Water Levels on the Rivers of Europe
When all is said and done, there is no way to accurately predict whether your river cruise will be affected by low-water or high-water. But in general, high water occurs in the spring while low water occurs in heat of the summer, usually August. The summer of 2018 saw record low water levels on the Danube. However, contrary to the conventional wisdom, I saw record lows on the Rhine in November of 2015. While high or low water can impact your river cruise, in 50+ river cruises, I’ve never experienced a major disruption because of high water or low water, and I have cruised in both. I should add that I did not river cruise in the summer of 2018. In the comments below, some readers say their dream vacations were disappointing because of low water. Others had their trips scuttled altogether because the river cruise companies could not operate. My hope is that this page will serve as a useful forum for sharing information about the conditions on the rivers and how the cruise companies are handling adverse water levels.– Ralph Grizzle
Whether a river has high or low water levels is something you’re unlikely to consider when planning your river cruise – until it happens to you.
Unlike ocean cruising, river cruising is all about narrow margins. Low bridges make the air draft of a ship – how much of it sticks out of the water – critically important. Most river cruise ships have collapsible upper deck railings, removable furniture, and even navigation bridges that lower completely into the floor.
What’s under the keel – or hull – of your river cruise ship also makes a difference. In some cases, there can be less than a foot of water under the keel. River cruise ships have incredibly shallow drafts to begin with, and river cruise operators construct their ships as efficiently as possible. They’re the high-performance sports cars of the cruising world.
Unfortunately, low water and high water conditions can exist – and they can throw a real wrench into an otherwise flawless cruise.
For current updates from river cruisers currently on the rivers (or from those who have returned recently) be sure to see the comments at the bottom of this post.
The Rhine is perhaps the most dependable river when it comes to being able to continue navigation due to low water. I felt the boat scraping the bottom of the Rhine in Rudesheim in November of 2015, but we made it past. See Is AmaWaterways The Champion Of Low Water?
Water levels are unpredictable. In many cases, the cruise line may only find out on your actual sailing, or a few days beforehand, that a particular stretch of water isn’t navigable.
See related article: Low Water Levels Continue To Affect River Cruises; Plus Why This Happens In The First Place
Water levels aren’t uniform. That is to say, if there’s low water on the Danube, the entire Danube isn’t affected. In 2014, water levels were too low for many ships to pass between the German cities of Passau and Regensburg. In past years, the stretch heading across the Austria-Hungary border has been problematic.
History isn’t a good indicator of high or low water. In June of 2013, Passau was hit by the worst flooding – and the highest water levels – since the Middle Ages. In 2018, the Danube was so low that many cruise ships terminated their journeys in Passau.
What happens if high/low water levels affect my sailing? River cruise lines will typically attempt to keep your itinerary as operational as possible. Generally, when high/low water levels hit, three options are available to cruise lines:
- Continue the affected itinerary by having guests ‘swap ships’ – typically, being bussed from one town to the next, where you will embark a sister-ship or similar vessel to continue the rest of your journey. Read about our ship swap on Viking.
- Complete the itinerary as far as possible aboard your ship, and then transition to hotels (on the company’s expense) to complete the remainder of your itinerary.
- Outright cancellation. This is the rarest option, exercised when no other options are available.
I’m not sure if I should cancel my river cruise because of high/low water levels. What do I do?
Unless you have travel insurance that covers cancellation, do not cancel your river cruise over high/low water. Wait for the cruise line to either pull the plug or offer alternatives. If your sailing commences in a few weeks, cancelling your sailing will result in you loosing all monies paid. If you wait for the cruise line to pull the plug, offers typically include the ability to switch to another sailing at no cost; the offer to complete your cruise as scheduled at a discount or rebate; or the offer to cancel with minimal or no penalties. Of course, such offers are determined by the cruise line, but typically favor the guest.
Curious as to what the current conditions on the rivers of Europe are? A reader has provided us with a map showing the water levels on rivers in Germany. From reader “Sabine” see this link: https://www.wetteronline.de/pegelstaende?gid=HES
We have found the Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde (BFG) to be helpful. The organization published maps like the one below and forecasts. Find BFG’s 14-day water levels forecasts here and the six-week forecasts here.
Several cruise companies maintain pages about current sailing conditions:
- Emerald Cruises: https://www.emeraldwaterways.com/current-sailing-conditions
- Scenic: https://www.scenicusa.com/current-sailings-conditions
- Viking River Cruises: https://www.vikingrivercruises.com/my-trip/current-sailings/
To see what our readers had to say about how their trips were impacted by low water levels, click here.
Silvia says
Hi, We are supposed to be sailing on Viking from Vienna to Bucharest starting on Oct 29. Does anybody have an idea of how the water levels may impact our trip?
Stephanie says
We received the following message this morning….our Emerald cruise was suppose to start today. Very late notice.
“due to low water between Bratislava and Vienna, Emerald Sky is unable to reach Budapest for the embarkation of your cruise. Therefore, we have had to make the decision to move the first night of your cruise to a hotel stay to allow for the commencement of your itinerary”
Plans are to bus us to Bratislava for a tour and then continue bussing to Vienna where are cruise is suppose to start.
Nanette Taylor says
Hi there, as of the past 2 days there are no ships travelling to Budapest from Vienna as the water levels are too low. Also between Nuremberg and Passeau. So a change of ships is required and some bus trips between ports. We have just disembarked from an Amsterdam to Budapest Cruise.
Bob P says
We sailed from Budapest to Amsterdam, starting on October 4th, arrived in Amsterdam on the 19th.
Water was low in Budapest, so all ships were forced to leave early; we left a day early, docked in Kamarom, and then excursions were run by bus from there.
Then in Passau, we had to swap ships because of low water; it wasn’t as bad as I expected, but forced a 2-hour bus ride.
Finally, a lock workers’ strike stopped us for 7 hours in the middle of the night.
Patti says
We are on a Viking cruise from Passau to Budapest. Left Passau today with no problem. So far no problems anticipated for low water levels per Viking. It’s drizzly today but mild temps. We were able to get our walking tour of Passau in today with no rain.
Cathy says
Thank you Patti. We’re traveling Budapest to Regensburg starting Nov 4th. Any further updates are appreciated. Enjoy your trip!
Fred Seibert says
We are sailing Budapest to regensburg boarding on Oct 29. Any updates would be appreciated. At this time, Viking is saying we will board in Budapest. No interruptions to itinerary.
Patti says
We continue to have no disruptions to our Passau to Budapest Viking river cruise. Our captain says he doesn’t anticipate any problems with low water levels. We are enjoying Krems today.
Elaine says
In Budapest now. Getting on our ship tomorrow. Our ship is here as are many others. Looks like the water levels are fine now
Cathy says
Thanks for the update!
Cathy says
Got on Viking in Budapest Nov 4th, heading to Vienna for tomorrow. River levels are fine. No disruptions.
Julie Kleager says
Any current updates are appreciated. We leave November 17 and was curious about any disruptions. Thanks.
Cathy says
Hi Julie
We finished the cruise in Regensburg on Nov 10th. No issues with water levels from Budapest. It was a fantastic cruise.
Kathy says
We leave on emerald on Nov 24 from regensberg to Vienna. Does anyone know what’s happening with the water levels at the moment?
Joe says
We are currently on an Ama Waterways ship and unable to get between Regensburg and Nuremberg, where we disembark. We have been advised that the water is too high, so we will lose a day of cruising and will remain in port at Regensburg. We will disembark here and the crew is working on getting everyone to where they need to be at disembarkation.
Ann Bubbico says
We are sailing from Nuremberg on Dec 12, 2023. How are the water levels at this point?
Frances says
On a cruise now and stuck in Passsu. Should be on way to Regensburg but water level is too high to get under a low bridge!
Robert says
Did you make it through?
Fred says
I am sailing on Viking from Budapest to Regensburg Oct 28-Nov 5. Is anyone sailing on the Danube now? How are the water levels? Are there any problems?
Andy says
Was due to sail Budapest to Vienna on Monday 9 Oct with Titan. Told today water too low for Budapest so cruise will start from Komarno and we’ll be bused from Airport to Komarno then following day be bused Komarno to Budapest for city tour before being bused back to start cruise from Komarno!
Barbara says
Can you update the low water situation as you cruise please? We leave out of Budapest on October 28th.
Barbara says
See my comment today
Jim says
Can anyone update water level from Koblenz to Basel on the Rhine? Thank you
Helen Wardale says
On the Viking Grand European Tour Amsterdam to Budapest 9/26-10/10. Water was too low Regensburg to Passau. We switched ships. Just received word tonight that Danube is too low for us to reach Budapest. We will do Vienna tomorrow and the next day. The remaining trip will be busing from the ship at Bratislava to Budapest 1.5hr each way.
Helen says
May be bused from Komarno, not Bratislava. We were told it would be 1.5 hour trip by bus.
Fred Seibert says
Helen, I’m looking for the same information as Bill. Since the boat is docked in Komarno, does Viking provide any type of transportation Budapest and back for people that want to tour the city on their own? Not part of one of Vikings organized excursions?
Bill says
Hello Helen, Since you are not arriving in Budapest did Viking provide transportation into Budapest so you can tour the city and get back to the ship?
Bob P says
Viking provided a bus for the Budapest excursion; we had done that excursion before so we stayed in Kamarom for the day. Not much there to see, but it’s a nice little town; had a coffee in the town square.
Considering all the issues, Viking did a great job taking care of us, but it definitely affected our trip, sad to say. Two hours on a bus at Passau, and we weren’t able to do a morning excursion in Nuremberg. We also lost a day in Budapest, and then a half-day because of a lock workers’ strike.
Sandra says
Sailing on Viking 10/13-10/20 Budapest to Regensburg. Was just told Budapest water levels are too low to sail, so ship will depart from Komárom, with tours bused from there. Also this: “due to low water levels near Passau, there is a possibility your ship will be unable to reach its regular disembarkation port in Regensburg. If this occurs, on Day 7 your Regensburg shore excursions will operate out of Passau (75 miles east of Regensburg) by motorcoach, and on Day 8 you will disembark from Passau. Your Program Director will have more information once you are onboard.”
Fred Seibert says
Thank you, any information is appreciated
Barbara says
We are embarking from Budapest on Oct 24. Does anyone know if water levels will still be low. We’ve never done a river cruise before and are wondering how this affects the entire cruise. Seems like you would miss a huge part of the trip . Todays the 10th for you and I’m wondering how it the process. Seems like a let down..
Joan says
We are also embarking in Budapest on Oct 24th with Avalon Waterways. I haven’t heard anything yet about what’s going on. What company are you travelling with.
Tim says
Scheduled to depart Regensberg October 21 s@7:00 PM. Between now and then there is rain in the forecast. This will likely raise the river levels a bit.
Barbara Myers says
We are embarking in Budapest to go to Vienna on 24th with Tui we had an email last Wednesday to say they were monitoring the water levels and would let us know if they have to change the itinerary We have heard nothing since with 4 days to go !
Agatha Xenopoulos says
Hello Barbara we are embarking from Budapest the 24 for the grand European cruise
I just got an email that we have to embark at Komaron 60 miles up .
I called the Viking asking more questions but no clear answer.
Please if you hear something else please let me knows
Barbara says
Can you please keep us updated on this as you cruise? We sail next week and have been told nothing.
Janice Herrington says
We are sailing then, too (Oct 28-Nov 5), and I’m curious about the water levels, also. We took a Viking trip on the Rhine a few years ago, and it was great! Looking forward to another memorable trip!
Lisa Peck says
I’m also on that cruise Fred. Hoping no issues but I haven’t seen anything
Fairclough says
Hi everyone about to embark on a Danube cruise to Budapest.
We returned yesterday from an Imagine Cruising holiday on the A-Rosa Donna starting on 7th October and finishing on 14th October. We started at Englehartszell near Passau and we were supposed to go to Budapest and back to Englehartszell, but we couldn’t go past Bratislava due to low water levels and were unable to visit Budapest. This caused significant disappointment and disruption to our holiday.
We understand this problem also occurred the previous week. We feel we should have been told and given the opportunity to cancel. Be warned if you are about to embark on a Danube cruise.
Fred says
Please keep posting on water levels and how the cruise lines are handling the changes to itineraries. I’ve asked Viking what their contingency plans are and am not getting any information. I’m trying to find out if they will be running shuttle service back into Budapest or if we are on our own.
Patti says
We are leaving from Passau to Budapest October 23rd on Viking. Is anyone on the Danube currently and have a water level report?? Just received an email from Viking stating low water levels.
kim kennedy says
Same! Also curious.
Joan says
We are supposed to board in Budapest on Oct 24th. Not sure what is happening
Barbara says
Please see my comments below
Cathy says
Thank you for the update. We appreciate hearing the latest information.
Barbara says
Update we received an email at 6.30 pm today to say our itinerary had changed (36 hrs notice) the new itinerary was for 5 days in Austria with the option of going to Bratislava by coach on day 3 If we accepted grey would give us a 10% refund and £50 holiday voucher The other option was to rebook betweenNov 23 and Oct 24 We didn’t want either of these options and when we rang asking for a refund The guy said he would have to discuss with his senior and would ring back Half an hour later he did and said it had been approved. So we will be refunded but very disappointed as it’s too late to book anything else for our planned dates
Deborah Cole says
I agree. My cruise on Amawaterways was a nightmare.We were told in Strasbourg that evening at 7 pm. we needed to pack our luggage and disembark and be bused to Vienna due to rising waters and the ship could not get under the locks. This was Dec. 9 cruise to Budapest from Nuremberg. The previous ship never left Nuremberg due to high water. Our trip was a disaster. Rain and miserable weather and everyone on board appeared sick. Never again a winter cruise to Europe. Only compensation is a 50 percent discount on a future Amawaterways cruise. Viking is a far superior line with good food and a gracious staff and crew. Amawaterways was not accommodating. A huge disappointment. I travel a lot so I’m able to compare one cruise line to another. We flew home from Munich and opted out the long bus ride to Vienna. They advertise get on board and unpack once! lol. All we did was pack and unpack! Not fun!
Toni Blackmore says
Similar experience on Amawaterways Christmas Markets cruise December 7-14 on the Rhine. $15K for two nights of cruising with so many cramped bus trips, and enforced hours in constant rain without shelter available, my daughter’s psoriatic arthritis flared up with unusual intensity – residual joint weakness is evident even now. Our hotel room in Basel was too cramped to have both suitcases open at once, and smelled like Lysol. The hotel upgraded us at a 50% discount, but I still had to pay $115 out of pocket. Crew on both ships were simply and uniformly wonderful though, and remained so while clearly under supported during multiple “unpredicted” challenges. Never, ever, again.
Kim Burnett says
December 23, 2023. We were on Uniworld Christmas Markets trip Nuremberg to Frankfurt December 23-29. The ship never left the dock for the whole week! Very disappointed. After 23 hours traveling from Los Angeles to Nuremberg (flights/trains canceled/delayed), we arrived to the ship by taxi in the night to learn the ship was not sailing the next day. The ship River Princess never left the industrial dock of Nuremberg! We have been bused to excursions with many hours on the bus. Spent lots of time on the ship. Nuremberg dock is in an industrial, not in a city that you can walk off to walk around. We got home, exhausted. It was a stressful expensive trip. Haven’t heard from Uniworld on reimbursement, discounts or anything yet. Hope they will offer us to try again.
Mike says
We sailed Avalon on the same itinerary On December 12, 2023. We moved down the canal from Nurenberg and tied up for three days and bussed to Passau, Regensberg, Linz and then to a hotel in Vienna for two nights, then bussed to Budapest for several more nights. My issue was the bus trips were long, my back ached and I got back spasms for two days. Our only compensation was refund for three nights we weren’t on the ship or about 15%. I would have been happy for a 50% future cruise credit. We didn’t even get. So much for wanting our loyalty.
Barbara M Emerson says
Have there been low water levels on the Douro River? River cruising the end out Oct. 2023.
John Alfonso says
We just finished Avalon Danube Dreams with 2 Nights in Prague (Eastbound). We boarded the Avalon Impression in Vilshofen and ended in Budapest with no water level problems. The temperatures were in the nineties all week with just a brief shower one morning.
Joy Blum says
Anyone on a Viking River Cruise Basel to Amsterdam? Wondering about the water levels?
Karen Evans says
Hi Joy – yes I am wondering too. We are travelling Budapest to Amsterdam in September so, I have everything crossed that the levels will be perfect 🙂
Nicholas Bambacus says
Yes, what can you tell me? Thanks………Nick who is scheduled to depart Basel on Sept. 1st
Carrie says
Hi Nick! We are doing the same route, but departing on Sept 15th. I’d love an update from your trip if you’ve got the time when you return. Hoping all is smooth sailing!
Homer says
Left Basel on August 28th, will be in Koblenz in a few hours. Water levels are fine and actually have been rising. We head west on the Mosel, so can’t say for the northern Rhine.
Carrie Michalski says
Thank you!
Jim says
How are the water levels ,currently, on the Mosel?
Lynne says
I’m currently on the Viking Vili halfway into our trip travelling Budapest to Amsterdam. We have been very fortunate as we will make it the whole way on the same boat. Though the water levels are very high so we are not allowed on the top deck (all the railings have been removed) because the bridges are low. There isn’t a way to predict what it will be like on your trips as the weather makes the determination and conditions can change quickly. We have been lucky, sunny weather every day but hot.
Jed Beardsley says
I’m wondering too. We cruise on Alruna this Saturday
Jed Beardsley says
I’m wondering about Rhine water levels too. We cruise on Alruna this Saturday from Basel
Morris Youell says
I also am curious where the Rhine water levels are at. We leave from Basel on October 2 to Amsterdam
Mogens Pilgaard Sørensen says
This looks like to be a potential bomb under the EU power generation during summer 2023 as well. We saw it in 2022 due to low levels able to cool nuclear power plants, but it looks even more severe in 2023 with low levels already.
Christy says
We will be cruising the Danube April through First of May with Amawaterways (in a couple weeks). Do you think the water levels will be ok?
Mona Lemanski says
How did the cruise work out. We are scheduled mid June
Dana says
We just did Budapest to Amsterdam and there was a stretch that too low so it impacted several days of our trip, we were bussed (5hours on bus) and had to switch boats. Still had a good vacation and they really worked hard to make it smooth, but that part wasn’t ideal.
Robyn says
Where did you swap ships. We are doing the same trip late August
Deb says
Do you do the Danube? We are going 9/3. We are worried about low water
Tom Drolet says
We’re boarding the Viking Atla on 9/3 for the cruise to Budapest. I don’t think that low water will be a problem. I’ve been keeping an eye on the water levels using this site… https://www.pegelonline.wsv.de/gast/karte/standard
You can check the Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany 10-Day Weather Forecast here… https://www.wunderground.com/forecast/de/regensburg
Nora Dowsett says
We rescheduled our Viking cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest from last summer to this July due to water levels. Was really hoping to hear what conditions are like currently? Anyone out there cruising now?
Craig Nicholson says
What have you found out, we are doing the same cruise Sept 12. Craig N
Meg says
Hi Craig,
Not travelling until November on the Seine, but nevertheless very interested in all rivers levels. Last year travelled from Budapest to Amsterdam in mid October and had no problems with water levels.
Alec Kynaston Waugh says
Hi
Had dreadful experience. 2018 October (early). Amsterdam to Budapest with AP.
Glorified bus trip and 2 boats used, many alternative last minutes hotel stays, and long bus trips to new desitnations/hotel accom. Very little river cruising.
With great difficulty finally got a 30% refund. Crew did their very best, it was dealing with the company that left its mark, a traumatising and difficult time which we will never forget!
Nora says
It’s a bit strange that we’re not seeing a lot of response by this time in the season! I’m hoping that rivers are flowing well!
Jan says
Our neighbors just got back from a Viking Danube cruise and had to disembark at Passau. They were then bused to another ship to continue. The passengers on the other ship did the same, basically just swapping ships.
Sylvia says
We just returned from a Viking cruise Amsterdam to Budapest May 5-22, 2023. There were showers most days and water levels were high. We had to swap ships in Regensburg but Viking made the swap very easy. All in all a great cruise.
Nora says
Thanks Sylvia! Good to hear! I was worried the water levels were dropping more quickly than last year. I realize a lot can change between now and mid July but hopeful our timing is right!
John Pearson says
Hi
Just returned (27 may) from Amsterdam Budapest cruise with Amadeus. No water level problems or any “talk” of problems. Water levels in all rivers look to be “high” we had one small scrape under a bridge on the Main but that’s all. Weather brilliant with both warm (24) afternoons and cold mornings/nights (10).
Hope you enjoy your trip
0
Mike says
We are on a Basel to Amsterdam Viking cruise right now. We did the Lake Como pre trip which was terrific and enjoyed a spectacular ride over the Alps to Basel on Friday, with a lunch stop in Lucerne. The Rhine water level is fine and the ship and crew are amazing! We dock in Strasbourg tomorrow and the only glitch is we can’t dock downtown due to construction on a pier or bridge, can’t remember which but I guess it’s going to be that way all season. Viking will be running shuttles all day to accommodate the passengers.
Christine Thomas says
Thx for sharing Mike!
Jim Rose says
We just completed a Viking Budapest to Amsterdam cruise and water levels were perfect. No delays, no ship changes, no bussing! All was perfect.
Roberta says
Thanks for that great up-to-the minute news. I sure hope things stay this way throughout the summer.
Ray Wahl says
Could not cruise from
Passau to Regensburg
at very end of June 2023.
Nora says
Hi Ray. Thanks for the update. Were water levels too low? Which cruise line? Did they do a ship swap?
We leave cruise on July 13 Amsterdam to Budapest on Viking. Any updates would be appreciated!
Andrew Lawson says
Hi, Just finished a cruise with Travelmarvel from Amsterdam to Budapest. Low Water passed Nuremberg so we had our tours of Nuremberg and then carried on by coach to Passau and joined a sister ship, completely identical, we had the same cabin number etc. A very smooth transition and carried on to Budapest.
Plh says
Viking Var June 30 docked at Passau. Next day 90 mins Bus to Regensburg for the day trip. Smooth cruise from there to Budapest. Lots of ships in Passau waiting it out. Levels varied day by day
Roberta says
Will also be cruising in July. Was scheduled to board the Viking Vidar on July 19th in Amsterdam. Just received an email from Viking – we will be boarding the Viking Lif instead. I have been tracking the Vidar for 2 months now and it looks like they can’t get past Passau. There’s a post below that mentioned they had to leave the ship Regensberg and bus to Passau. Looks like this is what will probably happen unless some of you know a good rain dance.
Meg says
Hi Roberta
I have been monitoring your blogs for some months now and you always offer ideas and sound advice, for which I am very grateful.
Although this year I won’t be travelling till November and on the Seine, I am always interested on how the water levels are on the Amsterdam to Budapest trip, which is my favourite
Thank you again Roberta for your reports. I’d be very interested to see how your cruise goes.
Roberta says
Well here’s an interesting development. This was one of the news feeds that came up today and caught my attention – https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/amsterdam-bans-cruise-ships-to-limit-visitors/ar-AA1e8Krs?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=37edc269667b4fc4823ec99f5a8ef33f&ei=8
Looks like Amsterdam is going to close their cruise port. The article did not clarify if this was only to LARGE ships, or ALL ships. The only thing I can say or add is the pot smoking is really prevalent and if you don’t like the smell, it’s sometimes overpowering. And it was wall-to-wall tourists until you got off the main streets.
As far as the cruise goes, it’s only day 3 and we hit Cologne today. Unfortunately, the Viking Lif had to dock a 45-min bus ride from the City Center. No real explanation was given. And when the ship caught up to us IN Cologne, it was not a walkable distance from CC to the ship, but Viking arranged bus shuttles – on the hour going INTO Cologne, on the half for the return to ship, from 2p until 5:30p being the last shuttle back.
Then we set sail again around 6:30p and not the expected 10p, but docking once again in Wesseling to pick up the folks who took the Optional Dinner w/Beer Excursion, who were bused from dinner to Wesseling.
All-in-all, I think this is going to be a “go-with-the-flow” trip because there’s not much you can do about it.
Roberta says
new update – according to my fantastic cabin lady (housekeeper) Eva, they reported light rains in Amsterdam and parts of Germany. She said the crew has been told that this might be enough to keep us from changing ships. They are monitoring it daily. Fingers, toes and eyes are crossed.
Roberta says
Water levels have been good, but we are still on the Rhein. Yesterday, instead of being docked in Miltenberg, we were docked in Freudenberg – a 15-min bus ride away. Again, no explanation and there were no other Viking and/or other cruise ships docked in Miltenberg.
Today, unless you take one of their optional pay excursions, you are stuck on the ship a full 5-hours longer than those who took an optional tour, even the one that is IN Wurzburg. A total rip-off.
Meg says
Hi Roberta
Hopefully as you weren’t able to dock at Miltenberg, you maybe able to dock in Bamberg close to town and enjoy a bit of a walk around and not have 5 hours docked in middle of “nowhere”.
I guess the big test is coming up soon when you arrive in Passau.
Thanks for all your reporting. I’m very interested in how your cruise is going.
Have been watching the European weather and have my fingers crossed for you.
Roberta says
Meg! You must have been our good luck charm.
Our Viking Program Director told us yesterday, that with the rains the area has been having, the home office has cleared us for a direct sailing – NO BUS TRANSFER! Yeaaaaaaaa!
And with the rains we had in Bamberg yesterday, all day, the rivers must be even higher.
Meg says
Roberta,
I’m so glad it has rained for you. Hopefully by the time you get to Regensburg, the sky will be blue and you can wander around the town, as I think the cruise ships dock very close to the centre. Hopefully all good till you get to Passau.
Roberta says
Update – Sun July 30 – Vienna Austria
We made it past the point of no return – Regensburg to Passau. More water in the river than just the minimum depth needed. Melk and Krems were a breeze and we had good docking locations in both, with Viking offering several shuttles to City Center in Krems.
Today in Vienna – We docked a full 2 hours ahead of schedule. So far (1723 Vienna time) we have had two HUGE rain storms. Came down in buckets for a good 15 minutes each time. I think we will be alright for the rest of the trip to Bucharest, and anyone who started a cruise in Amsterdam or Bucharest in the last 7 days should have more than enough river depth to cruise through easily. If the rains do not keep up their daily appearance, no matter the volume, then it might be back to touch and go. I’d teach you all my rain dance if this was a video. Of course, you would also need Meg as a good luck charm.
Sandy Cutler says
We’re planning a trip from Budapest to Amsterdam next May (2024). Does anyone have any reliable forecasting tools so we can make a decision this month, before we finalize our trip?
Kathy says
We did a trip from Amsterdam touring through the Netherlands and into Belgium with Avalon Waterways. It included a tour to Kuekenhof Gardens. It was excellent although be prepared as our weather was fairly cool. I think there’s less chance of low water levels in the spring.
In 2022 we did a river cruise in July with Scenic. It was exceptional with a number of excellent Signature experiences but we did have to change boats due to low water levels. However, the experience was painless . We were bused between ships and the crew handled the luggage transfer. Slightly disappointing not to cruise into Budapest, but we were bused in from where we’d docked, about an hour on the bus.
That was our first river cruise and it was a first rate experience.
Margaret says
Travelled from Amsterdam to Budapest leaving Amsterdam 15th May on Emerald and completed the whole trip without issue. It was amazing, weather was about mid 20’s most days, pleasant to walk about and enjoy the lovely villages.
I decided that May would be the best time to travel as the river levels would be quite good after the winter and it proved correct.
Roberta says
GREAT NEWS! Our Viking Program Director told us yesterday, that with the rains the area has been having, the home office has cleared us for a direct sailing – NO BUS TRANSFER! Yeaaaaaaaa!
And with the rains we had in Bamberg yesterday, all day, the rivers must be even higher.
Don lees says
Thanks for the update. Please keep us posted on the water levels when you are onboard the river cruise ship.
Roberta says
The Viking Lif (Amsterdam to Bucharest) has had no problems with the water levels as the rains have been daily – light showers to 15-min downpours. We are approaching Budapest today (Aug 1) and the crew does not anticipate any trouble to the end. But then again, we are past the crucial Regensberg-Passau stretch.
Margaret says
Thank you Roberta for your updates on the water levels. We are cruising Budapest on Amsterdam the end of August so keeping a close eye on how the levels are affecting cruising. It does seem to be a day by day thing though.
Trish says
We took the Amsterdam to Basel cruise July 12-19 and water levels were normal. They told us as water levels sink, certain areas of the Rhine will be impassible as soon as the following week. All in all great cruise and breathtaking scenery through the middle Rhine valley.
Carol Kaesebier says
Is there anyone on the Basel to Amsterdam VIking now that can tell me how the water levels are?
Joseph G Martin says
I am supposed to cruise the Rhone and Seine in August 2023. How concerned should I be about water levels impacting our itinerary.
Roberta says
Scroll down this comment section to the date your cruise starts on – or even before – for last year. Check the comments on those posts. But as these great folks here at River Cruise Advisor say – every year is different.
Helen Smith says
Hi Roberta, reading all the comments on here – did anyone actually manage to get ashore in Miltenberg this year?
todd bennett says
Yes I would be concerned about any river cruise in Europe in August… with the growing world wide drought that’s been happening increasingly for a decade now I personally will never ever book any river cruise later than the 1 week in July and that’s a finger crossed sailing… June should be the latest month for Europe river cruises with these current ongoing conditions as year after year I keep reading how people had to port and bus to the next stop and on and on it goes seemingly always with these late July, August and September sailings… I’m from Michigan and am used to cold so cool June Europe weather doesn’t bother me at all and I will never book a river cruise in Europe after 1st week in July for the best chance of success of a pretty expensive trip… hope this helps !
Bernard says
It is difficult to say! We did the same last year & although people on river cruises were complaining about hotels & being buses, Viking spoke person always said there were no problems… when there is outright lying it makes it difficult to make a sensible decision… as it turned out, if we had gone last year we probably would have changed ship once and bused for a few hours….. but with the misinformation we could not trust Viking… the sad part, practically criminal is they keep your money for a year, then increase the cost of the trip by 50% for the next year…
Roberta says
Bernard – I was sure hoping that this would not be the case, but you are correct. The lies, misinformation, concealment of information has really saddened this trip. I inquired numerous times to different Viking Reps – when and where do we dock so I can plan my day accordingly. Although I knew times would be approximate, I was NEVER told that unless you take one of their optional pay excursions, you would not be getting off the ship until hours later, thus eating up the time you have in a particular city. Also, chances are you will not dock close enough to walk to-and-from the ship to break up the time there, use the restroom, rest your tired feet and legs, etc. I have already commented on the Cologne disaster and today’s visit to Wurzburg had me in tears. If you took the Hiking the Hills PAID excursion, you were off and exploring at 8:30am and getting into Wurzburg a full 5 hours before the rest of us. I asked if I could hitch a ride to the starting point and NOT go on the tour – NO!
I guess the biggest disappointment is being LIED to. Do not lie to me and do not ignore me are my only two rules. I can handle NO and I can always work around what I find out. Also, it would have influenced my decision of what shore excursions to take and IF I would take Viking AT ALL. Maybe that’s their point – hide the bad. So sad. If you are booked for a Viking cruise, get out now. Rebook with River Cruise Advisors and DO take their advise, their suggested cruises, and more importantly, maybe ones that they will be on themselves.
Roberta says
Will be sailing with Viking Amsterdam to Bucharest and it is like pulling teeth to get docking locations – even just a generalization – out of Viking. An acquaintance of mine sailed the exact cruise I am doing, but in reverse, last year. She mentioned that many times Viking docked so far away from the towns, if you didn’t take their included tour or purchase an optional one, you spent a lot of time on the ship and boredom was the word of the day. I would like to know what other Viking passengers are saying about this topic. If you are docked miles away and it is too far too walk or there is no local transportation services, does Viking provide shuttles to and from the town several times during the day?
CD says
Sounds like your friend likes to complain and presents as helpless. First, you need to take responsibility for your trip yourself. The”included” tours at each port are free and a no-brainer! That easily gets you off the ship and then one can move on from there. The optional excursions are elective. We are heading out soon on our Viking trip and have found our agent to be a wealth of information on “alternative” options including transportation. We’ve taken other tours as well over the years and have had no issues. Look at your alternatives ahead of time and contact your helpful agent. As a fyi, I have no affiliation with Viking or any other operator… just stating the obvious here.
DS says
Your comments about alternative information sources are irrelevant. Cruise operators should give anticipated docking locations. Period. When you fly to New York do you expect the airline to tell you which airport or are you OK having to figure it out on your own?
Jim T. says
Low water can force change in docking location. Airport runways are in fixed locations, so the analogy does not apply.
Agree w/ CD.
Bernard says
Exactly!
KBC says
Viking needs to get their act together, it’s Americans who keep those River cruises floating. We have done several
bernard says
That is it, blame the customer!
Roberta says
CD – guess I am finding out that my friend was correct in a way, and that you are correct in a way. Viking does NOT always supply hourly buses from docking to city center. I contacted Viking time and time again asking for specifics. In Cologne. We were 1st docked a 45-min bus ride to town. The ship moved while we were in town on tours or doing your own thing, but you still needed to catch one of the buses to return to the new docking area which was still a good 15-min bus ride away from city center, in the middle of an industrial area, and not ON the Rhine or Main River itself. And we only learned of the docking locations the night before we hit Cologne.
For the Miltenberg docking, we docked in Freudenberg, a 15-min bus ride north, and there was only one bus to go there and one bus to return to the ship.
Bamberg – docked a 25-min bus ride away with only one bus to go back to the new docking location 10-mins away. Most of the passengers were at the bus pickup point 1 to 2 hours earlier than the scheduled pick up time – not convenient at all. Because the ship was on the move between the docking times, there could be no other shuttle buses arranged.
So if this is complaining, I am of that group. If Viking had been honest and forthcoming in answering my scheduling questions, I would not be AS upset. I could have planned my time accordingly, rather than be shocked that instead of being in Regensberg at 8:30a with time to do a self-tour in the morning after breakfast and then joining the included tour at 2p after lunch, with free time in Regensberg until 6p,.But we did not dock there until 12;30p – only finding that out the night before. It was a waste of my time to research things to do, to plan and print a routing, only to be disappointed.
I’m just stating the obvious. Viking should be upfront with a paying customer before a trip when asked a direct question.
GG says
you can always go to google maps and scroll in to see docks on the river, many will be labeled with the cruise line.
However, be aware that river levels at the time of your cruise dictate where you dock. If the usual dock is dry ground, you may already be on a bus. That happened a lot last year. If you are taking the included, or an optional tour, they will provide buses to and from. Outside of those, if you are doing your own thing, you will need to arrange your own transportation, but i understand that the Viking concierge can assist with that also.
River levels have improved generally.
Roberta says
Yes. This is what I have been doing – studying GoogleMaps – and it has been helpful. Sometimes they show up to 6 possible docks and not close to each other, but I can at least look into possible transit lines that are close to the dockings. Guess I’m just wishing I could nail something down. I have several water-level websites I am watching and have found another great website where you can enter the ship’s name and their location comes up. I am going to be tracing the Viking Vidar on the trips before mine. Might get an idea of where they put us. Thanks for all the info so far. Please continue if you/anyone have more thoughts.
Susan Blaisdell says
Viking is not cruising this time of year. They don’t begin until mid March. You may be seeing boats move between winter docking stations. You need to look at MarineTraffic.com beginning in mid March when Viking begins cruising again.
Roberta says
thank you for the website. I will start watching that.
Larry Hauer says
Roberta,
We are planning a Viking Antwerp to Amsterdam trip in late October. Obviously, concerned about water levels. Can you tell me what “water level websites” you have used?
Roberta says
The following are several of the websites I am watching. Each has information that is different and may/may not be relevant.
http://www.vikingrivercruises.com/my-trip/current-sailings
http://www.rivercruiseadvisor.com/water-levels
http://www.cruisemapper.com
https://www.rhineforecast.com
http://www.cruisehive.com
This last one is very interesting. You can put the name of your ship into the search box and it shows its real-time location. I am going to be watching this one daily in order to see where the ship I am on keeps docking.
http://www.marinetraffic.com
you can also just keep Googling different phrases and something new may come up
Good luck, Ro
todd bennett says
You must take advantage of the spring snow melt for the highest water levels to insure you dock as close to town as possible.. I will never book a river cruise later than the 1st week of july for this very reason… Vlog after vlog about docking way out or impassible rivers all together and being bused to the next port and so on… I’m going when the water is the highest as a rule (spring snow melt) to have the best chance of the best sailing conditions…
Susan Blaisdell says
Viking always gives the ports they will be docking at in their itinerary. Included walking tours are easily accessible from by he boat as are the extra excursions. The ship’s concierge can assist you if you would like to do something other than what is offered by the cruise line such as renting a bicycle. IF the water levels are low the boats my require docking at other ports and the Viking offers alternative ways to see the itinerary ports of call. My husband and I have cruised with Viking twice and will be embarking on our third cruise in April. We have been impacted by low water levels once and Viking provided alternative transportation to our port of call. I am not affiliated with Viking.
Mark Lorden says
That’s Budapest, not Bucharest…
Mike Bostwick says
If you’re up to it, a lot of ships have bicycles you can take.
Fred says
On the Rhein from Amsterdam to Basel right now. Trip has been wonderful! No problems at all. Weather cool in the mornings to 70 in the afternoon. Viking staff and accommodations far exceeded expectations
Jon the Traveler says
Glad to hear water levels are better now. Sailing out from Amsterdam November 3rd
Fred says
Made in home last night. Our trip was perfect! Viking handled everything seamlessly We got our complete package through them including air, transfers and excursions. This was our third trip with Viking. Already planning Portugal for next spring.
J Voris says
We are going on Viking on the Rhein from Amsterdam to Basel on Nov 9th. Glad to here that all is well, and the weather is holding.
Roma Mollins says
We just finished Sunday Rhine from Amsterdam to Basel. Our only issue was we could not dock in Boppard. Water too low for docking there. We just continued to next port.
Uniworld was wonderful
Pam says
We sail in April from Switzerland or Amsterdam. I’m hoping the water levels are good in spring. We’ve had to put it off for four years due to Covid
todd bennett says
water levels are (best in the spring) from winter snow melt… always sail late spring early summer for the best water levels as the summer heat and drought will lower levels and sailings in late July and August can be sketchy.
Jim Dehn says
We are in Vienna( on Viking Baldur)
On way to Melk and warned that low water may require switching ships in Passau and Nuremberg. More information to come tomorrow.
TB says
yeah everyone travels at certain times for there own reasons but most of these posts are the exact reason I never sail outside of may,june and mid july (spring snow melt water levels at there highest for the year) the world wide drought conditions make these rivers sketchy anytime outside those months and for $20 I’m gonna be pissed to keep switching boats and or taking buses… It may happen to me in those months stated above but the odds are grossly in my favor that they won’t…
Thomas Johnson says
We’re on the Viking cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam starting October 16th (2022). Anyone else on the south to north cruise? What’s the latest regarding the water levels in the Rhine and the Danube? Anyone currently on either river? Any problems?
Harry Castleman says
Yes, on the Budapest to Passau leg on that same Viking cruise (Viking Kadlin boat) starting 16 Oct. A buddy who lives in Germany told me this morning that it’s rained a lot in the area over the last month or so. Hopefully enough water in Danube to avoid any busing between stops.
Sonia says
We currently on Viking’s Budapest to Passau cruise. We are on day 4, so just left Krems and are headed to Linz. No issues with the water level and I have seen Uniworld and other cruise lines operating also. It has rained all afternoon today, and has drizzled off and on on prior days, so I think you should be OK.
Connie says
Touring Nuremberg today. Day 8 on Viking Modi Amsterdam to Budapest. Water levels are fine. We will enter the Danube this evening. Other than a cold rain while touring all is wonderful! The rest of trip looks like sunny and warmer. Should be smooth sailing for anyone sailing the month of October.
Catd says
Thanks for your updates. We are sailing in a couple of weeks and good to hear of your trip experiences. From the lack of posts it appears that maybe cruises aren’t having problems. Connie, thanks again to you and all the others who posted. It was appreciated. Happy Trails to all. 🛳
Dennis says
We are sailing from Budapest to Amsterdam with Travelmarvel 21st
Dennis says
We are sailing from Budapest to Amsterdam with Travelmarvel 21st October
Meg says
Hi Dennis, we are sailing from Budapest to Amsterdam on 19 October this year with APT. I will post how the weather conditions are for us at each port.
Tina says
We are travelling APT 16th november starting budapest.so thanks Meg looking forward to your reporting
Andrew Lawson says
Hi, doing Amsterdam to Budapest in June 2023 with Travelmarvel. Hope all goes well.
Keith says
Hi Dennis
I have travelled with Travelmarvel twice from Budapest to Amsterdam and now I will travel with them in reverse leaving Amsterdam on 21st October. I have been watching the water levels but it appears not to be a problem. This will be the coldest weather I have done the cruise, looking forward to it. Cheers
Meg says
Hi Dennis and Tina, We commenced APT Budapest to Amsterdam cruise on 19 October. So far river levels all good. No problems at all. Only around 40 guests on Amareina, so not at full capacity. Staff very attentive. Will report further after a few days.
Tina says
Thanks so much Meg for your update.
Was that 140 passengers? Or only 40?
