Low Waters Divert Danube and Elbe Cruises

[wwinfl91]

Thanks for the update. Please keep posting whenever you can.

 

How has the trip gone otherwise? You mentioned a great crew so you sound like you are enjoying the trip. My wife is worried about the wines that are served at lunch and dinner. Can you give me any insight into whether the whites are similar to a sauvignon blanc or more like a reisling? Also what is the red like?

 

Thanks again for posting.

Sauvignon Blanc

[wwinfl91]

Viking seems to be updating the upcoming cruises that have changes on their website: http://www.vikingrivercruises.com/my-trip/about-my-cruise/current-sailings.html It does not go up to July 26. So far it looks like it's just a change of ships as opposed to a bus trip.

 

Thanks for posting. The problem with the change of ships is packing and repacking which is the reason we do cruises to avoid that. The other problem with the change of ships is the transfer comes from Passau in our case to Regensburg which means we lose 285 miles and 3 days of travel on the one of the most scenic portions of the Danube river.

 

We are hoping that we are able to continue on the same ship for the whole cruise.

 

Once again thanks for posting. Have a great next cruise.

[Worldcrzr]

Thanks for the update. Please keep posting whenever you can.

 

How has the trip gone otherwise? You mentioned a great crew so you sound like you are enjoying the trip. My wife is worried about the wines that are served at lunch and dinner. Can you give me any insight into whether the whites are similar to a sauvignon blanc or more like a reisling? Also what is the red like?

 

Thanks again for posting.

Sauvignon Blanc

 

We only drink the red wine but have heard from other passengers that they really like the white. Wines change daily so you will get a good sampling of the area wines. They are always listed on the menu and you can bring as much on board as you like. Right now we have three bottles that we have purchased along the way but since the ship's wine is good, we haven't opened our bottles yet. Plus, the beer is good so there is plenty to drink.

 

Last night, I skipped dinner because I caught a cold and wasn't hungry so I was taking my beer to my cabin. The bartender told me that I didn't need a beer...I needed a hot toddy. So, he made me one with brandy, honey and lemon...no charge. It did make me feel better and he was very generous with the brandy.

 

It is 5:00 am and quite noisy as we are going through another lock. 69 locks in all. Some really jar the ship. Right now we are having a thunderstorm and that is what got me out of bed so early. If it is still raining when we get to Nuremberg, I will stay on the ship. I don't want to make my cold turn for the worst.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Right now we are having a thunderstorm and that is what got me out of bed so early. If it is still raining when we get to Nuremberg, I will stay on the ship. I don't want to make my cold turn for the worst.

 

Sorry to hear about your cold, but the rain sounds like welcome news.

[Worldcrzr]

I was just told that our ship, the Viking Kvasir, will be able to cruise all the way to Budapest since the rain has raised the water level enough for us to continue without bussing to another ship. Our rain dance worked...

[rudeman]

We are on the Avalon Impression, just south of Regensburg. Water levels from Passau to the most recent lock have been LOW, so much so that we are 3 hrs behind schedule. But, the worst is over and we are on our way to Amsterdam.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[anandaindonesia]

We are on the Avalon Impression, just south of Regensburg. Water levels from Passau to the most recent lock have been LOW, so much so that we are 3 hrs behind schedule. But, the worst is over and we are on our way to Amsterdam...

 

Glad the problem is over. May you have smooth sailing!

[steamboats]

We are arriving in Hamburg this morning on the Viking Kvasir. Yesterday we were told that we won't know if we can go from Regensberg to Passau until we get there.

 

Gee, that´ll be really a hard job to get from Hamburg to Regensburg on a river :D!! - sorry, I couldn´t resist! I assume you´re talking about Nuremberg?

 

Folks, we did have some nice thunderstorms and theres a cold front coming in (temps are dropping, snow in the Alps) which is carrying more rain over the next few days.

 

steamboats

[notamermaid]

Hello steamboats,

 

yes the rain is here and looks as if it will stay with us the whole day. It is looking very grey and dull.

 

The water levels on the Rhine are rising, the Main to follow hopefully shortly. We had severe thunderstorms on Sunday night, with the area around Mainz hit hardest.

 

That band of rain went over the upper Danube this morning so hopefully helping that way to make the water levels rise around Regensburg over the next few days.

 

notamermaid

[G.M.T.]

The water levels in Straub ing (between Passau and Regensburg) are on the up and up (at least for now, see attached for two day forecast.

