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

[notamermaid]

Thank you. Oops, I have just realized you had mentioned it in a previous post. Sorry. Oltenita I had not read before. Ruse and Giurgiu are the more common ports with German companies and few, if any, appear to start or end Oltenita.

 

notamermaid

 

[3kidslater]

19 hours ago, moonriver54 said:

@notamermaid Thanks very much again.  We'll be flying in to Bucharest, Romania and will board the Avalon Passion a few days later at Oltenița, Romania which is about 65 km south of our hotel in heart of Bucharest.  

Jumping in on your conversation. I've been looking for info on the Danube levels between Bucharest and Budapest as well. We are doing the same river cruise (Avalon Passion) but leaving Sept. 9. I will try to remember to post regarding the river when we return.

[moonriver54]

27 minutes ago, 3kidslater said:

Jumping in on your conversation. I've been looking for info on the Danube levels between Bucharest and Budapest as well. We are doing the same river cruise (Avalon Passion) but leaving Sept. 9. I will try to remember to post regarding the river when we return.

Thank you!!  Please feel free to pass any and all information on your lower Danube cruise.  We'll be all ears!!

[notamermaid]

A brief look at Pfelling gauge. Now at 369cm. A downward trend but most likely to stay well above 300cm over the weekend and going into next week.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

Yes, Pfelling gauge still looking pleasant. 348cm. And there is rain over Bavaria (we had thunderstorms along the Rhine last night). Only six days to go in August so I dare say this is promising for a good end to this month. Let us just have a quick look at the last three months, for a bit of a reminder of how interesting in a bad sense late Spring was:

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

The shipyards along the Danube are always busy it seems. Another hull, this time a tanker, has made its journey up the Danube and was delivered to Regensburg yesterday. The "Madelief" is awaiting a ship or boat at Osthafen, from where the chosen vessel will take the hull along the rest of the Danube, through the Canal and along the Main to most likely Gustavsburg. That is just before the mouth of the Main with the Rhine. You may spot the very clean ship without bridge (which will be added in the Netherlands) while sailing past the harbour area.

 

Pfelling gauge looking fine.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

We are now in late summer and for the Danube, more than for the Rhine where it usually happens a bit later and to a lesser degree, this means we are entering the phase of autumn low water. There can be high water in August into early September but that is a rarer occurrence and depends on a different weather pattern. Dry, warm days, potentially without relief of thunderstorms make for lower river levels in the forecast. For Pfelling this means that the computer modelling, i.e. not the immediate forecast, suggests figures of below 300cm for Thursday. Much earlier in the year I mentioned the deepening of the navigation channel in the stretch between Regensburg and Passau. Specifically this is more like Schwabelweis and Straubing to just before Vilshofen. A long-term project that does not really help river cruises this much this year from what I have understood, it will so far only ease passage to and from Straubing harbour sailing downstream from Regensburg and returning. We will see how it goes. For now, river cruisers can enjoy the beautiful weather and we will have a look at Pfelling again tomorrow. The figure now is 336cm so this looks good and we will take the computer's ideas with a pinch of salt.

 

The Canal is of course fine, the Main is okay and the Rhine is getting just that little bit low for commercial traffic (economically speaking) so all good for now if you are on the long journey.

 

In other news: the excursion boat "Twin City Liner", a fast catamaran sailing between Vienna and Bratislava, has had an accident. Needing to avoid hitting a loose-hanging contraption at a foot bridge construction site the boat sustained damage at its hull. It is now in the shipyard at Linz for repairs. No injuries reported.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

On 8/26/2024 at 11:57 AM, notamermaid said:

That is just before the mouth of the Main with the Rhine. You may spot the very clean ship without bridge (which will be added in the Netherlands) while sailing past the harbour area.