Have fun.kind regards tina
Meg says
Hi Tina and Dennis,
In answer to Tina’s question – there are only 40 (forty) guests on board the AmaReina. Getting plenty of individual service. So no complaints there. We have just docked in Durnstein. There is fog, but it is lifting to reveal a sunny day. The only rain we had was yesterday in Vienna..
Tina says
Thanks so much Meg.
We will be on amavenita.our 3rd apt trip. Durnstein is my favourite stop.our nov 2nd trip got cancelled so it will be chilly when we go on nov 16th.cant wait.
Meg says
Hi Dennis and Tina,
Had a wet day in Passau, travelled through the night and had a wonderful sunny afternoon in Regensburg, which is one our favourite towns. Water levels are fine. On continental divide now. Lots of locks heading for Nuremberg. Instead of going up in the locks we are now going down. Wonderful service on APT.
Tina says
Thanks so much Meg for the posts and continuing to wet our appetite. Happy sailing
Meg says
Hi Tina and Dennis,
Just arrived in Wurzberg after sailing through the night. Looks like it will be a sunny day. There’s a bus trip to Rothenburg this morning, but as we’re docked right in town we have decided to explore on our own. Today we’re having a bbq lunch on sun deck.
We passed AmaVenita at Nuremberg and Travelmarvel Vega just outside Bamberg. Bamberg was covered in fog, which only started to lift as we were leaving. Thoroughly enjoyed it though. I must say the weather is warmer than I thought. Hopefully it will continue till your trip in November.
Tina says
Thanks again Meg.so wonderful to have on the spot updates.we just have our updated itinery and are excited to see christmas markets along the way.will be worth the chill factor of a winter cruise. It is such an amzing trip.cheers tina
Meg says
Hi Tina and Dennis,
Water levels an weather have been fine. We arrived in Miltenberg in time for lunch, then had a walking tour around this interesting little town. Lots of people about enjoying the sunny weather. Picturesque houses.
Yesterday we arrived Rudesheim. Very foggy in morning. The fog lifted around lunchtime, which was good as we had an ice cream party on the sun deck whilst sailing through the Romantic Rhine Valley. On our way to Koblenz. Some towns we have visited have started to set up for their Christmas markets, so by the time you arrive Tina they’ll be everywhere. We for walking tour of Koblenz last night as we were docked overnight.
Tina says
Thank you so much meg for taking the time to post.we have so appreciated it.take care. Warmest regards tina
Peter says
Just returned last night from Budapest and was on Gate1 river cruise on Danube from Sept 22-Sept 29th ( Ragensburg Germany to Budapest). Since there was a fair bit of rain in the preceeding weeks, there were no issues with water levels, they looked quite high to me and no delays or portaging!! We were very fortunate with very little rain, monings only for an hour or so then mainly sunny afternoons 13-18 celcius. Its an amazing experience have fun!
Mel says
We just got off the Rhine, went from Basel Switzerland to where it met the Moselle in Trier Germany, no problems, on the Herja, Viking long ship..
Great crew and sailing
Debra Derry says
Hi
We did Budapest to Cologne 21 Sept to 5th October. Had to get a pilot after Passau as level getting low. Did the full length with no issues. Two rainy mornings and rest nice. Getting chilly so take hats, gloves and scarves. Music museum at Rudesheim was wonderful. So many wonderful places visited in the fifteen days.
Shane Muldrew says
Hello fellow travelers! Anyone booked on Scenic’s Danube Delta Discovery cruise with Turkey land tour October 06 – 28? We’d love to make acquaintances ahead!
Dee says
Hi, we are on the Viking Cruise: Passage to Eastern Europe sailing from Budapest to Bucharest soon. Anyone know what the current water levels are on this stretch of the Danube?
Karen L says
Hi Dee, I just completed the that cruise on Viking from Bucharest to Budapest. The only change in our itinerary is that we were bused to a different point of embarkation outside of Bucharest. There were no disruptions on the trip. Have fun!
Fred says
Sailing on the Viking Eir starting Oct 7, Amsterdam to Basel. We would appreciate hearing from anyone that is on the Rhine before then. We have been watching the comments on this page and conditions seem to have improved quite a bit. We are getting excited about the trip.
Wendy says
I am on the Rhine now going from Basel to Antwerp. Water levels are fine and we are told there should be no issues.
JIM BIGART says
FRED We are sailing Viking Amsterdam to Basel October 14. Would like to hear from you about your experience. Hope it is good for you. Also any suggestions about excursions and restaurants. And comments about Basel hotel/ restaurants? Thanks Jim
Fred says
I will be posting updates once we are on the river. Information on this site has been a big
help with our planning.
Joan says
Looking forward to your updates FRED and JIM.we sail A to B on 10/25. This site has been very helpful. Thanks
Pat Kerr says
We are leaving Amsterdam to Basel on Viking Oct 2. From this website it looks like water levels won’t be a problem. Excited about our trip now!
Jean says
leaving Oct 19th Amsterdam to Budapest…appreciate any info for westher snd water levels
Bronwyn says
Water levels good, weather cold.
Connie says
Left Amsterdam on Sept. 26 on Viking Modi heading to Budapest. Water levels are fine but it has been cold and rainy. Just had a lovely day with some strong fog in the morning but lifted just before we traveled through the castle area on the Rhine. Absolutely stunning! We will enter the Mein River this evening and it looks like smooth sailing all the way to the Danube. More rain predicted this week so water levels should not be an issue for those departing within the next couple of weeks.
Steve says
Hopefully Bronwyn and Connie will provide an update as they get close to Budapest. I know of some recent Viking cruises in which the passengers had to bus into Budapest.
JIM BIGART says
Can somebody help me with info on how I can post on this site? I can reply to posts but can’t figure out how to originate a post.
JIM BIGART says
Nevermind. I think I found out how to post. Question about Viking Amsredam to Basel: How is internet? And cell phones. I have Sprint cell service. TIA
Joy Blum says
We just returned from our Viking Basel to Amsterdam. No issues with water levels. It was an amazing journey. Great ship, staff and tours. Everything was wonderful.
No problem with internet or cell service. We had Verizon international package.
Dan Hughes says
Hello,
Been to Amsterdam twice – these are some of our favorite restaurants….
Casa di David @ Italian
Ristorante Savini @ Italian
Full Moon Garden @ Asian
Radisson Blu Hotel was nice
Take an evening canal cruise……
Basel is much smaller and more quaint.
Stayed at the Gaia Hotel (near the train station) in 2019 and loved it. First time we stayed near the convention center and we didn’t like that side of the river as much…..
A few yards from the Gaia Hotel was a casual restaurant with fabulous schnitzel and other food…..and German beer. Loved that little place but I can’t locate the name – Hotel referred us there……
If the weather is nice, an open-top bus ride around Basel is nice….
Find a Laderach Chocolate shop – best in the world! But now also available in the US…..
Joy Blum says
We just returned from our Viking Basel to Amsterdam. No issues with water levels. It was an amazing journey. Great ship, staff and tours. Everything was wonderful.
Fred says
Which ship were you on? We are on the Eir from Amsterdam to Basel starting Oct 7.
Wendy says
I am currently on the Rhine from Basel to Antwerp. No issues, water levels are fine. They do not anticipate any departure from the schedule due to low water conditions.
Cathy says
On the Viking Eir Amsterdam to Basel, approaching Speyer Tues 27 Sept.
No problems encountered (possibly also due to the fine efforts of our captain) and we have been assured that we will not need to change ships etc.
Enjoying the cruise hugely!
Fred says
Thank you for the update. 10 days and counting down!
Jim says
Fred, we are traveling B to A( Viking) Nov 5. Looking forward to your reports
Pat Kerr says
Thanks for the update Cathy as we will be leaving on that same voyage Sunday! Keep us posted also with any tips!
Jon the Traveler says
I am sure you will enjoy that ship. I. I cruised that ship 2 different occasions in 2018 and in 2019….. specifically the same crew was on there and they even remembered my name. They’re really a great crew there……Enjoy
greg says
We were a day or two behind you on Tialfi. River is rising in general. Monitoring rivers is what I do professionally. Other than the reality that the season is now about cold and rain coming on, the cruises should be in good shape. We extended to Lucerne and saw snow on the hills around.
Bronwyn Hyde says
Just completed part of this leg on the Rhine from Amsterdam to Budapest. No problem with water levels the whole way. More rain too, so should be all good for you.
Steve says
Would love to hear how the Danube water level is doing as you approach Budapest. Had two friends do the trip and both got bussed when the got close to Budapest.
Connie says
Steve, we just left Regensburg heading to Passau. The water levels have risen so much that it will now be a challenge for our captain to navigate under the low bridges even with the sun deck collapsed. Our cruise director said we may have a short delay waiting on the river to lower but we have a very experienced Captain who is confident that we will arrive in Passau as scheduled. Weather has improved this week with sunshine and comfortable temperatures. All should be good for your upcoming trip! Enjoy!
Steve says
Great news. Enjoy the trip! Looks like everyone should be good to go from this point on. I am been checking the weather reports, and it will continue to rain in the Black Forest region in Germany, and that area feeds the Danube.
Allan says
We are sailing from Amsterdam to Budapest on Viking Skadi. Left Amsterdam Sept 24 and we are currently in Wurzburg on Sept 29. The water levels are good except we couldn’t dock in Cologne and had to bus in from 15 minutes away for tours. Another Viking ship was docked in Cologne but there were 5 in town on the same day so 4 of us were docked outside town in an industrial area. Other than that, everything has been good and looks good to the end of our voyage. It has been cold and rainy for most of the trip.
greg says
Also left Amsterdam September 24 on Tialfi, following Skadi up the river. Issues as noted above at Cologne, but saw rising river levels all week. Docked next to river gage at Kehl and saw the river come up 0.5 m in the morning. Some rain here and there, but generally decent weather.
Joann Snyder says
Just traveled on the Rhine from Basel to Amsterdam. No problems with water level. 9/16-29.
Pat Kerr says
We are currently on a Viking cruise from Amsterdam to Basel beginning Oct 2nd. We are on the Rhine currently with sunny sky’s and temps in the upper 60’s/ lower 70’s at 2 pm viewing the beautiful castles! No water level issues and no rain during our trip so far! Very chilly in the mornings with temps in the 40’s and low 50’s. Wearing layers is very comfortable. Morning excursions I have been wearing a light puffy jacket. Wear comfortable shoes for walking. The staff is excellent! The food is delicious! We are having so much fun! Great experience!
Fred says
We appreciate the update. We are scheduled for the same trip Starting Oct 7 in Amsterdam.
Jeff Rosenberg says
We are just finishing packing for our Viking trip Amsterdam to Basel on Tuesday the 11th. Just discovered this site and finding it incredibly helpful.
The note about five Viking ships in Cologne at the same time was quite interesting. Could happen to us.
The comment on dress code for onboard dinners came in very handy as we’re selecting what to pack.
Thank you to all who have taken the time to report.
Lois says
Hi Pat, we are taking our first River Cruise, Viking, November 18th. It will be cooler for sure. What do you wear on the ship?
Thank you so much!
Pat Kerr says
Very casual on the ship except for dinner. Jeans, leisure wear, etc. Dinners are business casual, no jeans. Casual dresses, slacks, blouses or sweaters.
Wearing layers throughout the day has worked best. We have had sunny days every day at port, cool mornings and low 70’s by 2pm. We brought light rain jackets but have not needed them yet. We have had a wonderful time! Enjoy your cruise!
Dede says
Any updates on the Danube? We leave Sept. 29th! 🙂
Linda says
We left Amsterdam on September 13th on a Viking Amsterdam to Budapest river cruise. We are about to dock in Melk, Austria and have had smooth sailing all the way through. Weather has been quite cool and rainy, but we welcomed this as we were hopeful that it would improve water levels. The crew has been amazing and we are fortunate enough to have Dominic, the most fabulous program director. We are very grateful to this website and all the positive posts, as they made the decision to go ahead with our trip easier. We are so glad we did, as Viking has exceeded all our expectations. Good luck everyone.
Linda and Mike
Jon the Traveler says
Wow, that’s so good that you guys enjoyed yourself so much. Thank God for the water levels rising for everyone. Viking does a absolute fabulous job all the way around. Always going beyond your expectations and proving they will do better.
Jo Ann says
Thank you to everyone for the posts keeping us informed of the trip progressions on the rivers.
Michael Lefand says
Sounds great.
We are leaving with Tauck in two weeks Budapest to Amsterdam.
Since we are staying 2 extra days in Budapest before the river cruise I am wondering if they take Euro dollars, or do I have to purchase their Forint (HUF) dollar to even buy a coffee?
I had to purchase Korunas, while staying in Prague, Czech before a river cruise.
Fred says
We were in Budapest a couple of years ago. You will need Forints. We just used an ATM as soon as we got in.
Michael Lefand says
Thanks Fred, I’ll have to go to the bank and get some.
It looks like 400 HUF is equal to one dollar US
Jeannette says
Budapest uses the Forint. We were there in 2014 and that was all it would take.
We are taking that cruise again soon.
Peter says
HI Michael,
I just returned from Budapest last night after a 1 week Gate1 River cruise. Some locations show pricing in Euros, but most smaller convenience store locations only take the Forints and not Euros. I just used my Visa for all purchases in the city for large and small purchases and had no issues.
Michael Lefand says
Sounds great and you are having a good time.
Quick question about currency needed.
We are leaving with Tauck in two weeks Budapest to Amsterdam.
Since we are staying 2 extra days in Budapest before the river cruise I am wondering if they take Euro dollars, or do I have to purchase their Forint (HUF) dollar to even buy a coffee?
I had to purchase Korunas, while staying in Prague, Czech before a river cruise.
Steve says
Did you have to bus to any port, or any ship swap as you got close to Budapest?
Bryce says
Just arrived in Budapest from Regensburg, great trip with Emerald.
No water level issues, thankful for the recent rain.
Debs says
Hi
On a Titan tour Budapest to Cologne 14 days. Started 21st. Due to stop at Passau but carried on as river levels are dropping. Getting pass felling critical stretch on the Danube around 12. Get through this and should be clear sailing up to Cologne. Partial cloud and dry. Nice temperature and enjoying the trip. Looking forward to Regensburg.
Jane says
On Titan Budapest to Cologne 15 days. Arrived 21. Should have stopped at Passau but motored on to pass felling a critical stretch on Danube due to river levels dropping. Cruise amazing and weather has been kind. Once we pass it should be clear sailing.
Jo Ann says
Thank you to everyone writing about their river cruise and keeping us informed. We don’t leave Amsterdam until October 9 traveling to Budapest. Appreciate your time and efforts in our behalf. Keep sailing and enjoy your cruises.
Connie says
We started this same journey on September 26th. Smooth sailing all the way to Nuremberg ( day 8 ) entering the Danube this evening. Due to recent rains our cruise director doesn’t expect any problems all the way to Budapest! Wonderful cruise and staff!
Mui says
Does anyone know how is the Po River right now? Showers are expected in the coming week. I have a cruise with Uniworld on the Po River.
Holly says
Don’t know about the Po river but we have just successfully completed a week from Budapest to Regensburg on the Danube. Program director said last night it is the 1st time they have completed the journey without issue for 3 to 4 months. Will say the weather has been excruciatingly bad. Program director states that temperatures the whole week have been around 30゚ below normal. Pack your long underwear! It has been COLD (30’s in the morning, 40’s in the afternoon) along wirh daily 25 MPH winds and 5 days of rain.
Diane says
Thanks!!
Connie says
Thank you for the information. We sail the same itinerary in a couple weeks.
Steve says
We are on the Emerald Sky, sailed from Mainz on Sept 18, now heading up the Moselle. Ship and crew have been delightful! No problems with river levels. Weather has been cool with showers mixed with sun. Great trip so far!
JD in Texas says
Very helpful. Will be on the rivers you mentioned in a fortnight. Appreciate your update.
Ed Burke says
Leaving on 9/18 upstream Amsterdam to Basel on the Rhine.
Should we expect some busing or are water levels stabilized enough with recent/fcst rain?
Angela says
On this trip now. We have made it all the way. Today, we are in Strasbourg. We cruised a little more slowly than scheduled, but only bused 1 day for about 30 minutes. The first few days were sunny, but there’s been rain this week, so I expect you will be fine.
Ed Burke says
Thanks!
Marty says
when you were bussed did you have to pack up and move to another boat?
Brenda says
We just left the Mosell and are on the Rhine just past Koblenz heading to Basel and the water levels are high enough for a normal cruise! Enjoy!
Robin says
Thank you! Ours is coming up soon.
Janice says
I think it depends who you are sailing with. We boarded Scenic Opal on Sept 5th. We went from Amsterdam and are currently sitting in Durnstein heading towards Budapest. We have been successfully able to navigate the rivers with little to no disruption.
We did have to change a drop off point on one of our excursions because a Viking ship had hit a sandbar and had blocked the river for a period of time. Other than that just some time adjustment disruptions, but not spending hours on a bus or having to change ships.
Apparently our ship will be one of the first ships to successfully travel from Amsterdam to Budapest
Tom says
We are considering the same cruise on the Scenic Opal next year, did you feel that Scenic was worth the money? Did you enjoy the boat and crew? Thank you for any and all info, tough to get honest current reviews. Hope your having a great cruise.
Gary says
Just arrived in Amsterdam from Basel on Viking Mani. No problems at all. Slowed down at Kaub but no buses or boat swaps, or changes to our itinerary.
Joan says
Thanks Gary
We sail Amsterdam to Basel on 10/25. Hoping water levels continue to improve. Glad you had a successful trip
Marty says
How do I comment here? We are sailing from Basel to Amsterdam on Oct. 4 – Viking Hermod. Looks like rain is happening and the river is good. Now hoping for some sunny days on our cruise!!
Keith says
Just passed Kaub. Water levels on the Rhine look normal .No problems.
Joan says
This great news! Thanks Keith
Joan says
Thanks Keith
This is great news.
Please keep us posted.
Kathi says
Great news. We sail from AMS Oct 6th. Hope the water levels stay healthy. Enjoy your trip!
Fred says
Sailing from Amsterdam to Basel on Oct 6. We’re watching all the posts and getting excited for the trip. Third time with Viking and we’ve always had a wonderful experience.
Shelia Benson says
Hi, we are doing the same cruise October 12, can you please post water level updates? I hope you have a great trip!
Shelia
Kathi says
Fred, we’re on the same ship and also our 3rd trip!
Reza says
We just finished the cruise from Basel to Amsterdam and there was no problems with water levels. You will be fine. Have fun!
Deb says
I’m on the Rhine right now; just left Mannheim on my way to Basel! A little rain everyday but water levels have been fine. No changing of itinerary at all. Been a great trip!!
Shelia Benson says
Hi, we are doing the same cruise in October, can you report the water levels you are seeing?
Joan says
Ed
Let us know how the trip is going when you get a chance.
Thanks
CJ says
We are on Viking Herja sailing from Paris to Zurich on Moselle river then the Rhine tomorrow at Koblentz. No issues with Mosselle water levels. We were told that they do not anticipate any ship swap on the Rhine. Will update if this changes.
Allen Hecht says
Thank you CJ, we are on same Herja itinerary 10/22 , looking forward to your posts, have a great time ,Allen
CJ says
Allen, it has been raining on and off this week. We just left Koblenz for Mainz and are currently enjoying the castles of the middle Rhine. We are told that the river levels continue to rise with no anticipated issues all the way to Basel.
Allen says
Thanks for update. That is great news. Enjoy the views and sightseeing
Catd says
CJ, we are on the same Viking cruise as Allen leaving on 10/22. Thank you for the updates. Good to know there has been some rain. Have a great trip!
JD from Texas says
Watching the river levels before an Oct. 7 – 13 (cruise portion, not hotel) Viking Cities of Light journey from Prague to Paris. Hoping the rain forecasted is helping. Anyone been on this itinerary recently? Any issues/swaps/coach substitutions?
Rob says
Just came up from Budapest. Left the 12th on the Viking Baldur to Amsterdam. All fine so far time …heading into Passau tonight.
JD from Texas says
Thank you, Rob.
Connie says
Thanks Rob, please keep us posted on your progress! We are doing the same trip starting 9-26.
Rob says
Now approaching Nuremberg….no problems…..lots of rain the last few days and it’s coming down now.
Marsha Gardner says
Good news!!
Maj says
On a Scenic Cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest. Cruise has gone ahead as per itinerary and no ship swaps or bussing. Leaving Regensburg tonight, 13 Sept, heading to Passau, no talk of any issues going forwards.
Maj says
Update. Viking ship apparently got stuck on a sandbank before Passau (A to B) , ship was moved but river closed until inspection of riverbed completed. Looks like once reopened tomorrow we can continue as planned.
Dede says
Maj, thank you for the update! Very interested in the sail from Regensburg to Budapest.
Maj says
We will awake in Budapest tomorrow morning. Perfect cruise all the way through from Amsterdam, we were very fortunate no ship changes or bussing.
Dede says
That’s wonderful!!! We are leaving soon!
Susan says
Thank you for your updates
Steve says
Thank you for the updates. You’ve given us some positive news and calmed some concerns. While we know the water level goes up and down maybe with the cooler weather and rain water levels will be high enough for a hassle free trip. Thanks.
Steve
Steve says
Thanks for the update MaJ. If you can please continue the updates as you approach Budapest. Worried about reported low water levels there. thanks. Have a great trip!
Steve
Steven Crum says
9/15. Baldur sailing Budapest to Amsterdam. Dep. Budapest on 12th water levels good. Cruise Director just advised tonight we have clear sailing from Passau to Ams. We arrive Passau tonight. We have had some rain showers today, earlier in the week Munich and Nuremberg looked like they had some good rain. Hopefully signs of good things to come.
Steve says
9/19 Viking Baldur sailing into Wurzburg tomorrow, headed to Amsterdam from Budapest, no water issues on the Danube or Mainz canal. It has rained several times during the week. We have been advised this is the first time since early June that the Baldur has been able to reach Amsterdam.
Maj says
Looks like we are continuing through to Budapest as planned. No bussing or ship swaps. Very happy.
Maj says
We will awake in Budapest tomorrow morning. Perfect cruise all the way through from Amsterdam, we were very fortunate no ship changes or bussing.
Steve says
Thanks Maj, appreciate the update.
Ian C says
On scenic Jade left ams on Tuesday. Entering Rhine Gorge this morning. No problems as yet.
Ian C says
No water problems a to b on scenic Jade .will be one of the first ships to do the sightseeing trip in Budapest after the accident 4years ago.great trip so far although weather could have been better.
Christine says
Changing the subject, I am wondering what plug I will need to charge my phone? Or is there a USB outlet? I am sailing with Scenic Oct 4th.
Maj says
Update September 15 A to B. Heading to Melk then Durnstein. Happy sailing no issues at all. Fantastic cruise.
Bill says
Isn’t that a great trip? We did that cruise 3 years ago. Headed back to Budapest next month for the trip to Bucharest. Have fun.
JudyC says
We are sailing Bucharest to Budapest beginning of Nov.
Any issues with low water on that route? Any inconveniences?
Keeping our fingers crossed for lovely trip
Dede says
Leaving on Sept. 29th for the Romantic Danube. Are the ships making it all the way to Regensburg?
Steve says
Dede:
We are headed Budapest to Amsterdam, we are currently in Vienna Melk tomorrow and Regensburg on Saturday. will let you know how it goes.
Dede says
Thank you!
Max says
We sailed on Viking Atla on 9/4 R to B. Did P to B instead as passage between Regensburg and Passau was not navigable. All fine east of Passau. Regret if this is a duplicate. First post was wonky.
Marylou badeaux says
Further update on our Budapest to Amsterdam journey on Viking. This morning we have reached Cologne. The middle Rhine was low but we got through as there has been some rain. We have now been told we will make it to Amsterdam 👏👏. The water is low here with a steep gangway but we made it to this point with only one ship swap (Passau to Nuremberg).
Harriet says
Thanks so much for all your updates. Hope the rest of your cruise is smooth.
Steve says
Marylou,
Thank you for the update. How was the ship swap process? what did you do on that day?
I travel the same route on Viking in mid October. Please update when you can.
Steve
Margo says
Hello Steve,
Just observing that Marylou has been a huge contributor on this site (thank you Marylou for taking the time out of your vacation to brief us!). If you scroll through past postings, she does detail the ship swap process.
Leslie G says
Thank you for your updates. They are very helpful.
Steve says
Sept 13, We left Budapest enroute to Amsterdam aboard the Viking Baldur. Water levels in Budapest were approximately 4.5 feet. According to Viking the rivers are passable but day to day. I will keep you updated as we sail through Bratislava today and arrive Vienna tonight. We had good rain on Sunday all day in Munich while we waited at the airport and also Budapest. Yesterday, Sept. 12 was clear in Budapest but threatening weather loomed all afternoon and may have rained farther south toward Bucharest.
Marylou badeaux says
We are now sailing towards Kinderdijk and the water is clearly very low. A slow sail but no problems. Other traffic on river including lots of freight. A note on ship swapping (something I dreaded ahead of time). While I’m sure all the lines are great, Viking has a big advantage of having so many ships so you don’t get stranded. We just had the one swap which I reported earlier. What I cannot stress enough is how much the situation can change in even a day or two. Therefore, it’s virtually impossible to predict even a week or two out. What helped us was a huge storm that came across the region just as we were entering. I’m really happy I didn’t cancel but it is always a gamble when there are climate issues like we are encountering. We get off in Amsterdam tomorrow when I will rent a car and see a bit of holland and Belgium. Best of luck to all planning the journey. Lots to see along the way.
Connie says
Thanks again, Marylou! Your post have been very helpful! We are getting excited to leave Amsterdam to Budapest in 2 weeks. Looks like some more rain for the next week. Enjoy the rest of your holiday!
DerekD says
We are on Scenic cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam. Left on Sept 7. River levels are good right now but change fast. No ship swap expected but heavy traffic because the rivers are open. Arriving late in Regensburg today.
Connie says
Thanks! Please keep us posted when you have time!
Bill and Louise says
We are on Scenic Jade and just left Amsterdam today travelling to Budapest. Originally we were booked to be on Scenic Jasper but that was not available due to ship swaps on cruises in the last few weeks.
At the first briefing last night whilst still in Amsterdam the cruise director assured us that water levels will not be a problem for at least the first week and he is optimistic about the second week, but cannot give a guarantee just yet.
This is the first fully occupied boat for Scenic Jewels of Europe since pre-pandemic.
Ann Williams says
Hello Bill and Louise
Very pleased to hear that the water levels seem to have improved.
However, we are very confused that you are taking Scenic Jade to Budapest as we are expecting to board Jade in Basel on 21 September!
Enjoy your cruise and we will just be pleased to board a ship next week whatever her name !
Ann Williams says
Sailing on Scenic Crystal from Basel to Amsterdam. No problems whatsoever. Great weather so far but a bit rainy as we approach Amsterdam. Hoping for a decent day tomorrow when we sail through the Rhine Gorge .
Mick Lynch says
Thanks for your update. We are going Budapest to Amsterdam with Scenic from 12 October, starting to fell more confident
Sue Tucker says
Left Koblenz this afternoon and have just come through the Rhine gorge this evening fairly slowly but with no problems. A few little islands visible in the middle of the river which shouldn’t be there and some fairly narrow channels but all fine.
Cathy says
Thank you for taking the time to post the update – much appreciated!
Sue Tucker says
No problem. We had a very interesting chat with our captain today, who said he had been concerned we may not get all the way to Strasbourg, but he’s confident now we have had a bit of rain. The level changed 50cm in 3 hours! We’re in Frankfurt now.
Gaius Gracchus says
Great info – thanks for sharing!
Tom Buckley says
Interested if anyone has updates regarding the Elbe river levels? We are scheduled to go on the Viking Elegant Elbe trip starting on September 24, 2022 on the Beyla.
Ann Williams says
We are booked on Scenic Jade leaving Basel to Amsterdam on 21 September . Does anyone know where she is at present?
Myles Macleod says
https://www.cruisemapper.com/ships/Scenic-Jade-1086
Stacy says
Ann, we’re currently on the Scenic Jade, Amsterdam-Budapest. We arrive in Cologne today and disembark in BUD on Sep. 26. We were supposed to be on the Jasper but had a last minute change due to earlier ship swaps. You may get Jasper since she’s not on her normal itinerary. Scenic will have a boat to meet you, but may not notify you ahead of time. Check the ship tracker sites (marinetraffic.com, etc) to see which ships are in the area closer to embarkation. Enjoy your trip!
Ann Williams says
Just seen this , Stacy.
Thank you for the update . As long as we have a ship to board next week I don’t mind which one !
Have a great trip !
Michelle says
If you have a Facebook account join Viking Danube River Cruises – 2022 and beyond. The site has pictures and lots of information concerning the water, attire, food, and much more. Enjoy!
Pam says
We are booked for Elagant Elbe on Oct. 25, 2022. I am wondering if the water level is good and if there are any restrictions put in place regarding Covid.
Elise K. says
Happy to see that our ship, the River Duchess, is moving again. There is a lot of rain in the forecast for the next 10 days. Hopefully, it will make it to Amsterdam by next Wednesday, Sept. 14, when we are supposed to board. I think from others postings that there are no passengers on board so they won’t have to stop at ports.
William Pond says
We are currenty docked at Giurgiu, Romania on Tauck Esprit with remainder of group taking a bus to Black Sea with overnight hotel with bus return tomorrow to Bucharest due to lack of navigability. Some of us have elected to remain on the ship for a relaxing day and massages instead of taking the 4 hour bus ride because the room, food and service are just so outstanding on the Taucj Esprit.
William Pond says
We are currenty docked at Giurgiu, Romania on Tauck Esprit with remainder of group taking a bus to Black Sea with overnight hotel with bus return tomorrow to Bucharest due to lack of navigability. Some of us have elected to remain on the ship for a relaxing day and massages instead of taking the 4 hour bus ride because the room, food and service are just so outstanding on the Tauck Esprit.
Gaius Gracchus says
Thanks for the update!
Karin says
Fingers crossed! Uniworld has assured us that the sailing is planned to operate as scheduled. Bruce and Becky and Ken and I will see you there … and we won’t complain about the rain!
Mark Lowenguth says
where is this sailing going? we are booked on castles of the rhine amsterdam to Basil and Uniworld saying A -ok at present time. ty
Dede says
Anyone on Viking Jarl? Wondering how your cruise has been. Any busing or ship swaps?
Seattle native says
We are on a viking boat on the Danube. We are traveling from Budapest to Regensburg. We are finishing in degendorf today as the water level is too low in Regensburg. The crew has handled things very well and there has been little disruption.
Steven Crum says
Thank you, we are scheduled on the Viking Baldur leaving Budapest to Amsterdam on 9/11. Any updates on Danube, Mainz and Rhine are appreciated, as well as how Viking is handling the low water. Plus any rain updates would be appreciated.
Susie says
Hi Steve we are doing the same cruise the beginning of October. Would really appreciate knowing how much, if any you spend on a bus. Too much money spent for a bus tour when you pay for a river cruise. Best of luck hope all goes well
Steve A says
Hi Susie and Steve
Wer’e scheduled for the Oct 12 viking cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam. Would love information on adjustments to the plans. Ship swaps and hotel – Bus trip modifications. Please post what is happening on your cruise. Have not been able to get Viking to say what modification are in place for current cruises underway.
Steve
Dede says
Did you get to tour Regensburg?
Brian says
Thank you so much for your help and providing input on this blog we are scheduled to be from Budapest through regensburg nov 13
We have never visited this area our concern is not as much that the boat might have more water coming over the next 45 days what were concerned about is we’re looking for a picture ask for wide river and that’s what our concern is could you comment on that
Gil Stone says
Did you make it from Budapest to Degendorf by boat all the way
Kathy Rose says
Thank you. We are scheduled to be on the Scenic Amber beginning on September 22nd.
This is our first cruise with Scenic. In the pre-cruise information, it sounded as if we are limited to one suitcase and backpack per passenger. Is this true? Generally, we each take a carry-on suitcase and then check one bag for the two of us – a total of 3 suitcases.
Debbie Williams says
We have just come off a Scenic river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest. No luggage restrictions.
Steve A says
Debbie.
Did your trip go as planned or were the bus days? if so, where and how many?
Steve
Kathy Rose says
Thank you
M. Wilson says
How were your water levels? We are doing the reverse itinerary on October 3 rd. Is scenic well organized ( ie airport transfers , boarding etc)
Thank you!
Cindy says
You’ll be fine. That’s what we took on Scenic and had plenty of room to store them.
K Proctor says
Hi – You can each take a carry -on and a suitcase. We had no problem fitting our suitcases under the bed ! As a matter of fact they sent us 4 luggage tags Have a great trip!
Dee Dee R says
We completed two cruises with Scenic this summer. One was on the Douro and the other was on the Rhone River. We did not have any baggage issues on Scenic at all. Scenic is a fantastic
company to travel with.
Elizabeth Hiscock says
We have reservations on the Amadeus Queen Oct.6 for Bucharest to Vienna. Has anyone done this route and was there any disruptions? Would really appreciate any information. Thanks
Terrie Adams says
Where can I get current up to date information on water levels.
Terrie Adams
9-9-2022
Doug says
Its too bad that there is not an easy way to search these comments as its been addressed before, but here is one site…just click each city and it will give that info about water depth…..this is for the danube.
https://www.danube-cycle-path.com/danube-flooding.html
This site is about the rivers within Germany….
https://www.bafg.de/DE/06_Info_Service/01_Wasserstaende/wasserstaende_node.html
Cheers, Doug
Elizabeth says
Thank you. Is there a site for the Dordogne & Garonne rivers through Bordeaux? I can’t seem to find any info. I am surprising my husband for his 70th birthday.
ron says
https://rivercruiseadvisor.com/water-levels/#comment-31044
David says
Just Google Rhine River levels, there is a website. Levels seem to be increasing. We cruised Basel to Amsterdam on Amadeus Imperial 25/8 to 2/9 with no problems.
Greg says
Left amsterdam on September 6th headed for Budapest. Been great so far. Went through middle rhine valley yesterday . Awesome views. On main river now. No ship swaps and all tours have been as scheduled. Will be on Danube in a couple days so will update then.
Connie says
Thanks! We appreciate all updates!
Marg says
Thanks Greg. Await your news eagerly as I sail on 28th Sept
Greg says
We are in Nuremberg today as scheduled. Tours cut short because we have to bus to Passau this afternoon to swap ships from viking idun to gefjon. They say it will be 2.5 hrs bus trip. We will then bus back to Regensburg tomorrow for tours then back on schedule Wed at Passau. Weather has been great and trip smooth so far until this. They are taking us to lunch today at German restaurant in Nuremberg since we can’t come back to ship. They say this is not due to low water but to another ship breaking down near Regensburg and closing of the danube but I am not so sure it doesn’t have something to due with water level.
Sue Tucker says
We are on Spirit of the Rhine having left Arnhem on 5th. We have been through Cologne, Bonn and Koblenz with slower speed but no real problems. Now on Moselle heading for Cochem today. Not due to do Rhine gorge for some days so hoping river maintains its level, nothing has been said to indicate if they foresee any problems. Stunning trip so far.
Michelle says
Thank you Sue for the update. Glad you are enjoying your trip, have a wonderful day!
Patricia says
Please put out an update after you reach the Rhine Gorge. Booked on Oct.8th Viking from Basil to Amsterdam. I have until 9/24 to cancel. I don’t see any long range forecasts for heavy rain.
Thanks
Sue Tucker says
Yes I think it’s Sunday.
JIM M says
ITS SEPT 9 – I am On Viking Tialfi, we started in Basel Sept 3 and we went through the Rhine Gorge two days ago. No problems in the KAUB area but the boat did briefly scrape the river bottom as we arrived in Koblenz. Rain is in the forecast around here the next 3-4 days. So water levels should improve for next week or so. We’ve had a good cruise with no rain during the day until today – near Kinderdijk in Holland.
Connie says
Please let us know about the Rhine as you continue your travels. Thanks!
Connie says
Thanks for the update, Jim! Wishing you safe travels!
Jan says
We left Amsterdam on Sept 6th. We are now Sept 9th – just passed Mittenburg with no issues through the Rhine Gorge. Rained today and a little bit yesterday. So far smooth sailing with no issues. We heard there might be some issues on the Danube, but will wait and see. We are on Scenic Opal.
Sharon P says
This may help people travelling soon on the Danube. We’re joining Scenic Amber on Thursday 8 September. Was originally due to join ship in Nuremberg, but now told it will be Passau. Will do a bus trip to Nuremberg on day 2 for a tour, and a bus trip to Regensberg on day 3 for a tour. Rest of itinerary (Passau to Budapest) not currently affected.
Steve says
Thanks Sharon for the update. Due to leave Budapest on 11th so we can plan a little bit.
Mark says
So river still low and bus trips inst as of cruising is to be expected?
Mary A says
I notice from cruise mapper that Scenic Amber plus all the other cruise line boats heading north are stuck in Passau. Not heading on to Regensburg or Nuremburg
Ian Craven says
We are joining Scenic Jasper in Amsterdam going to Budapest on 12th Sept any info as to if we are likely yo be diverted. Scenic have told us no problem with water levels, but this does not seem possible as many boats stuck.
Gary says
Your ship has been changed to the Jade. Could have water problem around Passau. I’m in Paris now and will join you on Sept 12 on Jade. Maybe we get lucky on water kevel.
Gary says
The weather forecast shows Passua will begetting alot of rain before we get there.
Ian Craven says
Flying to AMS early Monday morning, we will see what transpires. We are determined to have a great trip.
Sharon P says
Yes, you’re right, Scenic Amber is stuck in Passau. It’s been unable to get to Nuremberg because water levels around Regensburg are about 4 feet and the ship’s draft is 5 feet. As such, Scenic is bussing people to Nuremberg and Regensburg. We should be departing Passau this evening and will then be back on schedule.
Brian Crompton says
Thanks, Sharon, we are leaving on Viking Var on the 9th. looks like we have been re-routed to Passau as well.
Kathy Rose says
Thank you. We are scheduled to be on the Scenic Amber beginning on September 22nd.
Reta P says
Are they supplying transportation to Passau for you to join the ship? We are booked to cruise with Scenic departing from Nuremberg but not until October. However we are heading over early and making our own way to join the ship in Nuremberg. Hope your trip is amazing.
Ian Craven says
Thanks for this info, we are joining Scenic Jasper in Amsterdam on 12th Sept and wonder if the low water levels are going to cause us any problems, I have spoken to Scenic and they said all river levels were OK and no disruptions??????.
Stacy says
Hi, Ian – we’re also supposed to be on Scenic Jasper Sep. 12th, but AIS says the boat is arriving in Budapest tomorrow. The only Scenic boat near AMS is Jade. Have you heard anything about a possible boat change at the start of the trip? We just need to know as we’re getting ourselves to the dock. Thanks for any info!
Ian Craven says
Hi Stacy,
Have not been contacted by Scenic at all. We spoke to them a few days ago and were told no problem with water levels???. Its a pity these company’s are not open and honest with the customers as for warned is for armed. Will post if I get any info.
Ian Craven says
Not Heard anything from Scenic, flying to AMS early Monday morning, so will see what transpires then. Determined to have a great Trip.
Charlie says
Any Amawaterways folks out there? We are supposed to be in Budapest for the weekend of Sept 10-11, boarding the Amawaterways Ama Bella on Monday, Sept. 12. Ama has not updated its Travel Update page since August 25, and I am hoping that the Lower Danube will be navigable to the conclusion of the trip in Romania. Does anyone have any info on the Ama cruises on the lower Danube? I would hate to have to move about any more than originally scheduled by bus, since there is already a fair amount of that on this trip.
Bill says
We are on Scenic Basel to Amsterdam Sept 14 – 21st. Thanks for all of the very helpful insights with these post. We are getting cautiously optimistic that the water levels will float our boat throughout the full journey!
A side question for us as 1st time Scenic cruisers — Dress code for dinners!! Should I pack a sports jacket (no tie)……or is a nice shirt or smart sweater ok?
TIA
Debbie Williams says
We are just arriving in Budapest aboard Scenic Pearl. First Scenic ship in a number of weeks to get through from Amsterdam without any ship swaps. We are first time Scenic cruises so made my husband bring a tie and jacket. Really didn’t need it. Maybe half the men had a jacket but really very casual dining clothing. Even the night out to the Palace was pretty casual.
Bill says
Thanks for the info. Helpful as we pack!
aa says
nice colored shirt will be perfect
Patricia says
I am booked on Viking for Oct. 8th
Basel to Amsterdam. I look forward to your comments at end of your trip. I can’t decide if I want to cancel. I look forward to your post cruise comments.
Joy Blum says
We took the Viking ship Sigyn Sept 6 – Sept 13 and made it all the way. It was a wonderful cruise. The best!
Sheila says
We’re on a AMA Amesterdam – Basel in November. Hopefully the water levels will raise. Best wishes for a wonderful trip.
Karen Mullens says
Smart casual only.
Marylou badeaux says
Currently on Viking Vader from Budapest to Amsterdam. No issues at all at this point. Tomorrow is Regensburg. Staff wears masks. Not required of passengers. One covid case relegated to room.
Elise K. says
Thank you for the update!
Susan says
Thank you so much for updating
Jan F says
HI, could you please tell me what temperatures you are experiencing as we travel Budapest – Amsterdam 16th September and wondering what to pack
Marylou badeaux says
Quite warm actually. Around 75 to 80 during day. Been sunny so far
Harriet Stephens says
Thanks for the update. Doing A-B in two weeks. Haven’t heard anyone else mention Covid.
