Danube water levels 2023 and similar topics - plus tips and info

[thewardz]

On Emerald Sun from Budapest to Ragensburg.

Arrived yesterday (13/9/23) at Passau. Told by CD that due to low water levels at Pfelling, we would be unable to sail to Ragensburg overnight. So stayed in Passau with buses to Ragensburg today and transfers to airport from here tomorrow.

[notamermaid]

4 hours ago, thewardz said:

On Emerald Sun from Budapest to Ragensburg.

Welcome to Cruisecritic and thank you for reporting from the Danube. I hope the cruise has been great so far. An unfortunately curtailed end.

 

Yes, a bit too low for some ships, Pfelling gauge has disappointed so far today and remains annoyingly stable under 290cm. Current level is 283cm.

 

notamermaid

 

[romanm]

I have been keeping up with water levels on the river since I booked an October Viking cruise back in April… I never thought it would be this fascinating haha!! First time posting, but I will be sure to report on our experiences once on board the ship. Thanks all!

[island lady]

We board Viking Vidar on the 20th.  Still have fingers crossed that the river levels will be kind to us, European Sojourn from Bucharest to Amsterdam traversing the Danube.  

 

Kind of like Goldilocks and the 3 bears... Papa bear, Momma bear, and Baby bear.  😉  Baby bear's porridge was just right LOL!  I want the baby bear river.  😄 

[Izengolf]

Last night Avalon Tranquility II, Scenic Jewel (with Kristelle 🙂) and SS Beatrice all sailed from Regensburg to Passau so hopefully other ships can get by Pfelling today as well. 

Edited September 15, 2023 by Izengolf
Typo

[Canal archive]

All three are less than 2mtre draught so they are fairly shallow, and especially if they lighten their water load their Captain’s will have no challenges getting through. 
Hope your still enjoying yourself Kristelle.

[notamermaid]

There was a short high at Pfelling, around midnight, of 287cm. That may have been all that was needed to ease/allow the passage. Fluctuation happens so the gauge shows 285cm now. It is warm again. And it is staying interesting. Or as I called it earlier this week: "wobbly".

 

notamermaid

 

[Kristelle]

Yes we got through that stretch last night. A few bumps throught the night were apparently due to shallow water - bottom of ship scraping onto river bed?? 

[notamermaid]

Pfelling gauge went as high as 299cm this morning and is now at 295cm. Just a short wave to "ride" on? A bright sunny day and a further rise of the temperatures in Bavaria could bring the level back down again. Much rain is forecast for some parts of Southern Germany late on Monday.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

The "wobbly week" is drawing to a close and today we see the level at Pfelling back down on 285cm. Enough for all ships still? Or will the information on the ground for captains mean they will need to avoid the passage through the shallows this evening?

 

We may of course see a slightly higher level as the day progresses but the forecast suggests that the river is on the "down slope".

 

On a happier note: we have the "Oktoberfest" in Munich coming up! And the spin-offs, i.e. the fun without the tradition fests, in other towns in Germany. But there are other traditional autumn festivals apart from the one in Munich of course.

 

In my area along the Rhine we go for wine - wine festivals and harvest festivals as well as traditional "Kirmes" days coming up.

 

Wonder if there is a time to cruise when you can stagger from Oktoberfest, beer festival, wine festival, Kirmes and annual harvest market to another on a Grand European cruise? 😁 😁

 

notamermaid

 

 

 

 

[steamboats]

3 hours ago, notamermaid said:

On a happier note: we have the "Oktoberfest" in Munich coming up!

😁 😁

 

Can't see anything happy related to this....

 

Worst two weeks of the year.

 

steamboats

[rcaruso]

2 hours ago, steamboats said:

 

Can't see anything happy related to this....

 

Worst two weeks of the year.

 

steamboats

We flew into Munich a few years back during Oktoberfest and immediately tood the train to Augsburg. The train was standing room only, the toilet broken and sick folks from too much beer.  Loved Augsburg.

[notamermaid]

3 hours ago, steamboats said:

 

Can't see anything happy related to this....

 

Worst two weeks of the year.

 

steamboats

Yes, I know, you are the "un-enthusiast". We have people here on the Rhine who always go on holiday to flee Carnival - or avoid a festival in or near their town. Wanna come to the Rhine valley? It is nice and quiet away from Rüdesheim and such places - only five hours by train. But closer to your home I recommend the hills behind Würzburg.

 

notamermaid

 

 

 

[steamboats]

I lived in Karlstadt as a child. So I definitely know the Würzburg area. And I prefer the Weinfeste over the Oktoberfest 😂.

 

And I'm happy that carnival is not that much of a thing in Munich 🤦.

