Danube water levels 2018 and similar topics - plus tips and info

[notamermaid]

Oh my goodness. I can certainly understand that you feel let down. I can only say that train travel is easy in Europe and if wanted to head up to the Rhine it would be easy to do. But a short cruise on the is awkward as winter season starts this weekend. And the Rhine is difficult even for excursion boats.  Round trips at Cologne and Düsseldorf are still possible. Any chance of getting a last minute deal with a small cruise line? Not sure if you could walk into a travel agent in Amsterdam and ask. Ships can still sail the river...

For trains perhaps try "the man in seat 61". From Amsterdam having a trip to England could be fun.

I hope you can find some consolation and get a satisfactory outcome with financial matters with the river cruise company.

notamermaid

 

[Mark_T]

23 minutes ago, AussieGirlKaz said:

So I was booked on an APT cruise from Amsterdam that was scheduled to leave on the 27th. Got a call literally just after I checked in for my flight that they have cancelled cruises for the next few weeks.

That is frustrating, but I'm not surprised.

We are booked out of Amsterdam on the 10th November, 2 weeks after you and I'm waiting for the same thing to be honest.

Once the Rhine Gorge became impassible for them that pretty much put an end to the cruises out of Amsterdam sadly.

Edited October 18, 2018 by Mark_T

[austinetc]

3 minutes ago, Mark_T said:

That is frustrating, but I'm not surprised.

We are booked out of Amsterdam on the 10th November, 2 weeks after you and I'm waiting for the same thing to be honest.

Once the Rhine Gorge became impassible for them that pretty much put an end to the cruises out of Amsterdam sadly.

Ships are still getting to Koblenz?  I've counted cruises versus ships north of the Gorge and determined that Viking has an adequate fleet to satisfy all the cruises out of Amsterdam, if there is water under the keel.

[Mark_T]

1 minute ago, austinetc said:

Ships are still getting to Koblenz?  I've counted cruises versus ships north of the Gorge and determined that Viking has an adequate fleet to satisfy all the cruises out of Amsterdam, if there is water under the keel.

My comment was in regards to APT, they have ships at both ends of the problem, but they lack the ships in the middle to get around the Rhine Gorge issue.

[austinetc]

Does anyone have knowledge of transits from Amsterdam to Koblenz? I've heard that traffic and port space are issues, but is the river still navigable?  There is now new low water issues south of Mainz which makes Amsterdam to Basel cruises problematic.  But our cruise hangs a left at Mainz on the way to Budapest.  

I'm envisioning the current optimal process as Amsterdam to Koblenz, swap to Mainz, Mainz to outside Nuremberg, swap to Passau, Passau to Vienna, swap to Budapest.  Three non-excursion bus rides.  It's horrible that I'm considering this to be the best that can happen.

[notamermaid]

52 minutes ago, austinetc said:

Does anyone have knowledge of transits from Amsterdam to Koblenz? I've heard that traffic and port space are issues, but is the river still navigable?  There is now new low water issues south of Mainz which makes Amsterdam to Basel cruises problematic.  But our cruise hangs a left at Mainz on the way to Budapest.  

I'm envisioning the current optimal process as Amsterdam to Koblenz, swap to Mainz, Mainz to outside Nuremberg, swap to Passau, Passau to Vienna, swap to Budapest.  Three non-excursion bus rides.  It's horrible that I'm considering this to be the best that can happen.

Amsterdam to Koblenz is part canal, part river, the Netherlands has problems but the river is still navigable, I am not familiar with the canal section. But traffic is slowed down for sure. The navigation channel Koblenz to I think just after the border with the Netherlands has a desired navigation channel depth of 2.50m (the upper part) and 2.80m (the lower part). Sounds good, doesn't it? But with the river being so low we are under those depths and - no surprise any more I know - Andernach got itself a new lowest water level since records began earlier today. Andernach is full with ships that have got stranded. Next suitable place from there is Linz, then what? In short, ships can sail but it is getting tight for the biggest ones, slow and tedious as there are few places to dock for the 135m ships upstream from Bonn. To give you an idea: Bonn currently has a navigation channel depth of 197cm (on paper). And got itself a new ... see above.