Connie says
Was this your original scheduled ship? We will be doing the return trip Amsterdam to Budapest beginning 9-25 on Viking Modi but it looks like the Modi has been docked in Passau, Germany for the past couple of days. Cruisemapper still list it as shecduled as heading to Amsterdam. I’m curious if anyone on this site has any information regarding if the Modi did a ship swap.
Thanks!
Harry Castleman says
Re Danube water level, can you speak to situation from Budapest to Passau? Have they had to bus you or switch ships at all. I have Bud.>Passau cruise starting in mid October. Thanks
Marylou badeaux says
Budapest to passau not an issue. Going forward we have to bus from passau to Nuremberg tomorrow
Harry Castleman says
Many thanks for the info. Hoping you have just the one switch to bus.
K Proctor says
Having been a “victim” of 2018, October is too far away to anticipate any water level. I would advise not booking any individual ( not associated with cruise tour ) tours that cannot be cancelled within 48 hours of tour. We had post cruise days at our hotel in Amsterdam prior to our embarkation date. These were independent arrangements, food tours, Ann Frank, Museums, transportation etc. Unfortunately we were not advised that our river boat would not make the anticipated itinerary until 7 days prior to our embarkation date! An alternate itinerary was offered, which was basically 11 days Amsterdam and Bruges ~ a combination of limited river bus & hotels. We declined, due to the independent bookings we made (some are a must such as Ann Frank, other museums, private food tours) with notice that we had to cancel we were outside the cancelation window and lost over $700. We also had independent air and lost an additional $700 on seat upgrades (not transferable) . We were able to cancel the hotels,
private transportations, tours and all our post cruise plans. Please be careful with your individual bookings. I wish you a climate change miracle !
Christine says
The CDC is recommending the bivariant covid vaccine for anyone who has not had a recent booster. This can be taken at the same time as the flu shot. The new bivariant is the vaccine that has been tweaked to include more protection from the B4 and B5 variants which may be important in close quarters. I plan to do this tomorrow for my trip leaving Oct 9.
Ted says
We had our bivalent inoculations yesterday (our 5th shot each), with no ill effects. However, a friend, who has had bad reactions to all covid shots, had hers yesterday and had a bad night last night with a 101 fever, back almost to normal today.
Our observation from anecdotal evidence gathered since January 2021 is that effects can vary widely, even among siblings. Our view is that any reaction to the vaccine is no deterrent to the safety of an elevated immunity response (even if not guaranteed to be absolute immunity.
Kathy says
We just got our new and improved booster.
Marty says
That sounds awful! Hope you get a refund!
Marylou badeaux says
An update. We now have to get off tomorrow and bus from Passau to Nuremberg. Fingers crossed that’s the only switch.
Leslie G says
What cruise company are you with?
Marylou badeaux says
Viking
Donna S. says
Does anyone know if Viking is sailing between Regensburg and Passau? I heard they were boarding everyone in Passau instead of Regensburg, and bussing people back for tours the last couple of trips. We are scheduled to board the Viking Var this Friday, 9/9 in Regensburg to Budapest. Hope we don’t have miss Regensburg since we have a Munich day trip planned. Thanks for any updates 🙂
Marylou badeaux says
Short answer is no. We were skedded to be in Passau for the day (all ok) and Regensburg the next. We did a bus tour from passau to Regensburg (about 1-1/2 hrs) while others did the Munich trip (also from Passau). We are now bussing to Nuremberg to change ships.
Connie says
How long was your bus trip to the new ship?
Marylou badeaux says
About 3 hrs. Arrived at new ship and went to lunch. Rooms were ready so we could freshen up before going out in tour. Seamless. When we got back prior to dinner bags were in room. Didn’t take long to unpack as the setup is identical and we’d already worked out where to put things.
Connie says
Marylou, Thanks for your continued updates! We appreciate you keeping up posted on your progress on the river!
Marylou badeaux says
We are now sailing to Koblenz from Wertheim with no drama. Captain left Wertheim ( tour group left and joined up with us further down river) early to get through a “ touchy” area which experienced heavy rain today. He wanted to take advantage of slightly higher water. This is on Viking.
Sue says
We were on Viking Lif from Amsterdam to Nuremberg – now transferring by bus to Viking Vidar in Passau. All being handled very smoothly.
Marylou Badeaux says
One word. NO.
Dock in Passau and bus to Regensburg (about 1-1/2 hrs each way). Trip is worth it. Day trip to Munich was same day so you have to choose between the two.
Brian Crompton says
Hi Donna, we are doing the Viking Var on the 9th as well. Looks like we will be getting bused to Passau. Hopefully, all will go smoothly after Passau.
Steve says
Marylou, please update when u can Regensburg north. Sharon on scenic reported joining her ship in REGENSBURG INSTEAD OF Passat due to water levels and bussing to Nuremberg. We are leaving Budapest on 9/11 and would appreciate further updates as you travel. Thx Steve.
Marylou badeaux says
We’re in Bamberg now. No new updates of any further issues. Showered this morning so every drop helps. Will keep updating
Connie says
Thanks so much!
Marylou badeaux says
We are now sailing to Koblenz from Wertheim with no drama. Captain left Wertheim ( tour group left and joined up with us further down river) early to get through a “ touchy” area which experienced heavy rain today. He wanted to take advantage of slightly higher water.
Kathy says
Thanks for the info. Have a great trip.
Ann Marie Mallan says
We have just cruised on the Rhine with Avalon 27thAugust to 3rd September, Basel to Amsterdam. Fantastic cruise. Water levels were low but improved enough to avoid any disruption. Hope all goes well for you
Connie says
Thank you for the update!
Janet says
We appreciate this update.
Reza says
We are on this same cruise on Sep 8th. Thank you for this update!
Janet says
Reza,
Your feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Janet
Cathy says
Thank you for sharing your update! Appreciated 😁
Angela says
Is anyone on the Viking Tialfi or Viking Aruna this week—September 3-10. We are scheduled to cruise next week from Amsterdam to Basel, and I’m wondering if our ship has changed. It appears last weeks cruises from A-B and B-A were able to make the entire trip without busing or ship swaps. Please update on water levels, rain, and temperatures this week. Thank you.
JIM M says
Yes, I am on the Viking Tialfi this week. We left Basel on Sat Sept 3. As of last night (Sept 5) it was indicated to all of us in the pre- dinner meeting that we would be going all the way to Amsterdam with no change of ships. A lot of rain seems to be in the forecast for the next 4-5 days, which should help with cruises next week. So far everything on our cruise has gone as planned and expected. ONE DAY LATER THAN – cruising through Middle Rhine with all of the castles. Passed through KAUB area with no problem.
Connie says
Thanks for the encouraging update, Jim!
Angela says
Thanks very much, Jim. I really appreciate the update! We were just notified today that our trip from Amsterdam to Basil, beginning on the 10th, would be on the Tialfi rather than Aruna. I expected as much since they probably experienced a ship swap a few weeks ago. I hope the rain is just enough to help the water levels without impacting your sightseeing too much. If you have a chance to update once more regarding weather, that would be great! Enjoy the remainder of your trip.
KHBell says
Boarding Uniworld River Queen on Sept. 12 for 12 days (hopeuflly) cruising the Rhine and Moselle. Any comments from those who have been on Uniworld in the last few weeks regarding the river levels?
Elise K. says
We are boarding the Uniworld River Duchess on Sept. 14 Amsterdam to Budapest for 16 days. So far, I have not seen anyone else mention being on a Uniworld ship. We will be traveling on the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers. Our friends who are going with us called Uniworld and asked about the river levels and they said so far they aren’t experiencing any problems.
Katherine Mann says
Currently on the Amsterdam to Vienna cruise on the River Princess from Amsterdam to Vienna. Low river levels around Cologne, but so far so good.
Connie says
We will be on the same cruise on Viking beginning 9-25. Would love to hear information about your journey.
Wally says
Stuck on River Duchess at Passat; by tomorrow we have been here 5 days. (Low water levels).
Very nice crew and ship, but we won’t get to Amsterdam by 14th.
Uniworld formulating some kind of plan, due out today. No rain due til the weekend.
Elise K. says
Oh my! We are supposed to get on th River Duchess on the 14th. Uniworld told us everything was okay!!! Now what??? Thanks for letting us know.
Elise K. says
Wally, please let me know when the tell you what they are going to do. We called today and they claimed the ship has not been sitting in Passat for 5 days. They claim there are no problems. We are flying out 4 days before our cruise begins so if they cancel at the last minute…we will already be in Amsterdam! Our travel agent hasn’t been able to help us either. I am very disappointed in Uniworld!
Wally says
Hi, best you look at https://www.cruisemapper.com/ and insert river duchess. It arrived 3 Sep and still hasn’t passed Regensberg… they are putting passengers on buses to Frankfurt for 3 days, then bussing them to Amsterdam for 2 days. Best you contact Uniworld again…
Elise K. says
Wally, thanks for the information. We have contacted them everyday and they keep saying they are having no problems and that the River Duchess will be there on 14th! I have been looking and cruisemapper.com and that is why I have been so concerned.
Wally says
Hi, River Duchess still hasn’t progressed passed Regensberg.
They have 1,000km to go and 50+ locks.
We are in a nice Sheraton hotel in Frankfurt after a long bus journey. Preston (tour manager) is fantastic, but with 80 passengers initially on the cruise, 10+ are now ejected off of the (now bus) tour with COVID.
I am going to guess on Sat or Sun you will get an email stating a deviation has occurred due to water levels (which is beyond their control). The Duchess can only make Frankfurt or Cologne, you will arrive in Amsterdam and get a free transfer from the airport to a posh hotel, after a day visit in Amsterdam you will be bused to the Ship (Cologne/Frankfurt). That fact the river levels are unpredictable is true, Uniworld knew this on 3 Sep when the Capt told us we couldn’t reach Amsterdam on time.
When you get on the ship, where ever, it is lovely and the crew are great.
Hope this helps
jeff says
Elise – my wife Lisa and I will be on this cruise with you! Hope we have a great time.
Elise K. says
Great! I hope this happens with out major interruptions. I’m not sure how they are going to get the ship to the port in time. I hope we see you on the boat!
Becky Bartter says
Let’s think positively……….Bruce and I (Becky) will also be meeting the River Duchess group (you, Ken & Karin, Lisa & Jeff) hopefully on Sept. 14.
Elise K. says
My husband’s name is Bill. We are traveling with another couple, John and Judy.
Karin says
My husband Ken and I will be there too. Let’s hope the River Duchess makes it to Amsterdam by September 14!
Elise K. says
Karin, hope to meet you, Ken, Jeff and Lisa on the River Duchess. We live in Arizona…originally from Kansas.
I see on the cruise mapper website that the ship is finally moving!!! Let’s all keep our fingers crossed that they make it to Amsterdam by the 14th.
Karen Mullens says
I’ve been on the river duchess. I remember the captain saying that the ship had a low/ shallow draught and had better luck getting through in shallow water. Fingers crossed it’s the case for you guys.
We are on an Emerald ship mid October. 🤞🤞🤞🤞🙏🙏🙏
Ann Marie Mallan says
We have just cruised on the Rhine with Avalon Basel to Amsterdam. Fantastic cruise. Water levels were low but improved enough to avoid any disruption. Hope all goes well for you
Elise K. says
Thank you!
Cass says
Thank you for the update. We are on Avalon from Amsterdam to Basel in early October and this is encouraging.
Katherine Mann says
We are currently on the Uniworld River Princess, docked in Wurzburg, heading for Vienna. River was low around Cologne, but Captain managed to get through OK. So far so good, with rain expected in the next few days, which will improve river conditions significantly.
Elise K. says
Hi Katherine! Glad to hear of someone on a Uniworld ship. We are traveling on the River Duchess Sept. 14, Amsterdam to Budapest. We are very concerned about the water levels. Looking on the cruise mapper web site, it looks like the River Duchess hasn’t moved the last few days from near Passau. Uniworld tells us everything is fine…whatever that means.
I am wondering how formal the dress is in the evening. And if it’s very cool one the ship. I hope you have a wonderful trip. Thanks, Elise
aa says
just dress smartly not like an Ocean Cruise
Elise K. says
Hi Katherine! Glad to hear of someone on a Uniworld ship. We are traveling on the River Duchess Sept. 14. We are very concerned about the water levels. Looking on the cruise mapper web site, it looks like the River Duchess hasn’t moved the last few days from near Passau. Uniworld tells us everything is fine…whatever that means.
I am wondering how formal the dress is in the evening. And if it’s very cool one the ship. I hope you have a wonderful trip. Thanks, Elise
Charlie says
Charlie says
We are supposed to be in Budapest for the weekend of Sept 10-11, boarding the Amawaterways Ama Bella on Monday, Sept. 12. Ama has not updated its Travel Update page since August 25, and I am hoping that the Lower Danube will be navigable to the conclusion of the trip in Romania. Does anyone have any info on the Ama cruises on the lower Danube? I would hate to have to move about any more than originally scheduled by bus, since there is already a fair amount of that on this trip.
Bob L says
We are currently sailing on Viking Lofn Budapest to Bucharest. All going great. We have been told that our last stop will be 80 kilometers short of the planned stop but really has no impact on our cruise and just a minor change are related to shore excursions. Happy sailing.
Nancy says
Thanks for keeping us updated Bob. Please bring that boat safely to us : ) We board on Weds. and yes, they changed our embarkation to Turnu Măgurele but seems like a minor change so far.
Betty says
Nancy, Could you provide water level updates as you travel back to Amsterdam? We will be joining the Lofn in Amsterdam on 9/27. Hope your trip is uneventful…..
Thank you!
Betty says
We are on the same Viking European Sojourn Lofn starting Amsterdam 9/27. Hope all goes well for you, please keep the updates coming we really appreciate any news.
Ganesh says
Thanks Bob This information is very useful
We are booked for Tauck river cruise from Bucharest to Budapest
We are starting the river cruise part of it on September 25th
Please update your experience
Appreciate your help
Ganesh
Dede says
Hi there! Did you make it along the Danube? We are leaving on the Jarl Oct 1 in Budapest to Regensberg. First river cruise….did not
know about the risk with the water levels.
Gordon Bell says
Had a similar question. Have a Viking B-A cruise departing 9/23. Looking at Cruisemapper it does not appear that much traffic is making passage between Regensberg and Nuremberg along the Main-Danube canal. Our ship, the Vili appears to have made the southbound trip to Nuremberg and then returned along the back course, suggesting to me a ship swap?
Anyone successful transmitted this section in the last week? Thanks SO much to all for your time n providing these updates
Karen says
We board the Viking Vili on 9/23, is this your cruise, also?
Gordon Bell says
Yes it is. Boarding at Amsterdam on 9/23. Guardedly hopeful. Going to wait to the last second to make a go-no-go decision. Recent rains are positive, upcoming rains welcome. Thinking happy thoughts.
Gordon Bell says
Sorry, meant boarding at Budapest, old fingers!
Lesly Livengood says
We board the Vili on 10/7, A to B. Please keep these updates coming because they are very much appreciated! Wishing you a wonderful cruise experience!
Karen says
First time I’ve ever hoped for rain on a big vacation! We leave for our pre-cruise extension in Prague in 9 days, so we are a “GO” for this trip. Fingers crossed🤞
Marylou badeaux says
We got as far as Passau ( on Viking Budapest to Amsterdam). Did day trip by bus to Regensburg. Took bus from passau to Nuremberg and sailing towards koblenz now. A fair bit of rain in area so we are good at the moment.
Ruth says
We are going on the Romance of The Rhine and Mosel with Grand Circle Cruise. We leave the US on Sept. 9. Our IT is as follows:
Belgium: Antwerp The Netherlands: Willemstad, Kinderdijk, Nijmegen Germany: Bonn, Cochem, Trier, Bernkastel, Boppard, Speyer France: Strasbourg Switzerland: Basel
We would appreciate an update on current water level conditions along the Rhine. We have heard of “bus tours” and disembarking if the water level is too low, and are not particularly looking forward to it. We are thinking about cancelling but would like to hear about water level conditions from people who have cruised along the Rhine recently. We know that this is a once in a lifetime experience and would not really want to miss out unless necessary.
Colin says
We are currently on the Scenic Pearl cruise (boarded 25th Aug2022). Amsterdam to Budapest. Stopping in Bamberg today the 30th Aug. Have not had any issues thus far. All cruising and tours operating as expected. No issue with water level and no coaching anywhere. Great weather, awesome cruise.
Janet says
Thank you, Colin, for this information.
Tonybud says
Is anyone on the ‘Emerald Luna
Supposed to be in Vienna today Aug 30
Can’t find it on cruisemapper.com
Libby Troy says
I have found the Emerald Luna at Regensburg. I use MarineTraffic to follow any marine traffic.
Tonybud says
I see that also on cruisemapper
But it has been there for two months
We supposly leave on sept 16 from Budapest
Monica says
We are currently on the Emerald Sun. We left Budapest August 27 and will arrive in Passau on September 3. We docked next to the Luna in Vienna on August 30th and I spoke to some passengers on the shuttle to our ship. The Luna had made it through from Amsterdam to Vienna without a hitch and they were having an awesome time. I can say the same for our trip travelling in the opposite direction. No issues with water levels, no ship swaps. The crew is amazing and everyone is happy to be here.
Michelle says
Thanks Monica!
Steven Crum says
Thank you Monica!
jasper says
We depart from Budapest to Amsterdam on the 24 September, hope there is a bit or rain so we can go all the way.
John Thompson says
We are also on that cruise, theoretically on the Viking Bragi. However, looking at the Bragi’s current track it will be in Amsterdam on the day that we should be joining it in Budapest! Looking at the river level forecasts, it does look like things are improving – so fingers crossed.
Ellen says
The Viking boats and locations are all mixed up because of the boat swaps of the previous weeks. Many people are finding out that they are assigned to a different boat than the one originally assigned. You will have a boat waiting for you, but possibly a different name. No worries! The boats are all the same.
Have a good trip!
Charlie says
We are supposed to be in Budapest for the weekend of Sept 10-11, boarding the Amawaterways Ama Bella on Monday, Sept. 12. Ama has not updated its Travel Update page since August 25, and I am hoping that the Lower Danube will be navigable to the conclusion of the trip in Romania. Does anyone have any info on the Ama cruises on the lower Danube? I would hate to have to move about any more than originally scheduled by bus, since there is already a fair amount of that on this trip.
Deb says
Hi all, this site has been awesome with such great, timely information! I’ve been stalking the Viking Gersemi on its voyage down to Basel (we leave Amsterdam on it September 15) and was wondering if anyone checking this site is on it. I noticed it was docked in Braubach today rather than Koblenz. Does anyone know why? Water level problems? Port problems? Thanks!
Ark says
Thank you very much! It is really precious for us to have your inside information. A couple more questions. Are there any cases of Covid-19 on board? Is the staff wearing masks? It seems that they are no longer testing the passengers.
Colin says
I believe different operators have different rules. I’m on Scenic Pearl Amsterdam to Budapest. Have just left Nuremberg. No issues with water levels, no changes to itinerary. Scenic require you to be fully vaxed. No masks on board. Request to wear mask if you don’t feel well. Have seen the Viking Cruise staff wearing masks, as well as their passengers, though not sure if it is a requirement.
Allie polikof says
I’m very happy for you! We are doing the same tour starting on Sunday ..my fingers are crossed!
Steven Crum says
Thank you for the info. I appreciate everyone posting. Have a Viking cruise next week so appreciate all the updates on Danube, Mainz and Rhine.
jasper says
Hi Colin,
Please keep going with you updates, will be very interesting to know river levels for the rest of your journey.
cheers
Jasper
Colin says
Still on the Scenic Pearl. Have reached Vienna without an issue. We were informed that water levels dropped a bit from Regensburg through Passau and Melk, though made it through. Weather is amazing. I packed too many warm clothes. It’s been a shorts and t-shirt trip thus far. We have another day in Vienna then heading to Budapest. No indication of delays.
Kiki says
Thank you Colin!
Michael says
We are booked with Tauck on the Budapest to Amsterdam Cruise leaving on the 16 of October. We’ve had 2 trips canceled due to Covid and I’m 74 with the concerns about being bused everywhere, was looking forward to a relaxing cruise not sitting on a tour bus for hours looking out a window.
Been watching water levels rise and fall weekly.our cruise line, Tauck, has been somewhat informative.
However my concern is, even though I’ve purchased travel insurance with them, their spokesman said if I cancel I get only 50 percent refund, if they cancel it’s 100 percent.
They can cancel up to the last minute, leaving us in limbo up to the last minute.
We’ve been on 5 river cruises so far, and love them, just don’t want to pack and unpack, have done that on various other tours, it’s a hassle.
Anyone else in the same “Boat” as far as being undecided what to do?
Thanks for the update on your trip.
Sandy Smith says
Michael we are booked to leave Amsterdam on 19th October with APT to Budapest so understand how you are feeling. I guess we have to hope that more rain falls during the next 6 weeks!
I think most companies only cancel a few days beforehand, most travellers who book a river cruise want exactly that not a hotel/bus trip.
Let’s all hope for good outcomes in the coming weeks and thank you to everyone for your reports keep them coming!
Meg says
Hi Sandy, we are booked to leave Budapest on 19th October with APT to travel to Amsterdam. Hopefully our boats will pass each other at the halfway mark.
Fingers crossed for rain over the next few weeks, as we definitely don’t want a bus trip around Germany.
Thank you to all the reports that keep coming through. I really appreciate them.
Christine says
My husband and I are booked on the Viking Magni, leaving Amsterdam October 9, to Budapest – 15 day trip. The recent article in the NY Times (Aug. 29 by Jenny Gross) left us feeling concerned. At ages 76 and 80, we DO NOT want to be bused around Germany. We want a River Cruise…a relaxing trip! Right now we are monitoring the water levels and hoping for the best, although my husband’s least favorite word is “hope.” Good luck with your Tauck Trip. My sister just returned from a Tauck Tour of England and Scotland; she said it was hot.
Marion Mulholland says
We are booked on Viking Aegir from Budapest to Amsterdam about the same time – and in our mid 80s are also not eager for bus trips. Been many time to Europe so could easily skip some scenic tours (can you stay onboard during the day ?) but have been looking forward to our first river cruise. Fingers crossed for early fall rains. Closely reading all the river updates – thanks a lot for the feedback.
Michael says
Anxiety aside about the water levels, our next concern is the booster shot required for the Budapest to Amsterdam trip with Tauck.
Our initial shots were over a year ago, we both got real sick.
From what information we get from Tauck your last shot cannot be more than 270 days old and administered not less than 14 days old.
If they are going to cancel the trip we would rather postpone the shots.
We have 3 trips planned for Europe and the boosters would cover all in the 270 envelope.
After checking it’s the cruise line Tauck that requires the booster not the European countries.
Anyone have any thoughts or same concerns?
Elise Klaver says
We put off getting our shots because I got very sick after my second Pfizer shot. We are sailing on a Uniworld River Cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest leaving September 14th. We are also required to be vaccinated between the time frame you mentioned. After doing some research I opted to get a Moderna shot this time. I had no reaction at all! I don’t know if the same would be true for you, but you might consider switching brands of vaccinations. It is allowed. Talk to your doctor.
Ted says
We have the bivalent vaccine boosters (Moderna) scheduled for Wed. We started with the two-dose Moderna initial series in 1/21. In fall 2021 we had a third full dose (Moderna). In 4/2022 we had Moderna boosters. With the bivalent vaccine booster on Wednesday, we will have had five Moderna shots. The only reaction a couple of times was a mildly sore arm, and we are in our mid-70s.
We insisted on Moderna from the beginning and are glad we did. We take no chances.
Angela says
We are traveling with Viking. According to their information, they only require the full vaccination at least 2 weeks prior to sailing. Of the countries we will be visiting, only the Netherlands requires the booster if the last vaccine dose was more that 270 days prior. Fortunately, I’m just under that window as I recently had COVID and the CDC recommends against getting a booster within 3 months of having COVID.
Ann Williams says
We are booked on Scenic Jade from Basel to Amsterdam on 21 September . We were hoping for a leisurely cruise down the Rhine with a few stop offs in interesting towns , some good food and company. Certainly not a glorified coach trip with all the COVID implications! Praying that the itinerary sticks to schedule and we are not required to swap ships or expected to endure long coach trips.
We did an Emerald Rhone cruise a few years ago and it was exactly what we expected taking us into the heart of some beautiful towns with no need for coaches. I realise that these are exceptional circumstances and we need to go with the flow ( hopefully) . We will watch with interest any posts from Scenic Jade passengers in the next couple of weeks.
Jennifer Bennett says
We are taking the opposite route beginning Sept.29. If you hear anything we would appreciate it if you would let me know.
Ganesh says
We are in the “boat”
Canceled river cruises for 2 years because of covid
Do not want to take bus trips
Scheduled to get on the boat in Constantina near Bucharest on Sep 25
It is also Tauck
It is East bound from Bucharest to Budapest
Updates appreciated
Ganesh
Kathy Melville says
Hi Colin,
Have you been able to sail the whole way? We are leaving on the 18th September, Amsterdam to Budapest. Flying from Australia after having to cancel in 2020.
Kathy
Colin says
Still on the Scenic Pearl. Left Regensburg yesterday, sailing to Passau today. Small change in itinerary for those wanting to do the Salzburg Sound of Music tour. They left early on the bus and will be meeting us in Passau. Crew wanted to make up some time. Didn’t bother me as I hate the Sound of Music (the film, not the sound of music). No mention of ship swaps, beautiful sunny day. Drinking wine on the top deck after lunch.
Kathy Melville says
Awesome 👌 Keep on enjoying 😉
Caroline says
I am currently on Emerald Dawn sailing on the Rhine between Rudesheim and Koblenz and the Moselle between Koblenz and Trier – water levels OK so far. I think rain in Switzerland has helped!
Janet says
Thank you, Caroline.
Steven Crum says
Thanks Caroline for the update.
Steven Crum says
Thanks You!
Wendy says
We are doing the return cruise departing 9/23. Looking forward to updates.
Michelle says
Check out cruisehive.com for live updates concerning boats and water conditions all around the world. Best of luck!
Iain Johnston says
We have embarked today on Viking Ve in Amsterdam, sailing later tonight up Rhine and onward to Budapest. The Cruise Director has told us there will be no problems at least until we get to the Danube. As she said, that is 10 days away and she cannot tell us what it will be like then.
Bruce Carroll says
We are on the Viking Ve from Sept 13th -28th leaving from Amsterdam. I’m confused, when do you arrive in Budapest? Can they get the ship back to Amsterdam for that quick of a turn around.Thank you, Bruce
Connie says
How is your cruise going, Iain? Would appreciate any updates if you have time to post! Thanks! Enjoy!
Anita says
Ruth, wondering if you received any responses from any currently on your similar itinerary as we had hoped to around the same time, multiple bus hours and switches would be difficult for us.
As departure looms looking for timely info from those on Rhine and Mosel, scenic gorge, Frankfurt to Strasbourg. Thanks and wishing all travelers and navigators well in these times.
Caroline says
Currently on the Mosel and all OK. Sailed from Rudesheim on Monday pm to Bernkastel and that was fine. On our way to Cochem tonight. Having a fantastic time!
Jen says
On the Rhine, Riviera G Chaucer arrived in Basel Aug 31st.
Captain said that there will be no changes to Itinerary.
Wonderful day yesterday in the Swiss Alps. Absolutely priceless. On the cog railway. Wish I could show a picture. Weather wonderful.
David says
Just returned from a Rhine cruise 24/8 to 1/9. No problems with water level Basel to Amsterdam, cruised all the way. Cargo ships are light loaded but cruise ships in the main seem ok.
Janet says
Thank you, David!
Janet Covey says
Is the weather cool?
Marc David Rosen says
We are departing Sept. 11, 2022 from Prague to Budapest for seven days on AMA Waterways. Any ideas how the water levels have been recently?
Jeff says
I am scheduled to cruise the Danube on the Viking ship Lif from Budapest to Bucharest. I will arrive in Budapest Sep 8 and begin cruising on Sep 13. Is anyone on the Danube in this area and can give me current update on how water levels are affecting your cruise? I have to cancel NLT 1 Sep.
Bob Hall says
On Emerald Destiney. Started in Budapest on August 20. Arrived in Regensburg yesterday without any trip disruption. Rained several days after arrival and the water level sufficient for navigation. Captain said this is the first trip in several months that was able to complete the cruise as scheduled. Feel very fortunate. It is August 27 and departing for Prague extension this morning. Forecast calling for rain today.
Garry K says
That’s great news.
We are doing the same trip, but in reverse with Gate 1.
Starting in Prague on Sept. 8
Hopefully the rain keeps up till then.
Thanks for the update
Shirley G says
It is good news. We start 10 days after you so it would be great if you do an update on your cruise Garry.
Marty says
Never thought I’d be hoping for rain but we cruise the Rhine in October and perfect would be rain before and stopping when we start!1
Robin W says
We are doing the same and feeling just you do.
Pam W says
We sail 9/28 Budapest to Amsterdam and also hoping for some rain before we get there….not enough to disrupt anyone else’s trip…..
Kay V says
Awesome news!!
We are doing same route on Emerald departing 9/10. Hope the rain keeps up!
Susie says
We are doing the reverse, Regensburg to Budapest starting on September 4th on Viking. We are hoping that we will have an uninterrupted trip with no ship swaps. If anyone has information in regards to the area around Passau I would like to know.
Max says
we just received notification that our Viking R to B departing on SEP 4 on Viking Atla has an itinerary change. Boarding will occur in Passau and we will bus to Regensburg for our excursions. This change seems inconsistent with all I’ve been reading about water levels the last 7 days
Susie says
I got that notification also, I thought the river levels were up and I was surprised. Let’s hope it changes before Sunday.
Debbie Williams says
We are currently stopped just past Regensburg waiting for water to rise sufficiently to get to Passau. Not sure yet what will happen if river doesn’t rise!!! I imagine ship swapping
Dede says
I find that interesting as well…keep us posted! We will depart B to R Oct 1
Johnny Mahopac says
Can you share.more about what this means exactly? Where you supposed to start in Budapeat, and now you are finishing there inatead?
Connir says
Susie and Mac, Please give updates on your progress along the river when you have time! It looks like Biking ships are off schedule as they have had necessary ship swaps. We are on Viking Sept. 26 departing Amsterdam and arriving Budapest on the 10th. Praying for more rain!
Rhona says
Today is 29th Aug and we have just left Nuremberg on Riviera Emily Bronte….no water level problems at all from Cologne….we have had rain,some torrential, which must have helped. Still on Main- Danube Canal but will reach the Danube tomorrow at Kelheim above Regensberg. No talk of any difficulties.
Rhona says
Good news re the Danube !
On Emily Bronte – see earlier post but ignore time of post. I put the post on at 2-45pm but the time shown is hours earlier……Now it is 5-30pm.
Just had another briefing from Cruise Director who told us that no problems all the way to Budapest so Danube levels are fine.
Thanks to Riviera for excellent organisation and information, and superb service from everyone involved in this cruise.
Elise Klaver says
Thank you for the update! We are nervously watching because we are cruising Amsterdam to Budapest September 14th.
Catherine says
Thanks Bob. Great info for lots of travelers. Were you still able to go on all the planned excursions?
Deb Van Natter says
We leave Sunday night for Prague down the Danube to Budapest on our first River Cruise – I think these communication threads are hilarious as we are all praying for rain. Hopeful we will get to stay on the river.
Max says
Just received itinerary change for Viking Atla R-B departing 04 SEP. Will now be P-B vice R-B. Boarding in Passau. Surprised only because of all the real time reports I’m reading here about navigable waters between Regensburg and Passau.
Debbie Williams says
We are on Scenic Pearl and had to wait just south of Regensburg for a “wave” to come down the river to get to Passau. Our Cruise Director showed us the graphs they use to determine river levels. Our captain had a very small window of opportunity to get through before they closed the river again. We were able to reach Passau with 30 cm to spare under the ship so the river levels change on an hourly basis! Good Luck
Nancy says
I am traveling Bucharest to Budapest on Viking Lofn beginning 9/6. I am wondering the same thing Jeff, as I hear the lower Danube is day by day on water level. Any current information from those traveling between the 2 ports would be appreciated.
Bob L says
We are bringing your ship to you from Budapest on 8/31. From what I see looks encouraging except perhaps the last day to Ruse. Will let you know how it goes.
Nancy says
Thank Bob. Finger crossed for us all. Happy sailing!
Bob L says
Update on Viking Lofn. Left Budapest last evening with a wonderful night view of the Budapest sky line. It seems that all will go as planned except for our last day due to water levels near Ruse (Bucharest disembarkation point) but it’s been raining all day. So we may have a slightly different disembarkation point but I believe the best portions of the trip will be fine. I’ll update again as I’m able.
Nancy says
Thx for the update Bob. I saw Lofn on cruise mappers.com and thought it looked like you were moving fine along the Danube. Here’s to hoping the water levels near Ruse rise with the rain that is predicted for this weekend. Best!
Bob L says
We are officially docking for Bucharest about 80 kilometers short of Ruse but has no real impact other than juggling shore excursions so you’ll be fine boarding near Ruse to head for Budapest. Have a great trip.
Tara B says
We are traveling Bucharest to Budapest Oct 1, do wondering the same. Will you all keep me posted if you hear anything?
Antony Chapman says
I am thinking of going from Budapest west to Deggendorf with Avalon on 15 September. Does anyone have news of Avalon on the Danube?
Bob L says
You may have read my other comments. We left Budapest last evening on the Viking Lofn and all looks like an unrestricted cruise with the exception of perhaps not being able to make it all the way to Ruse (the Bucharest disembarkation point.) From what I hear the only impact is disembarking a bit up river from Ruse but no real impact on the itinerary other than perhaps longer excursion bus rides. It’s raining all day today so that bodes well.
John says
Sailing the lower Danube from Budapest to the Black Sea and back, no problems in Budapest now heading to Belgrade on Riviera William Wordsworth, river low but “No” problems anticipated according to cruise director. Great ship and staff very good. Will keep you all posted
Susan Tullis says
Today is Friday 8/26. On Viking Kara. Left Basel 5 days ago and are now in Cologne, heading to Amsterdam. Made it all the way without busing, due to providential rain in Switzerland days before we left the States. Yesterday was the Middle Rhine and the glorious castles. Captain said we were the first Viking ship in about a month that could sail through this area. Incredibly lucky. Hopefully more rain will fall to allow trips after us to do so. Not sure if that’s going to happen. Sailing in our direction gives them the best chance (downstream) of not having to bus. Has been 90+ every day until today. Good luck everyone.
Nancy McGowan says
Thanks for the update- we cruise on Viking Sept 13 from Basel. End in Amsterdam. Forecasted temps in high 60s. Is it cool or still fairly hot? River level sounds encouraging! Nancy
Beth says
We are scheduled foe the same cruise. Hopefully we will have the water levels we need.
Marty says
We are booked on the same cruise leaving Basel Oct. 4. Keep us posted!
Harold says
Susan,
Thank you so much for your post. Have been watching water levels for a mid-Sept B-A on Viking. Great to know that current and predicted rain in Basel can help us as we sail downstream through the areas with less rain. Hope you enjoyed a fantastic trip!
Angela Pachucki says
Is anyone currently on the Viking Alruna or Viking Tialfi? Did the two ships swap itineraries this week? It appears from their current locations on cruisemapper.com that they may be traveling opposite their original itineries. Are they expected to sail through their respective itineraries, or are ship swaps and busing anticipated?
Is rain expected in the next week to help alleviate the current low water levels?
Thanks in advance to anyone who can respond! I hope you have a wonderful experience!
Kevin says
We’re on Alruna now. We were scheduled to be on the Tialfi but when we arrived at the dock it was the Alruna. I posted an update about the trip but they said it appears that we’ll be able to make the whole trip to Amsterdam without a ship swap.
Angela Pachucki says
Thank you, Kevin. Would love to hear additional updates if you have time. Have a wonderful trip!
Kevin says
In Strasbourg today. Beautiful weather with cool mornings and warm afternoons. We passed another Viking ship in a lock last night and they yelled across that they had made it all the way with no ship swaps or bussing. Our fingers are still crossed!
Kevin says
We’re on Alruna now. We were scheduled to be on the Tialfi but when we arrived at the dock it was the Alruna.
Kevin says
It’s 8/28 and we left Basel yesterday on Viking Alruna to Amsterdam. We’re in Breishach today. The evening was cool on deck when sailing and today has been fairly warm. Water levels are still holding with the cruise director saying she’s 99% certain that we will be able to go the whole way without a ship swap or have other excursion disruptions. I hope she’s correct! I’ll post updates on the journey as I can.
Reza says
Thanks for the update Kevin. We are first time cruisers and will be taking the same ship on 9/9. Do we need to bring Euros with us? If so, how much do you recommend?
Angela Pachucki says
It would be a good idea to bring some euros with you. I recall reading that you can not exchange money on the ship. Your other options would be to use an ATM or bank off the ship.
Jon the Traveler says
If it’s a Viking cruise ship they do extra exchange currency there. But I would recommend exchanging it somewhere cheaper.
Kevin says
The ship charges 10% to exchange so it’s pricey to use them. I didn’t bring Euros but just used one of the ATM’s in town at our first stop. You will need some for incidentals in town and tipping the guides. There are a few places that don’t take credit cards but not many. I just got $100 and if I need more I’ll just hit the ATM machine at one of the stops.
Brian says
Your going to be in Europe! Might be a good idea to have European money!
Garry K says
Yes definitely bring some euro’s
They charge a lot at the ATM’s
As we are going to Prague first and ending in Budapest we are bringing some of there currency also
A lot of small restaurants and shops only take cash
Harold says
I would say definitely bring some Euros, especially with current favorable exchange rate (assuming you can get them from your bank with no/minimum charge). Some shops prefer cash, plus many places I’ve been charge a half Euro to use their restroom…ie. exchange some paper Euro for 50 Euro cent coins before you head out to explore. If you’re staying in hotel before cruise I’ve always gotten a good exchange rate from the better ones. Amount you bring depends on spending plans, but ATMs are usually a good choice if you need more cash.
Reza says
Thank you for the helpful replies!
Rhonda Polakoff says
My strategy has always been to get Euros at an airport ATM as soon as I arrive in Europe. I think getting Euros from an ATM is cheaper than a currency exchange facility. Moreover, many banks, such as Schwab do not charge ATM or foreign currency fees.
Peggy Biernacki says
We were on Viking European cruise last year. Our ship did not do exchange of money. If you need Euro’s either bring them with you or go to an ATM. We usually bring $200 with us and we always come home with some because we mostly use our credit card. The airport is the worst place to buy them. They have bigger fees associated. Try your bank.
Jim Allen says
We take a small amount of Euros, like 500. always nice to have cash for small purchases like a snack or refreshment. Restaurants and stores take credit but not most street merchants, of which there are many. There are lots of ATMs if your cash runs low.
Janet Covey says
Do we need to bring Euro’s?
Sailing 9-10-22
Thanks,
Janet
Joanne says
It’s always best to carry some of the local currency with you when travelling. You can use an ATM as well for small amounts of cash in those countries. However, we are bringing Euros and Hungarian Forint for our cruise beginning in Budapest as we overnight, before the cruise begins and will need cash for dinner and incidentals while in Budapest for 2 days.
Karen D says
We are going a day early in Amsterdam, and staying an extra day in Budapest. Any recommendations on how much in Euros and forints to bring?
Sailing Amsterdam to Budapest Sept 4, any updates on the Rhine, Main, and Danube?
Janet Covey says
Thank you Joanne
Cathy says
As mentioned above you will want to have some Euros for places that may only take cash. And you may need change for restrooms. If you are in a town big enough for a McDonalds their restrooms are free but you need to make a purchase and keep the receipt for the bathroom code.
Peggy Biernacki says
Yes. I forgot about the bathrooms. You do need euro’s for that. Also, some ATM’s do not charge more than 3%, which is not a real big deal. Better than a foreign exchange place or the airport. Good that the dollar and Euro are on par right now. I have not seen that in the last 20 years. Have a fun trip. We leave September 22nd for the Zurich to Paris trip. Hoping for good water.
Darlene says
The euro is the lowest it’s been in years so I bought some from the bank.. I’m from Canada so I used Canadian dollars..
Angela says
Hope the remainder of your trip went well, Kevin. Were you able to sail all the way through? Any speculation as to whether water levels on the Rhine will be adequate for the next two weeks?
Kevin says
We have finished the cruise and are home now. We made it all the way through with no itinerary changes, bussing or ship swaps. In talking to the cruise director, she said it is usually a day to day decision as the levels can change quickly – up or down. She said they sometimes don’t know what Viking corporate decides until last minute. I used some of the resources on this site to track water levels with one of the best being the map showing all the gauges (the Kaub gauge is important because that’s the critical section) and the 14 day forecasts. We’re glad we didn’t cancel now but it was sure stressful in the days leading up to our departure.
Connie says
Thanks! Your comments have been very encouraging!
Angela says
Thanks so much, Kevin. Glad you enjoyed your cruise and returned safely. I have been monitoring the sites as well. It also seems that rain is in the forecast this week and next, so I’m hopeful we will cruise, not bus, down the Rhine.
David says
Hi Kevin were boosters required at any stops on your trip
Marty says
Thanks for the update. We are doing
Basel to Amsterdam on Viking Oct. 4. Hoping the level is good but not crazy about a lot of rain when traveling. What is that like?