The Madelief has been picked up by the "Paula", the push boat that earlier in summer took a river cruise ship hull of unknown name on the same journey to Gustavsburg.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

Right, Pfelling gauge. Not sure what the authorities' computer was doing yesterday😉. It looks more stable today, the river that is, and should most likely stay over 300cm Thursday and into the early hours of Friday. Now at 328cm.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

Pfelling gauge is indeed still above 300cm. 306cm now and steady.

 

notamermaid

 

[SueToo]

We embarked on Scenic Amber on Thursday in Budapest cruising to Nuremberg. Last night the Captain forewarned us that there's a chance we may not be able to travel the full distance because of low water. It's clearly a wise move to manage our expectations, but I do hope there's rain somewhere so we make it all the way!

[Canal archive]

🤞🤞

[notamermaid]

3 hours ago, SueToo said:

It's clearly a wise move to manage our expectations, but I do hope there's rain somewhere so we make it all the way!

O-Ohh. It is good to be open about what may happen. Let us have a look. Pfelling gauge ist at 308cm. The trend is for down but only slowly.

 

Welcome to Cruisecritic. Thank you for saying hello. I hope you are having a good time on the Danube.

 

notamermaid

 

[SueToo]

1 minute ago, notamermaid said:

O-Ohh. It is good to be open about what may happen. Let us have a look. Pfelling gauge ist at 308cm. The trend is for down but only slowly.

 

Welcome to Cruisecritic. Thank you for saying hello. I hope you are having a good time on the Danube.

 

notamermaid

 

Thank you! It's our first river cruise and yes we're sooo impressed by this beautiful part of the world.  Also thank you notamermaid for your posts on here - I've been reading them for a few weeks and learnt a lot!

[notamermaid]

4 hours ago, SueToo said:

Also thank you notamermaid for your posts on here - I've been reading them for a few weeks and learnt a lot!

Thank you for following along.

 

The Danube at Pfelling has made that dreaded drop that I guess your captain anticipated. The gauge now reads 299cm (running below the forecast which had suggested about 302cm to 306cm for this hour).

 

Still a good chance that you will sail to Nuremberg, Pfelling picks up during the night sometimes and there should still be a bit of room underneath the Amber's hull. Each ship is just that tiny bit different and sailing upstream or downstream makes a difference as well. It could well be a last minute decision. Scenic have been in this situation many times now - having read my posts you know that this is an annual occurrence - so I am certain the crew and cruise director have plan B already ready in detail just in case.

 

For all those looking forward to the Rhine Gorge stretch on a long itinerary: as is standard, the Rhine is doing better than the Danube.

 

notamermaid

 

Edited August 31 by notamermaid
added info

[Izengolf]

SueToo, last September we could have made it but the return trip from Nuremberg was in jeopardy so the Captain chose to sail from Regensburg to Passau instead of continue on to Nuremberg during our last day. It was fabulous! The Scenic crew will ensure you have the most relaxing day of your cruise on the top deck should the same decision be taken. 

 

TBH, given the situation at Pfelling, most cruise companies should only do Budapest to Passau itineraries and the stress would be reduced. 

[notamermaid]

The next 36 hours will be busy for me so I will leave the reporting at that and hope for the best for all those sailing or about to sail.

 

For those who can lean back at the weekend, in an armchair, patio chair, or where ever they like to spend idle hours, I will leave you with a splendid pair of lions and a steel girder bridge that I saw when walking at an embankment some years ago. If you like, see if you recognize it or find out where it is. I will in a future post explain what it is and what it has got to do with my river cruise.

 

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

16 minutes ago, Izengolf said:

TBH, given the situation at Pfelling, most cruise companies should only do Budapest to Passau itineraries and the stress would be reduced. 

I agree for the 135m ships, although - Budapest to Vilshofen is a good solution, too, as that adds easy sailing of a few kilometres and reduces congestion at Passau. Those itineraries have existed for a few years now.

 

The 110m ships do just that tiny bit better, generally speaking and as a rule of thumb, but in many years even they struggle to make the shallow stretch. It is not the length per se that does it, but the overall hull construction and the water displacement, etc. of a shorter ship. It really is just a few centimetres but they can count.

