Rhine water levels 2018 and similar topics

[peregrino]

51 minutes ago, pully8 said:

Our cruise is close to Christmas and new year, we chose it for those dates. Given the current situation and reports from people in Europe, the severe drought and record low water levels we have concerns. We are unable to book anything else until we know one way or another how APT are going to manage our booking.  

 

Same for us, pully8.  We are booked on AmaVenita for Dec 8, A to B.  We are very keen to know what APT say to you now.

 

Our two efforts to contact APT (about a week ago) only yielded replies of the general form "All ok, don't you worry about it..."

 

Admittedly, rainfall and river levels are not totally predictable.  However, the feedback from Mark_T and others, plus the location and daily movement of vessels on the CruiseMapper doesn't look like it's all ok on the A to B cruises:

 

https://www.cruisemapper.com/?mmsi=269057515

[sjde]

I read this on another forum today- "We have trip insurance, but it is being denied because an alternative NON COMPARABLE itinerary is being offered." One he did not find acceptable.

[Mark_T]

Had a good day in Bernkastel yesterday, and while we were there the ship moved from Koblenz to Andernach, where it will stay until after we go to Namedy Monday evening.

 

Today we visit Bonn and Drachenburg Castle.

 

Still having fun 🙂

[madda]

Don't know what happened there, ever since there was an upgrade with CC it has been a hit and miss situation. Glad that you are still having fun - that is what travelling is all about. We leave Adelaide in the morning for Prague and will arrive there 36 hours later, but looking forward to whatever happens.

[Philandher]

17 hours ago, CILCIANRQTS said:

 

See Scenic thread this page.

Thanks, do you have the link to the Scenic thread?

[G.M.T.]

12 hours ago, DickieD said:

We were booked on a Grand Circle Travel B to A cruise commencing Dec 17 which was cancelled yesterday. We were given two options: (1) a cruise this December on the Seine, which was almost fully booked, and a $500 credit for future cruise or (2) full refund and a $500 future cruise credit. Although disappointed about missing the scheduled Christmas Market Rhine River Cruise I fell GCT was up front and very fair.

 

We have already booked a Panama Canal Holiday Cruise from Fort Lauderdale to San Diego commencing Dec 18 for 16 days. Not as exciting as our original plans, but a good alternative. 

 

We’ll rebook the Rhine Christmas Cruise for 2019.

The rivers may come and go or fall and rise, but the Christmas Markets will be there. Hand a v ery good transit.

[Coli]

23 hours ago, notamermaid said:

I hope you have had a pleasant flight and the mistery tour becomes a nice surprise.

 

Today is a busy shopping day for me under a bright Autumn sky. It is nice, but there is always the thought "this is not normal".

How is the poor Rhine doing today? Not too well: Maxau 327cm, Kaub 39cm, Koblenz 43cm.

 

notamermaid

 

AmaPrima’s mystery wine tour has begun. On our way to Utrecht and I can see that we’re heading to Gent by Tuesday. Sebastian nor our captain knows where we’re going after day 5.

[notamermaid]

A bright Autumn sky means the locals are out and about again, walking to the Mouse Tower island (currently a "peninsula") no doubt, but also in the woods, town centres, etc. It is dry and lovely almost everywhere you go these days. Muddy and wet November days, vaguely remember what those are like from last year. This year? Nothing of the sort.

 

I have decided to stay indoors mostly, housework calls. And I have been wondering for the last two hours how to gently give you the bad news. After this post I shall leave the computer fast, just in case it finally does work and someone out there manages to throw a dagger at me through the cables... I am just the messenger, arrghh. Here goes:

 

I am sorry to inform you that the river levels on the Rhine are still very much far from favourable for river cruising. They have actually slightly deteriorated. Currently I am not envisaging a return to smooth sailing for 135m ships in the Rhine gorge for some days to come. The current status: Maxau 318cm, Kaub 33cm, Koblenz 29cm. The level at Kaub could fall further still. This is Kaub:

 

NNW is the line for the lowest level ever recorded. We have been there before this year:

 

Where we were on 31 October is where we would like to be, sharpish. That is not going to happen, though.

 

Further bad news: snow will not be plentiful this week and rain will frustratingly leave out most of the catchment area of the Rhine. Good rain covering the whole area is not anticipated before Saturday 24th November. See wetteronline.de

 

notamermaid

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sjde]

DickieD-I read your post wrong. I see they cancelled your cruise a month out. Some on this forum are being cancelled only 2-4 days out?