Diane says
We left Basel on Aug. 18, on the Viking Hervor. We sailed all the way through to Amsterdam.
Diane says
I sailed on the Viking Hervor leaving Basel on Aug. 18. We sailed all the way to Amsterdam. Great time!
Diane B. says
I sailed on the Viking Hervor from Basel on Aug. 18. We sailed all the way to Amsterdam. Great trip!
Bob M says
Anyone on the Rhone this week? What are the levels between Lyon and Arles?
Kay says
Any updates from a Viking European Sojourn? Need to make a decision about canceling within days…
Kay says
Any updates on Viking’s European Sojourn? We’re within days of deciding about canceling…
Janet says
We are scheduled on Viking’s European Sojourn Bucharest-Amsterdam with a pre-extension in Bucharest. Any water level info would be great on this trip boarding Lif on Sept.20th
Glenda says
Set out on Viking on August 20. We’re told we would be the first for underrated sailing. It has been the case. End in the Netherlands tomorrow the 27th. We were so lucky
Connie says
That’s wonderful! We don’t set out until September 26th. How are the water levels in Amsterdam? Looks like no rain predicted this coming week but the week after looks promising for more rain. Would appreciate any advice for future Viking River Cruisers.
Kathy says
We board Sept. 26th in Budapest to Amsterdam on Oct. 11th on the Viking Ve. Looks like if we swap ships it will be yours!
Connie says
It sounds like the ship swaps are fairly easy with Viking but let’s hope we end up just passing in the night! Hoping for more rain!
Reza says
Which cruise on Viking? Can you provide any more details?
Chuck S. says
This is encouraging as we set sail off to Amsterdam from Basal Sept. 28. Touck Tours.
Graham says
Getting info on the Rhone is not easy. We are going next week. As far as I can tell the level is low but OK. The water is exceptionally warm – too warm to cool the nuclear reactors – and the salt level is going a long way upstream but I can’t find anything about cruises being affected.
Fingers crossed!
Michelle says
Hello Graham, check out Cruisemapper.com for real time photos of the water levels and boats. It is a very helpful website. Best of luck on your trip!
Doug says
Hi Michelle, thx for the link to Cruisemapper.com, I can see the ships, but don’t see where you can see water levels real-time. If you could elaborate for us we would be grateful!
Fred says
There is a Water levels site at the top of this page. https://www.bafg.de/DE/06_Info_Service/01_Wasserstaende/wasserstaende_node.html
This opens the map you see above the link. You can zoom into the different locations on the river. Once you open the window for a particular location, there is a graph in the upper left corner. Click that and you see water levels in real time updated every 15 minutes.
Mary Testolin says
I am leaving this week too and have the same concerns about the warm water.
Anita says
Thank you Michelle for the cruisemapper link.
Is there anyone sailing now on Rhine and Moselle, between Frankfurt and Strasbourg with updates on water levels, announcements on planned switching to buses and/or ship swaps during the next 10 days?
Anyone currently on Uniworld’s River Queen?
Thanks for your updates.
Michelle says
I discovered a new website with helpful information. Check out cruisehive.com, it also shows real time images and water conditions all around the world.
Mary Testolin says
I am also concerned about the warm water. Leaving soon for our cruise
Sharon P says
I’m travelling from Nuremberg to Budapest with Scenic from 8 September. I’ve seen a Viking ship managed to arrive in Budapest yesterday from Passau, but does anyone have any news on the Nuremberg to Passau stretch of the river and/or how the Scenic cruise ships are progressing along the Danube? Thanks in advance.
Karen says
We are on the Scenic Amber in Regensburg today& just received word from the captain that we cannot make it to Nuremberg tomorrow due to low water levels. That would have been the disembarkation point for us.
Sharon P says
Thanks for the update Karen. Did you originally embark in Budapest? If you did you’ve done really well to get that far. With a couple of weeks to go before I join Scenic Amber, and a bit of rain on the way, it’s encouraging news. I hope you have had a lovely trip and Scenic met/exceeded expectations (I’ve only cruised with Viking previously).
Karen says
No we were not able to get on in Budapest as scheduled. Got on in Komaron which is 90 minutes away.
Scenic is just an awesome company & the staff on the Amber are outstanding!
Since water levels can change so quickly, they don’t want to say very much in advance.
Kay V says
Thanks Karen for the update! We are going on Emerald on 9/10 from Budapest.
Please share updates as the cruise goes on. Hope you have a wonderful time and it goes smoothly!
Julie says
Thanks Karen. We are taking Scenic in Amsterdam next week. Did you feel safe on board? Any cases of Covid?
Thank you,
Julie
Jan F says
Keen to hear anyone travelling on Emerald Waterways as we travel Budapest to Amsterdam from 16th Sept. Hoping some rain by then. Sounds like the issue is mainly the Budapest end??
Bryce says
We should be passing you heading in the opposite direction Regensburg to Budapest.
All the best, hoping for rain.
Connie says
We are traveling Amsterdam to Budapest beginning September 26. We would love to hear how your cruise goes. Thanks in advance and happy cruising!
Bob Hall says
On Emerald Destiney. Started in Budapest on August 20. Arrived in Regensburg yesterday without any trip disruption. Rained several days after arrival and the water level sufficient for navigation. Captain said this is the first trip in several months that was able to complete the cruise as scheduled. Feel very fortunate. It is August 27 and departing for Prague extension this morning. Forecast calling for rain today.
Tony Bud says
Hey Jan.F
We are on same boat
Fingers crossed
Tony B
Karen says
Did you board in Budapest? We will be on the Amber 9/15. How has it been?
Kiki says
We’re on the Amber Sept 15. Do you embark in Budapest? How has it been overall?
Thank you
Rhona says
We are on the Riviera Emily Bronte….travelled today from Boppard to Rudesheim via Rhine Gorge without difficulty and going to Maintz tomorrow. Have been told no water level problems for next few days but levels on the Danube not yet known.
Have seen a variety of different boats from various companies.
Will post every couple of days if this helps.
Karen D. says
Is anyone currently on an Amsterdam to Budapest cruise?
Debbie Williams says
Currently on Scenic Amsterdam to Budapest. Just north of Rhine Gorge and should enter in the next couple of hours. No problems or itinerary changes. Only change was we left Amsterdam early afternoon instead of night which was great because we cruised in daylight hours
Colin says
Currently on Scenic Pearl, left Amsterdam on the 25th Aug. About to stop a Miltenberg. No issues, no itinerary changes thus far. No indication that there will be. Awesome cruise thus far.
Dr. Nick says
I am travelling with Emerald Cruises from Passau to Budapest on 10 September. Emerald have told me that “no changes or adjustments have had to be implemented”. Fingers crossed that remains the same for when we travel. Additionally, the website Cruisemapper.com enables you to track (in real time) every ship. Enter name of ship in search and then click on “position”. Been doing this past few days (very sad, I know !) and this shows all cruise ships and, from what I can see, all ships are moving and docking as per their itinerary. Nuremberg to Passau seems to be a possible pinch point.
Allie says
I have been glued to Cruisemapper at least twice a day for a couple of weeks now. Very sad. I don’t cruise until the end of September 😊
Joanne says
Thanks for the website cruisemapper.com Nice to be able to see the ships location. We are on the Avalon Impression Budapest to Amsterdam on September 2nd. We are hopeful the are no problems, have not heard anything from Avalon yet to the contrary, so fingers crossed.
Jan F says
We are travelling Budapest to Amsterdam 16th Sept – Emerald Waterways, but not holding my breathe as I think the Budapest end is the issue. This trip has been rebooked twice as we were origianlly booked for Sept 2020. Fingers and toes crossed for rain
Jackie Jordan says
Thank you for this information! I am now (unfortunately) obsessed with cruisemapper! I have been watching weather forecasts along the Rhine as well as watching the water level forecast here. https://www.rhineforecast.com/
We cruise Mid September!!
Michelle says
Hello Jackie…check out cruisehive.com it is a great website with real time information. Best of Luck! We cruise October 5th and looking forward to a great vacation.
Debbie Williams says
We are currently on Scenic Pearl heading to Budapest. Left Amsterdam yesterday and about to arrive in Cologne. We have been told that they are hopeful of no ship swapping!! Also going through Rhine Gorge tomorrow and will be the first Scenic ship for weeks to get through. Will keep you posted.
Lorraine H says
Hi Debbie, thank you for your post. I’m following closely. This has been a good site to follow.
We are boarding on the Scenic Opal on September 5, Amsterdam to Budapest.
Hope the best for you! Happy travels!
Janet says
Thank you, Debbie. I will be following your feedback.
Joanne says
Thanks for your comments Debbie this is good news. We are on Avalon Waterways leaving Budapest to Amsterdam on September 2nd. Hopeful for a smooth cruise. All the updates and comments are appreciated.
Jan F says
Thanks Joanne, keep us posted as we leave Budapest to Amsterdam on September 16th
Joanne says
Will do Jan
Judi says
Thanks for this update. We are going Scenic Jewel from Amsterdam on 7th Sept. and keeping our fingers crossed for rain!
First time cruising with Scenic after trips with Viking and AMA.
Enjoy your trip!
Di says
Hi Judi, we are travelling the same day from Amsterdam with APT. 🤞as I have not seen any comments from APT travellers
Meg says
Hi Di, good luck with your cruise. We are travelling with APT in October and would love to hear how your trip goes in September.
Val says
Hi Di. We are cruising APT Amsterdam to Budapest on 21 st Sept – would be good to get an update from you when you embark on your cruise. Enjoy !
stephen walsh says
thanks keep us informed about traveling to Bucharest. 24 days Scenic depart 21 Amsterdam, can some mainly light rain with the odd heavy showers forecast till the end of this month and start of August
Thanks steve carol
David C says
We have a party of six scheduled for a Christmas Markets departure on Uniworld (Passau to Bedapest) on December 1, 2022. We will be on the River Princess.
We would like to have any information on Uniworld cancellations or diversions by bus on that itinerary and river up until our departure date.
Thank you so much for your help.
David
Susan Dowtin says
We are departing from Vienna on the same date heading to Nuremberg. We have made plans for a few days in Vienna prior for departure on the Beatrice that might also need to be cancelled, not to mention the night mare of dealing with fights. Might we be exchanging ships?? After 2 plus years of waiting through Covid this is exasperating to say the least. Guess we will not know anything until right before sailing. Please pass along any updates received.
Dave says
Hi,
Best check to see if Christmas Markets will be running. The governments may curtail these due to energy crisis iin Germany due to lack of natural gas.
Bud says
No ship swap! We’re on the Rhine Getaway with Viking A-B that left on Aug 20th. We were fully expecting a swap, and were okay with it. We will get off a bit before Cologne to get bussed in and meet the ship there later so they can navigate it. Been a wonderful cruise so far!
Cathy says
What great news! Thank you!
Leigh Downs says
Awesome! We are scheduled A-B on Viking on August 31st, so this is great news. Keep us informed of the rest of your trip.
Lad
Brian says
Viking. Basel to Amsterdam. Left 8/19/22. Cruise has gone well so far. River has been high enough to keep cruising. Went from Rudesheim to Koblenz today with no problem. Should be able to complete cruise without ship swap or bussing. Very nice cruise.
Angela Pachucki says
Brian, Thank you for the update. Do you hear any talk about how long the water level will likely be sustained in that area? In other words, has it risen significantly to last a few weeks, or could it fall just as quickly next week?
Connie says
I would appreciate knowing about the water level sustainability, also. We are scheduled for the Viking Grand European Cruise on Sept. 26th Amsterdam to Budapest. Are things improving along the rivers or do we need to consider canceling?
Brian says
Viking. Basel to Amsterdam. Left 8/19. Finished cruise in Amsterdam today (Friday). All went well for us with no bussing nor swaps. We were very pleased. You ask about water levels from now. In short, I do not know. I have not heard any discussions about that. I wonder about the same issue as we have friends who are planning a cruise this fall on the Rhine. I wish I could give some valuable insight but I just don’t have the information. I suspect no one knows because it is weather dependent.
Gary W says
Great news Brian
Jon the Traveler says
That’s Great….Enjoy
Mary says
Great to hear! We’re on Viking A-B departing on 8/26. I also see there is rain forecast for Friday and Saturday. Hopefully things will go well
Brenda says
Pls keep us posted Mary and hope you have a wonderful time!
Leigh says
Mary,
Let us know how your trip goes. We are embarking on the same trip on August 31. Hoping for some rain.
Jan Both says
Thanks for the update Brian! We are going on an Avalon Cruise starting on Friday from Basel to Amsterdam. Kept hearing the water levels were very low and might need to do a swap, but your update makes me feel better.
Dan S says
I assume you’re leaving home on Friday to catch the Vista leaving Basel on Sat. Aug. 27. For that sailing, Avalon says:
“Due to low-level water conditions in certain parts of the river, we are making adjustments in order to operate without interruption. Your originally-assigned Avalon Suite Ship, is being replaced by its sister ship the Avalon Panorama.”
They have made this statement for all of the Rhine trips for the last 3 or 4 weeks. That implies to me at least one ship-swap.
Dan S says
A correction: I interpreted Avalon’s statement as a probable ship swap, but I was wrong. I’ve been following their ships on CruiseMapper, and the Vista and Panorama seem to be completing their cruises without a swap.
The Avalon statement only indicates that – because of swapping that occurred in mid-summer – the two sister ships have ended up on each other’s itineraries. So, for example, the “romantic Rhine” cruise leaving Amsterdam on Sep 17 will be on the Panorama, instead of the originally planned Vista.
Gene Lieb says
Thanks for the updates as we travel the same on Sept 1 Hope we have your success
Linda says
We are scheduled A-B Sept 20 so we have time but will be interested to see how your trip goes…
Brian says
Thanks, we are scheduled to leave on Sept. 6 and need to make decision to go/no go by tomorrow. to get full credit back. Please continue to update, it is a big help. Not please with the quality of information coming from Viking.
Donna says
Brian, we’re on a Sept. 6th Rhine cruise as well. Viking Gymir is our ship; Basel to Amsterdam. Like you, we’ve been following the Rhine water levels and comments about possible ship swaps and bussing. We received notification that the cruise is set to sail as scheduled, but we are preparing ourselves in the event the itinerary changes. Best to be prepared. Anyone else going on this cruise?
Rhona says
Good news !
We joined the ship today 22 Aug at Cologne (the Emily Bronte with Riviera) and have just had talk from the staff re activities to come. All seems normal,no mention of low water levels at all. We will go to Koblenz and then on to Boppard tomorrow as planned.
Full complement of passengers is 167 but there are only 79 of us, just two having cancelled.
Seems to be a lot of cargo boats moving freely so fingers crossed for no alterations to the planned itinerary.
Mary Ellen says
This is excellent news! I have been following these posts daily, trying to decide what to do about our Sept 7 departure Basel to Amsterdam on Viking. Tomorrow (August 23) is the last day that we would be able to cancel under the risk-free guarantee to receive a voucher for monies paid. I was shocked to learn that the same trip in 2023 is $2100 more per person! Also, that trip insurance will not cover a trip rebooked with a voucher. So we are going forward with our fingers crossed — and feeling hopeful based on the recent reports from current Rhine River cruisers.
ron says
We did Amsterdam to Basel 8/10-17 and it was wonderful. However, we did have to swap ships. The mid Rhine was too shallow to traverse with the viking boat, so they put us on a river day boat for about 20 miles with free food and drink. This was a castle cruise. We put our luggage out before we left viking, and they transported it to the new viking in the same room. Everything Viking did during during our week was first class to ensure we had a great time. Do not cancel your trip, viking will make it happen.
Connie says
Thanks, Ron, this is wonderful news. We were considering canceling our 9-26 cruise but the long range forecast looks good for more rain. Your post helped make our decision to carry on. I just wish Viking had a site like this with updates to help keep everyone better informed.
Nora says
So happy to hear that conditions have improved and holidays are back on track! I love this site for keeping cruisers informed!
Rhonda Polakoff says
Yes, me too. The comments have all been very helpful. Huge thanks!
Caroline says
I’ve received an email from Emerald this morning to inform me that the Mosel/Rhine cruise I am sailing on from Sun 28 Aug will be going ahead as planned!
Kay V says
That’s great news! I’m also traveling on Emerald departing 9/10 from Budapest.
Please post updates on how your cruise goes! Thanks!
Caroline says
Just had the itinerary for Mosel/Rhine cruise altered. Still going to same locations just in a different order! Water levels seem to be dropping slightly so I wonder if this is why the itinerary has changed!
Brenda says
Is this on Viking? Did u have the Paris extension. Hope it goes well!
Brian says
Viking. Basel to Amsterdam. Left 8/19. We are just entering Cologne to begin the last two days of our cruise. There have been no low water level issues for us. Things have gone smoothly and Viking has done a good job. I think we were very lucky to have begun our cruise just after the heavy rains in Switzerland (just before we embarked). I am glad we did not cancel.
Joy Blum says
Thank you so much for the updates. Really appreciate you taking the time to keep others informed. Boarding Viking in Basel on Sept 6 and looking forward to the trip.
Gary W says
We’re on the same trip, Sept 06th from Basel. Brian posting has certainly made us feel loads happier than we were.
Keith A says
Thanks Brian,
We depart Basel 8/30 for Amsterdam and appreciate you keeping us all updated on your cruise. Glad we didn’t cancel too.
Val G says
Excellent news.
We are travelling with APT on 21 st Sept Amsterdam to Budapest do have been monitoring both the Rhine and Danube. Is there anyone else out there going to be doing this trip?
Lori says
W are going from Amsterdam to Budapest beginning on September 26-October 10. We are watching with concern and waiting to see the how the rivers’ water levels are doing.
Meg says
Thanks Val. Would love to hear ANY news on any APT trips from A to B or B to A as to how they are progressing. We are travelling with APT from Budapest to Amsterdam in October and have our fingers crossed.
Gena says
Thank you Brian – So appreciate your information. My husband and I, along with 2 other couples are doing the same Viking Cruise on the Rhine –
Leaving Basel, Sept. 1st and getting to Amsterdam on Sept 8th. We’ve been really concerned about the water levels and possible bussing and ship swaps – not what we had planned! Really would like to hear any further updates on your cruise and how it’s going.
Hopefully you have experienced
Some rain along the way to help the river levels along!
Thank you!
Mike Fitzgerald says
I can’t speak to Viking but our trip on Uniworld from Basel to Amsterdam beginning 8-28 has been a mess. Poor communication pretrip and what information we have received has been inaccurate. We left US 8-25. Before departing, we checked for the umpteenth time—are there going to be changes? Told unequivocally no. Arrive Europe 12 hours later to email saying we won’t start in Basel. They will bus to Strasbourg and put us in a hotel. Meet ship Monday morning in Strasbourg. Get to Strasbourg on Sunday and they tell us boat can’t make it to Strasbourg so on Monday afternoon we have to be bussed to somewhere further upstream. It’s Monday morning now so we really have no idea what’s going to happen. On the ground, it’s been complete amateur hour. They were totally unprepared and disorganized—no information, mediocre hotel, rooms not ready, take luggage and then can’t get it back for hours, said they would provide meal allowance but no plan on how to do it etc. They actually have people walking like 6-8 blocks on a hot summer day to meet the bus instead of picking up and dropping off at hotel. The whole trip (and pre trip) has been misinformation and bumbling—and we are only on Day 2. It has been nothing more than a money grab. We will make the best of it but for the prices we paid, we expected a whole lot better. I would never do this with Uniworld again.
Michelle says
Mike,
So sorry to hear, please keep us update and wishing you the best moving forward.
Larry J says
So sorry to hear that. We are booked on the return trip on 9/4. Hope we have better luck. Hope things get better for you.
Karen says
Any updates on the Viking Rhine cruise from Amsterdam to Basel or Basel to Amsterdam? We’re booked on the B-A cruise on September 14th, and need to make a decision on whether to reschedule. Any info on this trip or current conditions on the Rhine would be appreciated.Thank you.
Nella says
Excellent news! We are cruising with Avalon from Basel to Amsterdam on 3 Sept after travelling from Australia. Have been most concerned about water levels and very disappointed that Avalon have not contacted us or our travel agent at all about what is happening in Europe – we have relied on these blogs for weeks and are most grateful for all the comments and advise. Really looking forward to our trip!
Linda says
Any update on your Rhine Getaway? We don’t leave until Sept 21 but worried and wondering how to make a decision…Sure don’t want to be on a bus.
Thanks for any information you can provide
Betty says
Has anybody experienced any busing or ship swapping on the Passau to Bucharest portion of the river?
ken says
Just got home from the Danube cruise on Viking. No ship swap but had to board the ship at Passat and was bussed to regensburg for the tour. Ship could not make it to Budapest. Had to stop 90 miles away at Komrom. Bussed 90 minutes to Budapest for touring. Not optimal but at least no ship swap on our excursion. Did not feel like we did much River cruising.
Mark says
Ken I seen a person named Susan saying the opposite? I wonder what is going on either the ship could get to Budapest or it could not?
Caroline says
Could be different cruise lines with ships with different depths of draft
Susan says
I believe Ken was a day or two ahead of my trip. I can confirm we made it from Passau to Budapest the whole way on the river. We were one of the first ships in – on August 22nd – after two days of rain. There are many ships here in Budapest today – August 23rd – from various cruise lines. We were are on Viking. Happy sailing!
Betty says
I can see why you would be disappointed in the amount of River cruising. That’s a really big deal with us also. Still glad to hear that you were not subjected to the ship swapping. We are on the Viking Amsterdam to Bucharest on Sept 27th and would hate to spend it all on a bus. Thank you for your input, not sure what we will do yet.
Susie says
We are leaving on September 4, supposed to board in Regensburg for our cruise ending in Budapest on the 11th. Would like any updates on water levels on the Danube and having to change boats, etc.
Susan P says
Hello I am currently on the Viking Var heading to Budapest. We met our ship in Regensburg as scheduled but due to expected changing conditions we left immediately stopped in Passau and then retuned by bus to Regensburg the next day for the tour. It was a 1.5 hour ride in the autobahn but ok. Our ship left Passau and headed for an unexpected stop in Engelhartzell while we were in Regensburg on tour. We took a bus from Regensburg to Engehartzell it was a beautiful drive though the Black Forest and the scenery was spectacular. This ride was 2.5 hours by bus. Now the ship will return to Passau during the night and we will tour Passau tomorrow as planned. We are having frequent rains we were told the remainder of the trip should be as planned ending in Budapest. The river actually looks good and there are lots of ships on it. We are always rafted to other ships in port. It has been a great trip so far. I will let you know if we get to Budapest!
Susie says
Thank you for the update on Regensburg to Budapest cruise.
Susan says
Happy to report left from Passau on August 17 and are now floating down the river approaching Budapest on August 22. We have been on a Viking cruise with no issues at all due to water levels. No bussing needed, we have spent every night on the shop and all stops along the way have occurred as planned. River level was high enough to sail the whole way – but note it rained yesterday and today. We are happy we did not cancel. Boat is very close to full with 180+ passengers.
Sonia says
That’s great to hear. I would appreciate hearing updates from future travelers on this route. My mother and I are schedulted to take the September 28 cruise starting in Budapest. She is 86 so I’m considering cancelling if the trip means ship swaps, traveling by bus and not being able to unpack for the week.
Sue says
Sonia, Which cruise line are you with, leaving Budapest on Sept.28?
Any chance it is Monarch Empress with Gate 1?
Sonia says
No, it’s Viking.
Kay V says
That’s fantastic news!! Thank you for updating. We are going 9/10 on Emerald leaving Budapest and this is easing my fears. I just keep hoping for more rain!!
I hope other cruisers share their updates as well.
Cindy says
Great news! We are sailing on Viking Sept 25 from Passau to Budapest. Glad you have had a nice trip!
Susan P says
Thank you for the update Susan! This gives me hope. We leave August 25 on the Viking Var from Regensburg heading toward Budapest with stops in Passau and Vienna. We are just going to take it as it comes and enjoy the adventure! We will report our progress here!
Sid says
Thanks Susan,
Can you provide another update regarding Budapest?
Cordon Cruiser says
I am considering a river cruise on the Rhone June 2023. How can I get information about predicting water level issues for that time period. I am having a hard time finding historical water levels for the Rhone river.
Geoff P says
This website appears to have some good current and historic information on water levels that might help you …
https://www.rhineforecast.com/kaub/
Gary says
Does anyone know if the Southern Rhine, Mein River and Mein Canal are navigable for river cruises?
Eleanor says
Does anyone have any information on water levels on The Douro. Not getting any information from our cruise company
Lisa Hofmann says
I doubt the low river levels rebound in a year.
Geoff P says
Oops, sorry Cordon, I misread your Rhône for Rhine, so the website on the Rhine won’t help you, but may be useful for others …
Carol Pollard says
Thanks for trying 😀
Dee H says
Curious if anyone has experience on AmaWaterways on the Danube, or info on Danube water levels.
DSA says
I have been following this site daily, you can click on the respective city which will load another page with the depth info. So far, Danube in Budapest seems to be critically low. We are not scheduled until the end of Oct on Viking Budapest to Regensburg, still nervous, but just “wait and see”.
https://www.danube-cycle-path.com/danube-flooding.html
Cheers, DSA
Dee H says
Thanks. Please post any updates.
Cheryl says
We are going on the Danube 1st September with Scenic and I can’t find any upto date info.
Kay V says
We are scheduled to go on Emerald departing Budapest on 9/10.
Please share an update of how your departure goes!! I hope some of the recent rain helped!
Doug A. says
I have been following this site for Danube water levels….. Seems Budapest is the critical area. We are not going until late Oct on Viking Budapest to Regensberg, so keeping fingers crossed.
https://www.danube-cycle-path.com/danube-flooding.html
Cheers, Doug
Doug A. says
Sorry for the duplicate post…!!
Leo says
Our travel agent spoke with Ama on 8/17. Our itinerary is Budapest to Vilshofen on Ama in mid-November 2022. I wanted a report as we needed to make our 90-day out payment last Friday (at this point, we are proceeding) . As of five days ago, Ama reports there have been no ship swapping on our section of the Danube. Since then, and I have been monitoring weather reports in the region, the river level has improved.
Gwynne says
We are schedule Oct 15 on Uniworld on the Rhone from Lyon to Avignon…can’t find any info on the water levels…has anyone cruised the Rhone recently?
Michael says
From the “Cruise Critic”:
https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/7073/
Gary says
Excellent article, thanks Michael. Once again, Viking do not come out of it well. Their communication seems so poor.
Jim M. says
I have been reading comments here for the past week – it has helped me so I will add my cruise to this discussion. We have decided to go ahead with our Viking Cruise, embarking Sept 3 in Basel on Alruna, arriving Sept 10 in Amsterdam (we are spending one night before in Basel, and two extra nights in Amsterdam at the end). My wife and I have been on five Viking river cruises, including Viking’s Rhine River cruise twice before (2015 and 2018) – so we know the various stops and most of the off-boat excursions on the Rhine. We are taking our adult daughter and a friend of hers (both age late 40s) on the cruise, and it’s their first trip ever to Europe. We have been planning this since March 2021. My daughter and her friend are very excited to be going to Europe – and they now understand what we may encounter in terms of river cruising vs. bussing – we have decided we will all make the best of the situation. Unfortunately, it sounds like we may miss most or all of the very scenic area with the castles in the Middle Rhine (although some earlier notes indicate maybe a “smaller boat” being used for part of this scenic castle area). I have experienced a full day of bussing before – in 2016 on the Danube River, when we missed almost all of Vienna due to a “bad lock” in the River – spent 5-6 hours on a bus that day. One earlier blog on this site suggested that Viking is doing only one day of bussing on the Rhine between Cologne and Strasbourg – that would be the least disruptive. My biggest problem the past few weeks has been getting Viking Air to finalize our air travel itinerary – lots of changes and we still have issues with finalizing our seat assignments on our return international flight. I will try to provide some updates as we go.
Liz says
Let up know how it goes we’re booked for the 28 th
Kathy M. says
And we are booked for Sept. 26th – Oct. 11th on Viking Grand European Tour. Would love to know how it goes for you. Also having issues with finalizing seat assignments on Air Canada flight through Viking Air. Thanks.
Connie says
We too, party of 6, are doing the Grand European Tour Sept 26 to Oct. 10. We would welcome any updates and itinerary changes that you encounter. I’m still working on seat assignments.
Pat says
We are flying out of Budapest on Brussels air. We had to call the airline directly to do our seat arrangements ( which surprisingly we had to pay for the seats).
Jean says
We are doing the same trip for Oct 19 – Nov 5th. I look forward to any information you may supply particularly about waterlevels and changes to itineary.
I, too, have been having issues with finalizing seat assignments on Aer Lingus flights through Viking Air.
Brenda says
Please keep us posted we sail Rhine with Viking on Sept 12 hope it goes well!
Angela Pachucki says
I’ll be very interested in your updates as we board the Alruna in Amsterdam on September 10. I know levels change on a day to day basis, bit I’m encouraged by Brian’s account of his trip—Alruna Basil-Amsterdam, this week.
Ellen says
We are currently cruising on the Viking Alruna from Amsterdam to Basel, approaching Cologne. Our disruptions are extremely minimal, only some specific times being altered a bit. NO ship swap! We know we are fortunate, and are very grateful for the bit of rain recently received. I worried much before our departure, all for naught. Our weather has been exceptional, including three gorgeous days on Amsterdam pre-cruise. Hoping everyone can enjoy their planned vacation as well!
Gary W says
Really good news so far. 🤞it stays that way Ellen 👍
cindy says
We are due to cruise Sept 4 from Amsterdam please keep us updated!
Thank you
Jon the Traveler says
Congratulations Ellen, Have a wonderful time….. enjoy every minute. 🏞
bill herbert says
we are also a party of 6 on the Grand European with Viking – Amsterdam to Budapest – leaving Sept 13-30 (few days in Prague at end) interested to hear from others that might be ahead of us and will be happy to post our experience once we start our cruise – am expecting that we will still go forward with it unless we get word of extended bus transportations etc
thanks
Michelle says
Hello Bill…Our family is scheduled to leave October 5th-Budapest to Amsterdam. We would love to hear about your experience. Thank you, Michelle
Michelle says
Bill,
Check out Cruisemapper.com it shows all of the boats in route and real time photos of the water levels. It doesn’t appear to be as bad as the photos I have seen on the news. Best of Luck!
Connie says
We are also a party of six doing the same cruise departing Amsterdam on September 26th. I will be following any updates you post on your progress along the rivers. Praying for more rain! Happy cruising!
Amanda Collins says
Hi All, I just had a phone call from UNIWORLD to say our Amsterdam-Basel Rhine cruise starting this Sunday (21st Aug) has been cancelled. They have offered price protection on rebooking a ‘same duration’ trip either this year or next year, or have offered a full refund. They will also cover flights up to £450 each o change. They said although there is rain coming in this week and possibly at the weekend, they didn’t think it would be anywhere near enough to stop significant changes to our schedule so have thought it best to cancel the whole trip – which in my opinion is the right decision. Just thought I’d update for anyone considering whether or not to cancel their trips at this time…All the best, Amanda x
Tami says
Thanks for the update Amanda, just waiting for the call so we can move to plan B!
Rhona says
We are going with Riviera from Cologne to Budapest, 15 days, setting off on Monday 22 Aug. Heart of Europe cruise. Very anxious about water levels on Rhine and Danube.
Rang Riviera this morning and got through immediately to Tracy who said at present there are no alterations to our cruise on Emily Bronte .She said that one of their cruises had set off this am.
Told us that Riviera would contact us if any alterations were going to be made.
We asked that she record our feelings that a hotel and bus trips holiday was not acceptable to us. She has recorded our comments on our account and said that she quite understood as we had booked a river cruise not a hotel holiday .
Time will tell.
Tami says
Good luck!
Ann says
from what I have heard, the Rhine is impassable from Cologne all the way to Strasbourg. You’ll miss the whole Gorge, most scenic part, with castles, and likely have a few days of excursions cancelled and long bus rides instead (one passenger reported 6 hrs bus one day, 4 hrs the next)
Brian says
We are going ahead with our Viking cruise from Basel beginning yesterday 8/19 and heading for Amsterdam. So far (less than one day into the cruise) all is going well. We were told that due to recent rains we might be able to go all the way to Amsterdam without a ship swap or any bussing. So far, so good. I have my fingers crossed. Maybe this will all work out for the best. We have been experiencing a lot of rain.
Donna says
Please keep posting Brian. We are supposed to be doing the same cruise with Viking Sept 30. Very nervous
Joy Blum says
Brian, please keep us posted on your Viking cruise Basel to Amsterdam. We are booked for the september 6 sailing. Thanks so much
Brian says
Another good day on the Rhine (going from Basel to Amsterdam). Viking reported last evening that it now appears that we will be able to cruise through to Amsterdam without a ship swap. Apparently the recent rains have raised the water level sufficiently. This is good news or us travelers who did not look forward to changing ships or being bussed. In Strasburg today.
Debra Derry says
Interested to see what happens. I am going with Titan Budapest to Cologne but not until the 20th. 15 days. We could be ok if it rains enough. Interesting reading all the comments.
Angela Pachucki says
Brian,
Thanks for your report! Glad to hear things are looking good for your cruise. I hope you will keep the updates coming. We will be cruising Amsterdam to Basel in 3 weeks. Enjoy!
David Swanson says
Brian,
We do your same itinerary on the 25th. Things sound better. Yeah! Keep us posted, I like the great news!
Harold says
Brian, hope you hit the sweet spot as far as recent rains and make it all the way on the Rhine. If you have time, please let us know how it goes.
Marsha says
Thank you, Brian. Looking forward to further reports on how your river travel is progressing.
Steven Crum says
Please let us know what you encounter
Ben L says
I know you just set off yesterday. Please update as you are able. Enjoy!
Rhonda Polakoff says
Thank you for the update.
Sandra Sinclair says
Many thanks we are with Avalon on the Rhine on the 28th august they are only dealing with cruises up to the 21 st so we have to wait
Laura Butrick says
Good to know about what date they are dealing with. We are sept 4th. We will try to make the best of it, but frustrating after dealing with Covid delays.
Ann says
I would advise you to call the Globus number (866)755-8581. we got better results/response than with the Avalon number. Agent was very kind and helpful, after a 45 minute hold.
Connie says
Are you starting in Budapest and going to Amsterdam?
Janet says
Sandra,
Our cruise with Avalon is scheduled later in September for Amsterdam to Luxembourg. Any feedback you can offer regarding your experience will be invaluable! Thank you!
Janet
Karen Migliori says
Janet, we are on Avalon Amsterdam to Luxembourg Sept. 17, I have been reluctant to call first because of the long phone wait I encountered last week when I discovered the first leg of my return flight was missing, and second because I know conditions can change daily. Keeping fingers crossed there will be rain between now and then.
Ann says
We were on Avalon Basel to Amsterdam on Aug. 23 and they notified us today, giving us the following options:
1. Travel on revised itinerary with a ship swap.
2. Rebook now on the same itinerary or alternate cruise Avalon 2022 or 2023 and receive $200. We would need to know by August 31.
3. Receive a letter of credit good through 12/31/23 with a bonus $200 credit. We would need to know by August 31.
4. Full refund
We went for the full refund, and were grateful to have this option since we had not purchased the trip protection insurance (foolish not to, but…). Luckily the timing of this notification was just in time to cancel our flights (booked on our own) and other lodgings on either end, with full refunds. I don’t think the Rhine cruise is worth doing if the river is impassable all the way from Strasbourg to Colgne, as I am currently hearing. More than 1 days of bussing, and yyou would miss the most scenic stretch of the river ; the Gorge, with 40 castles. Avalon is a good company! I will book with them again in future.
Sandra Sinclair says
Many thanks for this we sailed with them on the Danube in May and it was amazing
We hope to hear on Monday as we are due to sail on the 28th
This update of yours at least shows us what is happening
Sandra
Karen says
Ann, thank you for this information. This is the 3rd reschedule for our original 2020 Avalon Amsterdam to Luxembourg cruise. Only credit with some monetary bonus has been offered previously. If we’re cancelled again I’ll go with the refund, too.
Diane Brooks says
I think you took the better option. Our Viking cruise in July 2018 was a ship swap, we spent 3 full days on buses, missed out on all the ship meals during the day as they took us to restaurants and the meals were largely chicken, potato and cabbage and we also missed out on our drink packages as well. Missed 2 stops completely and the Rhine scenic cruising. Viking did not offer a refund either!
Anna says
How refreshing for an honest operator who puts their customers first after all the obfuscation of many other companies!
Amanda Collins says
Exactly! We have booked before with Uniworld and found them to be faultless – you do pay a bit more to cruise with them but they have such good customer service and it’s really a company with a solid reputation that I trust 100%!
Mike Fitzgerald says
I am sorry, but I have exact opposite experience. I have asked Uniworld repeatedly about alternative plans for Aug 28 Basel to Amsterdam trip and been told unequivocally there are none and all Rhine trips are going as planned. The latest was November 17–same date as post above canceling their August 21 trip
Mike Fitzgerald says
Correction that should read August 17, not November 17
Janet says
We’re on this cruise too Mike. Expecting to know by early next week whether it will proceed. There has definitely been some rain but perhaps optimistic to think it will make a difference. This is a response from Uniworld to our travel manager yesterday (Thurs 18th). Hope to see you there…
“At this stage it is to early to call. Rain is forecast over the next few days which may make all the difference.
Once a decision has been made as they are not made lightly we will let you know asap.
At this time the sailing is still going ahead as scheduled in the unforeseen change it gets cancelled we should know by early next week and we will offer alternate sailings where possible.”
Mike Fitzgerald says
Just a brief addendum to this post. Despite repeated attempts to get clear information on plans, timelines and alternative for Aug 28 sailing from Basel, we have heard nothing definitive from Uniworld. The lack of communication is disappointing (and embarrassing). For a line that advertises they are the “best”, I expect a lot more than generalized “we will do what is in best interest of passengers”. They instead have opted for what is in THEIR best interest. We did not pay for bussing, hotels or ship swaps. This has long passed the time of an unexpected circumstance and is now a situation where clear communication is required–I should not have to get information from scanning sites like this one. Regardless of whether this goes off without a hitch, I will never be involved with this company again.
Diane Brooks says
Viking unfortunately we’re not great with honest information and updates, daily briefing with largely “it should be ok tomorrow “ which was not quite true. 3 full days of bussing, awful restaurant meals and no drinks package. Also missed the most scenic parts and spent more time on buses than the boat. Not so sure about the faulty locks!
Brenda says
So sorry to hear! Are you cruising now! When was your trip? We r scheduled in Sept on Viking and hoping after postponing 2 yrs that it will be OK
Bruce says
I predict the situation over time will get worse instead of better. When we booked our Rhine cruise a few years ago, this was the fear I had, that it would turn into a very expensive bus trip.
Too bad you’re having to eat “awful restaurant meals” when you could be onboard eating tepid, mediocre ship meals.
We are independent travelers and were invited to join friends on the cruise. We had not cruised before and after being bombarded with VRC ads on PBS, we were curious. I guess I’m naive and expected something that vaguely resembled what is presented in their ads, but we quickly found out cruising isn’t for us. Our disappointment was compounded by the fact that six months earlier we took an independent trip to Tuscany. Our Tuscany trip was the same length as the VRC, but we had much better food, better tours for the few times we decided to use Walks of Italy and much more spacious accommodations in a delightful farmhouse. To add insult to injury, our VRC cost 3 times as much as the Tuscany trip.
Steve says
My wife and I were booked on the same Uniworld cruise. Because we had airfare booked and planned for another post cruise week in Switzerland and Italy, we scrambled for an alternative and am now booked on similar cruise with AMA leaving Amsterdam on 8/22. Fingers crossed that AMA’s more shallow hulls plus current rains allow this cruise to go as planned
Betty says
Thank you so much for the update. All information is much appreciated.
Gerri says
We are scheduled to go on Viking from Aug 20-27 from Basel to Amsterdam. Only change so far is a different sister ship. Hope that’s all since your cruise was cancelled😞😞😞sorry
Gary says
If possible Gerri could you keep us posted on any changes/bus rides. We are doing the same tour Sep 06th. I realise things can change quickly, but be interesting to see how things being are handled. Thank you
Keith A says
Gerri,
We are on the same cruise Aug 30 to Sep 6. Any info you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Jen says
I am interested in how you get on. Doing Basel to Cologne Aug 31st with Riviera. They say no disruptions!
Mary Ellen says
Gerri, if you can please update us on how things are being handled for your Viking Aug 20-27 trip Basel to Amsterdam. We are booked on the same itinerary starting Sept 7 but are expecting to cancel by Aug 23 under the risk free policy. Thank you!
Dawn Bruestle says
Gerri, we are scheduled to sail with Viking on Sept 3rd, Amsterdam to Basel (and on to Oberammergau by coach.) Keep us updated on your cruise and how things go. Praying that our trip doesn’t get cancelled (we were supposed to do this cruise in Sept of 2020, but COVID got in the way. ) Oberammergau’s Passion Play is only presented every 10 years, so when they rescheduled for 2022, we rebooked our Viking cruise. We will “go with the flow” (no pun there) if Viking chooses to alter the itinerary, but will be crushed if the cruise is cancelled. As much as we know that blue skies and sunshine are ideal for cruising, we are praying for rain in the next 10 days…
Angela Pachucki says
Dawn,
I will be interested in hearing about your trip, as we are doing the same a week later. I’m especially interested in knowing if you get good seats for the Passion Play. Enjoy! I’ve been waiting 51 years to see it!
