Are Water Levels much of an Issue on the Seine and Saone Rivers?

[SelectSys]

We liked our first river cruise so much that we would like to book another for next year.  One thing we learned this year is that river water levels can effect river cruises and require passengers to switch ships and/or get bussed to certain destinations.  How much of an issue are water levels on the Seine and Saone Rivers?  Are there months that you would avoid and/or recommend?  Thanks in advance for any input.

[Host Jazzbeau]

There is a bridge on the Saône just above Lyon that causes trouble in high water.  Upstream from that I don't know about.  

 

Most cruises on the Saône spend much of their time on the Rhône – don't recall hearing about low water there, but the mighty Rhône has a strong current under the best of circumstances so it may be a bear to navigate in high water.

[Canal archive]

As you can see the bridge that can cause a few challenges in Lyon, we had to wait for  Amadeus Symphony as she was travelling upstream you can see how close it was the wheelhouse is completely retracted, these guys certainly know what their doing all credit to them. Some may try to say it’s the angle of how the photograph was taken but I can assure you it was spookily close.

Edited June 4 by Canal archive

[SelectSys]

Thanks for the replies!  I guess I am just not going to try and overthink it and just hope for the best in my preferred month.

 

@Canal archive - totally agree on the skills of the ship’s navigation crew to “thread the needle” at times!

[braemar12]

I was on a cruise on the Amadeus Provence last month. We were unable to cruise the Saone due to high water levels. This meant that the ship could not sail under some of the bridges on the Saone. There was a shuttle bus service to Macon and tours were available to book for Beaune (which would have been from Chalon sur Saone) which involved a 150km drive on the motorway from Lyon. The Amadeus Provence remained in Lyon from Wednesday until Sunday when we were able to pick up the rest of the schedule along the Rhone down to Avignon and Arles.

[1of4]

I was worried about our August 2019 11 day Seine River cruise in the months leading up to departure. My husband happened to have a client who knew a lot about navigation. He told us that since the Seine connects to the English Channel, the world would be in a dire state before there are any water issues on the Seine. 

[Canal archive]

I see what he means as it’s I think more the difference in lengths of the Seine and the Rhine  and Danube. On the Seine the water doesn’t have so far to drain away into the sea

[Host Jazzbeau]

23 minutes ago, Canal archive said:

I see what he means as it’s I think more the difference in lengths of the Seine and the Rhine  and Danube. On the Seine the water doesn’t have so far to drain away into the sea

And a fair amount of the distance sailed is affected by tides, so even if the river is low a high tide can float you a ways inland.

[1of4]

1 hour ago, Canal archive said:

I see what he means as it’s I think more the difference in lengths of the Seine and the Rhine  and Danube. On the Seine the water doesn’t have so far to drain away into the sea

He also meant, now that I have had time to think and remember, the Seine is not reliant upon snow melt and rain for replenishing its water as the Danube and Rhine are. 

[capriccio]

5 hours ago, 1of4 said:

I was worried about our August 2019 11 day Seine River cruise in the months leading up to departure. My husband happened to have a client who knew a lot about navigation. He told us that since the Seine connects to the English Channel, the world would be in a dire state before there are any water issues on the Seine. 

On our 2016 Seine and Rhone cruises the Seine at Paris had flooded the week or so before and we were told that some of the 'regular' docks were unavailable until the water receded.  Luckily that happened a few days before we arrived. 

 

After a week on the Seine, we transited by train to Lyon.  The first excursion stop was on the Saone for Beaune.  We started off but a short time later the captain announced that the water level was increasing rapidly (no surprise since much of the land we went through on the train from Paris to Lyon was under water) and he feared getting stuck on the wrong side of the bridge(s).  We were disembarked and bused to Beaune (a fascinating visit) and bused back to Lyon.

[Canal archive]

 

This is why! She is moving ‘just’. June 2015.

Edited June 9 by Canal archive