AnhaltER1960

Not much of the heavy rainfalls, which hit Eastern Germany recently, made it into the Bohemian Basin to feed the Elbe. So just a short peak in Dresden right now. 
But generally the Elbe remains a bit on the low side, however still navigable. Viking are the only ones to sail the Elbe at the moment and the have a planned break from mid-July into mid-September. Might just work out.

On 6/20/2024 at 8:54 AM, Janie1229 said:

For those of you who have gone on a Viking cruise, do you need local currency or is a credit card sufficient? If you bring some cash, curious how much you bring and where do you get it for the different areas - for example, we fly into Amsterdam, will be in Germany, and fly out of Basel. 

 

Thanks for your feedback!

You might need local currency esp for small amounts

* in local markets, flea markets. Also often shops, eateries, ice cream places and the like require a minimum amount of, say, 10 Euro to use plastic.

* bathrooms. Some are staffed (but still dont take cards), but often there are coin-operated turnstiles.
* lockers. Some museums/sights require bags, rucksacks to be stored in lockers before entry. Most are free, but operated with coins as deposit.

* tips for drivers, local guides.

1 hour ago, screwsmcernst said:

We will be staying in Switzerland for 4 days post cruise.  Should we get Swiss Francs or will Euros work?

Swiss francs. Euro might work in places near the border like Basel, Schaffhausen or Geneva, but no guarantee. And even if they accept Euro, they do often not at a favourable rate. The Swiss Franc is the local currency. Better use them.

Interesting to read the different communication approaches by the companies, facing basically the same dynamic situation. I am sure that the organisers and dispatchers in the offices and incoming agencies are earning their money the hard way right now. Rerouting arriving passengers, organising additional busses and rerouting the already booked ones, rerouting debarking passengers, maybe booking hotel facilities and meals. Changing bookings of tour guides and timeslots in the places to visit might be a minor priority in areas, where not only the river is blocked, but also roads and rail lines might be affected and additional busses might be scarce.
And on top communicate the changes to the customers. It is one thing to communicate, that there will be changes/disruptions (Viking coined the phrase "deviation programme" for that), but another thing what exactly. What to tell a traveller, who is just waiting for their taxi to get them to a Midwest airport, where the ship will be 24 hours later, when you dont know it yourself ?

8 hours ago, SoreArm said:

Has Austria lifted the ban on river travel on the Danube?

According to this site the ban in Austria had been lifted in parts, but (Friday morning) not all the way on the Danube: https://www.doris.bmk.gv.at/fahrwasserinformation/streckenverfuegbarkeit

On 6/2/2024 at 7:45 PM, SUBWAYMIKE said:

My wife and I will be getting on Viking in Decin on June11th heading towards Berlin.

How do you think the Elbe will be then?

A couple of days later I will rephrase: Enjoy your trip. The Elbe has peaked today at Decin and Dresden well below flood level, so everything is fine.
Just reading the Rhine and Danube threads.... wow. Sometimes the Elbe is the trouble river, but for the time being the simple and boring truth is: The Elbe is doing alright.

2 hours ago, SUBWAYMIKE said:

My wife and I will be getting on Viking in Decin on June11th heading towards Berlin.

How do you think the Elbe will be then?

My best guess is "high, but navigable", unless it keeps raining like last week.

13 hours ago, notamermaid said:

I tentatively join and say that the river in contrast to the Danube may just about avoid flooding this time round. We will see how it goes next week as the river needs to take up what the Vltava, Otava and Berounka are bringing. And I fully admit that I had never read of the latter two before this year. Geography learning as a side effect of watching the river levels.

 

notamermaid

 

Yes, indeed it looks like that the heaviest rainfalls are further south /southwest in Bavaria and Suebia and therefore hitting the Danube and the Rhine much harder than the Elbe. Some wave building up at the Elbe, too, but it looks like she will remain below alarming levels. The upper Elbe from the source in the Giant Mountains until the confluence with the Moldova apparently did not see much rain at all (still some low water indications in that area), the water comes from the western tributaries like the Moldova and the Ohre/Eger - the areas bordering Bavaria.

3 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Wow.  I have been looking at TUI's Frankfurt rt Moselle cruise, but I wondered what level TUI river cruises fall under.  Apparently 'under' is the right word...

TUI river are a relatively new player on the market. So they might not have the experience yet to handle these extreme situations - and/or not have the standing with the port authorities to claim a more suitable berth.

23 minutes ago, cruisebug722 said:

We don't actually embark until June 26th so almost too far away to predict and panic I suppose.  Thanks for helping.

End of June is good news. If there is a flood now, which is not sure yet, it will be gone by then. Flood levels, which impede river cruising, rarely last longer than a week/10 days. And after the flood the river, its tributaries and the groundwater will be filled well, so you can expect decent levels for sailing. Unless its raining all June, of course...