David Swanson says
Hi Gerri,
We are on the same cruise Aug 25-Sept 1. I saw one comment and an article that with the rains the low points were improving enough for the cruises to go full steam ahead with no bussing or ship swaps. What are you experiencing now on your cruise? Thank you for any new feedback.
David S
Sandee says
Yes, please keep us updated. We are on a Viking Amsterdam to Basel cruise from August 26 to September 2. We’ll be in Amsterdam 2 days before and Lucerne 2 days after. We are curious how much disruption/ship swap/bussing will occur. Thanks for your continued comments…
Ellen says
We are cruising from Amsterdam to Basel on the Viking Alruna, and other than a different ship than expected, no difficulties at all. Approaching Cologne now, and we will let off a bit before the city to get bussed to our tours, but will be able to reboard the ship by the Cathedral. Departing Cologne slightly early as well, but all tours operating as planned. We are thankful for no ship swap!
Cathy says
Thanks for sharing this hopeful news!
Jon the Traveler says
Congratulations Ellen. Enjoy every minute of your crews have fun.
Bill says
We are on Viking from Basel to Amsterdam leaving Sept 3. Based on everyone’s reviews and thank you all!, we just canceled. Viking customer service is not very forthcoming and just give u general information which is useless.
What happened to us pictures that we had down the basement later and the condo don’t spill please get a haircut yes very cool sharing
Larry J says
We are booked on Uniworld from Amsterdam to Basel leaving 9/4. We have heard nothing concerning any cancellations. Anyone have any information on Uniworld itineraries between now and 9/4?
cindy says
We are on that same cruise and have heard nothing!
Larry J says
Read on the Uniworld website that the 8/28 Basel to Amsterdam is operating, just not leaving from Basel. Should be a good sign that ours goes as scheduled.
Cindy says
Fingers crossed our cruise will go as planned. Basel is due to get rain this week.
Hong Cheng says
We just came back from the river cruise Budapest to Amsterdam on August 1-15, 2022, which was really a disaster. One third of the trip had to be on bus due to the water level, with poor quality food. The worst thing was Omicron virus spread on bus much easier than on ship. Directly related to your question, we had to take bus for transfer to a different ship from Passau to Nuremberg due to the closure of Main-Danube Canal and took bus all the way from Wertheim to Amsterdam due to the low water level of Rhine. I enjoyed the time on the ship, but feel huge loss on the bus while so many people got sick on bus. Really an unpleasant experience!
Susan says
Was it a Viking Cruise?
Barb says
How did Viking handle the folks with Covid? Were they isolated in their staterooms or isolated in hotels?
Fred says
My wife and I were on the Berlin to Prague in April. She tested positive the 3rd day on the river. We were quarantined 1 night on the boat. They did upgrade our cabin for that night. Then we were taken to Berlin to a 5 star hotel where we spent the next 5 days in quarantine before testing negative and getting to fly home. Viking took care of all arrangements and provided a Viking host in Berlin that brought us anything we needed. We were charged for the hotel stay but reimbursed by travel insurance. Viking gave us vouchers for 50% of our trip. We are scheduled for Oct 7 for Amsterdam to Basel. We will wait until the last minute to cancel. We were very happy with how Viking took care of us.
Jon the Traveler says
That’s great ….Viking is a great cruise line.
Lynn says
Did you do your own covid test or was it required by Viking? Because my understanding from them and the terms and conditions is that they are currently not testing passengers for covid. Hope you are feeling better and that all is well!
Fred says
Viking was doing daily testing at the time. I understand it has changed since April.
ted says
Which cruise line?
Frank Drinkhouse says
Danube River water level update August 15, 2022- “Hi Frank,
So far, we are doing well, despite the ‘apocalyptic’ reports on the news. The stretch of the Danube that you will cruise on has been OK. (Passau to Budapest; Oct 18-23)
We are lucky that many of our ships, the Douce France included, are relatively small compared to other lines. Even on the Rhine, our Amsterdam – Basel programs have been running as scheduled.
Still, let’s hope for rain, for everyone’s sake.
Best,
Mike
Michael DaCosta
General Manager, North America
Croisi River Cruises”
( Our boat has a draft or Keel depth of 1.6 m- shallower the many of the larger boats. Note that this company’s cruises are successfully operating on the Rhine river as well)
Tom says
@Frank. How do things look right now on the Danube below Budapest, i.e. from there to the Danube delta?
My boat has a (published) draft (Tiefgang) of 1.45m. Any problems with that?
Frank Drinkhouse says
Danube River water level update August 15, 2022- “Hi Frank,
So far, we are doing well, despite the ‘apocalyptic’ reports on the news. The stretch of the Danube that you will cruise on has been OK. (Passau to Budapest)
We are lucky that many of our ships, the Douce France included, are relatively small compared to other lines. Even on the Rhine, our Amsterdam – Basel programs have been running as scheduled.
Still, let’s hope for rain, for everyone’s sake.
Best,
Mike
Michael DaCosta
General Manager, North America
Croisi River Cruises”
(We have a whole ship charter departing Passau on October 18 into Budapest finishing the 25th. Our boat has a draft or Keel depth of 1.6 m- shallower the many of the larger boats. Note that this company’s cruises are successfully operating on the Rhine river as well)
Sue Tucker says
We’re due to go on Rhine, Main and Moselle with Saga on 5/9 and cannot get any info or anyone to speak to. Today they sent email saying they had attempted to return our call but we were close to our phones all day and had no missed calls. Yesterday I had hung on for nearly an hour. We want to cancel but cannot do so unless they admit there will be changes to the itinerary, and I feel that’s their strategy. No info and you can’t cancel.
Sandra Sinclair says
Many thanks we are with Avalon on the Rhine on the 28th august they are only dealing with cruises up to the 21 st so we have to wait
We are the same
Lynn Smith says
We are is a similar position with Saga. We are due on the Rhine and Moselle 23/9. I know it’s a long way off and much can happen weather wise before then but we are not happy. They have already “pulled” our VIP train from our local station to London to join Eurostar and put in place VIP shared chauffeured vehicle (effectively a mini bus!). Wouldn’t be so bad but we have 485 miles between home and London! If ship ends up as a floating hotel and we are bussed everywhere as a result, we have effectively paid for a very expensive coach tour!!! Definitely not what we signed up for of agreed to. Getting information from Saga is like getting blood from a stone.
Sue Tucker says
Yes, we feel their policy is no communication at all. We have tried everything! There is not even a note on the website acknowledging that people may be concerned and saying they are monitoring the situation. We were told last week that if there is one change we can cancel, so I think they are making sure they don’t admit to that even though they must know it will be the case in just 2 weeks time. In fact the river level forecast is even worse going ahead. We just want to cancel so we know what we’re doing.
Lynn Smith says
Sue, we are the same… I’d rather they cancel now so we can arrange an alternative holiday. I have tried emailing and also by message through Facebook. Despite the automated reply stating that they normally reply within 24 hours, I am now 72 hours and nothing. Now nothing will happen until Monday at the earliest. Your holiday is much sooner than ours so I hope you get resolution soon. It all sounds a bit head in the sand on their part.
Sue Tucker says
We also Facebook messaged and they gave us a phone number. I phoned and listened to music for an hour with no interruption then gave up. We messaged again and they said they would ring us. Then they messaged to say they had been unsuccessful even though we had phone nearby all day and no missed calls. Like you we want to cancel so we can make other arrangements. There’s no way it can be going ahead as planned, but they won’t even speak to you.
Rhonda Polakoff says
Good Afternoon. We are supposed to cruise 10/23-11/2/22 on the Rhine with Uniworld. I know this is two months out, but does anyone have enough familiarity with the Rhine to know if the river will ‘likely’ return to cruising levels by that time. I bought cancellation insurance and want to cancel if the cruise is not as advertised. Thank you for any comments or information.
Lori says
Following. We are booked Amsterdam Budapest Oct 12 to 26
Amanda Collins says
Hi Rhonda – my advice would be hold off and don’t cancel yet, as Uniworld will do the right thing and cancel the trip anyway if there’s still significant disruption. I was due to travel on this coming Sunday with them and although it was close to the bone as they only contacted me yesterday to say the trip was off, they were waiting to see if the current rain would be enough. As soon as they saw it wasn’t they called me first thing yesterday morning and offered either a full refund or to rebook on any other date of my choice with price protection. I have rebooked today for the same trip in June next year and would have had to pay double the price if they hadn’t have price protected it, so I’m quite pleased. So you won’t lose anything if you wait and see, I’m sure they’ll do the right thing if there’s any chance of disruption nearer your sailing date.
Peter K says
Any suggestions and or comments are appreciated –
We are booked on Viking City of Light tour Paris to Prague in late October, embarking in Trier and disembarking in Bamberg. Thank you
Donna says
We are on Ama, Amsterdam to Basel living 10 Sep. Haven’t seen any reports about Ama???
Frank Maloney says
Has anyone got news on Grand Circle cruises going from Amsterdam to Vienna 9/2. The ship we suppose to be on has been docked in Regensberg for at least a week.
Donna McCutcheon says
I am traveling on the same Grand Circle cruise. I called them this morning. They said that the cruise leaving today (Aug 19) will have to leave the ship at Regensburg and bus to meet their sister ship. They think the situation is improving. If they think our cruise will be impacted, they will get in touch with us, probably in the next couple of days, and we will be offered options, such as postponing.
Frank M says
Thanks for the info. Will be interested in knowing how it works out for you.
Frank M says
Sorry, I misread your post. We are going to be sailing together so you won’t be able to tell me how it is going (need more coffee).
Frank M says
Have you heard anything new? We were just informed we would be in a hotel at least thru the 4th and possibly the 5th with a ship swap on the 14th.
Ellen says
We cancelled our Aug. 30th Basil to Amsterdam Cruise on Thursday. I am actually surprised that we waited so long. We had been faithfully following the Rhine water levels (great apps available) for well over a month along with the news reports about the European heat wave and its effects. We had booked the cruise under Vikings Risk Free policy that permitted a cancellation with 14 days or more notice. Vikings Customer Relations agent was most cordial and efficient in cancelling our trip and issuing vouchers for the full amount paid. She throughly explained how the vouchers can be used. That information is also clearly listed on the Risk Free contract that we received when we booked. I am not sure if we will book another River Cruise in the spring when water levels are generally at their highest. We have taken two marvelous Viking ocean cruises and most likely go that route again.
James Dahl says
We canceled our Amsterdam to Basel Viking cruise yesterday as did two other couples traveling with us. All due to the many low water disruptions and inconveniences described here. We were scheduled to depart Sept. 12. I’m thinking the cruise companies will be able to rent shorter buses for those that elect to keep their reservations.
Sandra Sinclair says
We are due on the Rhine on the 28th august we don’t want a coach holiday
Mary Ellen Trusheim says
Thank you for all of this helpful information. We and another couple are scheduled on Viking Rhine River Getaway Basel to Amsterdam departing September 7. We are going to cancel under the 14 day no risk guarantee. It seems that too many of the recent trips have reverted to motor coach due to low water levels. A Viking rep with whom I spoke today indicated that they are having to do ship swaps and/or motor coach trips on recent sailings on the Rhine. Why pay for a river cruise and spend half or more of the time on the bus? That’s not what we signed up for—even if they do offer vouchers for future travel “for the inconvenience.”
Linda says
Ellen, thank you for this info about Viking. I’m sorry you had to cancel your cruise. Can you share what apps you were using for water levels? Hopefully you find another great cruise in the future!
Ellen says
Linda, I should have said “sites”, not apps in my post. An excellent one is bafg.de. (There is no period after the de) You need to click on English. Then go to Water Levels. The levels will be shown on a map with the latest levels on selected stations on German rivers. They reflect daily changes.
Long range weather forecasts are available on several sites.
Unfortunately, I deleted my sites after I canceled our trip. I kept this blog open out of curiosity. Good luck to everyone!
Linda says
Oh, thanks for the info! I will definitely check them out. Good luck to you.
Gerhard says
When you look at those sites and read the waterlevel measurements (Pegel) keep in mind that is not a measurement to the deepest point in the river at that location. The Pegel 0 point is a complicated location in the river bed. For example if you look at Emmerich the measure for August 18th reads -2cm. That looks like the water is lower than the bottom. At this measure the shipping lane still has about 190 centimeters of water. Hope that brightens you day a little. Now it depends on the draught of your boat if it can still navigate here and that can vary by the ships load factor.
Sheryl Biermann says
Thanks for this info! We are scheduled to leave for our Viking cruise on the Danube, Regensberg to Budapest 9/4 ! Has anyone recently returned or canceled that trip because of being on a bus to each destinations with your boat as a hotel??? Need info by today for our 14 day cancelation guarantee! Thanks
ken says
We just completed this tour with Viking. Got off the boat 8/20. If nothing has changed you will board the ship in Passau, and will disembark in Komrom. We were bussed to regensburg for the tour, 75 minutes each way. Had to be bussed to Budapest, 90 minutes each way. No ship swap but lots of bus time.
John Patrick says
We are on the same cruise late September with same 14 day guarantee. Reliable and timely information seldom forthcoming but hearing anecdotally about chronic problems between Passau and Regnesburg, and occasionally Budapest – i.e bussing passengers
Sherry says
Thanks so much Ellen! Can you please tell us which apps you used to track the water levels? Thanks!
Susan says
Sorry you cancelled your trip. We head out in the Douro in September. What is the app you refer to? Thanks!
Bryce says
Could you please let us know what apps you are refering to?
Randy Lilz says
We cancelled our 9/15 Basel-Amsterdam cruise yesterday. We had to cancel the same cruise last year due to Covid, so we decided to book an ocean cruise instead, 9/24 Trade Routes of the Middle Ages. It is much more expensive but we really want to finally have our adventure. After one Viking rep said we could not use our vouchers to rebook until they had been reissued (2 weeks), another rep was much more helpful and told us, after speaking with his manager, that we could pay for the new cruise and get reimbursed once our vouchers are released. So, that made us decide to jump on the last available cabin. This manager also said we would get our voucher back in 7 days. Looking forward to our first Viking ocean cruise!
Nora says
We cancelled our Viking Grand European cruise a few days ago and we had our vouchers with 2 days. We rebooked that same day for same cruise next July with only a $50 deposit. Vouchers were automatically applied by day 3 and we have $800 in credits to apply towards excursions etc. I’m very happy with the service we received from Viking.
Michael says
Thank you Nora. We are doing the same. Rebooking for next April.
Carol Pollard says
Ellen Thanks for your update! What apps did you use to track the Rhine water levels?
Gaius Gracchus says
Yes, we cancelled our Sept 17th Amsterdam to Basel with Viking.
Important to remember that trips that you reschedule with them using the voucher have no cancellation or refund options, so getting travel insurance is very important. The insurance companies do not see it as a new booking, unfortunately, so they will not offer CFAR (cancel for any reason) or preexisting conditions coverage.
Linda says
Wow, that is good to know. I always get CAFR for health reasons. Thank you for the info.
Patricia Adamson says
We just cancelled our Amsterdam to Basel cruise for Sept 2. Also had risk free. Rebooked for next June. We are two single ladies sharing one cabin. Instead of doing our individual refund vouchers according to amount we each paid, they took our combined paid amount and divided by 2! Now my friend had referral credits, so she paid less than me originally but then received more back on her refund voucher. Viking refuses to change or to use some of her credit voucher to pay for what I owe. This ridiculous way of refunding means she cannot use all of her referral voucher on this cruise and she has to pay me in cash what was my part of her refund. Such poor customer service from what I thought was a highly reputable company!
Chris says
Anyone have any experience on a tauck cruise on the rhone River from Lyon,? My mom and I are going at the end of October. She’s elderly and getting onto busses would be very difficult. Thanks
Cherry says
I too would like to know the status of Tauck ships and whether they have enough boats for ship swaps. We travel the Rhine in early October.
Kathy says
We just had our Tauck cruise on the Rhine switched over to the Moselle due to the low water levels. The crew did their best but some of the highlights from the Rhine cruise just could not be matched. Also the last point on the Moselle is Trier where they dock at an asphalt dump. Not at all appealing.
Fran says
Any news on Tauck Danube trip from Budapest to Prague 8/25. Saw levels today are at 55 centimeters! Does anyone know what level needs to be in order to declare Danube impassable?
Thanks
Jeffrey Wasserman says
We are taking a similar Tauck tour from Prague to Budapest in early October. We share the concern about water levels. For medical reasons, I am very concerned about significant time on a bus. Does anyone have recent experience with Tauck or this stretch of the Danube?
Betty says
Does anyone have any information on Main-Danube Canal and the Danube from Nuremberg to Bucharest?
Thanks!
Hong says
We just came back from the river cruise Budapest to Amsterdam on August 1-15, 2022, which was really a disaster. One third of the trip had to be on bus due to the water level, with poor quality food. The worst thing was Omicron virus spread on bus much easier than on ship. Directly related to your question, we had to take bus for transfer to a different ship from Passau to Nuremberg due to the closure of Main-Danube Canal and took bus all the way from Wertheim to Amsterdam due to the low water level of Rhine. I enjoyed the time on the ship, but feel huge loss on the bus while so many people got sick on bus. Really an unpleasant experience!
Barb says
How did Viking handle the folks that got Covid? Were they isolated on the boat, or taken to hotels to isolate?
Betty says
Hong, Thank you for taking the time to fill us in on current issues. I hadn’t even considered the Omicron/bus issue. I’m sure you are right, more exposure is not a good thing at this time.
Amanda Collins says
Hi, thank you all for these really helpful comments – does anybody currently know what Uniworld are doing regarding the low water levels, we are due to be on their Castles Along the Rhine trip starting 21st August, and have heard nothing yet from the company – after reading these comments we imagine long horrible bus rides, which is such a shame as we’ve been waiting 2 and a half years for this trip to be put back on. Is anyone/has anyone been on this trip recently with Uniworld? Thanks in advance!
Amanda Collins says
Sorry I meant we leave Amsterdam on 22nd (start of trip)
Cindy Baddeloo says
Have you decided to go or cancel? We leave on similar cruise on Uniworld on Sept 3rd.
Amanda Collins says
Hi Cindy – we decided to wait it out to see if we heard from Uniworld – today they have just telephoned us to say they themselves have decided to cancel our trip (leaving Amsterdam this Sunday). They said even though there is predicted rain coming in this week and possibly the weekend, they don’t envisage it will be anywhere near enough to ensure there are no significant disruptions to our schedule. The good thing with Uniworld is they do have customer satisfaction as their top priority so although it’s disappointing not to be able to have our vacation, my husband and I both agree that we would rather have it cancelled than do buses/hotels! They have emailed a few options to us: have a full refund, rebook on any other trip this year or rebook on another trip next year (both with price protection for a trip of same duration). If we rebook on a more expensive trip I think we’ll just have to pay the difference. They also have a £450 each flight change for us, so hopefully any flights will fall within that price. I hope this helps you in deciding what to do – the positive thing is you can trust Uniworld to do the right thing, so may be best to wait for them to decide the outcome of your trip? Hope it all goes wel!
Sherri Roush says
My Rhine/Moselle river cruise was cancelled yesterday by Emerald/Scenic cruise lines. We were scheduled to depart Aug 22. So very sad. They said the water level is too low for sailing.
Debbie Williams says
We are suppose to leave Amsterdam on Aug 24 so hopefully Scenic will contact us and cancel us as we don’t want to do the Bus nightmare trip.
Phil says
Scenic cancelled the August 22 Basel to Amsterdam via Mosell. They have us various options. We were allowed to transfer to a similar cruise in April 2023 at no additional cost. Hopefully river conditions will be better. We are relieved. Did not want a bus tour.
Lynn says
Hi Debbie, we are suppose to take the same Scenic cruise leaving Amsterdam on Sept 6. Can you please update if you do hear from Scenic. Good luck, hoping for a couple of big downpours.
Lynn says
Hi Debbie – Have you had any contact from Scenic regarding changes to your itinerary?
Debbie Williams says
Nothing from Scenic yet. We are in Amsterdam now and suppose to leave on Wednesday. They didn’t answer any of my emails so my travel agent devoted 2 days to sitting on the phone. She was assured that worst case is 2-3 ship swaps and no long bus trips!!! They will want to right otherwise it will be ugly. Will keep you posted
Lynn says
Thanks Debbie for your update. We’re having some problems as well getting any answers from Scenic. If you have a chance I’d be anxious to hear how things go and 🤞 no ship swaps.
Caroline says
I am on the same cruise on 28 Aug – suspect that might be cancelled as well! Are you getting a full refund or credit to use on another cruise?
Sherri Roush says
I took a refund. I was told it takes up to 180 days to receive it. Ouch!
Tami says
We are on the Castles Along the Rhine that leaves Amsterdam on Sunday Aug 21st. We did call Uniworld and were told they cancelled the Aug 7th and 14th cruises but have not cancelled ours. The agent was nice but could not tell us what the drop dead date would be for Uniworld to cancel. Like you we really don’t want to end up the majority of the trip being on a bus. We do have a plan B but need to make hotel reservations.
Tami says
Amanda we are on the Castles Along the Rhine with Uniworld that leaves Amsterdam Sunday Aug 21st. I called Uniworld and they told me they had canceled the cruises for Aug 7th and 14th but not ours at this time. The agent said they normally cancel 7 days out so not sure what to think. Like you we have waited 2 1/2 yes are for the cruise and would rather not spend it on a bus. I do plan to call again Thursday to see if there is an update. Good luck
Peter Magnusson says
Update: Grand European Tour departing Amsterdam 8/14
Sunday night, 8/14: The Viking Hlin is docked in Amsterdam and leaving tonight for Basel, Switzerland. They sail at 11:30 tonight and have been told that there may be some bussing and/or ship swaps, but otherwise have heard no details. This begs the question: why are they able to leave Amsterdam and we (Viking Magni – Grand European tour) are not. Possibilities:
– fewer passengers on the Viking Hlin and shallower draft
– staff shortages and priority decisions – Grand European tour is longer and can afford more missed days on the river. First priority is the shorter trip, and the net result is average higher passenger satisfaction on the combined trips.
– (a totally cynical idea) Viking is running a controlled trial. One arm is the bus trip with hotels, the other arm is trying the Rhine, see how far they get, and use buses or ship swaps as needed (pretty sure Viking knows what their plans are for the whole of the Amsterdam-Basel trip). End points for comparison: customer satisfaction vs. cost to the company for meals, buses, and hotels.
–
Footnote on Monday 8/15: Viking Hlin is docked at Kinderdijk as our buses lumber in about 10:00. Among others, the cheese making and ebike tours are cancelled because the buses don’t arrive in time.
PETER MAGNUSSON says
This may be the real reason that the Viking Magni could not be boarded in Amsterdam on 8/14 for the Grand European Tour: it couldn’t get there. It was due to leave Budapest 7/31 for the northbound trip and arrive in Amsterdam by 8/13 to turn around and take us on 8/14 to Budapest. Low water levels scuttled that itinerary. The Viking Magni is in fact now (8/16 @ 0600 in Cologne) going up the Danube, approaching Bratislava. Meanwhile, Rhine water level was reported at 12.5 inches at Kaub, between Cologne and Koblenz.
Karen says
I so appreciate your comments. You have been most helpful!
Lynn says
Peter Have you been on the ship at all? Or are you just stuck in Amsterdam until further notice?
PETER MAGNUSSON says
We are due to board the Viking Baldur this afternoon, Wed 8/17, 72 hours after our originally scheduled embarkation in Amsterdam on Sunday, 8/14. During that time, we have spent 3 nights in hotels, and will have been bussed approximately 325 miles (without beer or wine on board, a friend points out). We did not sign up for this. Information from Viking has come only in 24 hour parcels, a single sheet outlining the day’s activities. There has been little else. Viking’s transparency is absent as has been echoed elsewhere.
PETER MAGNUSSON says
Addendum: We have been at Marriott hotel in Cologne the last 2 nights and boarding the Viking Baldur in Frankfurt this afternoon. We will be be doing a scenic cruise through the Rhine gorge this afternoon from St. Goarshausen to Bingen with lunch on board a smaller boat, then bussing to Frankfurt.
Gary says
Brilliant updates Peter. We’re due to leave Basel Sep 06th. Just spoke to Rose at Viking and, honestly, think they will say anything they are told to. No help, claiming only minor disruptions
Glenn says
based on your experience so far, should you have cancelled or is the experience still worth it.
Lynn says
Wow! I’m so sorry about the disruptions. What are they doing for meals? They should at least have open bar on the bus rides!
Kathryn St Onge Clark says
Has anyone heard how Vantage is handling their cruises?
Alan Sowinski says
Thanks Peter for the update . We are booked on the same tour for later in the year .We are crossing our fingers and hoping for the best. Your experience will be very helpful in deciding what to do . We had no advance information on low water levels in Europe but became curious when Europe’s record summer temperatures hit the news. A few simple searches then alerted us to the problem. The travel agent didn’t mention anything when we were in the planning stage and I don’t recall any of the river cruise websites mentioning anything about low water levels . So far none of the reports have been very encouraging . While you can’t blame the cruise lines for the low water levels , a little disclosure for what was already a longstanding problem would have been appreciated .
TomRay says
We are on the Viking Hlin that left Amsterdam on 8/14 with pretty much a full ship headed for Basel. We did indeed make it to Kinderdijk without issues. A deviation from normal is that we left Kinderdijk right after the morning excursion (about 10:30am) to compensate for the slower cruising due to low water. Nice thing about that was the extended daytime cruising, which I think is not typical.
Morning of 8/16 we were dropped off in Zons for a 30 min bus ride into Cologne while the ship went the longer way on the river to Cologne industrial dock. We are staying docked here till the morning. Plan for tomorrow is:
– early bus ride (about 1.5 hrs) to Koblenz)
– About 4 hrs in Koblenz, including lunch on our own ($25 compensation per person)
– 4.5hr bus ride to Strasbourg to get on the Viking Kara.
– no afternoon or evening excursions in Koblenz/Rudesheim
The bad part: the long bus rides.
The good part: we get back on schedule on identical ship with no nights in hotels.
I am not looking forward to the long rides tomorrow, but Viking has done a good job of keeping the disruption to a minimum.
Linda says
Great info. Thank you.
Liz says
Thank please keep up up to date on how it goes this is helpful
TomRay says
Ok, here is an update on the Viking Hlin 8/14 trip from Amsterdam to Basel that I am on.
Today, 8/17 we did the bus trips from Cologne to Strasbourg that I described above. While it all went according to plan, it was not a pleasant experience. While we had an excellent guide for the Koblenz walking tour, it was disappointing have to leave Koblenz at 1:45. According to the original cruise itinerary, we would have had the whole day with the ship docked right off downtown. And then bus ride to Strasbourg was very tiring.
I need to correct a statement I made in the previous post: we are NOT now back on schedule. Tomorrow on day 5 we should be in Speyer, not Strasbourg. Viking’s solution is to bus passengers 1.5 hrs each way to Speyer. Not a pleasant thought after 7 hours on the bus today. My wife and I are leaning toward going into Strasbourg a day early. Viking is planning an afternoon shuttle service to accommodate that, as we are docked at the industrial port. The formal Strasbourg excursions will take place on day 6 when they have moved the ship to Kehl.
In summary, while Viking is probably doing the best they can under then circumstances, the cruise so far has not been the experience we hoped for.
Cathy says
Thanks for the update!
TomRay says
Here’s another update on the Viking Amsterdam to Basel trip that began on 8/14 on the Hlin. This is day 6 and we are now on the Kara, after busing from Cologne to Strasbourg on day 4. My wife and I skipped the Speyer excursion on day 5 as we were not up to another 3 hrs on a bus. We took the shuttle into Strasbourg in the afternoon instead, as did 30 or so other passengers. Last night the ship moved a short distance to Kehl on the German side of the river. Today was the regular Strasbourg excursion, which we also took, and enjoyed. It looks like from here on we will have the normal itinerary to Basel, travelling to Breibach overnight, then to Basel on the final evening.
I suppose we were lucky it was not any worse this week. There has been no rain to speak of the whole time we have been here.
Gary says
Thanks Tom. Really appreciated
Nora says
Really have appreciated yours and everyone else’s comments here. Yesterday we cancelled our Viking Grand European tour booked for Sep 9 from Amsterdam. Under their Risk Free Guarantee (which they no long offer) we received full refund via vouchers and were able to rebook same day for July 2023. Viking customer service was great and very understanding. There was limited availability in later September 2022, but the weather forecast just doesn’t look very promising for enough rain to make much difference. A huge appeal of this cruise is to only have to unpack once. Hopefully 2023 has better cruising weather.
Alison says
Thanks, everyone, for all your comments and information about changed itineraries which we have only been able to find out about from this forum and not from our tour operator. We are starting out on the European Sojourn in 2 weeks time, having decided at this late stage to just go with the flow or lack of it! We are interested to know whether Viking is still delivering their enrichment programme of lectures, performances and regional foods where buses and hotels are being used as substitutes. We would love to hear about this from any fellow Viking travellers. Thanks.
Betty says
Alison, We are scheduled for the Viking Sojourn leaving Amsterdam on 9/27/22. Would appreciate any update on conditions as you travel. We need to cancel/request vouchers by Sept. 13th. Obviously we’re hoping for a river level miracle. Thanks in advance for any insight.
Michael says
If this topic was covered somewhere I apologize in advance. I have my doubts that our planned cruise Sep 17 from Basel to Amsterdam will operate without modification due to Rhine river levels, so I am considering cancelling the cruise. My question to others here is what happens to the airfare I purchased with the Viking Air Plus option which has deviations both pre and post cruise? Will they allow the airfare to continue or will that have to be cancelled as well? We would like to continue with a trip to Europe as we have a tour commitment before the cruise ( Oberammergau passion play) arranged.
Angela Pachucki says
Interested in this information as well. Our trip is 9/10 Amsterdam to Basel, with Oberammagau and Munich (Oktoberfest) add on. Our main reason for doing the cruise was for the Passion Play I have wanted to see since I first went to Oberammagau 51 years ago! Although I would hate the cruise portion to turn into a bus trip, I don’t know why they can’t keep the itinerary the same and use hotels in the cities where the ships are not able to travel. This would be preferable to missing out on major stops and being docked in the same location for 2-3 days.
Rich D says
my understanding is it’s ‘all or nothing” if flight bought from Viking and you cancel. This is our situation
Ursula says
I had the same questio about keeping the flight. My travel agent inquired with Viking and we were told that we only can cancel the whole arrangement with Viking, not parts of it. Flights, transfers and hotel will also be cancelled. But I also learned that the insurance will be transferred as well if cancelled together. I am going to cancel our Amsterdam – Budapest tour on Sept.10 today and hope that all this works out well for us according to this info.
Harold says
Hi Michael. We are on that same cruise, and I am still holding out a few more days hoping for rain before I cancel. I can’t say definitively, but when I have cancelled with Viking’s No Risk Guarantee in the past the Air Plus was also cancelled as part of the package. That said, I didn’t specifically request keeping the air so seems it wouldn’t hurt to call Viking Air and ask. Hope you can still go. We had the Oberarramergau extension in 2020 and had to cancel for Covid. Again, I would call Viking to know exactly what your options are. Would be interested in what you are told… we are doing Amsterdam after the cruise.
Michael says
Hi Harold,
I have until Sep 3rd to decide and will hold out a bit longer as well.
Asha Browne says
If the airfares were given
free as part of the cruise …..and if you cancel the cruise you lose your flights is my guess.
However you could call Viking cancel the cruise and pay for your flight seperately. They may accomodate you.
Michael says
I did hear back from our travel agent and they were told by Viking that the airfare couldn’t be be parsed out of the entire trip so when you cancel all parts of the trip are cancelled.
Angela Pachucki says
I talked to Viking about this today as we are booked on the Amsterdam – Basel cruise departing 9/10, with Oberammagau and Munich add on. With Innsbruck, Oberammagau, and Munich accounting for 6 nights of our 14 day vacation, we do not plan to cancel. I doubt that Viking will cancel any of their cruises, and was definitely told that if there was a cancelation, the entire trip would be cancelled. The Viking “party line” is that they are constantly monitoring, but water levels change daily, and they can’t predict over the long term. Translation: They are not about to cancel cruises that are even a couple weeks out. Further, they have a lot of ships on the rivers that they can use as hotels, swapping with their sister ships. Again, the “party line” is that this process is seamless, with Viking handling the luggage transfers with little impact to the customers. Unfortunately, from the posts I’m seeing, the ship transfers aren’t the problem, it’s missing stops along the routes because the river is impassable from Cologne to Koblenz. Though a bus trip is certainly less than ideal, they should work on getting their ships positioned in each port, so the bus rides would be shorter and all the tours could go as scheduled. Or, they should put their guests in hotels in each city on the itinerary where they don’t have a ship available.
Ironically, I received an e-mail from Karine Hagan, Executive Vice President of Viking, yesterday with packing tips. My favorite tip was:
“I also make it a rule to unpack right away once I am on board. One of the great joys of exploring the world by ship is that you unpack only once, and the rest of the time you are left to enjoy the destinations to which you are traveling!”
Haha, really Karine!
Barbara says
I was on a Viking Rhine cruise in Oct 2018 with low water. They bused us the entire trip. Long bus rides in completely full buses. When I called prior to trip they were not transparent and could not tell me if they would bus us or switch boats or use hotels. Worst European trip ever. I will never travel Viking again.
Angela Pachucki says
I spoke with Viking about this today. It is very doubtful that they will cancel any of the cruises, but if they do, the entire trip would be cancelled.
J says
My travel agent contacted Viking and they replied that if the cruise is cancelled so are airfares. This is very annoying as we were planning to do other travelling and flights are very difficult to get.
Pennie says
Maybe with all the cancellations it will become easier to find flights.? Heard airfares to Europe are going down as well. From $700 to $1100 RT.
ted says
We are booked A-B on 9/23 and Athens to Bangkok on 10/25. Asked if canceling river could air plus one way sfo-ams in business be attached to ocean booking. Emphatic reply: no. All air fees credited to the voucher. We plan to cancel river. Have already booked new air with refundable miles.
Betty says
We are doing the European Sojourn with viking on 9/27/22. Would appreciate any info on low water levels, ship swapping and bus/hotel issues from those on that tour. Appreciate all the Rhine updates, but am also wondering about the Danube.
Roger Youngblut says
We just got back from our Amsterdam to Basel cruise a couple of days ago and we had to swap boats halfway. It was a pain n we weren’t crazy about the buss rides but Viking did a great job and made it pretty painless.
Amelia says
Could you please provide a little more detail about the bus rides as far as distance traveled and what towns were involved? I’d hate for my upcoming river cruise turn into a bus tour. Thanks
Ann says
When you swapped boats, how far a distance did you go by bus? A few hours? On more than one day? We are booked Basel to Amsterdam on Aug. 23 and are considering cancelling if the river is impassable for more than just the equivalent of one day of cruising; ie. the whole second half of the river. Which town did you disembark at and which town did you rebound the new boat at? Thanks so much!
Betty says
This is really a followup to my previous post. I appreciate all the previous posts, but still confused about the condition of the Danube. I haven’t been able to understand whether the Danube (say from Passau to Bucharest is also experiencing the same ship swap/busing issues. Has anybody got any current information?
WK says
We are going from Amsterdam to Budapest leaving April 17th, 2022. We fly out tomorrow for AM. We just received a revised proposed itinerary for Scenic. It appears we will have 3 ship swaps,
“Our team in Europe are working to finalise the alternative arrangements, and below is the proposed itinerary. ”
Day 1 & 2 – AMSTERDAM
Welcome to Amsterdam! Join Scenic Pearl in Amsterdam, and enjoy your standard sailing itinerary.
Day 3 – COLOGNE
Today to avoid low water in Kaub, we will enact a ship swap to Scenic Jasper to allow for the continuation of your sailing itinerary. All meals, attractions and Freechoice activities as outlined in your itinerary.
Day 4 – 8 – As per your sailing itinerary
Day 9 – REGENSBURG
Today we will enact a ship swap to allow for the continuation of your sailing.
Day 10 – 14 – As per your sailing itinerary
Day 15 – BUDAPEST
Budapest disembarkation
Stacy says
WK, thank you so much for this info. 4 of us are booked on Scenic Jasper on Sep. 12 (AMS-BUD). Crazy that I feel “relief” at the thought of 2 swaps mid-trip if the rest of the cruise follows the itinerary. I hope Scenic is able to keep disruptions to a minimum and appreciate any updates you can share on your trip.
Karen D says
We are booked for September 4 Amsterdam to Budapest on Tauck. Anyone traveling with Tauck, and if so, any word from them regarding the upcoming trips? All I can find is they are monitoring the river levels daily. Most of these comments are about Viking and others. Would love to hear if anyone is currently on a Tauck river cruise and how things are going.
Debbie Williams says
Thanks so much We are booked on the same trip departing on August 24. Our ship is suppose to the Pearl so will be interesting to see what we end up with re ship and itinerary. If you have time please update as we will be 3 days behind you. Hope it all goes well..
TGP says
Interested in your experience with ship swaps and how scenic handles the whole river cruise. We are booked on the august 31 Budapest-Amsterdam cruise.
Wk says
Update…. We left Amsterdam on the Scenic Pearl today (April 18th) heading for Düsseldorf. We are unable to dock in Cologne due to low water and will docking in Düsseldorf. For our Cologne trip we will bused in from Düsseldorf and bused back to Düsseldorf. From Düsseldorf we will be bused to the outskirts of Frankfurt and passing the Rhine Gorge and do a ship swap to the Scenic Jasper. A third ship swap and bus reroute may (most likely) occur to bypass the Danube Gorge re low water levels. Things are changing daily and sometimes the messaging is a “little sugar coated”. Changes to the itinerary is updated in the early evening before the next day. The staff, food and accommodation on Scenic are great but the change in itinerary due to low water and missing a couple of great days sailing through the Rhine and Danube gorge is pretty disappointing. I can’t say that I’m happy but as someone said in another post “you need to go with the flow”.
Karen says
We are currently on the Gems of the Danube 8-day cruise from Budapest to Nuremberg on the Scenic Amber. We left on August 18 but the ship could not make it to Budapest. Instead we were bussed to Komaron (Slovakia) 90 minutes away. The next day our tours went ahead as scheduled but we lost time at these places because of us not being in Budapest as originally planned. However, Scenic handled this as well as possible. Today we are in Durnstein/Melk (day 5) & it is raining. We are following the itinerary until Regensburg (August 24). We don’t know if we will get to Nuremberg on the boat, but so far are very pleased with Scenic
Christine says
Thank you for the update, it is good to know that Scenic is handling things well. We will hopefully do the Budapest to Amsterdam Oct 3rd. Fingers crossed.
jenny says
how did this work out for you? We are doing Viking cruise on Danube in April and concerned with lack of rain in europe this winter meaning it’ll be a bus tour instead.
Susan says
We are currently on the Viking river boat cruising from Passau to Budapest. Left on 8/16. We have had no low water level issues – through to Linz so far – and all looks great. Water is flowing and we are on time with all excursions going as planned. Boat is fully loaded with passengers who are enjoying the trip.
Max says
@Susan. Thanks for the update. We are on same cruise sailing 9/5. Please keep those cards and letters coming. Very interested to hear if you can sail all the way into Budapest. Thanks!
Claudia says
Thanks. We are on the Danube with Viking next week. Looks like a lot of rain the next few days which will help.
Cindy says
We are sailing from Passau to Budapest on Sept 25, 2022. On Viking. We are watching closely and appreciate this site!
Debra Derry says
I am doing a Titan 15 day cruise late September. Budapest up to Cologne. Do hope its ok. Done coach tours for years and looking forward to an just one un pack of the case. . Booked a DS cabin and first trip since 2019. Was originally a Russian river cruise 😂 What will be will be. Interesting reading peoples experiences.
Ralph Grizzle says
Britton and I would like to thank all of you for your reports and insights from the rivers. We’ve posted a new article this morning that many of you may find helpful, with links to some good resources. https://rivercruiseadvisor.com/2022/08/crisis-on-the-rhine-how-river-cruise-companies-are-responding/
Annette says
Thank you for your post Ralph. I was excited to see the graphs showing some improvement in the water level predictions over the next two weeks. Today I spent 6 hours on the phone with Viking and the insurance provider TripMate. If we are unfortunate and both the section of the Rhine from Strasbourg to Koblenz (happening now per Matt below) and Amsterdam to Koblenz (happening now per Peter Magnusson below) are not navigable when we sail, we will only sail from from Basel to Strasbourg and only at night. My siblings walk with canes and cannot do walking tours. One ship swap and missing one or two stops would be fine. But living out of a suitcase between hotels and ships and buses is not easy for them or relaxing. I learned something about the cancellation policy I wanted to share. We booked with a risk-free guarantee that ends today. No cash refund, but the option to rebook for 24 months without losing any of our investment and the option to transfer the trip to someone else if any of us were unable to travel. We also purchased the Cancel for any reason travel insurance Waiver by Viking that allows us to cancel right up until the day of travel. I was going to wait and see how the river was doing. Today I learned that the purchased Cancel for any reason waiver refunds the same vouchers BUT they must be REDEEMED, not rebooked, in 12 not 24 months. Additionally they are NOT transferable or ever refundable for cash under any circumstances if someone cannot make the trip. I hope this will help those of you who were uninformed of the details of your insurance and how it will impact your decision.
