What months should I avoid for potential low water levels - Rhine and Danube

[AtlantaCruiser72]

Trying to plan a Amsterdam to Budapest Rhine/Danube River cruise for summer 2024.  While I know we can never predict the exact water levels at any one time, which months have typically suffered most from low water issues?  We were looking to cruise late July - Mid August for me Mum's 75th if that helps in the discussion.

 

Sorry in advance if the topic has been discussed elsewhere but I am new to the River Cruising forum

[d9704011]

I'd say you may expect lower water levels from July onward.

 

@notamermaidhas a depth of knowledge on this topic.  Search out the member's postings.

 

 

Edited February 19, 2023 by d9704011

[notamermaid]

Thank you for referring to the thread. We will cover how the river behaves throughout the year.

1 hour ago, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

Sorry in advance if the topic has been discussed elsewhere but I am new to the River Cruising forum

Welcome to the river cruising forum. We have often talked about the levels, also a bit about statistics, but the topic will not leave us for some years to come (on the Rhine and Danube) so here we go: for your specific cruise, a long one, we have two problem areas. Those are the Rhine Gorge, from Rüdesheim to Koblenz, and mostly the Bavarian Danube, from Straubing to Vilshofen. In past years both rivers had been sort of okay in July and August but in 2022 both began to struggle in mid July. Generally speaking, the Danube begins with problems before the Rhine. For the "Grand European", usually Amsterdam to Budapest or vice versa, a passenger needs to be aware of the low water problems and how the companies deal with this. You may also encounter a heatwave. So in 2022 such a long journey could have been a less than optimal experience for someone who does not like bus trips or standing for a long time exposed to the sun. The roll calls can be very informative... Sorry, that was a long answer to expand on your question. Basically, July should be okay, but may not be, August is tricky on the Danube, less so on the Rhine, September tricky for both potentially. Problems may run into October. Last year, October was actually better than August, that was unusual.

 

Hope this helps.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[AtlantaCruiser72]

Thanks for the insight.  We are considering cruising with Viking and it seems due to their large fleet they tend to move guests from one ship to another (luggage moved whilst guests off touring) avoiding intermediate hotels more than some others when water levels are low.  Would that be an accurate assessment?  

[puppymama1]

Would May or June have a better chance of “good” water levels on the Danube than October?  We are planning way ahead for our 2025 river cruise on the Danube.  Thanks!

[d9704011]

4 minutes ago, puppymama1 said:

Would May or June have a better chance of “good” water levels on the Danube than October?  We are planning way ahead for our 2025 river cruise on the Danube.  Thanks!

Probably, yes.  Choose mid-June for longer daylight hours.

[Coral]

On 2/19/2023 at 5:04 PM, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

Thanks for the insight.  We are considering cruising with Viking and it seems due to their large fleet they tend to move guests from one ship to another (luggage moved whilst guests off touring) avoiding intermediate hotels more than some others when water levels are low.  Would that be an accurate assessment?  

Yes - though this is one of those things that people complain about a lot. I know someone who had an 8 night cruise and changed ships 3x. They also missed quite a bit of the port time due to this "convenience"

 

I would strongly recommend that you at least look at other lines. Other lines get great reviews and often include more (and are often the same price). Also, Viking requires payment much more in advance compared to other lines. I refuse to pay 1 year in advance for a cruise.

 

Viking has the name most people are familiar with. You should also look at Amawaterways, Avalon, Scenic and Uniworld. Probably a few others I left out.

Edited February 21, 2023 by Coral

[notamermaid]

10 hours ago, puppymama1 said:

Would May or June have a better chance of “good” water levels on the Danube than October?  We are planning way ahead for our 2025 river cruise on the Danube.  Thanks!

Yes. There is little record historically of low water but you can experience flooding. However, that is normally shorter in duration. Overall, if you have the choice you may prefer to go in May or June. Also because you have more daylight in June, as suggested. Remember, low water is mostly a thing in Bavaria (but can happen along many stretches of the Danube when it is really low), so any cruise that avoids that stretch in Bavaria is more likely to be not impacted. Amsterdam to Budapest is a much "trickier" cruise than Vilshofen to Budapest for example.

 

I highly recommend looking at the roll call for the Viking Grand European 2022, where people have shared their experiences - not all of them good. Other cruise lines' roll calls are not as extensive but can be helpful, too.

