Danube water levels 2024 and similar topics - plus tips and info

[Newby2272]

Just now received a notice from Viking of a change:

 

Due to high water levels on the Danube River near Passau, your ship will be unable to reach its regular embarkation port in Regensburg and you will now embark in Passau (75 miles east of Regensburg). As a result of these changes, we have made the following adjustments to your program:

 

On day 2 of your itinerary, your Regensburg shore excursions will operate out of Passau by motorcoach.

 

Day 3: Resume previously advised itinerary.

[notamermaid]

It is good that things are going back to normal as we certainly do not want flooding to interfere with the European Football Cup. Germany is the host this year and will play the first match tomorrow in Munich. If you happen to be in the city tomorrow or fly into Munich airport (or away) you may meet some rather merry people.

 

https://www.uefa.com/euro2024/match/2036161--germany-vs-scotland/

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

1 minute ago, Newby2272 said:

Just now received a notice from Viking of a change:

 

Due to high water levels on the Danube River near Passau, your ship will be unable to reach its regular embarkation port in Regensburg and you will now embark in Passau (75 miles east of Regensburg). As a result of these changes, we have made the following adjustments to your program:

 

On day 2 of your itinerary, your Regensburg shore excursions will operate out of Passau by motorcoach.

 

Day 3: Resume previously advised itinerary.

Ah right, so it is too tight time wise or under the railway bridge. That is a standard deviation procedure with river cruise companies and should go without any problems.

 

Have a good trip.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

Before we get to a look back at May, let us check quickly on the Danube in Hungary. Here for reference is the situation at Mohács now, the last but second gauge on the river's journey out of Hungary:

I cannot relate this to what is actually happening on the river but compared to Germany and Austria this looks less severe for sure.

 

notamermaid

 

[RDVIK2016]

Is that two full weeks now that TUI ISLA has been stuck in Deggendorf? Still at the Deggenau harbor as of about 02:30 CEST on 14 June.

[Yorkieboy1972]

5 hours ago, RDVIK2016 said:

Is that two full weeks now that TUI ISLA has been stuck in Deggendorf? Still at the Deggenau harbor as of about 02:30 CEST on 14 June.

I know this might seem like a silly question but how much does a ship being empty, ie. no passengers or luggage, effect how low it sits in the water?

 

I was looking out of the window when the Isla went under the bridge in Passau and it was VERY close. The passengers said on the Saturday morning that the water was half way up their portholes so I’m assuming they’d taken on ballast before going under the bridge. 
 

 

[Canal archive]

Ballast being would you believe - water as it’s heavy so loose it for low levels gain it for high levels.

[Izengolf]

I learned from this forum last year that compared to the weight of the ship, the passengers and their belongings are not a significant weight contributor. As Canal Archive said, emptying / filling pools and water storage will have a bigger impact. 

[Yorkieboy1972]

1 minute ago, Izengolf said:

I learned from this forum last year that compared to the weight of the ship, the passengers and their belongings are not a significant weight contributor. As Canal Archive said, emptying / filling pools and water storage will have a bigger impact. 

I’m assuming that TUI have cancelled at least two cruises for Isla so they’re probably keeping her in “out of the way” in Deggendorf until she can sail to catch up with the next programmed cruise? 

 

maybe they’ll be fixing the A.C. whilst she’s there as well?

 

I wonder if they’ve still got the TUI logos and Name covered whilst she’s there?
 

 

[1029GMD]

An update, currently travelling Budapest (departed 6/10) to Regensburg (eta 6/15) on Monarch Queen (Gate1). We just dropped off pax taking the bus excursion to Salzburg at Aschach as scheduled, and the ship was continuing on to Passau but had to turn around because I understand the locks at Engelhartszell (prior to Passau) is (or was) blocked by a barge. Perhaps one of the experts here can confirm (or refute) this info. In any event we're awaiting further details for the balance of our day today, ie. if we will have a bus trip into Passau. Prior to today, we had no impact from last week's flooding at our stops @Bratislava, Vienna, Durnstein, and Melk other than a slightly longer travel time due to the heavy river flow since we're heading upstream.