😭

notamermaid

 

[G.M.T.]

2 hours ago, austinetc said:

Does anyone have knowledge of transits from Amsterdam to Koblenz? I've heard that traffic and port space are issues, but is the river still navigable?  There is now new low water issues south of Mainz which makes Amsterdam to Basel cruises problematic.  But our cruise hangs a left at Mainz on the way to Budapest.  

I'm envisioning the current optimal process as Amsterdam to Koblenz, swap to Mainz, Mainz to outside Nuremberg, swap to Passau, Passau to Vienna, swap to Budapest.  Three non-excursion bus rides.  It's horrible that I'm considering this to be the best that can happen.

Heard a rumour today, that the Passau - Vienna stretch could be in trouble in a few days. There are ten locks in this stretch on the Danube, water is being backed up to have enough water to operate the locks.

The photo shows the good old days in Passau (June 2013)

 

[austinetc]

I've already realized that this drought is much worse for the locals than it is for we who are only on vacation.  In sympathy, whenever I walk into a pub, I plan to look around to make sure its empty, then shout "Getränke sind auf mich!"  I'll feel better.

   

[tazlover]

On 10/17/2018 at 9:52 PM, Trvlcrazy said:

Hello, you are in Ama viola and in Vienna and bound to Budapest...  I have a similar itinerary in December.  Hoping you did make it to Budapest and you were able to see what you wanted to see there.

With the water levels, I am curious to know if Ama covered the sightseeing with other means - bus ?  When you can, will you describe your day in Vienna & Budapest ?  thanks kindly

We could go no further on the Danube from Vienna, the river would not allow us to go to Bratislava and Budapest. We were bussed from Vienna to Bratislava for our tours, and today we were bussed 3 hours to Budapest for our final city tour.  AMA has done a great job getting us where we needed to be, and we were on the ship 6 nights.  We just have to stay tonight in a hotel.  But the weather has been perfect, and we could not ask for better treatment by our Cruise Manager Dragan.  He has been fantastic, getting hotels and restaurants booked for 160 passengers.  I hope you have better luck in December 

[bubbulz]

I have a question for those for whom the embarkation port has been modified: Rather than being put up in a hotel at the original port, are you being given a choice instead to board the boat (wherever it may be) on the date on which your cruise was supposed to start? We are due to sail from Budapest to Passau, and so far it's looking like our cruise will probably start instead in Vienna. Since we will already have had 4 days in Budapest by the start date of our cruise, our preference at that point would be to take the train to Vienna and board the boat there on our scheduled start date. Is this typically offered as an option? On one hand, since we have booked the stateroom from the start date we signed up and paid for, I'm not sure they would/could deny boarding (wherever the boat might be). I'd appreciate your thoughts as I continue to try to plan for contingencies ... (while keeping my fingers crossed that there is rain and the river remains passable between Vienna and Passau.)

[SuzieQK]

42 minutes ago, bubbulz said:

I have a question for those for whom the embarkation port has been modified: Rather than being put up in a hotel at the original port, are you being given a choice instead to board the boat (wherever it may be) on the date on which your cruise was supposed to start? We are due to sail from Budapest to Passau, and so far it's looking like our cruise will probably start instead in Vienna. Since we will already have had 4 days in Budapest by the start date of our cruise, our preference at that point would be to take the train to Vienna and board the boat there on our scheduled start date. Is this typically offered as an option? On one hand, since we have booked the stateroom from the start date we signed up and paid for, I'm not sure they would/could deny boarding (wherever the boat might be). I'd appreciate your thoughts as I continue to try to plan for contingencies ... (while keeping my fingers crossed that there is rain and the river remains passable between Vienna and Passau.)

