Avalon Vista on the Danube

We are currently sailing from Budapest to Amsterdam. We have made it to Durnstein without a problem, however it is quite evident there is low water. There are sandy beaches on both side of the river. Later today we will be sailing the Wachu Valley and stopping in Melk. I will try to update as we go along.

The cruise director has not mention any problems. During our initial briefing on the first day our Captain thought we might be able to make it without issue.

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I hope you make it. We will be going same route next Friday

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You can notice the low water in the Wachu Valley section. Still lots of boats sailing. We are docked in Melk along with 4 other river boats. MyStory, Melody and an Emerald ship.

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We were told tonight we would make it to Passau, and the we 'hope' to make it from Passau to Regensburg.

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Thanks for the update. Don't you just love the way the bed faces the big window? Hope you have a great cruise with no interruptions.

Yes we do love the way the beds face the windows. Tonight the ships is shaking a lot and it is the first time engines are VERY noisy. Thankfully we are in a cabin all the way forward!!! Since leaving Melk we have been sailing between Uniworld's River Princess and the Emerald Star. Approaching the lock at Melk you could really see the low water level. We will know more tomorrow evening if we can sail past Passau. The CD made a real point about the day tours returning on time back to Passau

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We have made it to Vilshofen and now sailing towards Regensburg. We took the day trip to Cesky Krumlov and were to meet the ship in Passau. The captain is worried about low water so the ship left Passau early and the day trips met the ship up in Vilshofen, instead of Passau . It was a very noisy night last night the ships was shaking and you could really hear the engines.

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We have made it to Vilshofen and now sailing towards Regensburg. We took the day trip to Cesky Krumlov and were to meet the ship in Passau. The captain is worried about low water so the ship left Passau early and the day trips met the ship up in Vilshofen, instead of Passau . It was a very noisy night last night the ships was shaking and you could really hear the engines.

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Hoped you liked your day out in Krumau (Cesky Krumlov), today we also did a trip to Krumau and the Moldausee. I kept waving at the tourist buses but the passengers must have thought I was the village idiot.

I hope you make it to Regensburg, the Danube is very low in Straubing (112 cm) and is still dropping. Some rain due along the Danube tomorrow. How much is anyone's guess.

Have a great cruise.

When we get to Budapest we will be taken to the Viking cruise ship. Do we tip the bus driver? Where do you get the money?

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It was a VERY loud night, but we made it past Straubing. The water is dropping by the hour, which is why we left Passau early. The cruise director was not joking when he said we would be scraping the bottom and hear rocks hitting the hull!!!!! At 3am it sounded like we were in a tin can in a hale storm . We have almost made made it to Regensburg, we are docked in Bach which is about 25 minutes from Regensburg and we will be bussed to Regensburg and the ship will meet us there this afternoon. Most of the night the ship crawled along the low water at 1 or 2 Klm/hr. We are on deck 2 and. I cannot imagine what it was like in the aquarium cabins.

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Hello gentlemancruiser,

hearing all those sounds can be really worrying! I asked the lady at reception one day on my cruise on the Danube why there were unusual water noises close to our cabin that had not been there before. It turned out that we were in a shallower bit and just closer to the river bed. Cannot imagine what it must feel like when there is almost no space between the ship and the river bed. :eek:

I am sure the captain is glad that night is over!

Safe travels.

notamermaid

We were told this morning that we were the only ship to make it through last night. Emerald and Viking are doing ship swaps.

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This afternoon we made it to Neuremburg along with the Emerald Sun and the Verdi. We learned that our captain also helped another ship through the low waters at Straubing. Over night there was very little traffic on the Main Danube Canal. There was some rain overnight so hopefully the low water has gone. At lunch time we passed the Avalon Expression on their way to Regensburg.

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This afternoon we made it to Neuremburg along with the Emerald Sun and the Verdi. We learned that our captain also helped another ship through the low waters at Straubing. Over night there was very little traffic on the Main Danube Canal. There was some rain overnight so hopefully the low water has gone. At lunch time we passed the Avalon Expression on their way to Regensburg.

 

 

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Thanks for the update.

jc

We leave Amsterdam on Sept 23 on the Scenic Ruby. Did you see any Scenic ships sailing on the low parts of the Danube?

We leave Amsterdam on Sept 23 on the Scenic Ruby. Did you see any Scenic ships sailing on the low parts of the Danube?

If you check on vesselfinder.com you will see several Scenic ships between Regensberg and Budapest. Scenic will have a ship waiting for you on the 23rd but it may be a sister ship to the Ruby.

We were scheduled on the Jasper August 24 in Budapest but when we arrived at the gathering point we found that we would actually be cruising on the Opal due to low water disruptions. It was still a wonderful trip.

We saw the scenic (opal???) at Vilshofen but it was not going further north. It has been very quiet since sailing from Passau. We just been sailing with Emerald. I have not seen a Viking or AMA waterways ship in several days.

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We saw the scenic (opal???) at Vilshofen but it was not going further north. It has been very quiet since sailing from Passau. We just been sailing with Emerald. I have not seen a Viking or AMA waterways ship in several days.

The Scenic Opal is doing the Budapest - Nuremberg itinerary. The Opal stopped in Vilshofen the day after the Jasper, which is the same design, cruised from Regensburg to Passau. I don't know this but I suspect the Opal stopped at Vilshofen this week to make sure they wouldn't be stuck if the water level dropped before they could get past the shallows next week as they head back to Budapest.

We were forced to end our cruise on the Opal in Vilshofen a couple of weeks ago. The CD was kind enough to arrange a tour of Passau for those of us who preferred not to ride all the way to Regensburg. The folks starting their cruise in Nuremberg have it a little worse, with a bus tour from Vilshofen to Nuremberg thrown into the mix.

After spending the day in Wurezburg we are on our way to Miltenberg. It rained all day and I do hope this helps make it way to the Danube.

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Today we spent the morning in Reudesheim and the afternoon sailing the Rhine Gorge viewing the Castles. Late this evening we are going to be docked in Colonge. Water levels are low but we are OK in this section. The only challenge is the docking, if the water get much lower then nobody we be able to dock in Reudesheim.

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We made it to Linz today :)

Great, congrats. We left Cologne at 1:30 and have been sailing towards Amsterdam all afternoon. Not the most picturesque sailing!!

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Great, congrats. We left Cologne at 1:30 and have been sailing towards Amsterdam all afternoon. Not the most picturesque sailing!!

Good time to start packing!

Strange that Avalon Illumination is showing on Vesselfinder.com as being in Budapest on Oct 8 and has not moved. We're suppose to board it in Vienna next week.

Strange that Avalon Illumination is showing on Vesselfinder.com as being in Budapest on Oct 8 and has not moved. We're suppose to board it in Vienna next week.

Try this website... It shows the Illumination "out of range" and last known position is the 10th

http://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:330428/imo:0/mmsi:269057453/vessel:AVALON%20ILLUMINATION

Last known position Belgrade, Serbia