[notamermaid]

4 hours ago, 1029GMD said:

We just dropped off pax taking the bus excursion to Salzburg at Aschach as scheduled, and the ship was continuing on to Passau but had to turn around because I understand the locks at Engelhartszell (prior to Passau) is (or was) blocked by a barge.

There had been an issue at a different lock a few days ago. There has been debris and gravel deposits of course due to the fast current. For the lock you mention I could find a problem with depth so there may have been an issue with a barge and the authorities have reacted with limiting the draft of the ships passing:

 

notamermaid

 

[Phutch9136]

@Newby2272 we experienced this last year end of June. Not a long trip by bus. We did not encounter traffic. About 45 minutes. Regensburg is lovely! Most Shops are closed on Sunday. Good walking tour. If you’re interested, go into the famous hat shop. The bakery nearby was fabulous of course. Our transfer from Prague was 4.5 hours on the bus! One stop. We took rural route due to extreme highway construction and congestion. Pretty ride but whew! that’s a long ride. 

[Kenster]

7 hours ago, Izengolf said:

I learned from this forum last year that compared to the weight of the ship, the passengers and their belongings are not a significant weight contributor. As Canal Archive said, emptying / filling pools and water storage will have a bigger impact. 

On our second Avalon cruise in 2015 (Vienna to Amsterdam), the water was low at Passau. 
All passengers were given free optionals to either Salzburg or Cesky Krumlov in order to get everyone off the ship. I assume they blew the water ballast, too.  The ship sailed on without incident and picked up everyone upriver late that evening.  
 

I don’t know how significant removing 25-28 thousand pounds of humans was, but, apparently, every little bit helped.  
 

And we all got a free, all day excursion! 

[RDVIK2016]

7 hours ago, Yorkieboy1972 said:

I know this might seem like a silly question but how much does a ship being empty, ie. no passengers or luggage, effect how low it sits in the water?

 

I was looking out of the window when the Isla went under the bridge in Passau and it was VERY close. The passengers said on the Saturday morning that the water was half way up their portholes so I’m assuming they’d taken on ballast before going under the bridge.
 

 

5 minutes ago, Kenster said:

On our second Avalon cruise in 2015 (Vienna to Amsterdam), the water was low at Passau. 
All passengers were given free optionals to either Salzburg or Cesky Krumlov in order to get everyone off the ship. I assume they blew the water ballast, too.  The ship sailed on without incident and picked up everyone upriver late that evening.  
 

I don’t know how significant removing 25-28 thousand pounds of humans was, but, apparently, every little bit helped.  
 

And we all got a free, all day excursion! 

 

Kenster and Yorkieboy1972, this does not directly address your situations, but Viking Longships have a maximum draft (Tiefgang) of 2.0 meters and minimum of 1.6m shown in Binnenschifferforum. I had asked about this during a Rhine cruise when the captain of our ship was addressing the passengers and as I remember he said something about being able to scrape by with a 1.5m draft if minimum supplies, fuel, persons, etc. were on board and ballast tanks were filled with air. That's not a big range. At maximum draft the height above the water surface (Fixpunkt) of the ship, with everything topside lowered, can be as little as 6.15m. When the water levels reach the highest allowed for river traffic (HSW) the bridge at Passau has only 5.6m clearance about the water surface. So Viking Longships cannot go there even if smaller ships are still allowed to move.

[RDVIK2016]

35 minutes ago, Kenster said:

All passengers were given free optionals to either Salzburg or Cesky Krumlov in order to get everyone off the ship. I assume they blew the water ballast, too.  The ship sailed on without incident and picked up everyone upriver late that evening.  
 

I don’t know how significant removing 25-28 thousand pounds of humans was, but, apparently, every little bit helped. 

Your "Blew the water ballast" comment brings back to me memories of being on a submarine at X depth when the high pressure Emergency Main Ballast Tank Blow system was tested - nice ride back to the surface. I don't know if river cruise ships actually have a pressurized air blow system or just pump the tanks out. 

