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

[ras5952]

2 hours ago, Clayton787 said:

Just disembarked in Budapest.  No problems from vilshofen to Budapest 

Great!! What ship?

[NJPA79]

Disembarked today in Budapest from Tauck MS Treasures, and I’m extremely happy to report we made the entire journey from Amsterdam with zero disruption due to water levels.  The ship was only about 60% to capacity — I assume the confluence of Covid, the Ukraine events, and water levels caused many to reschedule (understandably). 

Tauck, as usual, knocked it out of the park.  Not a hint of any lowering of their service standards.  
 

The crew said some delicate maneuvering was required a couple times on the journey, so kudos to our captain.  
 

Fantastic experience!

[notamermaid]

Germany is now certainly ending tons of water down the Danube. It is a miserable weekend with lots of rain and really cool temperatures, paired with gusts of wind. Currently strongest in precipitation in the hills Northeast of Cologne. But the band of rain is extending over a huge area that includes most of Bavaria. It may only be drizzle in parts but I do not think Pfelling gauge is getting much of a chance of dropping again. We will see how the week progresses. For now, the figure: 376cm. Getting better downstream as well. Budapest:

 

Higher volume of water reaching all of Hungary and now also beyond. Mohacs:

 

notamermaid

 

 

[notamermaid]

On 9/17/2022 at 8:27 AM, tucsonchic said:

Just got notification from Amawaterways that we will not be able to board the ship in Giurgiu (Bucharest) due to low water levels and will be bussed 2 hours away further north to be boarded. Ama is providing a bus for us

 

That is a pity. I think you will just miss the rise in water levels which is due to reach the lower Danube in the next few days. See post above.

Giurgiu:

 

Have a great cruise.

 

notamermaid

 

[judythg]

We are onboard the Scenic Jasper in Nuremberg and have been told that there will be no problem cruising down to Regensburg and beyond.

[trtog7]

How are things between Budapest and Bucharest?

[Haqdeluxe]

4 hours ago, trtog7 said:

How are things between Budapest and Bucharest?

If anything... It looks like some ships aren't making it all the way to Ruse. Even this appears to be hit and miss. Been lots of rain so perhaps we are at the end of this too.

[notamermaid]

12 hours ago, Haqdeluxe said:

If anything... It looks like some ships aren't making it all the way to Ruse. Even this appears to be hit and miss. Been lots of rain so perhaps we are at the end of this too.

Certainly getting better, as the volume of water due to rain in Germany is now beyond Budapest, i.e. has reached the lower Danube. I have no details of course. But judging from the improvement at Budapest over the last three days the situation should at least ease between Budapest and Bucharest. Not a big rise since Sunday, but it is there:

 

Would be nice to hear from a cruiser that is currently in the area of course.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

Pfelling gauge by the way is at 419cm. Now, even the unpredictable and sometimes erratic gauges in the area cannot drop so fast that they will have us worry again within 48 hours! I see it is cold in Pfelling, 10.1 Celsius. Chilly for a September day. No chance for the sun to take much water out of the Danube.

 

Pleasant sailing everyone.

 

notamermaid

 

[suezq]

We recently returned from our Passage to Eastern Europe cruise on the Viking Ullur, Budapest to Bucharest. We made it all the way to Giurgiu, and we were told that we were the first boat to do so in quite some time. Disembarked last Wednesday, 9/14.

[judythg]

6 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Certainly getting better, as the volume of water due to rain in Germany is now beyond Budapest, i.e. has reached the lower Danube. I have no details of course. But judging from the improvement at Budapest over the last three days the situation should at least ease between Budapest and Bucharest. Not a big rise since Sunday, but it is there:

 

Would be nice to hear from a cruiser that is currently in the area of course.

 

notamermaid

 

I am 4 hours out of Nuremberg on my way to Budapest on the Scenic Jasper and we have been told it will be smooth sailing all the way.  It has rained every day (3 days in Prague prior) and finally have seen some sun.

 

[notamermaid]

4 minutes ago, judythg said:

It has rained every day (3 days in Prague prior) and finally have seen some sun.

Ah, so it has been as unpleasant in the area as along the Rhine. Glad to read the sun is coming out. Same here.

 

Have a great time in Passau and Austria. I am sure the Wachau valley will be splendid in sunshine.

 

notamermaid

 

[judythg]

On 9/20/2022 at 6:21 PM, notamermaid said:

Ah, so it has been as unpleasant in the area as along the Rhine. Glad to read the sun is coming out. Same here.

 

Have a great time in Passau and Austria. I am sure the Wachau valley will be splendid in sunshine.

 

notamermaid

 

We had a wonderful day in the beautiful town of Regensberg and are en route to Passau.

[notamermaid]

19 hours ago, judythg said:

We had a wonderful day in the beautiful town of Regensberg and are en route to Passau.

Regensburg first, of course. Forgot to mention the town.