Bubbulz- we were not given any choice from Avalon.

[austinetc]

I don't have any firm answer, but you should call the ship; you should have its phone number in the cruise documents.  (It's possible you won't be on the ship your documents say you'll be on, but they'll know the phone number of the one you will be on.)  I would guess that they won't let you on until the day that everyone from Budapest arrives.  Ship routine changes dramatically from empty to full.  I doubt that they'd want or be able to accommodate a handful of passengers.  But who knows.  This year the exceptions outnumber the norms.

[bubbulz]

2 minutes ago, austinetc said:

I don't have any firm answer, but you should call the ship; you should have its phone number in the cruise documents.  (It's possible you won't be on the ship your documents say you'll be on, but they'll know the phone number of the one you will be on.)  I would guess that they won't let you on until the day that everyone from Budapest arrives.  Ship routine changes dramatically from empty to full.  I doubt that they'd want or be able to accommodate a handful of passengers.  But who knows.  This year the exceptions outnumber the norms.

Yeah, pretty much what I was thinking. We're on Uniworld's SS Maria Theresa so there really isn't another ship they could realistically transfer us to. I'm thinking that in the most likely scenario, she will just be stuck waiting in Vienna.

[drarill]

12 hours ago, Mark_T said:

The traffic between Vienna and Passau still seems to be moving in both directions which is something at least.

The two AMA/APT ships that I have been tracking have made it to Passau OK, but I'm not sure what happens next for their passengers...

With nothing else from AMA available this side of the Rhine Gorge it looks like hotels if they are going to continue any further.

Thier two sister-ships stuck north of the gorge left heading north this morning so they are apparenty not waiting there to receive a transfer of passengers to continue from Cologne, so anything is possible I guess... (except rain!)

 

 

We were on the AMA Certo Budapest to Nuremberg a couple of weeks ago.  

Day #`1, Saturday,  Budapest with Illumination Cruise

Day #2, Sunday, Bratislava

Day #3, Monday, Vienna.

Day #4: Tuesday, Dürnstein/ Melk 

 Day #4: Wednesday:  Linz/Passau- we went to Salzburg 

Day #5- Thursday: 

Wednesday  night we were told that the ship was not going to make it to Regensburg. We stay that night in Passau and were given the option of going  to Regensgurg (two hours bus ride each way) for a full day trip, or a half day trip to Schärding. Passengers that went to Regensburg were given 20 Euros per person for lunch in town.  That night we left Passau and cruised to  Vilshofen. 

Day #6- Friday: Passengers were given the option of going to Nuremberg on a bus (three hours each way); a half day morning tour to an organ concert in Vilshofen & Beer underworld tour  or a bike tour to Aldersbach.  We decided to make lemonade out of lemons and took a train to Munich to go to the Oktoberfest.  Had a blast and fell in love with this city. 

Day #7: Saturday: Departure day.  We booked our post cruise with AMA,  bus drive  to Prague with a stop in Pilsen for lunch.  

Our cruise director Bojan was amazing.  Having a balcony, and paying for it, was a disappointment.  Most of the time we had another ship docked close to ours.  We were told by our TA that we were supposed to use and enjoy our balcony while cruising, but this only happened once between Dürnstein and Melk. 

BTW we were given a future cruise credit based on 30% of our cruise fare as a goodwill gesture from AMA. 

Hope this info can help someone.  

 

Edited October 19, 2018 by drarill

[gnome12]

2 minutes ago, drarill said:

Having a balcony, and paying for it, was a disappointment.  Most of the time we had another ship docked close to ours.  We were told by our TA that we were suppose to use and enjoy our balcony while cruising, but this only happened once between Dürnstein and Melk. 

Even before low water the chance of having another ship rafted to yours would be fairly high, it is much worse this year because so many ports were inaccessible, leaving fewer places for ships to dock, and therefore more rafting.

