberg to Vienna on the Authentic Danube itinerary. The River Princess is 361 feet or 110m, so a slight bonus. But not enough to get her from Straubing to Passau it seems. Perhaps with a few more centimetres... Still got a few days till 12 August. Hope is there but I need to be honest.

 

This is no temporary low in the area, resolved by six hours of rain, there is serious water deficit, rainfall of the last 31 days was only 57 percent of yearly average along the Danube.

 

notamermaid

 

[mrbmcb]

20 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

Which means you will be cruising from Nuremberg to Vienna on the Authentic Danube itinerary. The River Princess is 361 feet or 110m, so a slight bonus. But not enough to get her from Straubing to Passau it seems. Perhaps with a few more centimetres... Still got a few days till 12 August. Hope is there but I need to be honest.

 

This is no temporary low in the area, resolved by six hours of rain, there is serious water deficit, rainfall of the last 31 days was only 57 percent of yearly average along the Danube.

 

notamermaid

 

I am cruising on the Viking Atla starting this Sunday August 7 from Regensburg to Budapest.  I saw a few weeks back someone in this forum stated that Viking changed the embarkment to Passau instead of Regensburg.  Are there any low water issues affecting Viking ship between Passau and Budapest?  Trying to determine whether to cancel trip.  No word from Viking as of today.

[Seattle1964]

25 minutes ago, mrbmcb said:

Are there any low water issues affecting Viking ship between Passau and Budapest?

Not just Viking.  The Atla is underway and still slated for Regensburg on the 6th, but that doesn't mean it will make it.  Many others are in port at Passau and those headed that direction from Budapest show Passau as their destination, not Regensburg.  There are many ships of the Atla class navigating that stretch;  Many have also cancelled and four of them are holed up in Enns.

@notamermaidsaid there is rain in the forecast but that single-day rains won't be enough to make anything but temporary changes.  I'm no expert on that region, but Passau to/from Budapest is currently navigable and 20+ of them are doing it... including the Atla.  Many more are in port, but that may just be itinerary.  There are no guarantees, but that stretch hasn't been dead even with the lowest gauge readings so far as I can recall.  @notamermaid??

[steamboats]

We just had a couple of drops... DH was standing at the grill with an umbrella 🤣.

 

steamboats

[notamermaid]

46 minutes ago, steamboats said:

We just had a couple of drops... DH was standing at the grill with an umbrella 🤣.

 

steamboats

Barbecue on a Monday? Decadence! Enjoy.

 

1 hour ago, Seattle1964 said:

Passau to/from Budapest is currently navigable and 20+ of them are doing it...

The levels in Austria tend to be better than in Germany due to locks and/or natural depth of river and different weather patterns. Likewise further downstream up to Budapest. There is a shallower part around the Danube knee near Esztergom. Ships may need to let embarkation happen at Komarno or Esztergom instead of Budapest depending on the levels. There appears to have been a slight improvement in the levels in Hungary. For a possible scenario (not fully up to date) see here: https://dailynewshungary.com/budapest-ships-in-emergeny-due-to-low-water-levels/

 

notamermaid

 

Edited August 1, 2022 by notamermaid
spelling

[steamboats]

12 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Barbecue on a Monday? Decadence! Enjoy.

 

Just outdoor cooking in summertime... Chicken kebap and grilled pumpkin.

 

steamboats

[milling73]

We are currently cruising on Viking Mimir from Budapest - Amsterdam. 
Now near Krems, going towards Melk Abbey in Austria. 
we have passed a few other riverboats from opposite direction, and so far have not had any water level issues. 
cooler temps than we expected, and cloudy. It is mid 60’s right now. 

[notamermaid]

6 hours ago, steamboats said:

 

Just outdoor cooking in summertime... Chicken kebap and grilled pumpkin.

 

steamboats

I don't think I have ever eaten grilled pumpkin. Not having garden or own convenient yard I never do outdoor dining at home. Talking of outdoor, it would be nice to do that on a river cruise ship. Seen a lunch barbecue on a river cruise ship on television. When I sailed it was too cold for the staff to offer that (April). One day it did actually get warm enough to sit (and fall asleep) on the sun deck enjoying the sunshine. Bliss!

 

Pfelling gauge: no real change, fluctuating, no clear trend. 261cm. Temperature 27.1 Celsius and rising. Hotter tomorrow. Rain forecast for Friday.

 

notamermaid