 

Regensburg saw the arrival of the Zasavica III today, a plain push boat but with a special cargo: the hull of the "Rheingold", a new river cruise ship. She has left the town and is now on the Main Danube Canal en route to Nuremberg, the Main and the Rhine. She will be turned into a proper river cruise ship in the Netherlands.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

On 9/20/2022 at 12:04 PM, notamermaid said:

Now, even the unpredictable and sometimes erratic gauges in the area cannot drop so fast that they will have us worry again within 48 hours!

48 hours have passed so what has happened? A considerable drop but as expected nothing to worry about, Pfelling gauge is at 373cm. As the weather is dry we will see the level fall further during the weekend. Right now it looks to be a slow decline. The forecast gives us 350cm and I am willing to believe that. I think Saturday will give us a better idea of what the absence of rain will do to the river levels in the area. Rain is forecast for Monday.

 

notamermaid

 

[judythg]

It is Friday, Sept 23, and we are in Durnstein, leaving for Vienna tomorrow.  Gorgeous day!  Levels are low, but we haven't heard any rumblings about the rest of our journey down to Budapest on Sunday.  I took a picture of the shore, but can't figure out how to post it from my tablet.

 

 

[trtog7]

Anyone travelling from Budapest to Bucharest? How are the water levels there?

[Haqdeluxe]

3 hours ago, trtog7 said:

Anyone travelling from Budapest to Bucharest? How are the water levels there?

Following the Viking Ullur sailing now from Budapest to Bucharest. The scheduled last stop is Ruse, Bulgaria. Reaching Ruse has been a coin toss of late. The Viking Vidar didn't make it earlier this week and stopped short at Turnu Magurele. However, the Emerald Destiny (a 135m ship) did sail into Giurgiu/Ruse. Otherwise there seems to be no other issues for 135m ships. We will know if the Ullur goes all the way come Monday. 

[trtog7]

17 minutes ago, Haqdeluxe said:

Following the Viking Ullur sailing now from Budapest to Bucharest. The scheduled last stop is Ruse, Bulgaria. Reaching Ruse has been a coin toss of late. The Viking Vidar didn't make it earlier this week and stopped short at Turnu Magurele. However, the Emerald Destiny (a 135m ship) did sail into Giurgiu/Ruse. Otherwise there seems to be no other issues for 135m ships. We will know if the Ullur goes all the way come Monday. 

Thank you. We will be on the Amaverde in 3 weeks. Hopefully it will make it all the way

[schoonslawn]

We are currently in Regensberg and travelled from Amsterdam with no water issues. Our captain advised that high water may be more of an issue but great as of now.

[cuulong]

9 hours ago, schoonslawn said:

We are currently in Regensberg and travelled from Amsterdam with no water issues. Our captain advised that high water may be more of an issue but great as of now.

wow the captain concerns about "high" water, that is great. I still worry about low water level as our trip is 3 weeks away starting from Budapest. Thank you and keep us posted for the rest of your trip.

[notamermaid]

9 hours ago, schoonslawn said:

Our captain advised that high water may be more of an issue but great as of now.

I cannot see it yet, but it can happen at Passau that the river level rises fast and ships cannot pass under the bridge. For now, in Germany all good of course. One may wonder if we will see high water levels later in autumn, despite scenarios and the press in August having made us worry about the contrary lasting into November. Thankfully at the moment it does not look as if a scenario like the one in 2018 will accompany us through October. But who knows...

 

Pfelling is at 324cm, i.e. in slow steady decline. Light rain is sweeping over Bavaria. Passau is at 441cm which leaves over 150cm till the bridge becomes a hazard in high water.

 

notamermaid

 

[ural guy]

On 9/24/2022 at 1:08 PM, notamermaid said:

I cannot see it yet, but it can happen at Passau that the river level rises fast and ships cannot pass under the bridge. For now, in Germany all good of course. One may wonder if we will see high water levels later in autumn, despite scenarios and the press in August having made us worry about the contrary lasting into November. Thankfully at the moment it does not look as if a scenario like the one in 2018 will accompany us through October. But who knows...

 

 

 

notamermaid

 

You've got bad luck Brian/Mary sailing mid-November...we could have high water issues with the Passau bridge, followed by low water outside Bratislava...so absolutely, who knows.

 

😉

[JAG64]

8 hours ago, ural guy said:

You've got bad luck Brian/Mary sailing mid-November...we could have high water issues with the Passau bridge, followed by low water outside Bratislava...so absolutely, who knows.

 

😉

We couldn't be this unlucky sailing in mid-November from Budapest to Amsterdam this year after having our cruise cancelled in late November 2018 because of no water in the rivers.

[notamermaid]

Pfelling did drop further yesterday and for a moment it looked as if a problem could arise. But rainy, cool weather means that overnight the level rose from 308cm yesterday lunchtime and is now at 315cm. There is rain coming from the West which has now reached the Danube catchment area in notable amounts.

 

notamermaid