[Yorkieboy1972]

7 minutes ago, RDVIK2016 said:

Your "Blew the water ballast" comment brings back to me memories of being on a submarine at X depth when the high pressure Emergency Main Ballast Tank Blow system was tested - nice ride back to the surface. I don't know if river cruise ships actually have a pressurized air blow system or just pump the tanks out. 

I get the feeling that on a TUI boat, due to cost reasons, the process will involve a man, a plug and a bucket.😂

[notamermaid]

6 hours ago, 1029GMD said:

I understand the locks at Engelhartszell (prior to Passau) is (or was) blocked by a barge.

Regional news confirms an incident at Bad Abbach lock. An excursion boat hit a wall I think. Report says Thursday at 2pm.

 

notamermaid

 

[robertmartha]

PHutch - what is the name of the famous hat shop. Leaving in two weeks and one of our friends sailing with us loves his hats - I am sure he would love to visit this shop.

 

Bob

[RDVIK2016]

54 minutes ago, robertmartha said:

PHutch - what is the name of the famous hat shop. Leaving in two weeks and one of our friends sailing with us loves his hats - I am sure he would love to visit this shop.

 

Bob

In case PHutch doesn't see your question try Hutkönig am Dom - right across the square from the cathedral.  That's probably the place their talking about. If you are interested in traditional Bavarian clothing - Tracht - there are multiple stores. Moser has an outlet-type store as well as its city center store, but the outlet is not in the center of town. I got a shirt and vest there once.

Edited June 14 by RDVIK2016
corrected a spelling error

[ural guy]

10 hours ago, 1029GMD said:

An update, currently travelling Budapest (departed 6/10) to Regensburg (eta 6/15) on Monarch Queen (Gate1). We just dropped off pax taking the bus excursion to Salzburg at Aschach as scheduled, and the ship was continuing on to Passau but had to turn around because I understand the locks at Engelhartszell (prior to Passau) is (or was) blocked by a barge. Perhaps one of the experts here can confirm (or refute) this info. In any event we're awaiting further details for the balance of our day today, ie. if we will have a bus trip into Passau. Prior to today, we had no impact from last week's flooding at our stops @Bratislava, Vienna, Durnstein, and Melk other than a slightly longer travel time due to the heavy river flow since we're heading upstream.

Hello-  Other than all your high water problems, I hope you are enjoying yourself.  We sailed on the Queen twice when she was with Vantage, and really enjoyed our time aboard.

 

My wife and friends are sailing Gate 1 next April.  I'd appreciate any thoughts you have, good or bad, when your cruise is complete.  There isn't a lot of info about them on the site from passengers.  Thanks if you get a chance when home.

 

Where is your cruise scheduled to end?

[Yorkieboy1972]

I heard someone say that our TUI Isla Cruise was like a relocation cruise, Budapest to Frankfurt. Looking at the upcoming Cruises for Isla for 24, I think they could’ve been right. It’s looking like she’s supposed to be cruising around the Rhine, Switzerland and Amsterdam for most of the rest of the year. 
 

So, when is she going to head north/west and is there anything stopping that?

 

I’m just being nosey now.

Edited June 14 by Yorkieboy1972

[notamermaid]

4 minutes ago, Yorkieboy1972 said:

So, when is she going to head north/east and is there anything stopping that?

I am curious to know what is happening, too.

 

River cruise ships are moving in both directions, passage seems to be easier now. Not everyone may fit under the railway bridge yet but by tomorrow the last ones should manage.

 

notamermaid

 

[Yorkieboy1972]

3 hours ago, notamermaid said:

I am curious to know what is happening, too.

 

River cruise ships are moving in both directions, passage seems to be easier now. Not everyone may fit under the railway bridge yet but by tomorrow the last ones should manage.

 

notamermaid

 

I really don’t have any skin in the game anymore. I’m at home in the UK in my bed and I’m NEVER going near a River Cruise EVER again.

 

However, I’m going to follow Isla’s progress for at least the next 4 1/2 years. 🤪

[Host Jazzbeau]

@RDVIK2016 and @Microman123 – I moved the Connecticut submarine discussion to the Water Cooler thread]

[Yorkieboy1972]

So, after a 2 week unplanned stay in Deggendorf TUI Isla is finally on the move, heading for Frankfurt.