To all of you I wish happy sailing and a wonderful trip.
Ralph Grizzle says
Thanks for sharing this Annette. Wishing you the best. I hope it all works out.
Nora says
We are scheduled to leave on Viking Grand European cruise on Sep 9th. I called Viking this morning and spoke to a very nice customer service person. She said that under the Risk Free Guarantee we had until Aug 23rd to cancel this trip. If we decided this we would get full refund by way of vouchers of equal value that could be used on any Viking cruise, river or ocean with the next 24 months. No cash refund. I think this is quite fair. She said we could even rebook for later in September depending on availability of course.
Allysonz says
I would cancel if you can. There is no way the river will be high enough in less than a month. I wish viking would have cancelled our trip. I am writing this while in yet another awful bus ride because we can’t sail. I am furious they allowed this trip to continue. The itinerary changes are far from minimal and unpleasant. What a complete waste of time and money. If I could get on a plane to go home early, I would do it in a heartbeat. I would much rather be home than here.
George says
Thank you for sharing your experiences. I will be on the Rhine Aug. 25, Amsterdam to Basel. It would be much appreciated if you could provide details as to what part of the Rhine you were on.
Michelle says
We are supposed to leave on the 18th for a Basel to Amsterdam cruise. I can’t get straight answers out if viking. I can’t abide buses.
Phyllis says
My husband and I are on the same cruise. We are going to do the trip, there is never a guarantee that all will go as planned on any trip. We will keep our fingers crossed.
Angela Burford says
Thanks, Annette. It’s great to hear first hand what is happening re. insurance policies etc. We’re booked for this Saturday, Paris to Zurich. We also have Risk Free insurance but too late to exercise it now. Hope you and yours manage to have a very enjoyable trip whenever you may go.
Eliza says
Thanks for update Annette. We have a planned Vienna to Bucharest on 30 September. Hubby didn’t really want to go but I talked him into it!!!!! I also have mobility and endurance probs so packing and unpacking would be difficult. Fingers and toes crossed ‘the rains might come’……….
Cathy C. Turpin says
I’m currently on Viking’s Grand European and we have had 2 ship swaps, over 3 hour bus ride and may end up in a hotel. I urge everyone who is travelling in the next month or so to cancel as this trip is not worth it. With the constant packing & unpacking my husband and I got very run down and now have bad colds. I’d go home now if I could.
Allysonz says
We are in Europe now for a viking river cruise. Frankly, it’s such a bad experience that I am very angry that viking did not cancel. We are docked in industrial areas and my balcony view is a concrete wall. The deck views are shipping cargo containers and road pavement. The itinerary was dramatic and we are spending HOURS on busses only to get somewhere and be rushed through a tour (no time to just enjoy a town) because you have to get back on the bus to get back to the boat for dinner. In my opinion, the cruise lines should be cancelling all rhine river trips for the foreseeable future or at least tell the truth about what a changed itinerary does to your plans. I know that being on a bus for hours in the highway is not my idea of a vacation. We have not had a single day of waking up to beautiful Europe. Due to the way viking has presented information in writing versus experiencing the reality, I will never travel in viking again.
Mary P says
Which cruise is this…. From where to where. Are you doing any sailing, boat swapping? Is Viking giving any compensation??
Marty says
We will never book a cruise with Viking again!!!
We and 6 other friends had a Rhine river cruise a couple years ago that turned into a partial bus tour…….multiple transfers and packing unpacking, bus to ship, ship to bus. 2 of our friends brought they parents along, both in wheelchairs, what a nightmare! Viking knew days before we arrived in Budapest that the river was too low to navigate in several areas and chose not to inform us until we arrived in Budapest!
Pennie says
Did Viking offer any refund or similar to you besides the risk free one?
Ours expired yesterday for our B to A cruise on Aug 27. Will we be offered a chance to cancel or discounts?
If I had read today’s postings yesterday morning, I would have cancelled.
Thank you so much for you “on the ground” reports.
Harold says
So sorry you’re having such a bad experience! I wonder if Viking has ever cancelled a cruise for water levels, or just handles things the way you’re experiencing. Far from what you hoped for and paid for.
Alice says
Thank you for your post regarding your trip. We are scheduled for the 8/30 Rhine trip Basal to Amsterdam, wondering if you could update regarding your itinerary, what ports/ cities have you missed? Thank you – stay safe and healthy.
BT says
We cancelled 8/28 Grand European Cruise. Viking Customer Support are echoing what they are told to say…trip still on. They refuse to admit no cruising or busing is taking place. That is truly disappointing that they refuse to give documented facts. Their response….Weather changes daily and they can’t predict the future weather. Trip still on. They would not confirm. German government said Rhine likely to close but Viking said they have no info on that? What???
Understand Viking have a lot of money on the line but, $20K for bus trip, packing and repacking for transfers, and schedule changes are not what customers want. Tell the truth to permit customers to make an informed decision. That being said, paying $1600 to get voucher is Viking’s answer.
Randy Lilz says
We were booked on Viking Rhine B to A on 9/15. We cancelled today and wanted to just book a different, much more expensive cruise with Viking for 2 weeks later. You would think that would be an easy transfer for them, but they have to first issue us a credit, which takes 14 days. By the time we get that, if it is really 14 days, the cruise we want will most likely be sold out since only 2 cabins remain open. Our travel agent said it makes no sense and that Viking is the most rigid cruise line to work with. We cancelled this same trip last year due to Covid, but when we contacted Viking we found out our Amsterdam extension had been cancelled a week or so before. They never contacted us about that happening. I know they are going through some tough times but they sure aren’t doing much to get repeat passengers.
Angela Burford says
Could not agree with you more about Viking’s poor, inadequate communication. We are really left in the lurch as we begin our tour next Saturday from Paris to Zurich. We can’t cancel so we have decided to just stay on board wherever we are rather than bus around for hours. Not sure if this strategy will work, has anyone else tried to do this?
Pennie says
I cancelled our Sept. 29 Viking Rhine cruise yesterday. We had the trip insurance through Viking which allows us to cancel for any reason. We are led to believe we will get our entire money in the form of a voucher, minus the $370 we paid for the trip insurance. What is the $1600 cost you mention?
Caroline says
An interesting article regarding river cruises
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/europe-drought-river-cruising/index.html
Stewart Perkes says
We’re booked on to the Riviera Rhine cruise to Switzerland starting August 24th. With ten days still to go, I wonder whether this can happen with the low water levels. Has anyone any recent experience of this section i.e. Cologne to Basal?
Janet says
We’re also watching with interest (and alarm). Booked with Uniworld for August 28 Basel to Amsterdam. Your updates are very welcome
Julie Avery says
Hi Stewart. So are we!! I have everything crossed it will go ahead. Hopefully see you on board 😄🤞
Jenny says
We just got back from this trip (3-10 August). We were contacted by Riviera the afternoon before departure to say they had to change itinerary. We missed the first 2 days from Basel: Lucerne/Bernese oberland and Lake Titisee/Black forest. The boat was moored at Ludwigshafen (I think) although we were told it was Speyer. This meant a near 4 hour transfer from the airport. The first 5 days were rearranged and just the last 2 days were as the original itinerary. They added Heidelberg which was good, and Mainz and Frankfurt which was OK. Only in Mainz and Rudesheim were we close enough to town to go out at night.
We’d got a good deal which encouraged us to stick with it. There was also an additional discount for inconvenience.
Many people did cancel. Our trip ran with just 63 guests.
Think carefully about whether you want to do the trip. That said ship lovely, food great and service excellent.
Good luck!
Allysonz says
I am in a trip now and it’s miserable. Yes, the food on the ship is decent but I could have fabulous food at the fanciest restaurants at home for ten years for what we paid for this trip. Huge disappointment and Viking should have cancelled
Susie says
We left Basel yesterday 13th Aug, and cruising to Amsterdam with Avalon. Thought I’d give interested parties the latest, although similar disruption to David, who posted last week.
Original itinerary
Day 1 Basel
2 Breisach
3 Strasbourg
4 Mainz
5 Rudesheim in morning, cruising to Koblenz in afternoon with free time in Koblenz
6 Cologne
7 Amsterdam
8 Disembark Amsterdam
At the welcome meeting we were advised of the (expected) disruptions. Having contacted Avalon prior to leaving, I was told nothing, only basic information that river levels are low & minor disruption. A query on Facebook was deleted by Avalon & not responded to. I’m rather cross that they choose to not mention issues on their website and continue to sell cruises that include major changes with hours on buses rather than relaxing time spent in the cabin. I hate bus travel & 6 hours of bus travel in a day is not my idea of a holiday. Health issues make this particularly difficult for me.
The boat will travel as far as Strasbourg where it will stay two nights, missing the stop at Mainz (where we had booked & were looking forward to visiting the Gutenberg museum – an included excursion). Day hiking excursion of Philosophers Way also cancelled. Instead they are bussing us to Heidelberg & offering a city tour and lunch, with an afternoon at leisure in the town, before returning to Strasbourg.
On Wednesday we will disembark the ship at Strasbourg, to swap with the ship that left Amsterdam at the same time. They will bus us to the Rudesheim Music Museum (the excursion we had chosen) & local lunch. This will involve a 3-4 hour bus trip to get to Rudesheim, ie longer than the original shore excursion. They had said they were trying to organise a small boat to do a cruise in the gorge in the afternoon, but this is apparently getting too shallow for even the small local boats & confirmed today 14th that this is unlikely – ie we will miss the highlight of the trip. The cruise director said they would take a road along the gorge, but just not the same. The other two Rudesheim excursion options don’t seem to be running, (not surprising as one was using ship bikes). (Not sure how this afternoon mini cruise would have worked logistically even if they did arrange it with: 4 hours on bus from Strasbourg to Rudesheim with stops, an hour for lunch, hour or two for a museum visit & a couple of hours to new ship to arrive for dinner).
We will then continue by bus for another couple (?) of hours to transfer to the sister ship waiting in Koblenz, and continue onto Amsterdam. Also joining us will be the passengers of an Italian cruise doing the same route as us, (but don’t have an equivalent ship of their own to swap with). We will then be nearly full. Currently sailing with 92 passengers, with a ship capacity of 168. We booked fairly late, and knew the ship would be quiet – a massive plus for us, so this is also a negative for us & unexpected.
We are being offered monetary compensation for the inconvenience, but significantly less than we paid for the supplement for a cabin for floor to ceiling windows. We knew much of the sailing would be done in the evening and at night, & we would be likely to get a view of the dock wall / another ship when tied up, but paid the significant upgrade mainly for that afternoon cruising through the gorge in the afternoon from Rudesheim to Koblenz. This was going to be a highlight, laying in bed in our cabin looking out of the full panoramic windows.
With drought across Europe, it is unfortunate timing. Of course, we would have preferred our original itinerary & not having to change boats & spend hours on buses rather than the expected relaxing on board. If passengers choose to cancel now they are onboard, they have been offered a proportional refund, but with most passengers having pre-booked flights / connections out of Amsterdam, I very much doubt anyone would take up this option. Unusably poor Internet & data would make arranging anything impossible anyway. Many passengers are from the US & further afield, & were joining this boat as part of a larger European trip, so again cancelling at this point would have given them logistical problems too.
This is as of 14th August. There is apparently rain forecast tomorrow, but not enough to make any difference to the current water levels & dry weather expected to continue.
Ann says
Thank you so much! We are booked on same cruise on Avalon for Aug 23-30. Am I understanding correctly: you sailed from Basel to Strasbourg, disembarked, they took you on a 6 hour (round trip?) bus excursionn to Heidelberg, then you disembarked, at Strasbourg, had another 3-4 hour (round trip?) bus excursion to Rudsheim, then were bussed 2 more hours to Koblenz to get on the sister ship and now you will be able to sail all the way to Amsterdam? So it sounds like there were 2 full days of bus excursions (Ugh!). Your account has urged me in the direction of cancelling. Avalon may offer us the option to rebook at a later date or go on the Saone River instead.
Susie says
We left Basel yesterday 13th Aug, and cruising to Amsterdam with Avalon. Thought I’d give interested parties the latest, although similar disruption to David, who posted last week.
Original itinerary
Day 1 Basel
2 Breisach
3 Strasbourg
4 Mainz
5 Rudesheim in morning, cruising to Koblenz in afternoon with free time in Koblenz
6 Cologne
7 Amsterdam
8 Disembark Amsterdam
At the welcome meeting we were advised of the (expected) disruptions, but minimalising changes with no mentions of the number of hours we would be spending on buses, excursions cancelled etc. Having contacted Avalon prior to leaving, I was told nothing, only basic information that river levels are low & minor disruption. A query on Facebook was deleted by Avalon & not responded to. I’m rather cross that they choose to not mention issues on their website and continue to sell cruises that include major changes with hours on buses rather than relaxing time spent in the cabin. I hate bus travel & 6 hours of bus travel in a day is not my idea of a holiday. Health issues make this particularly difficult for me.
The boat will travel as far as Strasbourg where it will stay two nights, missing the stop at Mainz (where we had booked & were looking forward to visiting the Gutenberg museum – an included excursion). Day hiking excursion of Philosophers Way also cancelled. Instead they are bussing us to Heidelberg & offering a city tour and lunch, with an afternoon at leisure in the town, before returning to Strasbourg.
On Wednesday we will disembark the ship at Strasbourg, to swap with the ship that left Amsterdam at the same time. They will bus us to the Rudesheim Music Museum (the excursion we had chosen) & local lunch. This will involve a 3-4 hour bus trip to get to Rudesheim, ie longer than the original shore excursion. They had said they were trying to organise a small boat to do a cruise in the gorge in the afternoon, but this is apparently getting too shallow for even the small local boats & confirmed today 14th that this is unlikely – ie we will miss the highlight of the trip. The cruise director said they would take a road along the gorge, but just not the same. The other two Rudesheim excursion options don’t seem to be running, (not surprising as one was using ship bikes). (Not sure how this afternoon mini cruise would have worked logistically even if they did arrange it with: 4 hours on bus from Strasbourg to Rudesheim with stops, an hour for lunch, hour or two for a museum visit & a couple of hours to new ship to arrive for dinner).
We will then continue by bus for another couple (?) of hours to transfer to the sister ship waiting in Koblenz, and continue onto Amsterdam. Also joining us will be the passengers of an Italian cruise doing the same route as us, (but don’t have an equivalent ship of their own to swap with). We will then be nearly full. Currently sailing with 92 passengers, with a ship capacity of 168. We booked fairly late, and knew the ship would be quiet – a massive plus for us, so this is also a negative for us & unexpected.
We are being offered monetary compensation for the inconvenience, but significantly less than we paid for the supplement for a cabin for floor to ceiling windows. We knew much of the sailing would be done in the evening and at night, & we would be likely to get a view of the dock wall / another ship when tied up, but paid the significant upgrade mainly for that afternoon cruising through the gorge in the afternoon from Rudesheim to Koblenz. This was going to be a highlight, laying in bed in our cabin looking out of the full panoramic windows.
With drought across Europe, it is unfortunate timing. Of course, we would have preferred our original itinerary & not having to change boats & spend hours on buses rather than the expected relaxing on board. If passengers choose to cancel now they are onboard, they have been offered a proportional refund, but with most passengers having pre-booked flights / connections out of Amsterdam, I very much doubt anyone would take up this option. Unusably poor Internet & data would make arranging anything impossible anyway. Many passengers are from the US & further afield, & were joining this boat as part of a larger European trip, so again cancelling at this point would have given them logistical problems too.
This is as of 14th August. There is apparently rain forecast tomorrow, but not enough to make any difference to the current water levels & dry weather expected to continue.
Susie says
apologies for double post – internet so poor, it took me 6 attempts to post anything
Susie says
Further update – unscheduled midday meeting with cruise director telling us that now we can’t join the sister ship at Koblenz as planned, as the water levels are now too low. So we will miss another section of cruising the river and join the ship at Cologne.
We will now leave the ship in Strasbourg as per original plan but by bus, and spend a night at the Frankfurt Hilton, to avoid a super long bus day from Strasbourg to Cologne via Rudesheim. We have to pack tonight and asked to only take hand luggage for the night in Frankfurt, as the main luggage will transfer to the sister ship tomorrow, ie the day before we arrive. After the Rudesheim visit, we will be bussed to join the sister ship at Cologne. Excursion arrangements not yet finalised, but should be later today, but expecting changes. Missing Koblenz entirely? Will be confirmed later hopefully.
So the river is currently unnavigable between Strasbourg and Cologne. From Basel to Strasbourg the scenery is not great, on a ‘canal’ with trees either side but no scenery of any interest. So missing the most scenic part of the Rhine – a 40 mile stretch of castles. Look on a map – it is a short distances between Basel and Strasbourg, and between Cologne & Amsterdam. Most of our ‘Rhine cruise’ will have been covered by bus.
George says
I greatly appreciate your updates.
Janet says
Susie, please keep the updates coming. We are scheduled for Amsterdam to Luxembourg on Sept. 25 on Avalon. Very interested in what you have to say!
Thank you!
Janet says
Susie,
Your updates are greatly appreciated. Booked on Avalon from Amsterdam to Luxembourg on September 25. Very interested in what you experience.
Janet
Ann says
Thank you so much, Susie! This has been the most helpful information and we will cancel/rebook our cruise. I appreciate your thoughtfulness in informing your fellow travelers!
Gary says
Thanks Susie. Really great updates. I’m booked on a Basel to Amsterdam Viking cruise, starting 07th Sep. Keep us posted if possible please.
Debbie Williams says
This is disgraceful. We leave Australia on Friday for a Scenic Amsterdam to Budapest cruise next. Scenic we’re”Not Taking Calls” today when my travel agent tried to ring and find out what was going on. She too is reading these reports from travellers and is appalled that the cruises are going ahead.
No-one paid for bus tours. Scenic have already been sued and lost regarding their behaviour when the rivers were too high. Looks like they haven’t learnt anything. Thank you for your updates.
Debbie Williams says
This is disgraceful. We leave Australia on Friday for a Scenic Amsterdam to Budapest cruise next week. Scenic were ”Not Taking Calls” today when my travel agent tried to ring and find out what was going on. She too is reading these reports from travellers and is appalled that the cruises are going ahead.
No-one paid for bus tours. Scenic have already been sued and lost regarding their behaviour when the rivers were too high. Looks like they haven’t learnt anything. Thank you for your updates.
Susie says
So, now it’s late evening at the Frankfurt Hilton, so will tell you about today. An early start from Strasbourg gathering at 8.20am for 8.30am departure from the boat. 2 hours to Heidelberg on the autobahn with no views, accompanied by a guide. Heidelberg was one of the original excursions out of Mainz – an all day one (we had chosen to do the short visit to the Gutenberg museum, which was in walking distance from the original ship’s docking location). All passengers on the cruise are now doing the same excursions today and tomorrow. After the (too) brief visit to the castle we went for a short walk around town with our guide prior to lunch in a local restaurant. We then had a couple of hours of free time in Heidelberg for sightseeing / shopping.
At 3.30pm we all met back at buses to drive to Frankfurt, arriving at about 5pm. Dinner buffet style at the Hilton restaurant at 7pm. Other Avalon passengers joined us, possibly from the ship we are swapping with. Rooms nice enough, with decent WiFi, which is wonderful, and a pleasant change.
Tomorrow another early start & on buses by 8.30am to depart for Rudesheim. From the itinerary this looks like an hour and 15 mins journey arriving at 9.45am. All passengers are going to the Siegfried’s Mechanical Instrument Museum, which had been our choice anyway. Passengers are also free to do their own thing. I suspect there will be some free time in town prior to lunch at 12.15.pm. At 1.45pm there is another ‘choo-choo train’ trip back to the bus, with departure to Cologne. The printed itinerary states that we ‘will drive along the Middle Rhein Gorge, so that you can discover the UNESCO World Heritage castles’. ‘Discover’ looks a stretch, maybe a glimpse as we speed past!
Expected to arrive at the sister ship docked in Cologne at 5.30pm. I’m hoping we will be able to do our original planned excursions in Cologne on Thursday & continue overnight to Amsterdam. In Amsterdam we have a full day with excursions on Friday, prior to disembarkation on Saturday. I will update if there are any changes from this plan.
It has been operationally smooth, and I’ve not really heard anyone complaining. I suppose everyone is largely accepting & making the best of a difficult situation. Without doubt this is a significant increase in costs for the cruise lines after a difficult few years due to covid. It will be interesting to see if they continue to run trips over the next weeks & months unless there are significant amounts of rain.
I’m not sure other lines are handling this any better having spoken to a Viking passenger in Strasberg yesterday. She also said no information being volunteered prior to departure, & minimal since. They had also been bussed & were a day off finishing a slightly different itinerary.
Compensation offered is pretty minimal – $200 in whatever currency you originally paid in for ship swap & planned bussing out of Strasberg, followed by and additional 50% of the proportional nightly boat cost for the night spent in Frankfurt. Exactly how they will calculate this, I have no idea, as for many, the boat is part of a wider trip with airfares, add on nights in hotels, included tips, drinks etc. (They have included drinks with meals in restaurants & the hotel too, in line with Avalons ‘included’ policy on the boat).
Good luck to all of you worried about your own trips. No doubt you’ll be continuing to check water levels at the critical point on the various rivers – it’s Kaub for this trip.
Would I do another river cruise after this one is the question? I would think long and hard, as the planned easy days have become long days of travel, disruption & stress. I really didn’t think too much about river levels when I originally booked the cruise & it’s hard to predict the drought we are now in, & how quickly river levels have dropped and make sections of the river too shallow to navigate. Autumn would be the usual time for low levels, but with flooding also possible and high water levels also requiring bussing, it just seems to be a bit too risky. We live in UK, so an easy flight to get here.
Janet says
Susie, your reports are priceless. Thank you so much!
George says
Thank you so much. My wife and I were wondering if you would have known how things would turn out, would you have cancelled the trip? You opinion matters.. we leave Amsterdam on the Aug. 25. Your posts have been the best!!!!😊😊😊😊😊😊
Ted says
Thanks Susie for taking the time to keep those of us who are scheduled for future cruises informed of whats going on.
Susie says
Yesterday the long day from Frankfurt to Cologne went smoothly, and surprisingly provided an experience that proved to be the highlight of the cruise for many. After the Mechanical Music Museum (very brief visit), we had time to wander around Rudesheim before going for lunch. The venue selected was Breuer’s Rudesheimer Schloss. It was a magical place, with covered outdoor seating and vines overhead. They had laid on a band playing local music, there were unlimited bottles of wine, and a fabulous merry atmosphere. (Food ok, but irrelevant). Some passengers got up to dance. One of the shore excursions was to visit this place and try the local alcoholic coffee, and this was provided to all. We left a little late as a result.
Two guides got on the 3 coaches to talk about the castles as we drove through the gorges, & one coach got the tour director (we were unlucky)! It was a long drive to the ship and we were very tired & glad to get there.
Greeted at the new ship, but the vibe is now very different with the Italians on board, who talked through the english welcome & port talk. It’s now busy and noisy. Infuriated by the management team on board who spoke about first time cruises in different languages had been combined (not a plus for us), and how we should all be happy together now we were here – tone deaf after the disruptions.
Message to George: would we have cancelled had we known the river would cause such disruption? Well, having booked flights independently and fitting this trip within school holidays, we probably wouldn’t have cancelled. If we had flexible dates and could move it without penalty, then yes, I probably would have postponed, but always a lottery as to the weather you might get on your new date of course.
Susan says
Thank you for the information, Susie. I leave tomorrow for Amsterdam, embarking on Aug. 25 for the reverse cruise of yours. We booked on AMA and have been advised that we will board a sister ship, which sounds like a ship swap to me, but no further details provided. All the time on the road does not sound fun at all. I hope that we are given the opportunity to cancel if it looks like a “road trip!” I’ll keep everyone posted.
Anita Bennett says
Thanks Susie, really appreciate your updates. We are due to be on Avalon, Amsterdam to Basel, leaving 27th September. From Basel we are bussed to France for a 7 night cruise on the Rhône, that leg of the cruise looks ok at the moment. Really concerned about the Rhine though!
George says
Thanks for the reply Susie.
Mark says
Hi Stewart
We’re also booked, very concerned
waiting for Riviera to respond?
Ann says
See Susie’s posts from Aug 14, 15. The Rhine is unnavigable from Strasbourg to Cologne
Peter Magnusson says
Well, it has started. I was going to say the wheels are coming off, but it’s the wrong metaphor. The wheels are actually coming on. We are motor-coaching! We are not boarding a ship until Frankfurt, a new stop. Low water levels on the Rhine have prompted this. Viking has us staying the first night in an Amsterdam hotel, then motor coach to Cologne hotel for 2 nights, stopping along the way for the Kinderdijk tour. We will do any scheduled Cologne shore excursions. Day 4 is motor coach travel to Koblenz for shore excursions, and then to Frankfurt to embark on a sister ship Viking Balder (originally Viking Magni). That’s all we know so far. There is the possibility, and I would guess high likelihood, of ship swaps further along.
Elaine Cooper says
We were on the fence until reading your post! A bus tour is exactly what we wanted to avoid. I would be okay with shuttling from ship to ship, but it’s becoming clearer that we will be bussing most of the way from Basel to Amsterdam. Did Viking offer you a credit for a future cruise?
Allysonz says
I think that we are in the same Viking trip. It’s been miserable. The swapped itinerary has us on unscenic bus trips for hours only to spend an hour or so in a town before we have to get back on the bus
Mary says
Did Viking offer any compensation? Did they tell you ahead of time it would be only bussing?
D Notter says
Thanks for these posts. They have been a huge help. We are scheduled to depart Amsterdam to Basel on 5 Sept. Obviously looking increasingly dicey. We have about a week to cancel, with vouchers for a future cruise but not refunds. Have you heard anything from Viking about future cancellations of entire cruises (as opposed to using buses)? If they cancel, our trip insurance kicks in. If they don’t, the voucher option seems to be all that is left.
Harold says
Has Viking ever cancelled for water levels? From reading posts here doesn’t sound like they do. I have Basel to Amsterdam coming up soon, and if Viking doesn’t cancel then me cancelling for a voucher seems best although I hate getting vouchered again. I first paid in 2019 for a cruise I’ve yet to take due to Covid and war. Viking has just given vouchers and been earning interest off my money all this time!
Mary Moe says
We’re also booked on Viking Sept 5 Amsterdam to Basel. Getting really concerned about the Rhine water levels, especially now seeing what others have to say about so much busing, etc. In addition, we don’t have our flights yet. We did have flights from Tampa to Amsterdam via Atlanta, but that itinerary has been “temporarily unavailable “ for two weeks, apparently due to Delta’s issues here in the U.S. This would be our first river cruise also, so we’re starting to think about cancelling rather than risk having a huge disappointment.
Cathy says
Thank you for this update! Coming from Australia to sail 23rd September, so will be watching this all very closely. Cathy
Angela Burford says
Having just heard on the news about the water levels on the Rhine, this is helpful information. We’re booked on a Viking Paris to Zurich tour on the 20th August. We have heard zero from Viking, the contact number in Australia is unavailable until Monday and there’s nothing on their websites. We’re flying from Sydney on Tuesday. We understand from the contract that Viking make alternative arrangements if the water levels are too low. But, we would have appreciated some sort of communication, so that we and others can prepare for the potential of what looks like compromised enjoyment of the river and worst of all grumpy people who haven’t had time to adapt. Having sucked the Kool Aid from Karine’s wonderful promotions on Viking TV during our Covid lockdowns we are disappointed and surprised they haven’t communicated how they are managing the situation.
Colleen says
Have you heard anything about the rivers of Bordeaux (Dordogne and Garonne) and the Seine?
Mary says
Peter
Awaiting your next post as we are on Viking A/B on Sept 10. Do not want to do a bus/hotel tour for half of trip. We are Viking fans but will rebook in spring if River is impassable. Thanks so much for being our “eyes”
Angela says
Mary, we are on the same trip. Though I would hate for our first Viking cruise to turn into a bus tour, my main reason for this trip is the Oberammagau and Munich (Oktoberfest) add ons, which I hate to miss. Today, we got word from Viking that our direct flight (DC – Amsterdam) was changed to DC – Houston, TX – Amsterdam. Fortunately, I was able to get this changed to a slightly better connection, as I don’t want to fly half way back and forth in the US to start this trip, but it does not bode well for the trip. Fingers crossed!
Allysonz says
I think that we are on the same Viking trip. It’s been miserable. The swapped itinerary has us on unscenic bus trips for hours only to spend an hour or so in a town before we have to get back on the bus. My view from my balcony is a concrete wall
Jim Wiemels says
Any update on how your trip is progressing ? We just saw you post yesterday and it is to late for us to get a voucher. We sail from Budapest to Amsterdam August 24, 2022. Was wondering once you actually board can you sail all the way to Budapest. Thank you
Lynn says
Hello Peter – So sorry about this trip! We are booked on the same trip but not until October 26. So you haven’t been on the ship at all? I would appreciate very much any updates from you! Best of luck for a better journey! Lynn
PETER MAGNUSSON says
Departing 8/14 Amsterdam- Budapest on Viking. Will post about water level impact on trip.
Alec Kynaston Waugh says
I hope you have better luck and experience than we did, back in 2018. A 15 day Amsterdam to Budapest with APT. was a nightmare bus trip , we packed and unpacked for bus or alternative ship 15 times during that period, and the trip of a life time was a horror. In our case the boat should never have left departure port, it got to Cologne, and that was it, long bus days, changed schedules, virtually no river after Day 2. As a further aside, so many boats at berth, our suite and dining view was obstructed by other vessels at every step of the way, pick a cruise on waterways not stacked with other vessels. Still traumatised by the trip, 4 yrs later.
Rob says
Hi, We are departing Budapest on 8/19, going to Regensburg. We hope the Danude is full enough for that trip.
Has anyone had bad experiences lately while traveling from Budapest, the Danude up?
Jill Grove says
We travelled on the 8th and only made it to Passau. We went on to Regensberg by bus.
R Obrien says
Hello , we are taking Viking Sept 4th Budapest to Regensberg , when you topped in Passau did you get to spend your time rather and attend tours.
Rick says
Rob,
Have you had any replies to you inquiry. We are departing Budapest on 8/28 to Regensberg on Viking. We can cancel by tomorrow, 8/12 with full refund. Thinking about cancelling. Don’t feel good about the vague info we are getting from the Viking sales person.
R says
Cancel, but reschedule your trip for a non-drought period. The river is the highlight of the Viking River cruises and too beautiful to be missed. We just returned last month (pre-drought) and a swapped bust tour wouldn’t have been the same. The river experience was incredible!
Carol says
We are on the same cruise… I read somewhere that boarding has not been in Budapest but a few miles away.
Mary says
My sister in law just finished this cruise but reverse. Only a couple of days crusing then long bus ride, boat switch but they couldn’t even cruise into Budapest at the end.
Rick says
Jill,
Which cruise line were your with.
Rob says
Thank you. Hopefully next week things will change. Passau isn’t far from Regensburg, but would really want yo enjoy the entire length of the cruise.
Stewart says
We took this trip early June, with no water issues. Honestly, the section from Passau to Regensburg is nothing special. This section of the Danube is half the width of the lower part, because of all the water entering from the Inn River at Passau. And you would sail at night anyway. Regensburg and Passau are beautiful and you will still get to see those. That said, having to bus would be annoying.
Kathleen Frankovich says
We are leaving Budapest for Passau on Viking on Aug 24. Too late to cancel now. Just have to go in with a positive attitude and hope for the best I guess!
Jim Wiemels says
Hi Kathleen, we are on the same cruise or bus. Have you heard if they are able to sail out of Budapest ? Thanks. Jim Wiemels
Kay V says
Kathleen- please let us know how it went! We are going on sale route on 9/10.
Margaret says
We just got back from Regensburg to Budapest on Viking cruise. Because of low water level we did not get on ship in Regensburg, we embarked in small town in Austria. There was a bus trip that took those who wanted to go to Regensburg for the tour. We remained on our ship the entire way to Budapest. The crew was very nervous that we wouldn’t make it the whole way but luckily a day of rain made it possible.
Rick says
Margaret,
So you did not do any ship swaps the entire journey?
Steve says
Thank you for sharing this information Margaret. We are travelling in mid sept on the Danube, same cruise ( Scenic ) and are anxious about the water levels. Anyone reading this and have any Danube information , please share.
We will do the same when our trip comes.
bduggar says
following. reverse itinerary two weeks later. thanks for posting.
Rick says
bduggar,
Are you traveling on Viking? If so, have you contacted them regarding possible disruptions in travel?
Mary says
I talked to Viking two days ago and the rep said the affected Danube cruises as of now were the Romantic Danube and Danube Waltz. Ours includes Oberammergau and is supposed to leave Aug. 31. We can cancel up to Aug. 28 and he said it might be a good time to do that. Really would love to go mainly for the passion play but also don’t want to be on buses. Would love any updates from cruisers for the Danube/Budapest/Vienna etc. Thank you!
Kay V says
We booked this trip on Emerald leaving 9/10 out of Budapest.
Please let me know how it goes for you! I am hoping the recent rains are helpful!!
Dan Cattone says
Peter we are leaving on the 24th on Scenic same itinerery. Will follow your posts. Good luck.
Brian says
Thank you. We are scheduled to depart Basel for Amsterdam on 8/19 so we will be very interested in your comments. Does Viking ever cancel river cruises due to water levels?
Cathy Beville says
Brian, Please keep us posted on your trip regarding water levels. Thx!
Brian says
I will try to do so. I just don’t know what to expect. I am not pleased with the prospect of being on buses. I was told by Viking today that it would only be one bus trip to change ships one time. If that is correct I can live with that.
Brian says
I have not received any notification from Viking of any specific change in itinerary nor any information concerning a cancellation. From what I am reading from others I believe Viking should cancel and give full refunds. In short, they cannot deliver on what was sold to us. Yes, we could get by with bus rides, and yes, we could begin the journey in the place we planned, we could end as planned in Amsterdam, but the experience looks like it will be substandard in my opinion. Not at all what we thought we were getting. Viking, Basel to Amsterdam 8/19.
David says
Brian, we left Amsterdam on 8/9 to Basel on Viking Hermod. Day 1 and 2 in Kinderdjik and Cologne have been unaffected. Tonight we learned that the ship can’t go much further south than Koblenz. Therefore tomorrow we will do a ship swap. Everyone must pack bags and have them in the hall by 8 am. The morning excursions in the Koblenz area are unaffected. However, the afternoon/evening excursions, including the dinner in Rudeshiem are canceled. At noon Viking is putting us on a smaller river boat for lunch and to cruise the Rhine River gorge. At 4 pm we exit the river and take a 3 hour bus ride in the evening and then board the Viking Sign at 7 pm in time for dinner at Strasbourg. Our luggage will be delivered to our staterooms which should be the identical rooms we currently occupy on the Hermod. This effectively skips the scheduled stop at Speyer and we were told the excursion to Heidelberg was also canceled. So it seems the River is impassable between Koblenz and Strasburg. We are unsure what Viking plans to do about the now seemingly canceled day in Speyer. Perhaps they will bus us back on Saturday. Perhaps we will get two days in Strasburg, or they will add another stop that is a currently not scheduled. Not sure. The cruise has been great, and you should look forward to it.
Brian says
Wow. Sounds difficult. I wonder if Viking might cancel our cruise which is a week out. Thank you for your update. I hope it goes well for you the rest of your trip.
Keith A says
Brian,
Just found this forum. We are scheduled on Viking Basel to Amsterdam 8/30 to 9/6. Talked to Viking Customer Service 3 days ago and were told no disruptions presently. If you could update this during your trip it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Trish C. says
I’m taking the same Viking cruise from Amsterdam to Basel on 8/26 and suspect we’ll have a similar experience. Sad to miss Rudesheim and Heidelberg. Can you let me know what Viking schedules for that extra day?
Leigh Downs says
Trish,
We’re taking this same trip with Viking on August 31st. Please update how your trip goes. Praying for rain!
LAD
Brian says
I don’t have anything new to report other than we had a good day one. From Basel cruised to Breisach and excursions went on as planned. Have not been advised of any itinerary changes. So far, so good. Viking. Basel to Amst. Lv 8/19.
George says
Thank you so much. We’ll be with another cruise line and would really appreciate current conditions of the Rhine and where it is impassable. Please keep updating. We will be leaving Amsterdam on the 25th. Trying to forecast how much time we’ll be on a bus for our river cruise. 🤨😏
Fred says
We’re traveling the Amsterdam to Basel trip Oct 7. That’s a ways off and we are hoping things improve. We will keep checking the updates to see how Viking is handling it.
Let us know how it works out.
Susie says
We left Basel yesterday 13th Aug, and cruising to Amsterdam with Avalon. Thought I’d give interested parties the latest, although similar disruption to David.
Original itinerary
Day 1 Basel
2 Breisach
3 Strasbourg
4 Mainz
5 Rudesheim in morning, cruising to Koblenz in afternoon with free time in Koblenz
6 Cologne
7 Amsterdam
8 Disembark Amsterdam
At the welcome meeting we were advised of the (expected) disruptions. The boat will travel as far as Strasbourg where it will stay two nights, missing the stop at Mainz (where we had booked & were looking forward to visiting the Gutenberg museum-an included excursion). Day hiking excursion of Philosophers Way also cancelled. Instead they are bussing us to Heidelberg & offering a city tour and lunch, with an afternoon at leisure in the town, before returning to Strasbourg.
On Wednesday we will disembark the ship at Strasbourg, to swap with the ship that left Amsterdam at the same time. They will bus us to the Rudesheim Music Museum (the excursion we had chosen) & local lunch. They are trying to organise a small boat to do a cruise in the gorge in the afternoon, but this is apparently getting too shallow for even the small local boats. The other two Rudesheim excursion options don’t seem to be running, (not surprising as one was using ship bikes).
We will then continue by coach & transfer to the sister ship waiting in Koblenz, and continue onto Amsterdam. Also joining us will be the passengers of an Italian cruise doing the same route as us, (but don’t have an equivalent ship of their own to swap with). We will then be nearly full. Currently sailing with 92 passengers, with a ship capacity of 168.
We are being offered monetary compensation for the inconvenience. Cruising through the gorge in the afternoon on day 5, (Rudesheim to Koblenz), was going to be a highlight, laying in bed looking out of the full panoramic windows, but if a small ship can be arranged this would be something. They are doing their best, and with drought across Europe, it is just unfortunate timing. Of course, we would have preferred our original itinerary & not having to change boats & spend time on buses rather than relaxing on board. If passengers choose to cancel now they are onboard, they have been offered a proportional refund, but with most passengers having pre-booked flights / connections out of Amsterdam, I very much doubt anyone would take up this option. I’ve not heard any complaining, & having been aware of low water levels before leaving the UK, it was not unexpected. Many passengers are from the US & further afield were joining this boat as part of a larger European trip, so again cancelling at this point would have given them logistical problems too.
Of course this is as of 13th August. There is apparently no rain being forecast over the next 2 weeks, so things may well change further & maybe even for us.
Karen says
We are scheduled for August 22 and I am very nervous and anxious to follow this thread.
Ana Nazario Tagliaferro says
We’re going on the Romantic Danube- departing August 26. Very Interested on how your trip goes.
John says
Peter, please let us know how your trip is progressing through these low river depths. Has it become a bus tour versus river? We are scheduled for the Grand European 8/26 from Budapest to Amsterdam. May cancel.
Henrietta C. McGowan says
Thanks so much. We sail 9/12 from Amsterdam to Budapest. Very concerned. Waited 3 years due to Covid and if bus trips are the option will find another.
Stacy says
We’re on the same itinerary (Scenic Jasper from AMS 9/12). Hopefully water levels will improve by then. Worst case, hoping to coach to Frankfurt and board there for the last 9-10 days to BUD. Water levels on the Main look good. Thanks to everyone for all the info on this site.
G Rose says
We were going to be on the same ship in September, leaving 9/12, and after my husband read your comment, we decided on a cruise to the Mediterranean next fall. He did not want to go on a bus tour either. Thanks for your comment. 👍 Henrietta
Peggy Biernacki says
Peter, it will be good to see your updates. We did that cruise last year and it was wonderful. Of course, they had a flood two months before so water was in no danger of being too low. Plus, it was just after they started sailing again from Covid so the ship was not completely full. We are scheduled this year from Zurich to Paris in late September. We scheduled just in time to have Viking’s risk free guarantee and can reschedule as long as it is more than 14 days out so we will be watching these postings carefully for the next couple of weeks.
Brian says
Thanks Peter. We will be watching. We are sceduled on Viking Basel to Amsterdam 8/19.
Brian
Harold says
Scheduled for same cruise in early Sept. Would very much appreciate a recap of your experience!
John Noonan says
We are going on the same cruise in early September. Any word on Uniworld cruises?
John
Kelly says
We are sailing Basel to Amsterdam September 18th. Please update after your trip
Karen says
Would love to hear about levels…scheduled for 9/4
Ruth says
We are traveling Sept 3 Budapest to Regensburg and are also concerned. Would love info
Nora says
Very interested in your experience. We are doing same trip but not until Sep 9th. I’m doing rain dances for Europe!
asha says
We are doing Budapest to Amsterdam 22 Sept.
I am praying your rain dance is a BIG success!!!:)
Sandy says
I just returned last night from the Viking Budapest to Amsterdam cruise. We had to do the ship switch at Passau. That went just fine. However we had to leave the cruise ship and travel by bus the last three days. The river was so low you could see the bottom, and probably could have walked across it. Viking did their best by providing good accommodations and meals along the way. Of course a relaxing sail beats a bus ride any day. Hope you are able to complete your journey!