 

For fairness to prospective cruisers, I would like to mention that I do not like the payment policies of Viking so with potential problems in mind for 135m ships, I would never sail with them. Being in Europe I have many choices of other cruise lines.

 

Having said that, so do you in the Americas to a great extent (I myself would be happy to sail on an English or German language cruise) and I thank @Coral for mentioning those. I would add Tauck to her suggestions.

 

You are very likely to have a great experience on Viking, just like thousands of passengers before you, or any other line. Have fun planning.

 

notamermaid

 

 

 

[notamermaid]

On 2/20/2023 at 12:04 AM, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

Thanks for the insight.  We are considering cruising with Viking and it seems due to their large fleet they tend to move guests from one ship to another (luggage moved whilst guests off touring) avoiding intermediate hotels more than some others when water levels are low.  Would that be an accurate assessment?  

I agree with Coral and hope have been able to expand a little with my comments made above.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[Rebel54]

I'm doing Germany to the Black Sea in June 2024 with Avalon.  I originally was looking at August but due to being worried about water I moved to June.  I prefer Avalon because I can book way in advance but don't have to pay until a few months before the cruise.  I'd rather lose my small deposit than have to fight over a good chunk of money.  This will be my 3rd cruise with them and I really enjoy their product.

 

[Coral]

I know I missed Tauck...! Early morning for me.

 

I agree with @notamermaid  - I personally would not book with Viking unless it was a last minute cruise because I refuse to pay their pricing games. I will not pay for a cruise a year out.

 

Viking tells agents the benefits of booking with them because they have so many ships - they can move you from ship to ship. There was a video posted here a few years ago (before COVID) where someone did the Grand European tour and how their "cruise" turned into a bus tour where they literally had to pick up and pack so often. It really was no better than staying at a hotel as the ships they were on rarely moved. It was hilarious how the guy did it. I personally would not use this as a benefit to Viking.

 

I would encourage you to look at other lines, compare pricing, what is included (some lines include tips, more excursions, more drinks, etc....). Sometimes Viking can be more expensive than the lines that include more and are higher rated.

[Host Jazzbeau]

There is also the issue that Viking needs to be able to move passengers from ship to ship because their ships are always the first to stop sailing in any low water situation.

[Canal archive]

Low water situation a few years ago the captain at our port talk explained about the low water situation and as the the previous vessel in the fleet had done a ship swap they didn’t have another vessel for us to do one he said that with care he was sure he and his crew could get us through and did we mind a few hull scraping sounds on the way. Not one voice of dissent and none of the passengers realised we were successful until breakfast the next morning. It has a lot to do with the draught of the vessel (the shallower the better) getting rid of a lot of weight - water for instance, it weighs a lot, but in this instance following a heavily laiden cargo barge at the right distance, in our case we were followed by a lighter laiden barge at the right distance. So the three of us got through with an excellent Captain and crew. We passed the first barge later in the day with lots of horn and whistle blowing. And I thought Germans were reserved! Whoops forgot to say this was a Scenic vessel.

Edited February 22, 2023 by Canal archive

[notamermaid]

6 hours ago, Coral said:

Viking tells agents the benefits of booking with them because they have so many ships - they can move you from ship to ship.

Yes, that is a selling point. It used to be more relevant when other companies did not do this, i.e. others have picked up the idea. As seen in Canal archive's post about her Scenic experience.

 

6 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

There is also the issue that Viking needs to be able to move passengers from ship to ship because their ships are always the first to stop sailing in any low water situation.

May I refine? Always among the first to stop sailing. There are a few ships that appear to be "on a par".

 

I think it is important to note that Viking have stated in the past that they think they give you the best experience by not cancelling cruises and making sure you see all the ports. Which essentially means that in the end you can actually hardly claim you had a less than optimal experience and missed something. They do not cancel a cruise generally speaking, meaning a situation will have to be very dire for them to say they are not sailing in low water. Details to this will vary and - by the way - European consumer rights lead to contracts with the operator/booking agent being different from the US. You can see this by comparing the US and the UK Viking websites.

 

Again, you can have the most amazing experience on Viking but I would say that it is good to "shop around".

 

As this was originally about the months of the year, I would like to come back to that. On a 110m ship I would have no hesitation to sail in any month of the year. Perhaps avoid early March as it is just a bit cold and flooding may be a problem (less fun getting stuck in cold weather than in mild weather).

 

notamermaid