[hbr777]

38 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

A bright Autumn sky means the locals are out and about again, walking to the Mouse Tower island (currently a "peninsula") no doubt, but also in the woods, town centres, etc. It is dry and lovely almost everywhere you go these days. Muddy and wet November days, vaguely remember what those are like from last year. This year? Nothing of the sort.

 

I have decided to stay indoors mostly, housework calls. And I have been wondering for the last two hours how to gently give you the bad news. After this post I shall leave the computer fast, just in case it finally does work and someone out there manages to throw a dagger at me through the cables... I am just the messenger, arrghh. Here goes:

 

I am sorry to inform you that the river levels on the Rhine are still very much far from favourable for river cruising. They have actually slightly deteriorated. Currently I am not envisaging a return to smooth sailing for 135m ships in the Rhine gorge for some days to come. The current status: Maxau 318cm, Kaub 33cm, Koblenz 29cm. The level at Kaub could fall further still. This is Kaub:

 

NNW is the line for the lowest level ever recorded. We have been there before this year:

 

Where we were on 31 October is where we would like to be, sharpish. That is not going to happen, though.

 

Further bad news: snow will not be plentiful this week and rain will frustratingly leave out most of the catchment area of the Rhine. Good rain covering the whole area is not anticipated before Saturday 24th November. See wetteronline.de

 

notamermaid

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No daggers being thrown here.  Thanks for the info, even if bad.

Is there rain in the forecast AFTER Nov 24?

[notamermaid]

51 minutes ago, hbr777 said:

No daggers being thrown here.  Thanks for the info, even if bad.

Is there rain in the forecast AFTER Nov 24?

 

The precipitation map only goes as far as 25th, so 24th looks good but 25th less so. 14-day weather forecast is quite vague, but looking at a few individual places in the valley it does not look promising between 26 and 29th.

 

notamermaid

 

[sjde]

What I don't understand is this- if the impassable area is between Koblenz and Rudesheim, why is our cruise , which starts in Budapest and ends in Amsterdam, going to be bussing people from Budapest to Vienna tomorrow?  Maybe the ship is  stuck north of Koblenz? We are only doing the 2nd half of the 15 day trip, starting in Nuremburg on Sunday, Nov 25th, and haven't heard anything from them yet on disruptions. 

[notamermaid]

18 minutes ago, sjde said:

What I don't understand is this- if the impassable area is between Koblenz and Rudesheim, why is our cruise , which starts in Budapest and ends in Amsterdam, going to be bussing people from Budapest to Vienna tomorrow?  Maybe the ship is  stuck north of Koblenz? We are only doing the 2nd half of the 15 day trip, starting in Nuremburg on Sunday, Nov 25th, and haven't heard anything from them yet on disruptions. 

This is your (complete) cruise, isn't it? https://www.teemingrivercruises.com/cruises/js191118-bud-ams/#itinerary

You are only doing the second leg. The Johann Strauss is in Regensburg and could obviously not make it to Budapest. Which I assume means the stretch from Straubing to Vilshofen is impassable for her as a 110m ship. This would mean that the situation is potentially worse on the Danube in that stretch than it was in the Rhine gorge South of Koblenz when she last sailed there. As your trip is still quite a few days out before you get close to the Rhine gorge, it could well mean Teeming River Cruises is not expecting the Johann Strauss to not get through the Rhine gorge. At the current level she could have problems - but even that is not certain - but if the level rises at Kaub she will likely be fine.

 

In short: two stretches of river present a problem for river cruise ships due to low water between Vienna and Amsterdam. Budapest to Vienna adds itself to that at later point, when the river falls even further - like it has done again and is currently the case.

 

notamermaid

 

[jo-b]

7 hours ago, Philandher said:

Thanks, do you have the link to the Scenic thread?

 

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2576764-scenic-low-water-level-schedule-changescancellations/?page=7

 

last post was Friday as to what they were doing onboard. 

[sjde]

Thanks notamermaid. I had emailed the company asking where the ship was now and whoever responded said they didn’t know! 

[G.M.T.]

53 minutes ago, sjde said:

Thanks notamermaid. I had emailed the company asking where the ship was now and whoever responded said they didn’t know! 

Notamermaid told you where the ship is in message #1389

[SF Walker]

 

Dear all - I've been following this thread for about 2 weeks and am so impressed and grateful for all your generosity in posting and researching.

 

We have yet another potentially sad story: we're scheduled to begin our Christmas Market/Rhine River cruise in nine days (11/27) from Cologne on Luftner Cruise Lines MS Amadeus Silver (135m). The nine-day cruise is scheduled to stop at Koblenz, Miltenberg, Wurzburg, Bamberg, ending in Nuremberg. [It was marketed by a TA] through our college alumni association. Nobody knows nothing or at least they are not sharing what they know. I've taken to calling Luftner Cruise Line in Austria and was told on Friday that they have made changes which they have communicated with [the TA]. Neither Luftner nor [the TA] has so far being willing to share with us customers. Our alumni association rep knows nothing either. 