 

A previous poster stated "The other problem with the change of ships is the transfer comes from Passau in our case to Regensburg which means we lose 285 miles and 3 days of travel on the one of the most scenic portions of the Danube river".

 

Fact is the river distance between Passau and Regensburg is 156 Km or 97 miles, which is usally done overnight. Scenic - it is mostly a very flat section of the Danube with some views of the foothills of the Bavarian Forest. For me the Danube is much more interesting Passau / downstream and Regensburg / / upstream.

Straubing.pdf

[rudeman]

Passau to Regensburg was overnight, for us on the Avalon Impression. We are here in Regensburg now with Uniworld's River Princess moored with us. (They, too, made it through). There were a few scenic parts, especially Valhalla, but missing this section wouldn't have been the end of the world. Just glad we are not doing the pack - bus - unpack dance.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Worldcrzr]

The Viking Idi made it to Nuremberg and is in port with us. I guess there was enough river water to allow passage from Passau to Regensberg.

[btlover]

Yes, here in Nuremberg on the Viking Idi! We passed slowly through the low part with some scraping of the ship during that night but we made it. So happy to be continuing on without transferring ships! Good luck to you, on the Kvasir and others . The trip has been wonderful; we've been told we're heading into rain as we move north, but the weather has been superb so far. Even today the rain didn't start until we got back to the ship. Did hear a story today of an Avalon or AMA ship with mechanical problems and they had been bussing people to the cities per their itineraries then bussing them back to the ship at night. Sounds like long rides, but at least no packing/unpacking in hotel rooms.

 

Happy trails!

[annabell.4006]

We are on viking Aigar it suffered mechanical problems and is now two and half days behind schedule , three to five hour long round bus trips every day into various medieval towns. Never thought I would know the autobahn routes in Germany so very well. I know more about the types of grains growing in the field, the harvesting patterns and the solar panels than the ducks and swans in the river. And tomorrow another bus trip is offered. As we are two half days behind schedule I guess it is buses all the way.

River cruising is not what I expected it to be when I left Sydney.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[rudeman]

Bltover - no Avalon or AMA ship problems we've heard of here on Avalon Impression. Other poster said it was their Viking ship.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[sippican]

On AMPrima in Vilshofen. Plenty of rain last night. :D

[Worldcrzr]

We will be in Regensberg today around 1:00 pm. It has been raining all night and still a steady rain. I hope it is enough for a safe sail to Passau tonight.

[annabell.4006]

Hello to btlover the viking Aigar just passed the viking idi, our option today to go to Regensburg is via the buses. The buses meet the boat somewhere along the way and the boat keeps on going, trying to make up time.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[G.M.T.]

We will be in Regensberg today around 1:00 pm. It has been raining all night and still a steady rain. I hope it is enough for a safe sail to Passau tonight.

 

At 09:00 this morning the Danube was 317 cm at Straubing, plain sailing all the way to Passau. Unless of course the Danube starts getting high water levels and flooging.:eek:;) Only a very wet joke.

[btlover]

My apologies to AMA & Avalon; my info was second hand. Annabell.4006 my husband mentioned he saw your ship sail by. Where do you disembark?

[sippican]

We will be in Regensberg today around 1:00 pm. It has been raining all night and still a steady rain. I hope it is enough for a safe sail to Passau tonight.

 

We're right in front of you, sailing from Vilshofen to Passau this afternoon.

[steamboats]

Vilshofen to Passau is no problem at all. The tricky area is upriver from Vilshofen.

 

steamboats

[Worldcrzr]

We're right in front of you, sailing from Vilshofen to Passau this afternoon.

 

We were waiting for you to go through the lock. We just got the green light to go.

[sippican]

We are at the lock waiting. We are delayed at least an hour. Still rainy and chilly, but at least there's plenty of water!:D

[Worldcrzr]

Our rain dance worked but when we went ashore, it was raining. Not good for pictures. Good for sailing. We docked so far from the town center, it was quite a hike to go into the town center and back to the ship. The Viking Sky was docked behind us. She looks like an older ship. Not at all like our new ship, the Viking Kvasir. Merchants in town give discounts and small gifts for shopping. I've been picking up pins of each city, country and flag to go on my hat. There are several ships in port. When we came back to our ship, another ship was docked beside us. Our veranda is on the other side so we didn't have to close our drapes. Weather forecast is rain the next four days of our cruise.