Water levels in 2016????!!!!!

Just had a call from our TA to say that Scenic have cancelled our Bordeaux river cruise due to low water levels.............but it doesn't depart until July 2016! Clairvoyant or what???? :rolleyes::eek:

Just had a call from our TA to say that Scenic have cancelled our Bordeaux river cruise due to low water levels.............but it doesn't depart until July 2016! Clairvoyant or what???? :rolleyes::eek:

What? That makes no sense!

I am sure they can do estimates.

If the level is "x" and the average rainfall and moisture from snow over the winter months is "y" - they may realize the percentages are against them. They are probably deciding to be pro-active and re-position the ship in advance so that they can sell cabins.

I hope you can find another river cruise that you will enjoy as much as what you had planned.

Seems like a convenient reason for something else they would rather you not know.

I am sure they can do estimates.

 

If the level is "x" and the average rainfall and moisture from snow over the winter months is "y" - they may realize the percentages are against them. They are probably deciding to be pro-active and re-position the ship in advance so that they can sell cabins.

 

I personally have not known any other line to do this, ever, so far in advance. And did France have issues with river levels this year that were anything but minor?

< Seems like a convenient reason for something else they would rather you not know. >

Also a possibility.

Perhaps they will comment here.

Seems like a convenient reason for something else they would rather you not know.

Yeah...like they just found out they can double the price OP paid and still sell out the ship. :D

Bordeaux??? Has anyone heard any low-water problems on these cruises this year? Not that I remember. In fact, the Garonne is tidal most of the way to Bordeaux. There must be more to this story.

Bordeaux??? Has anyone heard any low-water problems on these cruises this year? Not that I remember. In fact, the Garonne is tidal most of the way to Bordeaux. There must be more to this story.

I agree.

Seems like a convenient reason for something else they would rather you not know.

Yes, there is zero chance that they can accurately predict next years water levels on a river in Europe.... Something else is going on.

Of course, the cruiselines have the right to cancel your sailing book a competitor the same time, I am betting 99.999% they haven't cancelled.:D

jc

OMG the French are becoming more efficent than the Germans, or they are using the VW software.

If you look at Scenic's website - they have the cruise still scheduled for April, May, June, September and October but July and August are cancelled.

Definitely bizarre. I agree - it is not a water issue.

If you look at Scenic's website - they have the cruise still scheduled for April, May, June, September and October but July and August are cancelled.

 

Definitely bizarre. I agree - it is not a water issue.

Could it be that France has become so popular that Scenic can't get (or won't pay for) the docking space they want? Really, unless they have a pipeline to Mother Nature, there's no way water levels could be the reason for canceling July and August.

I don't know how anybody can predict river water levels 10 months + in advance. As you might note, we live in a town called Durango, Colorado. Durango means "river town" is Bask Spanish, as we have the Animas River that flows right through downtown. Not really a navigational river, but a recreational river for rafting and such. So we well know that river levels depend on winter snowfall and spring and summer rains. In 2014, our river almost ran dry in July and August, due to low winter snowfall, and little spring and summer rains. In 2015, the river was too high and wild for rafting in these months due to almost normal snowfall, and heavy spring and summer rains. And nobody was able to predict these things. We are interested in a Scenic river cruise in France in 2016, and will contact our TA about this situation to see what he can find out. Will report any findings right here.

Another reason, maybe those sailings are not selling?

Maybe those sailing are being sold only to the Aussies, but someone put the wrong wording in the notice.?? One of the AMA ships that we passed on our recent cruise had an APT sign on the side because the whole boat was sold to them.

Maybe those sailing are being sold only to the Aussies, but someone put the wrong wording in the notice.?? One of the AMA ships that we passed on our recent cruise had an APT sign on the side because the whole boat was sold to them.

APT does fully charter AMA ships. I know one year I was waiting for their itineraries to come out and when they were released, several were "sold out" the first day. It turned out APT had the whole ships for several sailing. I believe APT owns part of AMA or some agreement like that.

You could very well be right - it could be a charter.

APT does fully charter AMA ships. I know one year I was waiting for their itineraries to come out and when they were released, several were "sold out" the first day. It turned out APT had the whole ships for several sailing. I believe APT owns part of AMA or some agreement like that.

 

You could very well be right - it could be a charter.

That makes sense except that why would Scenic tell customers trip was cancelled? Wouldn't they just list it as sold out or chartered?

 

You could very well be right - it could be a charter.

If that were the case then Scenic would have said so, IMO, as that makes infinitely more sense and is easier to swallow than the reason given.

Just googled to find out if there are any special things happening in Bordeaux next summer....from June 10 to July 10, Bordeaux is hosting the UEFA Euro Finals. That could be a big deal. Maybe that's a factor? We had a great time in Bordeaux a few years ago. Good luck.

Just googled to find out if there are any special things happening in Bordeaux next summer....from June 10 to July 10, Bordeaux is hosting the UEFA Euro Finals. That could be a big deal. Maybe that's a factor? We had a great time in Bordeaux a few years ago. Good luck.

A plausible explanation but I don't think that's it Browser....I just came from Scenic website and they have one sold out in April with all others listed at fly free....until you come to July and August, which has NO cruises scheduled...so UEFA can't be reason. I don't think it's the water levels either....I'm still thinking they chartered all 4 cruises (unlikely, I know) or they're repositioning the boats to another area that's also "hot" now....but I don't know where it could be. It's a puzzlement.

A plausible explanation but I don't think that's it Browser....I just came from Scenic website and they have one sold out in April with all others listed at fly free....until you come to July and August, which has NO cruises scheduled...so UEFA can't be reason. I don't think it's the water levels either....I'm still thinking they chartered all 4 cruises (unlikely, I know) or they're repositioning the boats to another area that's also "hot" now....but I don't know where it could be. It's a puzzlement.

The mystery continues!

Really is Bizarre, do they have a Gypsy Fortune Teller or maybe someone reading Tea Leaves[emoji15][emoji53]

Well one thing is for sure, those ships are going to be doing something profitable somewhere, so find the ships and you have your answer...

Well one thing is for sure, those ships are going to be doing something profitable somewhere, so find the ships and you have your answer...

No mystery there!!! Do you think we'll remember to look for them a year from now? :D

No mystery there!!! Do you think we'll remember to look for them a year from now? :D

I was suggesting something a bit sooner than that :)

If the ships that were on those cruises are advertised elsewhere then mystery solved.

Seems a bit odd though as they were hardly on routes prone to water problems in the first place.