 

notamermaid

 

[SueToo]

13 hours ago, Izengolf said:

SueToo, last September we could have made it but the return trip from Nuremberg was in jeopardy so the Captain chose to sail from Regensburg to Passau instead of continue on to Nuremberg during our last day. It was fabulous! The Scenic crew will ensure you have the most relaxing day of your cruise on the top deck should the same decision be taken. 

 

TBH, given the situation at Pfelling, most cruise companies should only do Budapest to Passau itineraries and the stress would be reduced. 

Ah that makes a lot of sense! And it wouldn't be a hardship to miss that final piece of sailing and help ensure the passengers following us get their cruise.

[Canal archive]

Luckily Scenic vessels do seem to be just a little more shallow drafted than most vessels of the same size. Some years ago our Captain was faced with the same challenge and at the port talk actually asked if we wanted him to try if possible, his passengers to a man said yes. In the morning we found that he had done it - by, at night mind you teaming up with a pair of working barges - barge, us, barge - and we got through okay a bit of hull scrapping evidently but safe and sound. These maritime guys are on the whole extremely well trained and experienced if you get the chance have a chat you’ll be surprised and impressed, many are Eastern European but not all by any means there are even a few Brits and I’ve met one Australian.

[SueToo]

3 hours ago, Canal archive said:

Luckily Scenic vessels do seem to be just a little more shallow drafted than most vessels of the same size. Some years ago our Captain was faced with the same challenge and at the port talk actually asked if we wanted him to try if possible, his passengers to a man said yes. In the morning we found that he had done it - by, at night mind you teaming up with a pair of working barges - barge, us, barge - and we got through okay a bit of hull scrapping evidently but safe and sound. These maritime guys are on the whole extremely well trained and experienced if you get the chance have a chat you’ll be surprised and impressed, many are Eastern European but not all by any means there are even a few Brits and I’ve met one Australian.

Wow! That's quite the effort by the Captain and crew!

[notamermaid]

Pfelling gauge at 301cm. Doing better than the forecast had suggested for tonight.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

Thunderstorms have been developing in the last two hours and have brought isolated pockets of heavy rain to the far South of Germany and parts of Austria. This could mean more rain overnight.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

On 8/31/2024 at 5:19 PM, notamermaid said:

I will in a future post explain what it is and what it has got to do with my river cruise.

Those lions I saw when strolling along the embankment in Vienna. Here is the full photo which I had cropped from the Wikipedia entry:

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nussdorfer_Wehr-_und_Schleusenanlage#/media/Datei:Wien_-_Nußdorfer_Wehr_(3).JPG

 

Vienna? Yes, but at the village of Nußdorf outside of the city centre. Many river cruise ships dock in the centre, others move out to Nußdorf where this bridge spans the canal at the weir. There is an English entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nussdorf_weir_and_lock

 

My ship, the MS Belvedere, docked in Nußdorf and I explored the area a bit.

 

notamermaid

 

[RDVIK2016]

6 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Those lions I saw when strolling along the embankment in Vienna. Here is the full photo which I had cropped from the Wikipedia entry:

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nussdorfer_Wehr-_und_Schleusenanlage#/media/Datei:Wien_-_Nußdorfer_Wehr_(3).JPG

 

Vienna? Yes, but at the village of Nußdorf outside of the city centre. Many river cruise ships dock in the centre, others move out to Nußdorf where this bridge spans the canal at the weir. There is an English entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nussdorf_weir_and_lock

 

My ship, the MS Belvedere, docked in Nußdorf and I explored the area a bit.

 

notamermaid

 

Nußdorf and nearby villages within Vienna city limits make up a great district to visit a Heuriger wine tavern. Vienna's coffee houses are more famous, but the Heurigen are another treasure of the city.  RDVIK