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Best summer month for river cruise?


rjscott

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Planning for 2014, Budapest to Bucharest or reverse on Viking. The couple we will be traveling with are limited to the summer months due to her employment at a pre-school so June would be the earliest we could travel. Which month would be the optimal month for us to plan to cruise to avoid the issues I've read about with low water levels, high heat, and high tourist influx?

Any advice appreciated, as this is only my 2nd trip to Europe. Thank you!

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Usually a typical cruise season looks like this:

 

March: Ships are back on the rivers. But it is still rainy.

April: Every bathtub goes to the Netherlands for the tulip cruises. The Rhine Main Danube Canal is closed as well.

May - September: Main season.

September - early October: Kind of a shoulder season.

November: Everyone brings their ships into pole position for the

December: Christmas cruises

 

As Summer vaccations are spread over the summer (not just country to country, but e.g. in Germany state by state) there is no chance to avoid main season from June on (your earliest date).

 

Waterlevels & weather issues are priced in ;)

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We sailed from Budapest to Amsterdam on the 15th aug 2012, we had problems with low water levels and had to be bussed to some towns, for the tours etc as per the itinerary, cant complain because its just nature....its different every year. Loved our first river cruise.

Despite the water levels we had magic weather :-)

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Usually a typical cruise season looks like this:

 

March: Ships are back on the rivers. But it is still rainy.

April: Every bathtub goes to the Netherlands for the tulip cruises. The Rhine Main Danube Canal is closed as well.

May - September: Main season.

September - early October: Kind of a shoulder season.

November: Everyone brings their ships into pole position for the

December: Christmas cruises

 

As Summer vaccations are spread over the summer (not just country to country, but e.g. in Germany state by state) there is no chance to avoid main season from June on (your earliest date).

 

Waterlevels & weather issues are priced in ;)

 

 

1st time I've ever heard cruise ships called 'bathtubs'. Interesting!

 

To the OP - We've been to Europe a number of times and have always been there in late May to/thru June. I don't recall anything but nice weather at that time although we may have been just be lucky. We're going again this June so hopefully our luck will continue.

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Thanks to all of you for your input! We are booked on the Viking Rinda (an upcoming new longship) for June 12, '14. Now trying to decide on precruise stay. ;)

 

Stay in Budapest, loved it, spent 3 days pre cruise in august at the Intercontinental, fantastic position on the Danube looking straight across the river to the Royal Palace..will definitely visit Budapest again, beautiful city and so much to see.

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ausjack - the weather is not notoriously hot during June in Germany or Austria. (of course you may luck out and hit some 80 F temps). I don't think you need to worry about which sides of the ship are hotter. You will no doubt spend little time in your cabins.

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