steanboats!!

[ddean52]

Just wanted to thank you publicly for all the great, helpful postings that you have placed with this section of the boards!! Keep up the GREAT WORK! And dont go "away".

Dean

[steamboats]

Dean,

 

Thanks! And I won´t go away :D.

 

steamboats

[sanny]

I second that!! you have been an invaluable source of information for those of us who have needed information that would be almost impossible to find on our own. May I impose once again and ask your opinion. We have been told that the scheduled maintenance on the Main-Danube Canal is an 'indication' only and that usually the locks are closed for a shorter period than scheduled. In 2009 they were scheduled to close between 21-29 April and they were indeed closed for the full period. Next year the schedule is much longer, 9-27 April. Do you think that this means that the locks will only be closed for a couple of days during this 2-3 week period and that the authorities will only release the actual dates of closure in February 2010?? or do you think that they will actually be closed for the whole time. The reason I ask (and I know I keep going on about it) is because our tour company is telling everyone who has complained about the changed itinerary on our April cruise this year that usually the locks are only closed for 1 or 2 days, even though the authorities may schedule a much longer period of time. This is why they say they scheduled their Amsterdam to Budapest and Budapest to Amsterdam cruises departing 23 April 2009 because from past experience the closures usually only happen over 1 or 2 days and they only need to change the itinerary slightly. Even so, I don't believe any of the many other cruise companies actually scheduled cruises during this time because they obviously don't want their passengers inconvenienced even for only 1 or 2 days. My fellow passengers and I are taking our complaints to the Australian Government Authorities as we believe the tour company is misleading their customers by accepting payment for brochured tours and then changing the itinerary at the last minute - when it's too late to cancel. So I just want to make sure I have my facts right. Thanks Steamboats (Barbara) for sharing your valuable knowledge.

[HDS]

I agree. I read your posts eagerly.

[steamboats]

sanny,

 

No, the locks are definitely closed for at least one week during that annual maintenance. And as far as I´ve seen the closure date for 2009 remained the same all over the whole one year period they´ve announced it in advance.

 

In 2010 it´s a bit more complicated. Some locks are closing for a longer period, some for a shorter. Anyway it doesn´t help if one lock on the Canal is open while all others are closed. Obviously there are some bigger repairs planned for 2010 and that´s why the closure is longer.

 

The rivers in Europe are a major transportation resource. The information published by the authorities here in Germany are definitely accurate and very important for all those transporting goods on the rivers. Every day they have to go on a break is costing them money. So all freight ships on the rivers are interested in short closures. The authorities can´t "afford" to publish longer closure periods and then annouce shortly that they´ve decided something else. The closures are planned long ahead and therefore the dates are usually pretty reliable. There might be circumstances which need a longer closure (when it turns out that a damage needs more repairs than thought). And sure, if it turns out that the repairs can made quicker they do open the lock earlier. But it´s definitely not that they announce a 3 week closure and open up all locks after two days.

 

I´m pretty sure that Scenic´s office people simply didn´t know about the annual closures and didn´t ask any navigational staff prior to announcing their schedule. From the other thread you know that other companies do plan their schedules around this closure staying on the Rhine river until the end of April or doing roundtrips below Passau.

 

steamboats

[sanny]

once again Steamboats, thank you for your invaluable help