Amsterdam to Budapest question

[bluesplayer]

Planning an October cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest.  Would anyone know of this has a higher risk of transferring to another ship due to the river being too low or too high?  I have read about that occurring..  not fun.  Thank you!!

[CDNPolar]

16 hours ago, bluesplayer said:

Planning an October cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest.  Would anyone know of this has a higher risk of transferring to another ship due to the river being too low or too high?  I have read about that occurring..  not fun.  Thank you!!

 

You have risk at anytime of the year for a river cruise to experience high or low water levels.  

 

I also will say that today, with weather patterns being more unpredictable, it is even more difficult to plan.

 

In this past December/January we were on Amsterdam to Basel and just the week before us shipping was stopped completely around Cologne because water levels were too high and all shipping was stopped.  A week or so later and we were lucky we sailed the entire trip.

 

Sometimes you can be moved to another ship on the other side of a bridge, and sometimes you can be bussed and stay in hotels.  If the river cannot be navigated then busses and hotels it is.

 

Anyone that is doing a river cruise must be aware that this can happen and this will also be outlined in your cruise contract.  This is beyond the control of the cruise line, and although I understand that people don't want this to happen and it can ruin your vacation, but it is a reality that you just have to roll the dice and see what you get. 

[pontac]

17 hours ago, bluesplayer said:

Planning an October cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest.  Would anyone know of this has a higher risk of transferring to another ship due to the river being too low or too high?  I have read about that occurring..  not fun.  Thank you!!

 

There are two questions here. The first is about water levels, and that is entirely in the hands of the rain gods, but you may like to read the threads linked to in this thread: 

 I was on a cruise that stopped at Passau and our excursion walked us around town where we saw high water marks painted on buildings with the date of that flood. When I got home I read that shortly after we'd cruised there without incidence it had suffered a massive flood that drowned cattle in fields. Pictures of Passau showed the top of buildings in a sea of water - one couldn't see what had been land and where the river used to be. That time all sailing was stopped.

 

Things can change very quickly; the situation this week may not be the same next. 

 

The second question is what happens if river conditions stop the passage of a cruise boat. You say that transferring to another boat is not fun. I'd say it is a whole lot better to continue one's cruise albeit on another boat than to abandon the cruise, be moved to a hotel and be coached to places.

 

Whether one is transferred to another boat will depend on whether the cruise line you are on has another boat in place. I personally have not been affected, but people I have cruised with have told me about previous cruises where they couldn't pass under a bridge. Another boat doing the the same route in the opposite direction was on the other side of the bridge. So both sets of guests transferred to the other boat which went back. As both boats were identical they stayed in the same cabin number with identical layout and facilities. 

 

So, number of boats on the route may be a factor in choosing a cruise line, and the words that the itinerary also operates in the opposite direction is an indication.

Edited March 21 by pontac

[bluesplayer]

Thank you for your information.  From both responses sound like the risk does not increase or decrease seasonally.   Thank you both!!  Last river cruise was May..  no issues.  This one October and looking forward to some fall colors (maybe). The rivers are beautiful 

[notamermaid]

I agree that the rivers have become a bit more unpredictable as regards water levels. However, there is still a statistical trend. October is definitely not a time for flooding (really honestly almost never) but low water is at its most likely. That means there are two stretches of river that need to be bridged by coach trips if necessary. It is on the German Danube, between Straubing and Vilshofen and on the Rhine between Rüdesheim and Koblenz. That is about where the low water is, but please note that you your coach trip may cover a longer stretch. Let us forget about the less likely Komarom to Budapest stretch right now. Statistically there is a not negligible risk of low water on the German Danube while there is a statistical risk of low water on the Rhine which is not as high as on the Danube. All in all, if you are mobile, prepared in your mind that river cruising is not as straightforward as ocean cruising then switching to another ship is not too big a deal. River cruise lines are good at handling things, they have years of practice. 😊

 

As it is so unpredictable you may not have any issues in October and your cruise will be fine and it may have affected river cruises in September instead.

 

Roll calls are a good way of keeping up to date and learning how people have dealt with it. You can also look at our threads on the Danube and Rhine. My tip: also see the first page of the Main river thread as regards low bridges.

 

Have fun planning.

 

notamermaid

 

[CDNPolar]

17 hours ago, bluesplayer said:

Thank you for your information.  From both responses sound like the risk does not increase or decrease seasonally.   Thank you both!!  Last river cruise was May..  no issues.  This one October and looking forward to some fall colors (maybe). The rivers are beautiful 

 

When a river cruise, water levels, and weather all line up they are outstandingly beautiful.

 

I just wish that everyone knew the potential risks before booking.

 

I have not yet had to change ships or bus around because of this, but I am prepared in mind to do so if necessary and will look at it as part to the excitement of the whole experience if it were to happen.  We half expected it late December when we were sailing on Treasures of the Rhine.  Each day we were waiting for the announcement and thankfully it did not come...but it could have as many cruises were impacted on a week or two before us.