2 hours ago, cruisebug722 said:

Excuse my ignorance of this river, do I take it to read that both drought and flooding can affect whether the Elbe river cruises actually happen?  Viking rescheduled my trip from last October to this June and now I wonder if it will ever happen?  I reach out to the experts.  Thanks.

Both drought and flooding can affect any river, depending on weather. Also the Elbe which is free flowing between the last lock at Usti in the Czech republic and Hamburg (Geesthacht), where she reaches tidal waters.
While 10 days ago it was dry and cruises were about to stop (Viking did not stop though) for low water, rain had lited the rivel level since. Now the massive rainfalls expected in South Germany will also hit the Elbe catchment area, to what extent remains to be seen. The forecasts give a rise in water levels, but so far still well below flood level three days out.

What time in June you will be travelling ?

4 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Is this rain also falling on Czech?  I.e., is it filling the Czech reservoirs so they will have more water to release once the flooding has subsided?

To a certain extent, yes. In my earlier post I used "Bohemia", as the Bohemian basin is the catchment area for the Elbe/Vlatava. And the reservoirs should already be filled.

26 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

I guess most of that is also the Elbe basin, right?

 

notamermaid

 

Yes. Some parts of western/southwestern Thuringia discharge into the Weser, but most of the orange parts is Elbe territory. Though only the very eastern part around Dresden the Elbe directly, then there is most parts of Saxony the Mulde (with confluence into the Elbe at Dessau) and further west into the Saale, confluence into the Elbe half way between Dessau and Magdeburg. So the impact on Viking Elbe cruises (no other companies sailing the Elbe right now) between Wittenberg and Decin might be limited, as most of the water reaches the Elbe further downstream. Viking cruises will be affected by heavy rainfalls in Bohemia. But they look likely too.

1 hour ago, AnhaltER1960 said:

The last Elbe floods, notably 2013 and 2003, had been results of those Vb-lows. The next days are going to be interesting.

Sorry, typo. Should read 2013 and 2002.....

38 minutes ago, steamboats said:

@AnhaltER1960 but even the WGs still don't know where exactly and how much rain we will get.

 

It's pretty likely that there will be high water in the Danube River. Bit when and how long...

 

I had a pre warning for tomorrow starting at noon. Now it's a red alert on KatWarn starting at midnight. And the red alert is for quite a big area.

 

And it's surprising that Viking ist rerouting so early. Usually they are the last to do so and totally surprised by the situation.

 

steamboats 

For somebody living in Bavaria it is of interest, which area/river will be exactly affected how much, because this may mean to abandon the flat or not. Yes, the weather forecasts dont have that accuracy yet. However, the water will end in the Danube and for somebody running ships on the Danube you only have to know there will be a flood, which will impact your operations. Give and take a couple of inches, a couple of hours does not matter if you prepare and place the ships, where they could do plan b.
Starting to prepare early by Viking, well call it a learning curve. Maybe they do not want a bunch of bad news for their new shareholders, but show they can handle an extreme situation professionally....

Weather forecasts call for heavy rainfalls in Bohemia, Bavaria and Saxony the next days. A Genoa low type Vb is underway. These are low pressure systems with warm air starting in the mediterranean (Genoa....) take plenty of humidity over the Thyrrhenian and Adriatic seas, run eastward around the Alps and then rain down against the Alps (but also the hills around the Bohemian basin) from north/northeast. Often caught by other weather systems they can be quite stable and stay in place for several days, resulting in massive rainfalls - an average of one or two months within days.
The consequences for the Danube are discussed in the Danube blog and it is not clear yet, if there will be a flood on the Elbe. The Elbe had been a bit dry in recent weeks, thus can drain some water. However, there is a lot of rain in the air. The last Elbe floods, notably 2013 and 2003, had been results of those Vb-lows. The next days are going to be interesting.

22 hours ago, steamboats said:

Interesting that Viking knows in advance about a high water situation as currently there's no high water at all 🤣.

 

steamboats 

Reading the weather reports is no rocket science. And there had been forecasts of massive rainfalls around for several days now. While the weather models had not been clear so far, how much rain in how much time will fall, and where exactly, it was quite clear that the catchment area of the Danube (and probably the Elbe too) will be hit. Adding 2+2 comes inevitably to the result that there will be a flood of the Danube. Where exactly, when exactly, we will see.

4 hours ago, RDVIK2016 said:

Do flood waters ever enter the city in Dresden? One would think not due to the expansive flood plain along the Elbe there.

Yes those very high floods like 2002 do. You can find aerial photos of that by googling "Elbe flood 2002 Dresden". Although in 2002 it was not only the Elbe, but also some tributaries, at normal times just small burns, which are usually crossing the city in underground pipes.

Just an update: It has rained in Bohemia and there is some wave coming down the Elbe. Will be seen tomorrow in Dresden with the gauge rising by a foot or two. So the next cruises will be safe to sail.