 

steamboats 

[notamermaid]

22 minutes ago, steamboats said:

I lived in Karlstadt as a child. So I definitely know the Würzburg area. And I prefer the Weinfeste over the Oktoberfest 😂.

 

And I'm happy that carnival is not that much of a thing in Munich 🤦.

 

steamboats 

Ah yes, Karlstadt. You had mentioned this a while back but I had forgotten. I am quite partial to a bit of Carnival but my worst experience was on a train to Cologne from where I connected to Essen. Happened to be on 11 November some years ago. Elfter Elfter - never travel on that day in the Rhineland on a train unless it is a high speed one and then choose first class. The train to Essen was more civilized and the passengers on board who appeared to have just arrived by plane at Cologne must have felt at unease. At least I did - what an embarrassing display and not what I would want a tourist to remember Cologne is like.

 

The wine festivals tend to be a bit more civilized around here than the beer festivals. But avoid groups of travellers in the big hotels along the Moselle that have never tried Federweisser before especially when they have paired it with onion cake...

 

Note to river cruise passengers: if you have the chance and bear in mind that this stuff is young wine that is still fermenting, do try some. You cannot take it home as the bottles are never corked. Here is some info: https://www.germanwines.de/knowledge/wine-more/new-wine-federweisser/

 

notamermaid

 

Edited September 17, 2023 by notamermaid
correction

[rcaruso]

2 hours ago, notamermaid said:

The wine festivals tend to be a bit more civilized around here than the beer festivals. But avoid groups of travellers in the big hotels along the Moselle that have never tried Federweisser before especially when they have paired it with onion cake...

 

 

 

notamermaid

 

Oh yes I was warned by my friends in Karlstadt to be careful of the federweisser and zwieble kuchen!

[rcaruso]

2 hours ago, steamboats said:

I lived in Karlstadt as a child. So I definitely know the Würzburg area. And I prefer the Weinfeste over the Oktoberfest 😂.

 

And I'm happy that carnival is not that much of a thing in Munich 🤦.

 

steamboats 

Do you remember Holler Grill and Parfumerie Kramer in KIarlstadt?

[island lady]

Happy to be passing through early October on the Viking Vidar.   At least our hotel is waiting for us after we find the beer tents within walking ...er....stumbling?...distance.  😉 

[notamermaid]

55 minutes ago, island lady said:

Happy to be passing through early October on the Viking Vidar. 

I see in your signature that your grand journey is now here. Have a great time.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

A quick look at Pfelling gauge. 285cm is better than what had been suggested for tonight so that is good.

 

Oktoberfest - or beer festival in general. We have talked about Vilshofen in the past and it has been mentioned that the embankment has been used by Amawaterways to hold a beer fest. This article I did not see at the time, in 2022 the new "Donauwelle", the name given to the area at the dock, was opened: https://sonderthemen.pnp.de/neugestaltung-der-schiffsanlegestelle-in-94474-vilshofen/passau/donauwelle-vilshofen-neueroeffnung-bierfeste-reederei-ama-waterways-173616

 

An Amawaterways ship was due to arrive on the first day of the river cruising season, according to that article. For the whole year the town expected 400 dockings. I wonder if that figure became reality.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

12 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Wonder if there is a time to cruise when you can stagger from Oktoberfest, beer festival, wine festival, Kirmes and annual harvest market to another on a Grand European cruise? 😁 😁

 

notamermaid

Wouldn't that itinerary need to end in Baden Baden, to 'take the cure'?  😄😁

[notamermaid]

30 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Wouldn't that itinerary need to end in Baden Baden, to 'take the cure'?  😄😁

Good thought, an extension to that famous spa town would be in order to recover.

 

notamermaid

 

[island lady]

1 hour ago, notamermaid said:

I see in your signature that your grand journey is now here. Have a great time.

 

notamermaid

 

 

Thanks sweetie!  Have been following your posts with admiration.   It is wonderful and appreciated the information you do for all of us!  

It is actually called the "European Sojourn"...which is the Bucharest to Amsterdam cruise on Viking Vidar.  I think we will indeed love it! 🥰

[steamboats]

11 hours ago, rcaruso said:

Do you remember Holler Grill and Parfumerie Kramer in KIarlstadt?

 

I´m not sure about Holler Grill, but the Parfümerie Kramer sounds familiar. It´s more than 40 years now I lived there.

 

I love Federweißer ;-).

 

steamboats

[notamermaid]

Pfelling gauge. The rain has not made it to the area in time. The river has struggled through the day on a relatively stable but too low level. Figure now is 278cm. Bands of thunderstorms with much rain are sweeping over Germany tonight. Forecast for tomorrow suggests the level will return to 290cm.

 

notamermaid