Frank says
Leaving on same European grand tour on Viking on 8/12/22 and just got a notice that we will have to coach from Amsterdam to Frankfort.
Hopefully it won’t get lower once we’re underway.
Glenn says
our sailing date is September 9th.
Looking forward to reading your post
George says
I am looking forward to your post. I will be travelling the following week and am curious how far ships are getting past Cologne and close to Koblenz. Thanks in advance.
Aimee Lightsey says
Today we are cancelling our Viking Rhine cruise that starts in September.
This was from an interview with the head of the ICPR:
—————————————————————
‘“If it stays dry then we are going to have a big problem,” said Marc Daniel Heintz, the head of the secretariat at the International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine (ICPR), an organization through which countries coordinate efforts to cut pollution.
Over coffee on the first floor of the ICPR’s office overlooking the Rhine in Koblenz, just meters from where it meets the Moselle, Heintz said it would now take prolonged, torrential rainfall to meaningfully increase the depth.
Such downpours aren’t forecasted for the next two weeks, and levels at the Kaub chokepoint are already lower than they were at the same point in 2018 ahead of that October’s historic low of 25 centimeters.’
Source:
http://www.politico.eu/article/germany-rhine-river-climate-change-heath-shallow-rhine-undermines-europes-waterways-push/
Bruce Hohler says
Just canceled our 8/27 departure Buda pest to Amsterdam. Took voucher to reschedule. Water levels will turnout into a bus trip
Sally says
Who were you booked with and did they offer you the cancellation? We are due to do Amsterdam to Basel on 8/26 with Avalon, so very concerned as really wouldn’t want a coach trip.
Aimee Lightsey says
Today we are cancelling our Viking Rhine cruise that starts in September.
This was from an interview with the head of the ICPR:
—————————————————————
‘“If it stays dry then we are going to have a big problem,” said Marc Daniel Heintz, the head of the secretariat at the International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine (ICPR), an organization through which countries coordinate efforts to cut pollution.
Over coffee on the first floor of the ICPR’s office overlooking the Rhine in Koblenz, just meters from where it meets the Moselle, Heintz said it would now take prolonged, torrential rainfall to meaningfully increase the depth.
Such downpours aren’t forecasted for the next two weeks, and levels at the Kaub chokepoint are already lower than they were at the same point in 2018 ahead of that October’s historic low of 25 centimeters.’
Source:
http://www.politico.eu/article/germany-rhine-river-climate-change-heath-shallow-rhine-undermines-europes-waterways-push/
Aimee Lightsey says
Today we will be cancelling our Rhine Viking Cruise that leaves in September.
This article was posted recently with an interview with the head of the ICPR:
————————————————————————————————–
“‘If it stays dry then we are going to have a big problem,’ said Marc Daniel Heintz, the head of the secretariat at the International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine (ICPR), an organization through which countries coordinate efforts to cut pollution.
Over coffee on the first floor of the ICPR’s office overlooking the Rhine in Koblenz, just meters from where it meets the Moselle, Heintz said it would now take prolonged, torrential rainfall to meaningfully increase the depth.
Such downpours aren’t forecasted for the next two weeks, and levels at the Kaub chokepoint are already lower than they were at the same point in 2018 ahead of that October’s historic low of 25 centimeters.”
Source: https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-rhine-river-climate-change-heath-shallow-rhine-undermines-europes-waterways-push/
Frank Drinkhouse says
We personally have a whole ship charter with Croisi Europe, from Passau to Budapest, so we are hopeful. We sail Aug. 19th from Passau to Budapest, disembarking Aug. 23. We will try to post.
The Danube has locks and can hopefully control water levels better than the Rhine. Our MS Douce France has a draft of 1.6 M so we are hopeful. We chartered three ships in 2019 and Croisi has been wonderful to partner with. Soooo looking forward to sunsets on the Danube with a glass of Red and our French chef and the hardworking Croisi crew.
Happy sailing and don’t forget why you want to travel… Flying to MUC soon…. Best wishes to all my fellow river cruising fans. Europe beckons an your neighbors will be home cutting their grass while you hopefully will be sailing with a shallow keel and a happy heart. We’ll toast to you all from Vienna!
Barb Talbott says
We are scheduled to embark on the Jarl on August 21st in Budapest, heading to Regensberg. Hopefully we can wave as we cruise along the Danube. There are ten of us, so we will have fun on whatever this adventure turns out to be. Life is about experiences.
Anna says
We tried to cruise Danube in August 2018 – water levels so low the ship could not reach Budapest from Austria, so first night in a hotel instead of on board, then 4 hour coach journey to finally get to our first boat in Austria, missing the best bit of cruising on the whole Danube. Cruised till near German border then boat swap to far side of Passau. The first lock we came across was in Germany – water levels on main Rhine were fine – so if the Rhine is now so low (we were there 25 July to 1 August this year and on one of the last boats to make an uninterrupted trip) I’m not optimistic about the Danube, but really hope I’m wrong.
Peggy Biernacki says
The Rhine also has locks. We went through many, many locks on our Grand European on the Rhine last year.
Jon the Traveler says
I am also a river cruiser going on my 6th Viking cruise in November. I experienced all the low water during 2018 which was worth it .. We did a ship swap which was seamless. Viking gave us a bonus lunch cruise on a very beautiful boat going Through the middle Rhine. I would never cancel…. never cancel… it’s too much experiences that change as you take different cruises why not enjoy it changes . Please keep me In tune because I will be leaving to Amsterdam for November 3rd to November 14th vikings sail to Switzerlandi…..
Susan says
Thank you! We are looking forward to our Danube A-Rosa River boat trip (postponed since 2020) departing 28 Aug 2022. Your wonderful positive outlook is great! We will be going and will make the best of what ever happens. 🙂 Round trip Passau, Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava, Wachau, Krem, Melk, Passau. Will watch the posts for news. Best to all due to travel soon. Have FUN.
Matt says
Day 1 on Viking Amsterdam to Basel.
On the boat in Amsterdam and they say that we ought to be on the boat for 3 days before a possible interruption. Current rain in Basel might help…we’ll see.
Lynne says
Thanks Matt. We’re going from Basel to Amsterdam the first week of September so are watching your comments with great interest.
Joy Blum says
very interested too. We board Viking in Amsterdam September 6.
Joy Blum says
oops. We board in Basel September 6 going to Amsterdam.
Gary says
Ditto, as we embark on the 06th at Basel too 🤞
Angela says
I’m also watching the posts as we are traveling Amsterdam to Basel on September 10.
Lisa says
We did Amsterdam to Basel 7/24 – 7/31. We had to go slow due to water levels. Each day was questionable as to whether or not the ship would be allowed to continue. We got lucky and made it to Basel. We heard we were the last Viking ship in that direction at that time. Hopefully they got rain.
Brenda says
We are also going Viking from Basel to Amsterdam first of September.. I actually regret that I started reading all these comments about water levels… oh, the things we have no control over! Rain is certainly one of those things! I live on a lake in Austin TX and it is so low. Been praying for rain for months… just didn’t think of praying for rain along the Rhine until now.
Alec says
We had a dreadful experience with Apt in 2018.Keepingit simple the cruise should never have left Amerstdam.A glorified bus trip,on a very expensive 15day cruise. A nightmare, low water levels were known by the company prior to DPT,elaborate con then took place.
Gabriella says
On Viking from Basel to Amsterdam. We started on August 5th. We had to switch to a sister boat today. Left Strasbourg by bus to Speyer for that visit. Then bus to Braubach to get on new boat to continue to Koblanz. Missed stopping in Rudesheim completely. Yes it unfortunate, but quite frankly there a bigger things in the world that are problematic. Viking has handled it well. So we had to pack and sit on a bus. As my husband says “First world problems”.
Marie H Larson says
Good update Gabriella. We are to leave Basel to Amsterdam on Aug 16. Forecast is for rain around that time so keeping fingers crossed. Please update as you can.
Marie
Jean says
Thanks for sharing. Our family leaves from Basel to Amsterdam on 8/27, so I’m thankful for updates from those on the Rhine now. Enjoy!
Jean
Dale Collisson says
Hello Jean, we are on the Aug 27th trip as well (B to A) Assuming you are on Viking also. Will be nice to meet you on the cruise. Keeping are fingers crossed that we get some good rain before we depart.
Kala Hajduk says
We too are traveling Basel to Amsterdam August 16. Looking forward to it, come what may. As Gabriella said above “first world problems “
Jon the Traveler says
That’s a great attitude……. I love hearing that. I did not mind sitting on the bus for 3 hours. The experienced in Europe every minute is just so enjoyable. The people are fantastic…… Enjoy your cruise
Annette says
Gabriella. Thanks for posting on the trip from Basal to Amsterdam. I booked a life time trip for my elderly siblings and their spouses that leaves Basal on Aug 26. I booked many excursions outside of Viking when we were supposed to be in port. I have spend hours calling Viking daily begging for information, not about my trip….they obviously cannot predict the future. I just needed guidance about what to expect based on how your trip is going and what Viking is currently doing. At all levels, they have refused to give me any information. If it wasn’t for your generosity in posting, I would be clueless. I have until Aug 12 to cancel but that is not what I want to do. Life is fragile at 75. Who knows if they will be healthy enough next year. But I need to know whether to cancel my excursion in Strasbourg in the pm. When did they bus you to Speyer? In the morning? I cancelled the Rudesheim evening activity but need information about when you got to Koblenz and left.
Thank you in advance for taking time out of your trip to help. I saved for 10 years to give this gift to my siblings. I just want to make this the best I can for them.
Thank you.
Annette
Karen says
Annette…Your post brought tears to my eyes…I hope you get to have a fabulous trip. We are doing A to B the 4 of Sept. Hope things improve!
Jill madill says
My husband and I are also booked with Viking Basel to Amsterdam on August 26th. I’ve been concerned about our flights with such tight connections. Now I’m concerned about the water levels. Too late to cancel so we are going knowing that there will be challenges and disruptions. Just trying to keep positive and know that we will be getting to see parts of Europe we would not have seen otherwise. We are taking carry on bags so we won’t worry about airlines losing them.
It won’t be the trip we were expecting, but there will be places to see and great people like your family to meet!
There will be stories to tell and experiences to share when we get home.
Appreciate all the comments and the info.
Jill M
Canada
Barbara says
Thank you so much for the update! We are supposed to be leaving September 1 Amsterdam to Bucharest and are quite concerned. I would appreciate you sharing information along the way. We are traveling with Grand Circle. I called them and they are not giving out information.
Phil says
Thanks Matt. I cruise from Basil to Amsterdam on August 21. I would appreciate you letting us know how your cruise is progressing. Rain in Basil is promising news.
Matt says
Day 2 on Viking Amsterdam to Basel
Minor schedule adjustments. Boat is traveling slower than normal. Capt says running at normal speed in the lower water will cause the boat to shake.. Ok.
Will be moving to another boat after night 3
Karen says
Flying to Amsterdam tomorrow for the same cruise. Please keep us posted on events and thanks for doing so so far. We had a similar similar problem on the Elbe with a ship swap- Bussed to Dresden from Prague and then bussed to Wittenburg. Neither ship sailed at all. Very disappointed!
Matt says
Day 3 Amsterdam to Basel
Dropped off about 30mins from Cologne because the boat is traveling too slowly to drop in Cologne. No big deal.
Boarding the tour bus in the morning to go to the next stop(?) then on to the next boat. They have not said yet, but it is near Strausberg. Not sure how long this will take or what kind of inconvenience this will cause. At least with the Silver spirit package… nothing is off the menu… even the $500 bottle Highland Park Ragnvald and JW Blue 🙂
Matt says
Ok more on Day 4 tomorrow.
Stop in Koblenz. Take walking tour. Get on smaller boats to go up river 3 hours to see the sights on the river. Then 3 hours on the awesome bus to Strausberg. We are missing one or two stops (?). I am not sure.
Pat says
Thanks Matt for the updates. Keep them coming we are doing this same cruise at the beginning of September.
Tina Hill says
Thanks for the update. We are traveling Amsterdam to Basel beginning on August 28. I have until this Friday to cancel. Please keep the news coming! Thank you. Did you get to see Cologne before driving to the next stop?
Lori says
We are doing that trip in late September…..please post how it goes.
Tara Culver says
Us too – I’m following
Scott says
Matt, looking forward to your 3 day comment ( and further updates) on your experience and any issues with water depth. We are on the September 13th boat Basel – Amsterdam.
Susan says
We are leaving on 20.8. On Croisicruice Amsterdam – Basel and im little worried 😥 sure these are the ”first world problem” but when you are waiting your only long vacay from work so loooong and planned all this trip and stuff, this makes me sad. Very boring if they just tranfer us by bus, cos that’s not what i pay for 😕 specialy if you dont get to visit in every town you suposed to. Would be nicer that they makes the decision to call this off and pay money back, or you got change to reschedule.
Jon the Traveler says
Nice news…..Enjoy
Jane Cole says
We’re currently finishing up a trip on Uniworld’s La Venezia – northern Italy and Venice. We were not able to cruise on the Po river due to low water levels. We did plenty of cruising in the bay with bus trips to some of the sights
David says
Even AMA Waterways are now halted on the Rhine. The Amasiena is docked in Koblenzand unable to proceed through the gorge.
David says
Update on Aug. 10: Despite having the smallest draft (160 cm) of all the cruise ships AMA was unable to navigate the Rhine gorge on August 8. We bused to Rudesheim for day then back to Koblenz for the night. Boarded buses the next morning for Heidelberg and on to Strasbourg where we boarded a sister ship to continue to Basel, to arrive tonight. Rumors that Viking and others are canceling trips for foreseeable future but, no one is sure. Water levels are now lower than 2018 when AMA was only company able to cruise the Rhine. Very frustrating, but nature is in control.
Ian MacFadden says
Update please?
Ian MacFadden says
Thanks David. We’re coming from Canada for Basel – Amsterdam on Sept. 26. Your comments are really helpful.
RLW says
Please share any current information available about the Elbe River. A friend and I are scheduled to sail with Viking on the Prague to Berlin itinerary, departing on September 15th. As many know, the Elbe is normally much more shallow than the greats — the Danube and the Rhine. Unlike last year, rainfall in Europe this summer has been scarce. The previous time I was to sail the Elbe, in 2018 if I recall, I was able to cancel and receive a refund when, one week before embarking, Viking emailed that we’d be busing between ports. We river cruise aficionados know that the whole point of paying the high prices is to travel on the river. I’m concerned about a repeat of this experience, but it’s not ending happily.
Jennifer says
How are you able to receive a full refund on your cruise we were considering canceling and bought the additional insurance. But reading over the fine print it looks like it has to be a medical or some type of excuse like that to get the full refund
ken says
We bought our cruise in January 2021 under their no risk guarantee. We can cancel up to 24 hours before our flight leaves and get 100% of all monies paid on the form of a voucher.
Katherine says
On Viking, even with a medical reason, you receive only a partial refund. Viking is keeping almost 50% of the total cruise price with documentation of not being able to travel due to a medical situation reason 88 days out. Read the fine print. The trip insurance is practically worthless.
Mary says
We did the Viking No Risk guarantee like Ken said that they offered during Covid – I talked to Viking yesterday and we will get 100% back to put onto another Viking cruise within 24 months (sign up during that time, not cruise). The agent said “since you’re iffy this might be a good time to use it.” We are on the Oberagammau to Budapest on the Danube and he did say that the Romantic Danube and Danube Waltz were affected by the water levels. We are set to leave the 31st and have until the 28th to cancel so just trying to get as much info as possible before deciding!
Pennie says
Jennifer,
We had the no risk guarantee, but did not cancel it time. We had purchased additional travel insurance through Viking. Our travel agent says we submit to the travel insurance company, who will deny it, since it is not for a covered reason. Then Viking will issue a travel voucher for the trip. Voucher must be USED, not booked, within 12 months, not 24 like the no risk guarantee. It is also not transferrable. I am just glad to be getting out of this seeming hell of a trip, and the chance to travel again in better conditions.
Brenda says
RLW – There are 4 of us scheduled for the same Sept 15t Elbe cruise. I am researching as much as I can, trying to determine whether this will be a cruise or a bus trip. If you hear anything of substance please post. I will do the same. I called and a Viking rep explained that “if it is decided that your trip will be DRASTICALLY affected, then we will let you know either before or after the issuance of documents.” Huh? Hope to see you on the Elbe with satisfactory water levels. 🙂
Curt G says
We are going on the Amsterdam-Budapest cruise departing Aug 2. I just contacted Viking to attempt to change this to a 2023 trip. They would not allow it. When I asked why we weren’t notified 2 weeks ago when we still could have changed at no cost, they said the water levels change daily and that it could rise. This is very unlikely given the current forecast in Europe. They quoted the contract stating that “itinerary changes may be made in the event of low water levels”. When asked why they are just contacting people 2 days prior, they said it is a day by day thing and our cruise is currently not on the problem list. However based on what everyone is saying is happening and the official water level reports, there is no question that Viking River cruises departing in the next few weeks will be heavily impacted. It is clear that Viking knows that water levels are extremely low, and that they are not telling customers until it’s too late that they will be having a less than desirable experience, and that they are refusing to allow changes without large penalties.
Stacey says
We received this message 22 hours before our outbound flight tomorrow:
“This message is to update you with a further change in your embarkation. Due to unavoidable scheduling changes as a consequence of low water levels on the Danube River, your ship has been changed to an identical sister ship, Viking Vali.”
No further explanation
Carol H says
We are sailing August 24 Amsterdam to Budapest and just wondering what you are now hearing and experiencing from Viking about river levels
ken says
Current River level in Budapest 3’ 6” Viking has sent out an update on low water levels. We have canceled our August 11 trip on Viking due to low water levels and hearing that it’s mostly a bus trip.
Bruce Hohler says
Just canceled our 8/27 Grand European yesterday…water levels will not improve over the next 2 weeks for sure. No rain forecast. German observers said they need 2 weeks of torrential rain to bring levels up.
Anna says
From our experience that means you are starting on a sister ship of the one you booked on, they are in the wrong locations because of low water and you could well do a ship swap which will result in you joining your original ship at some point. We did the Trier to Basel cruise 25 July on the sister ship to the one we were booked on and were extremely lucky to be able to cruise the whole way. I suspect we were probably the last Viking cruise ship to manage the full trip in current circumstances.
Jennifer Jester says
The ms Rotterdam was to dock in Amsterdam on July 24 and we were informed Saturday night that the ship was being directed to Rotterdam. Holland America had to scramble to move departing and newly arriving passengers in Rotterdam. Keep an eye on your luggage! We received ours at 7:00 pm Sunday night.
Martin M says
We just got notification that our Rhine Scenic Cruise Basel to Amsterdam starting Aug 5 has been cancelled due to low water levels.
Jillcannistraro says
Is that on viking? I am going from Amsterdam to Basil on the fifth haven’t heard anything.
Barthy Setty says
Reaally. We are too. No notice yet.
David says
What line has cancelled this cruise?
No word of cancellations from AMA Waterways’ Aug. 4 departure from Amsterdam (yet).
Not looking good for August.
Catherine E says
We did the Scenic Basel to Amsterdam arriving there on July 27th. The Rhine was drying up behind us all the way. The ship we were on was unlikely to make it back to Basel, without significant rain, which wasn’t happening.
Linda Gilmore says
Hi Martin,
We are going Basel to Amsterdam on Viking on Aug. 6….we have not heard anything other thanthe water is low. Your entire cruise is cancelled?
Linda Gilmore says
Martin,
Who told you this? We are on Basel to Amsterdam on Viking embarking Aug. 6 and have not been told this.
Dale Collisson says
What is your cruise line?
Dale Collisson says
Any update to your cruise?
Deborah White says
Which river boat line?
Kathleen says
Are you on Viking?
We’re on an upcoming Basel to Amsterdam Rhine cruise and have only 4 days left to cancel without losing all our money. We will be disappointed not to go – but concerned about missing out on the chance to cruise vs buses and hotels. Any advice appreciated by those on the Rhine.
Ron says
Kathleen,
We have until the 10th to cancel Viking, same direction. Have you heard any updates?
Tina Hill says
I also need to cancel by this Friday and am really not sure what to do.
RLW says
Please let us all know which cruise line cancelled your trip. Thanks!
Does anyone have any news about Viking’s Elegant Elbe River cruises?
Karen says
What line were you on?
Susan says
We did a 2019 Viking cruise Amsterdam to Budapest. River levels were low and they bussed us to another boat, which was annoying but they did offer us half price on a future cruise which hopefully we are doing next month on the Rhone river in France. Had the trip canceled/postponed twice bc of Covid. Now looking for info on Rhône levels.
richard green says
We are to do the same cruise on Viking Magni starting Aug. 14, but have not heard a word from Viking. The draft for that ship is 2 meters. Checking current water levels at several of the ports tells us levels are less than 2 meters. When will Viking pull the plug?
Niki Nikolaus says
Water levels are changing day to day. Viking ships have far less than 2 meters draft. And how do you interpret the water levels you get via the internet. Not a single waterlevel is indicating the water depth, they are all just showing the variation towards a point ficed to a certain sea level. Its all really complicated!
Aimee Lightsey says
Richard is right.
For the Viking Longships, the draft can vary from 1.50m to 2m.
Katherine Mann says
Would love to hear an update on your cruising situation.
ken says
We are scheduled to leave the 10 th. Below is from Viking. We are going to cancel. Did not pay for a bus trip
The Rhine and Danube Rivers are currently experiencing unusually low water levels, and our nautical team is monitoring the situation minute-by-minute. To varying degrees, these low water levels will affect select river itineraries. Guests and their Travel Advisors will continue to be notified directly by Viking Customer Relations if we think that their itinerary might be impacted.
Gwen Lemberg says
Viking is awful about this situation. Happened to us in 2018 and haven’t book a Viking Cruise since. Their cancellation offer was awful.
Aimee Lightsey says
We have a 2 week limit also to decide about our Viking Rhine cruise in September. Since we cannot chance having disruptions and busing, we will cancel rather than wait to see.
If we had more leeway we might wait longer, but since they make us decide two weeks in advance we will cancel now.
Stacey says
We are booked on Viking Tir for Grand European departing 7/28/2022. Anyone have water level info?
cam says
Our recent Viking river cruise was affected by low river levels, but the ship-swap procedure went flawlessly, barely interrupting the trip!
STACEY says
Thanks for the encouragement.
Diana says
Which River did you cruise? I have a Viking Rhine cruise 9/14 and am starting to watch the water levels
Marnie says
We are on a Viking Basel to Amsterdam, embarking on Sept. 16; concerned about water levels also. R U on this same tour? Viking Alruna?
We have not heard a word from Viking, have you?
Heidi says
We are on the Alruna 8/13 Amsterdam to Basel. We’re not sure what to expect.
Angela says
We are on the Viking Alruna from Amsterdam to Basel on September 10-17, so I am following these updates.
Matt B says
were you on Rhine or Danube?……….did you have any diversion to a bus?
Larry Magas says
Just cruised into Budapest from upriver. No problem. But had to board in Passau as not enough water to start cruise in Regensburgh last week. Was in Viking. Great cruise & crew.
Stacey says
We are currently on the Grand European tour so I can give you an update. After transferring to three ships and one hotel, we arrived in Passau yesterday. Due to the low water levels our ship can go no further. This morning we were bussed 1.5 hours to and from Regensburg. We are moving to another ship tomorrow and will be bussed somewhere near Nuremberg to board. It is after 6pm and we have no details about tomorrow’s schedule or packing requirements.
Dana says
As of late yesterday (Aug 3), Viking posted “they are monitoring” low water levels but since they own there ships are planning to use them as hotels and bus people from one to another/ship swapping up and down the Rhine and Danube. No mention of canceling any upcoming cruises. I know they’ve struggled significantly with COVID-19 stopping business for 2 years but they won’t have many happy customers if they’ve paid for a cruise verses bus trip! Many river cruise customers have some mobility/endurance issues and paid not to pack up daily and be forced to live out of a suitcase to see Europe.
There is no rain forecast more than a 45% for .03” in 3 locations along the Rhine for August. I hope Viking makes some wise decisions sooner rather than later.
shari says
My husband sopke to Viking yesterday about our upcoming cruise and the water levels, sharing with them the fact that due to mobility issues a bus was not a great alternative for us and should we cancel? They assured us there were no issues at present and that we should just stay the course. In reading all these reviews it does concern me about the honesty of the PR people at viking and where the truth lies, I think I know. Wishing fr the best, good luck to al and let it rain at least for a couple of days.
richard green says
This is what I was predicting. We start the Grand tour on Aug. 14 in Amsterdam. Looks like you will be on at least 4 ships. Hope you make it to Budapest.
richard green says
2 questions: How many hours have you been on a bus? How many hours has the ship(s) actually sailed? We paid to cruise the rivers, not spend hours on a bus, and only unpack once for 16 days.
Ted says
Stacey we are are scheduled for that cruise on Aug.27. It does not sound good. I do not want to do two week bag drag. I would really appreciate an update from you to help me with my cancellation decision.
Bruce Hohler says
cancel…no water and no rain forecast
richard green says
Stacey, would like to hear about the remaining part of your trip. In 3 days we fly to Amsterdam to do the Grand Tour starting Aug. 14. We do not want to be spending days on a bus instead of cruising on the rivers.
Robert A Miller says
What is the value of producing 3-4 year-old comments – water levels are not predictable . What are eth river levels TODAY please.
Ralph Grizzle says
Read the comments chronologically and you’ll get an idea of current conditions. We’re unable to provide today’s water levels on all rivers. There’s a comment from today, for example, that says the Danube is low.
Susan Tullis says
How about the Rhine?? Is it affecting Viking cruises between Basel and Amsterdam? Our cruise is scheduled for August 20th and we are terribly concerned
Bob Ralston says
What cruise line? We are on Tauck Amsterdam to Basel on August 10 and are worried
Debbie says
We just got back from a Rhine cruise on Uniworld and we only had a foot below the boat. They handled it beautifully, no interruption. I have to, I would be very worried. If cruising in August. I sure wouldn’t want to do the boat swamp. Just my opinion.
Jan says
We will be on this tour/ Inspire on 8-10. Just received an email fr Tauck, saying river levels may cause disruptions
Ellen Cook says
Susan, we are also on this cruise from A to B, first time river cruisers. I’m trying to stay positive! Will keep watching posts…
Dale Collisson says
Did you get a reply regarding your Aug 20 Viking trip? We’re going a week later.
Dale Collisson says
Hello Susan, have you heard any news regarding your Aug 20 Viking trip Basel to Amsterdam?
We would be very interested in what Viking is communicating to you.
Ellen Cook says
Dale, we’ve gotten no news at all. On Viking Tialfi from Amsterdam to Basel w Oberammergau August 20 and keeping fingers crossed!
Dale Collisson says
Thank you Ellen, greatly appreciated. Please keep me posted.
Susan Tullis says
No, just that “they’re monitoring” water levels. We are assuming we’ll have to switch ships at some point. Has anyone asked if the low river has a stench??
Susan Tullis says
P.S. today after calling Viking we were told the excursions will not be affected. Duh! They’re on land, so of course not! Sad, sad, sad.
Matt says
We leave for Amsterdam in two days for the Viking cruise (now likely a bus tour) to Basel. I will try to update here with details of the busing adventure.
Ellen Crowley says
Thank you, Matt! We all will greatly appreciate your taking the time to update us on your experience. Good luck in your travels!
Karen Borkes says
Please keep us updated…leave Sept 4
Diane Bowers says
Matt keep the updates coming. We leave for cruise A to B on 11th Aug. thanks Diane
Dale Collisson says
Thanks Susan T. for the update. Looks like we’ll probably be doing some ship swapping along the way with our Viking trip on the 27th.
( B to A ). At least we think the temperature will be nice.
Bruce Hohler says
Rhine. 47cm….and dropping on 8/11
Gaius Gracchus says
Yes, the reputation of Viking is abysmal when it comes to customer service, especially in cases of low water issues.
Tauck does a good job and apparently Grand Circle.
If there is a chance of low water, Viking is the last company you want to book with. Not to mention their shady habit of demanding full payment over 2 years in advance of the cruise (when we had to pay ours).
Steve Jacks says
Utter rubbish! No cruise company is better placed to deal with lower water issues than Viking, due to the fact that they have 4 times as many ships as anyone else. You may get swapped to another ship but at least you’re not stuck in one place for days on end.
Tauck? I don’t where you got that from. Average ratings everywhere you look.
Clearly, you’re still a little peeved at having to pay up in advance (as if that ever happened) but you had the choice if not booking or finding a cruise with another company.
Please disregard fake review from this nonce, it’s total BS.
Andy Cory says
Here here Steve …. Viking second to none
cam says
agreed!
yay Viking!
camille says
agreed! Viking was amazing, the ship swap barely disrupted our (july ’22) river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest! Viking handled it flawlessly!
Linda Schooley says
Where was the swap? We go from Basel to Amsterdam next week (August 5). Thanks!
Matt says
We are on Aug 6 as well… we are nervous
Kenny says
Viking did an incredible job swapping out ships on our July 2022 Grand European Cruise. We started on the Modi and swapped ships with no issues at all. Go Viking!
Dale says
As a 45-year luxury cruise agent veteran, when it comes to low or high water conditions you want the cruise line with the most identical ships. That line is Viking with multiple ships on all European rivers. If needed they will move passengers easily from one ship to the identical cabin on another ship. Other than the name of the ship – nothing changes. If you are booked on a cruise line with only 1 or 2 ships on an entire river and your ship is unable to move – you will spend long hours on a bus.
Klewbrew says
Dale, agree with your Viking comments. But keep in mind that not all Viking Boats are in the same condition. The Modi is one of the newer boats which is wonderful. Identical in structure and décor, our 2nd ship was quite worn and in need of simple minor repairs: Cabin carpet, curtains and pull rods etc. Lack of communication re: boat transfers are weak. Also we spent way too much time on our buses, ( ours got lost and we got pulled over by the Police/immigration that wanted to see our passports). I get sick on buses so this was not what I paid for.
BT says
While ship changes and busses keep the cruise going…numerous
packing and unpacking 2 wks of clothes is a PIA
jrs says
We have a Viking cruise scheduled for this coming Saturday 7/23/2022. Seriously concerned about the current water levels and what is going to happen.
Martha Alvarez says
Have you heard anything
jrs says
No. I called Viking twice. I was told there have not been any alterations and all ships are sailing as scheduled. However, I have read different information on social media.
Ken says
I spoke with Logan today from Viking. He acknowledged on the Danube the are having to bus certain segments due to low water. We have a Danube cruise coming up soon
Linda says
My parents are currently on a Viking River Cruise through the Danube (started 7/17/2022), they have been forced to use buses two days already due to “low water levels” and there’s no end in sight. Viking never told them about low water issues beforehand. I doubt Viking will even offer to give them any refunds, probably at most give them discount off their next cruise, which would be worthless.
Ken says
Ugh! We are scheduled for the August 11 Oberammergau cruise on Viking. I understand they can’t control the weather but if you are selling a river cruise it would seem they should offer other options if they cannot deliver on what they are selling. Appears all the risk lies with the customer.
Erlinmeyer says
It’s in the Passenger Ticket Contract. I know, nobody reads those things.
Bonnie Waskiewicz says
Which cruise are your parents on? We are going from Budapest to Bucharest the end of August…concerned… not interested in a bus trip. Any updated would be appreciated
Kelly says
We are also on the July 23rd cruise. Just received email to day to expect bussing & possible boat swap. NOT thrilled!
John Merriman says
My brother is on a Viking cruise right now. 10 hours on a bus yesterday, and preparing to get off the second boat and back on the buses. Total bummer of a trip
ken says
John, which cruise?
Kelly Nichols says
We are also set to sail on the 23rd. We received an email yesterday from Viking. Low water level expect busses and possible not swap. Not happy !
Kdsays says
I pray your trip goes well!! I have a trip for August so I can only hope all goes well.
Silas McCharen says
We are leaving Basel on July 26 on Viking. Any update on water levels?
Gaius Gracchus says
Ewwwwwhhh….. troll must be working for Viking?
Clearly it is not a fake review.
So if you don’t agree with someone else’s perspective, you feel the need to do some nasty name-calling and trolling…. LOL!
Grow up, Steve.
Jim says
And who are we to believe? It’s important to us. We have a cruise with Viking on the Rhine end of August. With all the research I’ve done and will continue to do it seems that You have a better chance to stay on the river as much as possible due to the number of vessels they have.
Lynne says
August 31st by chance?
J. King says
The Rhine is the least likely river to experience high/low water fluctuations; however, that said, it is experiencing low water levels right now which can affect commercial traffic. Since the commercial ships have a much deeper draft than any of the river cruise boats, I don’t think there will be a problem.
Gaius Gracchus says
QUOTE:
“Keep in mind that your cruise line may not even be required to tell you of the rescheduled vacation until you arrive at the port. (Some river cruise lines, including >>> Tauck River Cruising <<<and Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection, belong to the Cruise Lines International Association, whose new passenger bill of rights requires them to offer “timely information updates” as to any adjustments in the itinerary of the ship resulting from an emergency.)"
Steve Jacks says
Utter rubbish!!! No cruise company is better placed to deal with low water issues than Viking due the fact that they have 4 times as many ships as everyone else. You might get swapped to another ship but at least you’re not stuck down river for days on end.
Tauck? I don’t where you got that from. Average reviews everywhere you look and way overpriced.
Clearly, you’re still a little peeved because you had to pay so far in advance (as if that ever really happened) but you had the choice of not booking or choosing another cruise company.
Ignore this fake review. It’s total BS.
Gaius Gracchus says
LOL! Sure, if you don’t like or agree with someone’s post it MUST be a fake review!
You must work for Viking… either that or you are just a nasty, name-calling troll.
RDVIK says
Gaius Check out the comment from Jack Swertfager on July 22 at 2:01 pm. Recently were were holding up Tauck as a good example for customer service. So Tauck cut the the 15 day cruise off after six days. Viking would have been able to move them to a boat, maybe in Nürnberg or certainly across to Wiesbaden and put them on another boat to finish the trip to Amsterdam. I’ll bet they could have hoteled on the boat in Passau and done tours to Regensburg, etc. whatever was planned before moving to another of their ships.
Gaius Gracchus says
Good point, RDVIK – but if you read some of the comments and reviews of Viking customers (not just here but on other web sites) the fact there are lots of boats and people can be bussed to them is not necessarily a good thing.
They are saying they would rather have it cancelled and get a full refund or a full value voucher and NOT be bussed. You can read about how miserable most of them were as a result of these alterations.
Remember – tours that are designed to be bus tours are very different from an emergency last minute reroute of a cruise tour.
Jeannie says
Problem is.. most if us book a river cruise… not a coach holiday so i dont care how well viking handle transferring people from one boat to another if it means i gotta be on a coach on the autobahn fir 4 to 6 hours instead of the rhine. ..boat was what i have booked not escorted coach tour
Dianne P Gullotta says
We are booked on a Viking Danube cruise (Budapest to Regensburg) on Sept 9. We booked in July 2021 and had to pay in full at that time….. well over a year ago. I have booked many cruises over time, not Viking, and never had to pay up front. I would say that the previous post about paying 2 years prior to sailing could be a distinct possibility.
Linda Von Merveldt says
Hello Diane: We too are booked on a Viking Danube Cruise, embarking on September 9, 2022, but going from Regensburg to Budapest. The reviews I’m reading here regarding the potential for a bus trip rather than a river trip have me very nervous, and I know I have to make a decision on whether or not to pull the plug in just a few days. Have you decided to go? Or not?
Jack Swertfager says
Tauck just cancelled our July 10, 2022, 15-day tour from Budapest to Amsterdam on July 14 (Vienna). Low water levels. All guests had to vacate in Passau (July 16).
Kdsays says
I’m sorry to hear this. How was the cancellation handled? Were you offered any refund?
AllieB says
What river boat of Tauck was this? We are scheduled on MS Inspire from Amsterdam next week.
Allie says
I worked as a travel agent and Viking has a poor reputation. They spend $$$$ on advertising and if people are influenced by ads and don’t do their research this is what they pick. The carnival cruise of river boats…cheap for a reason
Johannes Ciconia says
I fail to see any similarity between Viking and Carnival. Viking is not cheap, but their cruises provide a very rich experience for a very decent price. The focus is on good food, cultural/artistic experiences, local history and a comfortable, sophisticated-but-not-pretentious journey. In my experience, customer service is superb. Viking is handling an even less predictable situation – Covid – generously and responsibly. As to water levels, I’m aware of the problem and willing to take my chances. It seems ungracious to blame them for changes that this natural problem may require. For goodness sake, you are traveling through beautiful and historic places, in comfortable accommodations with good food and supremely helpful people. That is pretty good travel experience!
ICE 1 Michael L Erickson says
Viking is the Walmart of cruise lines. Sometimes you get poor materials. Don’t believe the advertisement and reviews
Mark A. says
Well said Johannes. We have done six Viking cruises, both river and sea and have found them to be generally outstanding as compared to the other cruise lines we have used. As for river cruise water levels, we traveled in the fall to ensure no problems. Spring and summer are a recognized roll of the dice.
Allie says
Their focus is on making money. Terrible customer service. They should be refunding clients. Bussing and ship swaps. No thanks. Also their boats are among the biggest on the rivers ( more passengers more $$$) that’s why they bus and ship swap so often. Do your homework. Viking is the worst among travel agents. Only refer if that’s all the client can afford. So many better lines.
Natasha says
Viking is a wonderful cruise company and have been voted the best river/ocean cruise company by Conde Nast and Travel & Leisure. We never had any major issues on our 10 river/ocean cruises and have been really well taken care of. Certain things like water levels are not under their control and people have to be flexible or rebook their cruise. And it is certainly not the carnival cruise of river boats – some travel agent you are giving erroneous information and bad mouthing Viking.
john ingleby says
We have been with Viking a number of times and they are always very good with compensation if there is a problem even if it hasn’t been asked for. Also you do not have to pay 2 years in advance you pay the deposit when you book and then the balance 12 weeks before .
We had a problem in2019 with a different cruise company and could not get down to Strasbourg due to low water but a coach was provided from the nearest point.
Xtal says
My sister and I are planning our 5th river cruise next year – this one on the Mekong River (Vietnam to Cambodia); however, we keep hearing in the news about the water levels being quite low – the lowest in 100 years. Does anyone know if the ships are still able to pass or if they are docked and bussing people to different stops? Want to know anyone’s experience to determine if we should reschedule and travel elsewhere. Definitely do not want to end up taking a bus tour.
Cindy says
We sailed December 5, 2019 with Ama and had no issues at all. What a wonderful trip!
Sam says
Sitting in Regensburg Germany on the Viking ATLA, enroute from Nuremberg to Budapest. The water levels on the Danube are fine and everything has been on track so far. The weather has been cold and a bit rainy at times, but Christmas time in this part of Europe is magical.
Sam says
Now sitting at the dock in Budapest, still on the same boat as we boarded in Nuremberg almost a week ago Viking ATLA). Water levels have been fine all the way down the river. The weather for the past 3 days has been very nice, with a few clouds and temperatures in the 35-40 degree F range.
Calator says
Water Levels – River Cruise Advisor –
Awesome things here. I am very glad to peer your post. Thank you so much and
I’m looking forward to touch you. Will you kindly drop me a e-mail?- calator.tel
Linda says
Am just completing a seven-day AmaWaterways cruise from Nuremburg to Luxembourg along the Main-Danube canal, the Main, the Rhine, and the Mosel. No problems with water levels whatsoever. At times it wasn’t very deep (who knows, maybe that is normal for that particular place(s)), but we always got through without squeeking.
Grammaroma says
We are currently approaching Cologne from Amsterdam to Budapest. ( oct 29- nov 12)Good levels so far. I know it is a daily situation with river levels, but whatever happens is all just part of our travel story. Viking is providing us with a fantastic trip. Getting our moneys worth for sure. Rain in forecast for upcoming cities….
Ron Pilot says
Thanks for the update, will be doing this same cruise next year Oct 20-Nov4, would appreciate more updates and if you write a review somewhere would like to read it. Have a great trip.
Kelley says
We just completed the Grand European Tour on Viking, Oct 17 – 31, Budapest to Amsterdam. There are not enough words to express how AMAZING the trip was and Viking is second to none!! We did have to change ships around Regensburg and Nuremberg but Viking handled it seamlessly and perfectly. It really was not a big deal at all except we had become attached to our bartender on Viking Tir. We will do this trip again and there were several on our ship who had done this trip as many as 6 times. ENJOY!!!
Mary Anne Bracewell says
Thanks so much for the update! We’re doing the Christmas market cruise with Viking on Nov.22 and are really looking forward to it! Hopeful that the water level will cooperate!
Grammaroma says
We are currently in Passau. Viking Gefjon Amsterdam to Budapest oct 29- nov 12. Water levels are doing well. We were told 2 days ago that we will not have to change ships.
The ship,service, foods, tours have app been perfect. So many members of the crew go out of their way to know and remember details that make the trip very personal.
Joe says
Just left Passau towards Regensburg on Viking Tor. Levels are good so far, high temp was 39F in passau,
Joe says
In Nuremburg, 32F & SUNNY early this morn, looking at a high of 45F. No water level problems at at except rain, Budapest to Nuremberg on Viking Tor.