 

According to Cruise Mapper, the Amadeus Silver is on the Main River near Raunheim and appears to be moving away from the Rhine. And from what I've read here, there is no way a 135 meter boat can make this trip. 

 

I'm hoping we'll hear something tomorrow, Monday 11/19, but this has been a frustrating experience. I'm sorry so many of you have also had to go through it.  

 

This will (would have been?) our first cruise experience. The lack of communication and transparency, primarily on [the TA's] part since they chartered the boat, is so disappointing and frustrating. Surely they knew quite awhile ago that this wasn't happening. 

 

In any event, I want to again thank all of you for taking the time to post here.

 

 

 

 

Edited November 18, 2018 by Host Jazzbeau
removing TA name (at poster's request)

[Host Jazzbeau]

Sorry SF Walker, you are not allowed to name Travel Agents.  Feel free to repost with that information removed [or ask and I can do it for you].

[SF Walker]

Dear Jazzbeau - thank you for your reply. No, I didn't know that. yes, please do remove the information. This was my first posting and I'm not sure how to repost.

 

thank you.

[Host Jazzbeau]

done

[G.M.T.]

6 minutes ago, SF Walker said:

Dear Jazzbeau - thank you for your reply. No, I didn't know that. yes, please do remove the information. This was my first posting and I'm not sure how to repost.

 

thank you.

SF, there are two Amadeus Silver II and III, II is currently in Linz, Austria and III is in Leverkusen just north of Cologne.

 

Cologne to Koblenz is passable, Mainz to Nuremberg should be cruiseable, but don't know if there are ships available to do a swap.

Edited November 18, 2018 by G.M.T.

[SF Walker]

thank you, Jazzbeau. I'll be mindful of this in the future.

 

 

[SF Walker]

1 minute ago, G.M.T. said:

SF, there are two Amadeus Silver II and III, II is cujrrently in Linz, Austria and III is in Leverkusen just north of Cologne.

 

Cologne to Koblenz is passable, Mainz to Nuremberg should be cruiseable, but don't know if there are ships available to do a swap.

I've been told ours is the "plain" Amadeus Silver, not the II or the III. It's at the location I mentioned above. 

[sjde]

G.M.T.- Yes she did- that’s why I was thanking her. 

[notamermaid]

6 hours ago, SF Walker said:

Dear all - I've been following this thread for about 2 weeks and am so impressed and grateful for all your generosity in posting and researching.

 

We have yet another potentially sad story: we're scheduled to begin our Christmas Market/Rhine River cruise in nine days (11/27) from Cologne on Luftner Cruise Lines MS Amadeus Silver (135m). The nine-day cruise is scheduled to stop at Koblenz, Miltenberg, Wurzburg, Bamberg, ending in Nuremberg. [It was marketed by a TA] through our college alumni association. Nobody knows nothing or at least they are not sharing what they know. I've taken to calling Luftner Cruise Line in Austria and was told on Friday that they have made changes which they have communicated with [the TA]. Neither Luftner nor [the TA] has so far being willing to share with us customers. Our alumni association rep knows nothing either. 

 

According to Cruise Mapper, the Amadeus Silver is on the Main River near Raunheim and appears to be moving away from the Rhine. And from what I've read here, there is no way a 135 meter boat can make this trip. 

 

I'm hoping we'll hear something tomorrow, Monday 11/19, but this has been a frustrating experience. I'm sorry so many of you have also had to go through it.  

 

This will (would have been?) our first cruise experience. The lack of communication and transparency, primarily on [the TA's] part since they chartered the boat, is so disappointing and frustrating. Surely they knew quite awhile ago that this wasn't happening. 

 

In any event, I want to again thank all of you for taking the time to post here.

 

I am sorry to read that. As of now, yes, the Amadeus Silver would not get back from where she is now to Koblenz on the Rhine. If you mean the Amadeus Silver ( there are also the ll and the lll), she is docked in Frankfurt according to marinetraffic.  She might or might not be on an itinerary but can still be ready for you waiting at Mainz for you for example. You have a few days to go. If you are worried about flights and itinerary changes I suggest you keep in touch with your tour operator in writing so you have a record of the communication.

 

I hope things work out for you and that you have a great cruise.

 

notamermaid

 

Edited November 19, 2018 by Host Jazzbeau
quoted section was replaced in original post