[worldtraveller99]

Not much help for people now, but looking at Weather Underground appears to be 3 days of rain in next 10 days visible, in Vienna, 2 of 3mm, 1 of 8mm. How many days are needed to make a difference to sailing along the Danube ok?

[G.M.T.]

2 hours ago, worldtraveller99 said:

Not much help for people now, but looking at Weather Underground appears to be 3 days of rain in next 10 days visible, in Vienna, 2 of 3mm, 1 of 8mm. How many days are needed to make a difference to sailing along the Danube ok?

That's a good one, never heard that before.

My favourite is:

Two men sitting in deckchairs. One man says to the other, "It's nice out, isn't it...

 

To be continued.

 

 

[gnome12]

4 hours ago, worldtraveller99 said:

Not much help for people now, but looking at Weather Underground appears to be 3 days of rain in next 10 days visible, in Vienna, 2 of 3mm, 1 of 8mm. How many days are needed to make a difference to sailing along the Danube ok?

It is not rain in any particular spot, it is rain across the catchment area that really matters.

[pully8]

Interested in the APT cancellation reported above and refund.

In its self filling in 18 days in Europe would be not difficult. However getting that info after checking in to a flight from Australia would be challenging?

Self funding the 18 days maybe difficult for some too. How long before the promised refund? Please keep us informed, many Australians and others use APT and will be interested in the outcome.

 

[Mark_T]

Current list of APT cancellations:

 

• 26 October 2018 - Amsterdam to Budapest
• 26 October 2018 - Budapest to Amsterdam
• 27 October 2018 - Amsterdam to Budapest
• 27 October 2018 - Budapest to Amsterdam

Also affected is the following APT Essential cruise (operated by Travelmarvel):

• 29 October 2018 - Amsterdam to Budapest, aboard the Travelmarvel Diamond. 

[bubbulz]

11 hours ago, SuzieQK said:

Bubbulz- we were not given any choice from Avalon.

Thanks for the response. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. Our TA said we would be able to board the boat on our scheduled date of departure, even if it were at a port other than originally scheduled. But we shall see ...

[Coral]

I am on November 20th on Crystal Mozart. I actually think I will be safe with my itinerary:

 

http://www.crystalcruises.com/voyage/details/christmas-markets-along-the-danube-8m24r

 

 

 

 

Edited October 19, 2018 by Coral

[Flamencacha]

22 hours ago, SuzieQK said:

We are supposed to leave on Avalon’s Panorama on Wednesday next week from Budapest to Prague. Our travel agent informed us yesterday that we wouldn’t be boarding in Budapest, but staying overnight for 2 nights in a hotel TBA. We will then be bussed to Vienna to board a ship(don’t know if it will be the Panorama), missing Bratslova altogether. Keeping an open mind.

 

1 hour ago, bubbulz said:

Thanks for the response. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. Our TA said we would be able to board the boat on our scheduled date of departure, even if it were at a port other than originally scheduled. But we shall see ...

Ok Suzie, 

i am supposed to be boarding opposite direction on the 31. So keep me advise of your progress. 

 

Bublz, my TA said she would have my e docs shortly, hasn’t happened. 

 

There is sone rain in the forecast for several areas along the rout starting midweek. 

This is definitely not what I had pictured. 

Keeping an open mind though. Trying to figure out what to pack etc. If they are cancelling etc

 

best of luck. 

[Flamencacha]

3 minutes ago, Coral said:

I am on November 20th on Crystal Mozart. I actually think I will be safe with my itinerary:

 

http://www.crystalcruises.com/voyage/details/christmas-markets-along-the-danube-8m24r

 

 

 

 

Not if you don’t wet any rain, like the rest of us. 

[Coral]

5 minutes ago, Flamencacha said:

Not if you don’t wet any rain, like the rest of us. 

 

Where do you think I will have problems? The ports I am going to are all fine right now. Since we are spending so much time in Austria and not going to Budapest - I think my itinerary will sail fine.