Canal archive

I also can only speak from my personal experience. Of Scenic over eight cruises and although I have no experience of Viking, I have read extensively on CC’s pages and heard from friends and relatives who have traveled with them about Viking so have also been informed. I would not necessarily expect the quality of service from Viking that I have always received from Scenic Unless things alter drastically I’m fairly sure I won’t be cruising with Viking. I know that they have many ships but I’ve personally seen to many of them damaged during our cruises so maybe I’m a wimp.

WOW and they’re props not jets! Thank you.

Fingers crossed for a few drops of the wet stuff. I do so hope that river cruisers have read the small print put out by the cruise companies. We as in regular cruisers know that busing or ship switching is a possibility during low or even high water level events but it comes as some surprise to newer cruisers and some do get especially vociferous about it. Arriving in Lyon in the dark one year we had to pull over to await another vessel coming upstream to navigate a particular bridge before we went under it, their bridge house was right down there was not a lot of clearance!

I wondered how long it would be before the low water levels impacted on the locks. Their basic design has not changed for a few hundred years. There are many different gate designs but the chamber design has stayed about the same and the part of a lock that would cause a problem is the, cill if there’s not enough water the boats cannot pass over it.

Go for it life is an adventure!

Loriva I’m also surprised did you talk to your, I’m almost afraid to say this - your Butler he or she would I’m sure have addressed your concerns. If they don’t know they can’t sort it. We learnt this after our first cruise with Scenic which was pre all inclusive, the next year all inclusive. Strange to say not a lot of difference just subtle but it worked and has continued to do so. If Scenic says they will do it they will.

That last picture is one of the most excellent examples for past cruisers of how low the water levels are, good eye whoever took it! You'd need an ice axe and crampons to climb up it!

Not being funny but in a strange way I’m so pleased that other countries airports are having the same challenges as ours in the U.K. Our airports and airlines have really been struggling and no one has come up with a believable excuse.

The Scenic fleet ranges from 1m to 1.7 but 1m seems very shallow to me. Mind you all this ship information takes me back to being trained by the then Admiralty as a technical illustrator the then ships drawing boards were way long and marine architects are really picky.

Maybe relying to much on the Norse Gods!

Notamermaid wow I’ve never heard of a cold water geyser let alone the hightest in the world now there’s a reason to change from my usually preferred cruise operator. Thank you.

Seattle1964 ta for your excellent explanation so just to add ( to be completely (nurdy) here goes. Gauging a vessel is a fairly straight forward affair and used to be carried out regularly before wind power usually when first built. It used the depth a vessel sat in the water to work out the weight of cargo the boat could carry. I think it may still be done today but maybe not for that reason. A ship is built to certain specifications but although I don’t think this applies to river cruise vessels that much as they are usually not very old, I’m afraid to say that ships are like humans and can spread with age regardless of them being made of metal. Although what I cannot understand is why these maritime architects haven’t realised that shallow draught is the way to go! On the European river system. Background started with RN ended with space objects.

Heatwave: Ferocious European heat heads north https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-62216159 This report has a piece about the Gironde area. If I find any more I will post the link.

Picture this - shallow river, water dumped from from river boat, passengers on shore, ropes on boat to shore and passengers hauling on the ropes. No coaches needed or ship swaps ohhh what fun, I think not. Fingers crossed or a dance for rain.

Notamermaid it shows what the water table must be like, fingers crossed for lots of overnight rain and starting gently.

Not something you see every day an Airbus wing on its way to Toulouse

My DH does like following and keeping temperature records hence easy present weather station so evidently last Friday 30 deg, exactly I year ago temp 30deg. We cruised the Rhône in this weather but our Captain called off the final cruise out to the Med because we had the mother and fathers of all thunderstorms, Mother Nature can be very noisy at times. Trying to decide what is worse for me the heat or the spiders!

You’ll love the Bordeaux cruise my eldest daughters in-laws are going the first week in September. We went a couple of years ago. At the moment there are quite a few wildfires hopefully the weather is supposed to be cooling fingers crossed. When you go through the Napoleon Bridge make sure your in pole position up the front as you go through you really feel like breathing in it’s so tight.

Oh yuk! Poor you.

Different company I know but Scenic has an European office in Switzerland. So I suspect other companies do as well.

That begs the question who are Travelex? They must be giving the airport’s quite a kick back.

Cheeky!

Pity it’s not still navigable through to Spain.

Douro = River of Gold!

DougK having been on board a Scenic vessel during a low water situation it’s as with all river cruise vessels up to the captain! plus any instructions from the local authorities. Our Captain asked at our port talk if he had the opportunity did he go for it or play safe, now asking a ship full of Aussies and Brits that is a no brainer. So after a superb dinner and very convivial evening we all went to bed! At breakfast and still moving the question was what happened so update during breakfast. After a three way discussion between two cargo barges and one passenger vessel in the middle of the night it was cargo - passenger - cargo and go for it according to a few wide awake passengers there was some scrapping but not to alarming and the Captain reported thanks from the cargo vessels. Scenic vessels are fairly shallow draughted.