7 hours ago, deec said:

thank you so very much for your research!!!  We really would like to do this itinerary BUT are reluctant to pay Viking prices for a bus tour.  Your research has confirmed that perhaps the Elbe is not the way to experience this beautiful part of Germany.

Sail in May and go away 🙂

On 4/21/2024 at 6:48 PM, deec said:

Has anyone kept track from the last couple of years of how often the Viking ships can not complete the itinerary?

(part II)

2018 turned out to become a dismal year - disruptions from June with cruises converted into bus tours. Later all sailings from August until the end of the season in November had been completely cancelled, all due to low water.

2019 started fine, but bad news started in Mid-June and lasted until beginning of October. In between bus tours due to low water.

2020 did not see any sailing at all, but that was not the river's fault... Water levels would have allowed sailing all year. 

For 2021 Viking have proactively changed their plans and did not offer sailings from July to September, but a boatel+bus trip instead during those months. All those plans had been scapped by a small virus (maybe also by reluctant customers). Viking finally started operations in October and sailed until Xmas. Again, the water levels would have allowed sailings for most of the year, maybe even throughout the year.

2022 saw a lot of water and a lot of sailings with the exception of roundabout two weeks in June. There werent any cruises scheduled between mid-July until mid-September.

Also in 2023 Viking had planned to suspend sailings between mid-July and mid-September. This was not enough - low water from mid-June until end of September forced Viking into bus mode a couple of weeks before and after the planned break.

On 4/21/2024 at 6:48 PM, deec said:

Has anyone kept track from the last couple of years of how often the Viking ships can not complete the itinerary?

Apparently not, as you would have gotten an answer by now. And I am not sure, if Viking Basel will give you an answer, even, if you ask.... However, I felt challenged by that question. But it needed some time and some deep diving into my digital memory including the Elbe threads of past years. Still I am not able to give a cruise-sharp, even week-sharp answer. But a rough idea:

2016 was the year, when Viking have introduced their Elbe-"Longships" Astrild and Beyla, which still sail the Elbe now. Specifically designed for that river an a draft of around 85cm, so much shallower than the ships they had on the Elbe before, the Viking Schumann and Viking Fontane. And, what happened ? While the Beyla and the Astrild could sail all year, the Fontane and Schumann saw their cruises in September/October cancelled due to low water. Everything done right ?

In 2017 Viking withdrew the Fontane and Schumann and changed the itinerary. No more sailing from Magdeburg to Melnik, but only sailing from Wittenberg to Decin, cutting some 50/70 miles on either end.  So (roughly) the same amount of cruises offered with fewer ships. 2017 also saw big celebrations in Germany - 500 years of the reformation. And the Elbe cooperated smoothly, no disruptions.

(continued in part II)

19 hours ago, Microman123 said:

It seems the Viking Astrild is docked in Dresden a day earlier than its itinerary had indicated (according to Cruisemapper). I couldn't determine whether it actually made it all the way to Decin for a cruise that was supposed to start yesterday, with Elbe sailing to Bad Shandau today and Dresden tomorrow. Does this mean that Viking has started using the boat as a stationary hotel for bus trips already?

Not yet. Boatel mode means one ship berthed in Dresden, another one in Wittenberg. But since the Beyla is underway upriver, the Astrild will also move eventually downriver to Wittenberg (two ships in Dresden would not make sense). They might have skipped the Decin to Dresden part though - I dont have any information on that.

@Cg52 Indeed, last week is was all fine. But last week was last week.....

Now while parts of Germany in the west have too much water, flood at the Saar, the Elbe is getting critically low. Dresden reading is down to 81 cm, which is deep in the trouble zone. However, the Viking Beyla today left Wittenberg, as scheduled, to her upriver cruise. Hopefully some of the rain which inundated parts of southern and western Germany will make it into the Bohemian Basin, which would give relief to the Elbe. If not, it will not be far ahead, that also Viking will have to switch on the bus mode.

On 5/7/2024 at 1:20 AM, curmudgeon98 said:

My impression (from talking to the crew) is that the CroisiEurope boats are actually shallower draft than the Viking boats, but that at this time of year (through summer) they shift to keeping one boat for shorter cruises in the upper rivers in Czeckia, and use the other for cruises closer to the Baltic such as Hamburg->Berlin.

The ships ElbePrincesse and ElbePrincesse 2 of Croisi Europe and Viking Astrild/Beyla do have similar draft, give and take an inch. The difference is the itinerary. While CroisiEurope sail all the way from Berlin into Prague, Viking sail only from Wittenberg to Decin and do Berlin-Wittenberg and Decin-Prague by bus. So the Croisi schedule is more attractive, but also riskier in low water situations, like now. Croisi-s ships are stuck in the canal near Magdeburg and the lock-controlled part of the Elbe respectively and they have to do a lot of bussing in between.
Their summer schedule indeed avoids sailing the Elbe in summer and go on some canals in northern Germany instead, but we are by no standards in summer already.