Grammaroma says
Our trip went off perfectly. Oct 29- nov 12 Viking grand tour from Amsterdam to Budapest. Water levels stayed ok,with no changes. Viking was wonderful. Not only keeping us posted about the water levels, but the entire cruise. Excellent staff, smooth sailing, interesting included tours daily,and optional ones to purchase separately. The foods were beautifully prepared and presented. I loved their steaks( not normally a steak person) rack of lamb and soups. All desserts were perfect. Highly recommend.
Kim Novitch says
Thanks for this great info. I’m researching to book Budapest to Amsterdam around this timeframe for my hubby’s 60th birthday. Viking looks to be the way to go based on how well they treat passengers if there has to be a ship change.
Dan says
Currently cruising on the Emerald Star, Budapest to Amsterdam. Left Budapest on the 27th. The water level was low but we made it without any issue. The crew never mentioned any possibility of an issue. Currently docked in Melk along four other ships. Lite rain a couple of days ago. Very cold. No rain on the weather radar for the next couple days. Still unclear what will happen in Passau but there is no talk of a ship swap. (Yet!)
Ron Pilot says
Hi Dan,
Appreciate the information and hope you post more. Also if you post a review anywhere I would be interested in reading it as will be doing the same route just opposite direction next year Oct 20-Nov 4. Have a great trip.
Veronica says
Yesterday we were told melk to passau and passau to regensberg are the 2 problematic routes on the danube. 2 ports were used to resolve the problem – durnstein and straubling. Viking handled the bussing to passau extremely well. We did not have to change ships because
Viking was able to resolve the low water levels. Thank you viking!
Ron Pilot says
Hi Veronica,
Appreciate the information, will be doing Viking next year Amsterdam to Budapest around same time frame. Hope you keep posting and if you write a review somewhere would like to read it. Thanks and have a great trip.
Veronica says
Hi ron! We r now in budapest which exceeded my expectations of all the ports. I will be posting my raving reviews on viking site, trip advisor and cruise critic! This is our 3rd viking cruise and i commend viking for another amazing cruise specially their great handling of the different alternative ports used due to passau low levels. If u can take additional days to both prague and budapest!!!
Lee Pangallo says
Thanks for the post Veronica. The season looks to be improving with a little rain. Viking will appreciate a good review as there were some scathing ones left on consumeraffairs.com for September cruises. I’m relaxing a little now, cruising in December.
Glynis says
Nuremberg to Budapest. Nov 2 to 9. no boat changes
Christine S says
did anyone travel from Budapest to Nuremberg yet in December. Im cruising there December 15 thru the 22nd. How is the water level on the Danube?
Pete Lowry says
We are currently on the Budapest to Nuremberg cruise on Emerald Waterways, completing December 15th (so we are halfway done now). Water levels are fine. There have been no announcements about any concerns of water levels.
Lee Pangallo says
Good news Linda, thank you. We’re cruising Amavenita 6 December Amsterdam to Budapest.
Bonnie says
Thanks for the update. My husband and I are doing the Christmas Market cruise in December with AmaWaterways. I can’t wait.
Dipti says
Any news of water levels ? We too are doing the Amalea cruise from Dec 13 th to 21st Nuremberg to Budapest.
NanaGin says
Thank you. Starting cruise this coming wednesday & couldn’t find straight answer on how river is now. So thank you again so much. Hope the the rest of you cruise continued to be delightful.
Ann says
We are sailing AMA Venita. We left Amsterdam on the 8th November. The ship has just pulled into Regensburg. There has been no apparent trouble with river levels. The staff are exceptional, the service beyond expectation, the rooms are lovely, as well as clean. The tour itself has also exceeded expectation. Plenty of activity if you choose to do it (hiking, dancing, cycling). The food is very good. It is typical European fare which on occasion is heavy but the (always available) menu (salmon, sirloin, chicken) with accompanying veggies or salad is an alternative. The cakes are to die for, breakfast – plentiful fruits as well as hot breakky. I have written this here because some of the reviews of APT below were less than glowing. Let me assure all of those about to do an APT cruise that they will not be disappointed. The only thing that is a little disappointing is the quality of house wine and beer in the lounge. Wines at dinner are better.
Lee says
Hi Ann, thanks for your comments. We are also travelling on the Amavenita shortly so I’m really pleased to hear your glowing review. It’s a shame that the meals are heavy as we are small eaters and prefer light meals, not always chicken or salmon. That being said I’m sure we’ll find something to our liking including the wines. So ready for this cruise, it’s been a long time coming. No apparent issues with water levels either
Steve says
Leaving on AMA Viola form Vilshofen to Budapest on Oct 23rd. How are water levels?
veronica says
Just received an email from Viking that due to water level problems Viking Jarl will NOT be our ship on Oct. 27, 2019 Nuremberg to Budapest. Viking changed our ship to Viking Atla. I called Viking and was told that the duration of our cruise will be on Viking Atla unless another ship swap is warranted. I called the Viking Insurance Dept and was told full refund is NOT an option but by Friday we must decide if we want to cancel the cruise and receive a Viking Travel certificate for a future cruise for the amount that we already paid Viking. Many past comments posted by travelers are adamant about not going on the cruise due to bad bus rides/bad hotels/missed tours. Any comments or recommendations is appreciated. Thank you
Steve says
The boats are the same, the only difference is the name and the picture at the top of the stairs.
We did Budapest to Amsterdam a couple years ago and had to do a boat swap. They did it seamlessly and it was not a problem.
Grammaroma says
Thanks for the info. No matter what happens we will enjoy it. I do not worry if a change, just more friendly staff to meet. It will be wonderful….. excited!!!!!
Jon the Traveler says
hello everyone, I recently took a cruise from Amsterdam to Switzerland. Viking Cruise was phenomenal the ship swap was extremely smooth we had an absolutely wonderful time and there’s nothing to worry about.
Jon the Traveler says
I just wanted to mention I’m leaving on November 3rd to go to Amsterdam to Switzerland once again on Viking Eir. Any info about the stretch down the Rhine River would be good for me too. I hope everyone’s having a great time.
Don C says
Hi, Jon;
We sailed on the Rhine from Amsterdam to Basel Switzerland from 10/15 to 10/22 (on Avalon’s Expression) and had no water issues. Wonderful experience. Top notch crew, service, food, excursions etc.
David Sneezum says
The water levels on the Rhine are adequate at the moment. To see european levels per river, check out http://www.elwis.de
Myra Fuller says
We just got home today from a 23 day cruise (Bucharest-Amsterdam). They swapped boats for week 1 (the Aegir couldn’t get from Budapest-Bucharest to pick us up—so started on the Embli). Our embarkation was about 1-1/2 further but Viking made it seamless—they added a guide on the bus with us and we got an informative trip to the ship. (We used packing pods as we knew a ship swap might happen so it only took 5 minutes to repack and step across to the new ship—highly recommend the pods).
Once we got to Budapest they put us on the Aegir. We had heard last night, the water wasn’t looking good (we barely got through). BUT do not let the ship swaps discourage you, the ships are identical and you go into the same room. There was a broken lock that caused us to miss a morning tour, but they reimbursed us.
All said, go in with the attitude your on a wonderful trip and roll with the changes. On land or on the river, you will still see some wonderful things…maybe even things you wouldn’t see on the river. But … I hope the water cooperates and you are able to do the full trip on the river!
veronica griffith says
many thanks all! much appreciated. will post updates to share! I love this web site!!!!
Jon the Traveler says
Thanks so much for the input can’t wait to leave one week from Monday. Everyone be safe out there keep your eyes open and your head moving.
Jean says
Myra,
I will be a first time cruiser next year. What is a packing pod? Sorry for the ignorance. I am getting a bit concerned about water levels, seems it hapens more often (climate change?) Anyway, any packing ideas would be great. Thank you.
Kim Novitch says
Check on Amazon,I 0lan to get some. It’s like smaller packages to pack your clothes 8n and you take them out to put in drawers. Makes it easy to repack.
Mike F says
We completed the Viking Grand European tour from Amsterdam to Budapest in late September. Every Viking ship is identical so changing you departure ship is a non issue. We had a ship swap from Nuremberg to Passau and it was seamless. You should have nothing to worry about with Viking.
Mike says
We cruised Nuremberg to Budapest September 17 to the 27th. We also did the three days in Prague. Some observations:
1. The hotel in Prague is a communist era dump named the Corinthia. The room first assigned did not have a closet nor a bureau so clothes stayed in luggage. Hotel is also poorly located and nowhere near the center of Prague. Hotel didn’t even have a small convenience store for sundries. Prague is nice but try to stay somewhere else.
2. Bus ride Nuremberg took four hours and left Prague at 2pm thus resulting in a complete lost day
3. Cruised to Regensburg which I found to be the best city on the trip. However, Vikings schedule brought there on Sunday and everything was closed.
4. Due to river levels being too low, took yet another bus ride to Passat.
5. From Passau a scheduled stop in Kremlin was skipped and yet another bus ride to Staubing, being deposited in an industrial park area to reboard a new ship. We were now a day behind thus skipping Kremlin.
6. As we were a day behind the day trip to Vienna, the most scenic part of the tour, was done overnight thus missed.
7. A final bus ride to Budapest got us to our ship.
Viking corporate will not be truthful about Danube levels. I spoke to several crew members/service staff who indicated certain sections of river had been closed for a few weeks.
Bottom line, get cancellation insurance that allows cancellation for any reason. Do not depend on Viking to be truthful. Do not believe all that you see in Vikings advertising.
Veronica says
Thank you mike for your detailed account of your viking BUS cruise. Many postings agree with yours in the website of consumeraffairs.com. Many definitely outlined the negative aspects against viking. Trustworthiness will bring loyalty from travelers. Viking has failed in customer satisfaction in the many postings i read.
Joe says
Kremlin, thought that was in Russia?
Ms k says
I stayed at the Corinthia in August. It was lovely. Great room, nice breakfasts, easy easy access to transportation right outside door. Heard no complaints from any of our cruise group about hotel.
Nancy says
Agree about the Corinthia- shuttle to the old town center- very easy and a lovely park and fort/ castle nearby with beer garden – no complaints at all
Sadie says
Typical Viking. So many other lines to choose from.
Andy C says
Sorry to hear of your nightmare trip. Sounds like you had more of a coach tour rather than a river cruise which you booked and paid for.
We are travelling with Scenic from Nuremberg to Budapest starting on 2nd December for Christmas Markets Tour.
I hope we don’t experience what you’ve been through.
Sorry, but I can’t see how you start a new thread on here, so I looked for the most recent topic that was doing a similar tour to us.
S says
Agreed. Went on Viking Romantic Danube over Thanksgiving 2021. We dealt with low Danube levels as well as covid lockdowns.
1. We were supposed to bus about 2 hrs or so to Regensburg from Prague to start the cruise. The water was too low, so we had to take a bus about twice as far to Passau where our boat was. We didn’t leave at 11am like we were told. We left at 1pm so most of the day was wasted. Got to the boat about 5pm. They weren’t in a normal cruise ship dock, it was an industrial dock. so we couldn’t go ashore in Passau the first day when we arrived. We weren’t within walking distance of town.
2. We were bussed to Regensburg the next day, but only got to stay from about 9:30a-5p. It was a 1/2 hour walk from the bus to the center of town. We ended up with only an hour or so at the Christmas market at Thurn & Taxis because it didn’t open until 3pm and we had to walk 30 min to get back to the Viking bus.
3. It’s too bad because the Christmas market was big and the town was great, with terrific food. Don’t miss the sausage at Historische Wurstküche. You won’t be sorry!
3. We completely sailed past Krems & Vienna Austria due to covid lockdown.
4. We were supposed to try to stop in Bratislava as a consolation but the next morning, we were informed that they had locked down also. We ended up at Komarom, Hungary in some random little dock not meant for cruise ships. They took us to a wine tasting by the Estergom Basilica. It was an hour bus ride each way and I don’t think we spent more than a couple hours touring the basilica and doing the tasting.
5. We were told when we got back to the boat that water levels were also too low to sail to Budapest, our final port. We were set to spend a full day there and then go to a hotel after for a post-cruise stay on our own. I had picked a hotel (Kempinski, we LOVED it) that was really close to 2 Christmas markets. Since Viking planned to bus everyone for 2 days to Budapest, an hour and a half each way, we left the cruise early. We took the first bus they had to Budapest the next morning and exited with our luggage. We checked into our hotel 2 days early. Since we’d missed so many ports, we were a day early to Budapest. Instead of the planned 2 full days in Budapest, we got 3. We had a great time.
Viking keeps every bit of news under wraps until they have a revised plan to execute. At that point, no one has a choice really to do anything different. I had to scramble at the last minute the night before to get my travel agent to book us additional nights at The Kempinski in Budapest. Luckily, she was 8 hours behind us and had time to make it happen. We immediately, after the meeting about how Budapest was going to be handled & speaking to my agent, informed them that we were exiting the cruise early.
Scott D Rois says
We sailed on the Viking Egil from Nuremberg to Budapest from 12 – 19 October 201. It had rained the 2 weeks before our cruise so water levels were good. Our trip was in sunshine and near 70 F all week. As another poster opined, Regensburg was also our favorite stop, followed by Budapest. Bring good walking shoes and be prepared to walk 10 – 12,000 steps everyday. Also bring some sunscreen just in case, and a spare battery for your camera.
Another commenter listed this website to track river levels.
https://www.wetteronline.de/?gid=BAY&iid=Donau&pcid=pc_pegel_data&sid=River
If the link doesnt work go to wetteronline and look at the tab Weather Data and then river level on the line below it. Nuremberg is not on the Danube, it is on the Eurocanal which links the Rhine, Main, and Danube rivers. The key city to montitor is Straubing and the website below currently shows Straubing has 117 cm of water; the Viking boats draw 170 cm of water so they would not be able to get through. As others noted the Viking boats are identical, and if they need to swap you woud disembark in Regensburg and then be driven to Passau to contine on another boat.
You can also see the position of your boat at this website. You will see there are not many boats between Regensburg and Passau right now.
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:12.7/centery:48.6/zoom:9
Brenda says
Brenda says
October 29, 2019 at 7:45 am
We did our cruise on the Danube with Viking Oct 18-25. The first few days were great. We did a ship swap after we left Regensburg. We sailed to Straubing and left our ship Viking Tor there. We left the ship an hour later than was originally planned and spent three hours plus one hour at a rest stop to meet up with Viking Var. By the time we got moving again, it was too late to do any of the excursions except one of the optional excursions to the opera (or something like that). So basically we missed everything that day. It was even dark when we cruised the scenic Wachau Valley! We did manage to sail again on the Viking Var until we got close to Budapest. We had to take a bus into Budapest because the water levels were so low the ship could not make the trip in with the passengers on board.
While in Budapest I spoke to someone from another ship that had managed to sail all the way, she said on the last lock before Budapest their ship scraped bottom and they had a three hour delay while the ship was assessed.
So, unless there is some major rain in the forecast, expect to be doing a ship swap.
Happy sailing.
falynette says
No one can control the weather. If you want perfection in every way, then cancel.. otherwise go with an open mind to go with the flow and enjoy whatever the experience gives you. There is nothing worse than being with fellow travelers who complain about changes when they knew it may happen..if you’re unsure please do not go , others will enjoy even if you will not. Having done a cruise in 2018 when the water levels were extremely bad, and not being in top health, I went open to anything as I traveled from NZ and do not regret one minute, but I am a very positive person. . Others were not
Gail says
Current on the Viking Jarl en route to Nuremberg. We have been informed that we will be doing a ship shop very early tomorrow morning. I’ll update afterwards if I can.
Gail says
Sorry about the autocorrect typos.
Claire says
Gail – any further changes with water levels ? Looks from here like rain is on the horizon next week – just not sure if that will be enough for our trip leaving Nov 3.
Maureen says
We are also on Viking Jarl leaving Budapest on 11/3 fir Nuremberg. Any more info as of today? Thank you!
Charmndazz says
We are currently enroute to Budapest from Regensburg with news water levels are sufficient. Other Scenic ship Opal navigated from Budapest to Regensburg last few days with no trouble. It appears Viking are being cautious on the Regensburg Passau leg. Nevertheless less no ship change for us on the Jade and safe cruising for everyone.
Claire says
Guessing you got notice of a ship switch since we just were notified that we are leaving Nuremberg Sunday on the Jarl ( changed from the Alta). Hope all goes well .
Veronica says
On viking atla nov 1 friday leaving vienna for budapest. Great day in vienna with 3 other viking ships in vienna. Viking ve, viking uluur and viking skadi. Not sure where they r going. This is my last update since we finish our cruise in budapest. Safe travels to all and for this awesome web site!!! And many many thanks to viking for an amazing river cruise! This was our 3rd viking cruise and look forward to more!!!
Lee Pangallo says
Is anyone travelling with APT? We are in Australia and I don’t ever see comments about their fleet.
Cindy Watty says
APT would be AmaWaterways. They have a lower draft and are able to get through areas that some of the other ships can’t. So far, I haven’t heard of any issues with them.
Jeanette says
No APT is an Australian Co. My sister travelled late Sept with them and they had to change ships due to water level. No compensation. She had done this trip With APT a few years ago, and I did it the year before and I rated it as 10 out of 10 at that time, but she was very disappointed this time.
Food not as good as the first trip, no local food choices, Cheeses were only basic supermarket levelno drink service you had to go to the bar to get yourself, lousy coffee, ships needs updating.
one other cruiser had a breakdown of costs on what they had paid and this included $2000 (maybe euros) for tips per person. Regardless of this service was not good on the 1st boat and on 2nd Boat the staff were downright rude and had would refuse requests. From the sound of it they should have part of their tips refunded. I am very disappointed that an Australian Co have dropped their standards so much. I had always recommended APT but now…….
Lee says
Hi Jeanette, I’ve read elsewhere that some ships have a better staff than others and I don’t have a lot to compare. One 4 night river cruise in Egypt and one 12 night ocean cruise. My agent confirmed that the cruise ships are getting through, as at last week because of the lower draft. Rain forecast so keeping my fingers crossed. I’ve got my travel documents now and have downloaded the APT App, so I’m watching the weather details. One disappointment before we get started is that their Signature Highlight Experience on the 1st class train to Salzburg is now a bus trip. The Danube Nightlight Dinner cruise has been cancelled to, but that’s due to new government regulations following the disaster that took the lives off many earlier this year……understandable and not their fault, but no replacement experience, just dinner on board I guess. Perhaps we’ll use the night to say goodbye to new found friends. I’m still hoping to have a remarkable experience.
Lee says
Hi Cindy, I assumed the same as you, but my TA said they are not part of waterways, but do indeed have a lower draft and were getting through. Fingers crossed.
Rod Beer says
Budapest to Amsterdam , 11/10 to 25/10 on AmaReina APT, no water problems, it seems APT need less water depth than Viking.
Rod Beer says
AmaReina , Budapest to Amsterdam 11/10 to 25/10 no water problems. Seems their ships need less water than Viking.
Steve says
Thank you all for your comments. One correction from me. AMA Viola leaves Vilshofen on Oct 27. Anyone sailing AMA right now on the Danube?
Jane Sanchez says
We did the Danube from Budapest to Vilshofen, sailing Oct 9-16, and no problems with the water levels, were on the Joy, operated by Tauck.
Veronica says
Just checked ship locations on web site cruisemapper.com and found no ships between regensberg and nuremberg. Found many ships on canal so i called the viking atla who confirmed they are on the canal. Called viking who claimed no water level
Problems on danube. Please if anyone is on Danube River cruise would appreciate water level updates. We r supposed to cruise Sunday Oct 27. Thank you
Nancy says
We are on the Danube. Viking Skadi October 19- November 2.. We will be taking coaches to our new ship Braggi in Nuremberg today due to low water levels. Unable to navigate Passau to Nuremberg. Guests on Braggi now will be taken by bus to Passau.
Will only miss morning excursions booked for today- moved to afternoon
Lots of bus trips the last 2 days. But all handled very smoothly. Will miss the Skadi staff. Looks like rain in the forecast so maybe better.
veronica says
Thank you Nancy. Your update is much appreciated. Numerous calls to Viking yesterday including a call to the ship Viking Atla and were repeatedly told Danube River is sailable and yet ship’s course was changed and noted NOT to be in the Danube but in a canal from Regensberg to Nuremberg. Safe travels.
Nancy Perry says
We are on the Danube. Viking Skadi October 19- November 2.. We will be taking coaches to our new ship Braggi in Nuremberg today due to low water levels. Unable to navigate Passau to Nuremberg. Guests on Braggi now will be taken by bus to Passau.
Will only miss morning excursions booked for today- moved to afternoon
Lots of bus trips the last 2 days. But all handled very smoothly. Will miss the Skadi staff. Looks like rain in the forecast so maybe better.
Debbie says
We are leaving November 6th from Amsterdam to Budapest. Interested in the river as well as the weather. Thanks
Penny says
We are leaving Amsterdam to Basel on November 9th on MS Rhapsody (Grand Circle)
Interested in water levels in late October and early November
Bonnie says
Penny – we are on the Amsterdam/Basel Grand Circle cruise in late November – mainly chose it because of Strasbourg – so beautiful. Lucky for us – at least so far – our trip is on the Rhine and better levels than the Danube. We had scheduled this trip for last year — but water levels too low. We appreciated Grand Circle cancelling totally instead of getting us over there and busing us around. Have a wonderful trip!!
Christina says
We are on the Grand Circle Rhapsody leaving Antwerp to Basel on November 10. Keeping an eye on water levels as our Christmas market cruise last November wad cancelled due to low water. Grand Circle refunded the entire cruise plus air and gave us a nice credit. They were excellent and we would have been more disappointed if we had to bus rather than cruise. We stay on the ship in Basel and are doing the Christmas Markets a long the Rhine ending in Amsterdam. Grand Circle is amazing.
Irving says
I am supposed to get on Viking Skadi on Nov. 2. Looks like I will be getting on Braggi instead.
Irving says
If we has to be taken by bus from Passau to Nuremberg, this will our second time, last time was Nov. 5, 2015 from Nuremberg to Passau. Hopefully there is enough rain in this next week to raise the water level.
Brenda says
We did our cruise on the Danube with Viking Oct 18-25. The first few days were great. We did a ship swap after we left Regensburg. We sailed to Straubing and left our ship Viking Tor there. We left the ship an hour later than was originally planned and spent three hours plus one hour at a rest stop to meet up with Viking Var. By the time we got moving again, it was too late to do any of the excursions except one of the optional excursions to the opera (or something like that). So basically we missed everything that day. It was even dark when we cruised the scenic Wachau Valley! We did manage to sail again on the Viking Var until we got close to Budapest. We had to take a bus into Budapest because the water levels were so low the ship could not make the trip in with the passengers on board.
While in Budapest I spoke to someone from another ship that had managed to sail all the way, she said on the last lock before Budapest their ship scraped bottom and they had a three hour delay while the ship was assessed.
So, unless there is some major rain in the forecast, expect to be doing a ship swap.
Happy sailing.
veronica says
Please see posting 130am Oct 26 by Nancy on Viking Skadi; They Had to be bussed because of low water levels Passau to Nuremberg. And yet my numerous calls to Viking yesterday- they continue to deny problem on Danube River.
Claire says
Please continue to post updates as we are a week behind you .
Jon the Traveler says
Hello everyone who travels are wonderful. I’m leaving from Amsterdam on the 6th of November going to Switzerland. I am just wondering if anyone has any problems with water levels on the Rhine River right now? Thank you
Veronica says
Claire we just boarded viking atla in nuremberg. Awesome ship and staff. Today the Atla sails to Roth and then to the Main Danube River. Next water level update tomorrow tuesday then if water levels low may have to change ship thursday. Having a great time right now.
Many thanks to viking! Program director Paul is amazing!
Sheila says
Went through ship swap on Viking at Nuremberg. Seamless transition. Didn’t miss out on anything but one night cruising.
Veronica says
Oct 27 boarded Viking Atla in Nuremberg; great ship and staff! Next water level update in 2 days and if water levels are low then we may have to change ship on Thursday. Viking Atla Staff amazing specially Paul Lau the program director!!! Thank you Viking!
Veronica says
Oct 29 tuesday just sailed nuremberg to regensberg. on the amazing viking atla. We will get update tonight on water level and was told if theres a problem we may expect a ship swap by thursday. Having an awesome time with an awesome staff! Thank you viking!
Brenda says
We did our Romantic Danube Cruise with Viking Oct 18-25. The first few days were great. We did a ship swap after we left Regensburg. We sailed to Straubing and left our ship Viking Tor there. We left the ship an hour later than was originally planned and spent three hours driving plus one hour at a rest stop to meet up with Viking Var. By the time we got moving again, it was too late to do any of the excursions that day except one of the optional excursions to the opera (or something like that). So basically we missed everything that day. It was even dark when we cruised the scenic Wachau Valley! We did manage to sail again on the Viking Var until we got close to Budapest. We had to take a bus into Budapest because the water levels were so low the ship could not make the trip to our port with the passengers on board.
While we did see some of the countryside, I would have preferred to leave the ship on time and forego the hour long stop at the rest stop, where we had to pay for our own lunch if we wanted to eat. In my opinion it would have been more pleasant to leave the ship at the original time quoted and spend a few minutes at the rest stop and then spend the rest of the time in the small village where we boarded the Viking Var.
While in Budapest I spoke to someone from another ship that had managed to sail all the way, she said on the last lock before Budapest their ship scraped bottom and they had a three hour delay while the ship was assessed.
So, unless there is some major rain in the forecast, expect to be doing a ship swap.
Happy sailing.
Veronica says
Viking atla update oct 29 tuesday at 645pm. cannot sail from regensberg to passau so ship is sailing to straubling. Will be bussed to passau 45 minutes from straubling. We will get another update at noon to find out if boat can pick us up at passau or we have to be bussed back to straubling. No talk of ship swap. Viking atla has been awesome! Had a great day in regensberg.
Claire says
Thanks for update . Looks like rain in the forecast , are you seeing the same and will it be too late ?
Veronica says
Oct 30 wedn. Viking atla in straubling not passau due to low water level. 830am bussed 1 hour to passau. Absolutely beautiful day in passau. Awesome concert at st stephans cathedral. Great Lunch provided at local restaurant. 5pm bussed to ship 30 minutes away at another port not straubling. Tonight will sail to krems austria. No ship swap!!!!! Thank you viking for an amazing day in passau
Barbara says
Thank you for all your update, Veronica! You help me understand how the low water situation is managed by Viking. It looks like Viking was able to move your boat downstream without the weight of 190 passengers, and now you can continue the cruise on the same boat. Happy cruising for the rest of your trip. My husband and I are scheduled to be on Viking Atla from Budapest to Nuremberg on 11/24 (our first river cruise). I can see a ship-swap decision can be a very close call when the water level is marginally passable for the boat.
Veronica says
Thanks barbara!!! Dress very warm!!! Its cold. Viking Atla staff amazing!!!!!
Steve says
On AMA Viola which left Vilshofen on the 27th of October for the Danube Cruise. Made through to Vienna. Everything looks OK to end in Budapest on 11/3. Wausau Valley level was 173 with 165 being the limit for our ship. Not sure of the units, maybe cm? Which means about 3.5 inches to spare. Levels look low, especially when you look at the banks, but we see ships from all lines on the River.
Veronica says
Oct 31 thursday. On viking atla with latest update no ship swap. The worst is behind us which was regensberg to passou. Slow sailing on wachou valley arriving at 11 instead of 9. Unable to dock in melk but docked at durnstein and rode bus 45 minutes to see the wonderful gotweig abbey 110-330pm then back to ship docked in tuln instead of melk. Now sailing to vienna to arrive by 7pm. Blessed to be on Viking atla for the whole cruise! Many thanks Viking staff for an amazing danube river cruise!!! Have not seen rain oct 27 til 31.
Dan says
We are on the Emerald Star. We were able to dock in Melk without an issue. There are at least 3 other ships here as well. As it was explained to us, some captains are more conservative about the river than others. Hoping to make it to Amsterdam as well.
Joseph Podhasky says
As retired Navy, I appreciate conservative with the ship, not grounding is good!
Julie says
Steve, how were the water levels on your Vilshofen to Budapest trip? I’m considering this same itinerary for next year and trying to decide between early May and early Oct.
Steve says
Currently sailing on the Viking Jarl from Budapest to Nuremberg (October 6 to October 13, 2019. We are docked in Vienna tonight. We were told by the staff that we were cleared all the way to Nuremberg!
Carol Wiltsie says
We are on the Vali Budapest to Amsterdam. Area has had rain; we are cleared all the way to Anstwrdam
ColinD says
Left Budapest yesterday for Amsterdam, water levels fine, expected to go all the way.
Grammaroma says
Thank you. 2 weeks til we do same route. Your posting is very reassuring. Enjoy your travels!!!
ColinD says
Update, we are one day away from Amsterdam, sailed all the way.
Water levels were touch and go in patches between Budapest and Passau but we made it through slowly. Weather has been warm and fine. Not a lot of rain around so can’t say if water level is still ok, best of luck.
Karen says
Thanks for your post – I have been checking daily for updates!! We leave on the Viking Tor Friday, the 18th – Nuremberg to Budapest. Feeling more hopeful than a couple of wks ago! Enjoy your trip.
Brenda says
We are on the Viking Tor – Nuremberg to Budapest, Oct 18-25. We just got news today and it looks like we will be doing a ship swap in the next day or so. We were supposed to sail to Passau this evening, but the plan has changed and we are only going as far as Straubing this evening. We will find out tomorrow if we will be doing a ship swap or not. We have been having a great sailing so far.
Jane says
We are on Viking Budapest to Nuremberg 19th Oct start. Hearing today if ship change required.
veronica says
thanks so much for the update we will be on viking jarl oct 26 nuremberg to budapest.
we will post update during our trip
Dave says
On Viking Ve from Budapest to Amsterdam. River levels looked good until yesterday when we were told the probability of a ship switch is likely to occur at Nuremberg. We would clear but sister ship Gefjon may not so switch is necessary to accommodate the continuation of their cruise.
marianne says
We are on the same cruise!
Grammaroma says
Oh no Dave!! Sorry to hear about the switches. Thought the rivers were better…
We are on Gefjon on 29 th. Does that mean it will not get to Amsterdam by then???
Dave says
We didn’t expect the ship swap as water levels looked good when our cruise started in Budapest. Apparently water levels can change quickly especially on this stretch of the old Danube which is without dams or locks. Viking has handled the swap on their usual guest friendly and professional manner.
Don C says
Thanks for the info. Is anyone on the Avalon Expression leaving 10/15 Amsterdam to Basel on the Rhine? Know anything about water levels?
Carol Alesso says
We just had clear sailing on Emerald Waterways Sun from Basel to Amsterdam 9/28-10/5.
Linda says
Thanks for keeping us informed.
Marc Hern says
Thank you for your comment
Lee says
Hoping there’s more rain on the way before December 6 🙂
veronica says
Thanks so much for the update; we sail Viking Jarl Oct. 26. Any more rain in the near future? How is the weather? Many thanks again.
Joe says
Great, we’re on Viking Tor, Budapest to Nuremberg, boarding Friday, 08 Nov, looks like the Vorosmarty Ter Christmas Market opens that day! We’re skipping Panoramic Budapest on Sat (did it on Passage to Eastern Europe in April), goin to the Central Market and the Christmas Market instead. About 25 minutes walk to the Central Market from Viking Tor and 6 minutes walk to Christmas Market.
Stuart says
My wife and I will be on the same trip. Is the Christmas Market just a 6 minute walk from the dock? We want to do the Panoramic Budapest in the morning, maybe the Market in the afternoon.
Joe says
Stuart, Christmas Market is on Vorosmarty Ter (square) shows as 6 minute walk on maps from where Viking shows the ship to be docked on their website. Docks are north and south of the Szechenyi Bridge on the east (Pest) side of the river.
See you onboard.
veronica griffith says
Viking just emailed us about water level problems on the Danube so our ship has been changed Oct 27 Nuremberg to Budapest. Very disconcerting!!! Seems like a bad omen for our cruise.
Colin D says
Great, we board this Sunday in Budapest for Amsterdam.
Kent Masterman says
My wife Patti and I may be on same trip Viking Skirnir Budapest to Amsterdam
Some folks we know are returning tomorrow Amsterdam to Budapest and say water levels are better
And they did not need to change boats
ColinD says
@Kent We’re on a different cruise company, still may cross paths though ?
Bob and Patty says
We pick up Tir in Amsterdam on Oct. 17 to Budapest.
Hoping for good sailing.
A few nights of rain would be welcome.
Don C. says
We are in Amsterdam today, 10/16, setting sail tonight south on the Rhine to Basel. They have had enough rain in the last 2 weeks, they are confident the water levels are OK. Have fun!
Grammaroma says
Excellent to hear!! We are off on the 29 th!!!
Enjoy your travels
Beth says
please keep posting, I’m taking the same rip in two weeks
veronica griffith says
Just got email from Viking. Due to water level problems they changed our ship to Viking Atla for Oct 27 Nuremberg to Budapest. They said the original ship Viking Jarl cannot be in Nuremberg for us. This sounds ominous!
Gail says
That’s encouraging. I am sailing on the Jarl on October 19th and just got the e-mail from Viking outlining all the (unpleasant) options if the water levels are too low.
Joe says
Gail, what were the official options, if you don’t mind. Thanks
Brenda says
Joe, I got the same email. Here are the options:
Embark an identical sister ship – If previous low water adjustments prevent your ship from embarking at its regular embarkation port, you will instead be met by an identical sister ship in its place. Please note, your stateroom selection will remain the same and you will be notified of the ship name ahead of your embarkation.
Adjust our sailing speed – We may need to adjust our sailing speed which could result in slight alterations to the standard sailing schedule.
Dock in alternate locations – We may be required to dock in alternate locations that are not impacted.
Swap ships part-way through your sailing – Should the river become impassible at a certain point, we may need to enact what we call a “ship swap.” Because Viking operates identical ships traveling along the river, we are able to transfer you by motor coach from your ship to an identical sister ship further along the river to resume your itinerary.
Nancy Perry says
We got the same email yesterday. Leaving on the Viking Braggi Budapest to Amsterdam October 19.
Gail says
Nancy, if there is a ship swap, maybe we will run into each other. 🙂
(Trying to stay positive.)
Karin says
We are on Uniworld Beatrice. Nuremberg to Budapest. It has rained quite a lot. So much that when we had our excursion in Regensburg, we had to meet the ship 45 minutes down the river due to HIGH water levels.
Eshap says
We are on the Uniworld Princess Budapest to Amsterdam left on October 9th. Picking up the Uniworld Duchess in Wurzburg on October 18th. They had a ship swap earlier in September. Have to get back to our original ship. In Vienna now (October 11th). So far all looks good. Shouldn’t have any problems ?.
Odie says
Thanks for the info. Leaving Budapest to Amsterdam on Oct 13. Hoping levels stay favorable.
Gail Mullon says
Thanks for the information. I am sailing Avalon Budapest to Amsterdam on October the 25th. I hope the levels remain comfortable.
Grammaroma says
That is very positive to read! We are on Viking Gefjon oct 29. Amsterdam to Budapest . Very excited!!
Joe Mozdiez says
Sailed on the Gefjon a few weeks ago. Great crew and staff, you will be pleased. Joe
veronica griffith says
Just got email from Viking that due to water level problems our ship for Oct 27 has been changed to Viking Atla instead of Viking Jarl graveling Nuremberg to Budapest. This is very frustrating.
Claire says
That is concerning to me since we are supposed to sail from Nuremberg Nov 3 on the Alta . Already received our first water level email warning Monday .
veronica griffith says
Claire, I recommend you call Viking to ask what ship will you embark on because I called Viking and they told me we are on Atla Nuremberg all the way to Budapest arriving Nov. 3 in Budapest.
Karen says
We’re traveling Nuremberg to Budapest Oct 18-25, 2019 on Viking Tor. How is the water level on the Danube? Any updates would be greatly appreciated.
Brenda says
Karen, we are on the same ship as you Oct 18-25.
I saw this above – October 11, 2019 at 12:45 am
We are on Uniworld Beatrice. Nuremberg to Budapest. It has rained quite a lot. So much that when we had our excursion in Regensburg, we had to meet the ship 45 minutes down the river due to HIGH water levels.
That news is welcome. Maybe we will see you on the cruise. We are traveling in a group of 7.
Karen says
Thanks Brenda – I did see that post! We’re packing and crossing our fingers. We’ll be sure to say “Hi” – you’ll be easy to find with a group of seven!! See you next week.
Jean says
We will be Viking Tor Nuremberg to Budapest on Oct 17. Any updates on river levels?
Brenda says
Jean, we are on the same cruise as you. The last I saw, water levels have come up. Maybe we will see you on board. Happy travels
Veronica says
Viking just emailed us that water levels caused a change of ship for our cruise oct 27 nuremberg to budapest. How are your water levels now? Thx
robert schmidt says
Thanks for the update. It’s great to have current information. We sail out of Budapest on the 30th, so it shouldn’t go down dramatically between now and then as I assume the dry season has ended.
AronInLHP says
In Vienna now, and its raining, so fingers are crossed! Tho from Budapest to here, there were times we only went 2kph, as they said we barely had 12 inches under the keel.
Let it rain!
Kate l says
Is anyone on Avalon Artistry II. How is she managing? If you have a ship swap can the previous ship travel through low water without passengers? Or is it impassable in certain areas? It must be a nightmare for cruise companies!
Ed B says
Artistry hit bottom last nite…we travelled very slowly and got through. It was very stressful for crew! We made it to Regensburg today, Oct 3.
Linda says
Is anyone on the Avalon Envision (Nuremberg to Budapest) ? Please keep us posted on how you did. I am doing that trip on 10/13. Thank you.
Lee says
What cruise ship are you on and which company please?
Wayne says
Company is Avalon, ship is Artistry II. I’m on the same ship as Ed. It got loud for awhile last night but we did make it.
Sue N says
Hi how are things sailing from wertzberg to Amsterdam on Monarch dutchess. We are supposed to sail out tomorrow night. Anyone have an update as to if we will be able to complete this cruise. Anyone being bussed now along this route??
Not hearing anything from gate one. Left Budapest sept. 26. Have been bussed from Passau. Please send a water level update.
Sue
Barb says
How is the river levels for you now?
Sue N says
We are sailing and the levels are good.
Linda says
Where are you – which river and what cities?
Noble says
We are on Viking Gefjon. Yesterday we were in Passau and our passengers were told that the Danube water level was good. During the night we sailed from Passau to Regensburg. We spent today in Regensburg and are headed to Amsterdam. Good news because we thought we were changing ships after Passau. ?
Don C says
Thanks for the info. Is anyone on the Avalon Expression leaving 10/15 Amsterdam to Basel on the Rhine? Know anything about water levels?
Brenda says
I was just looking ahead at the projected weather for Regensburg and Passau. There is rain and showers in the forecast for several days on and off for the next two weeks. Hopefully that will help out with the low water situation.
Peggy says
We are on the Viking Prestige today in Krems going towards Budapest. No issues with water levels so far, we started in Passau on 9/28.
Grammaroma says
Thank you. We are end of October on Viking. Nice to see something positive
Brenda says
We are setting out on Oct 17th Nuremberg to Budapest on Viking TOR
Jane Rintoul says
We are on Viking Budapest to Nuremberg on 19 th Oct.
Really hoping no busing as we had to last year on the Rhine. Thanks for the updates.
Brenda says
We were on the Rhine last year in Mid November. We did a lot of busing. Didn’t realize just how much until we looked at a map of the river when we returned home. I don’t think it will be as bad this trip. Leaving in two weeks.
Kim says
We are on Viking Hermod the 15th, Passau to Budapest. Haven’t heard anything from Viking concerning water levels.
veronica says
we are on viking jarl romantic danube oct. 26-nov. 3 – worried about water levels
AronInLHP says
In Vienna now, and its raining, so fingers are crossed! Tho from Budapest to here, there were times we only went 2kph, as they said we barely had 12 inches under the keel.
Let it rain!
Brenda says
Rain, that is good news. Most of the low water levels have been reported in and around Regensburg. I had no idea that the river from Budapest to Vienna was getting low also. Bring on the rain.
Linda says
YEAH!!
Matt W says
I’ll be on Viking’s “Frances Finest” cruise in November, sailing on the Rhone and Seine rivers. Any idea whether these rivers are currently having low/high water issues?
AronInLHP says
Found a great website… you can track your boat, as well as see others. I’ve watched it the last few days, and do not see boat movements between Regensburg and Passau, so am assuming ship swaps and bussing are still occuring for most cruise lines between those ports.
https://www.cruisemapper.com/?mmsi=269057499
Enjoy!
Nancy says
On Avalon from Prague to Budapest. Turns out they are bussing us straight to Passau on Tuesday, Oct 1. Thus we miss Nuremburg completely and can only bus to Regensburg. We will be docked in Passau for 3 nights.
Lee says
Nancy, has there been any rainfall whilst you’re cruising?
Nancy says
Just arrived in Prague on Sunday. No rain here despite dark clouds. Couple drops.
steve Baber says
Any info on the viking cruise from Prague to Berlin??
We start on Oct. 24th.
Michael G says
On the Viking Astrlid Berlin to Prague on 10/24 and curious to know if it will be a river cruise or bus trip.
Bob Potts says
Just boarded Viking Beyla this afternoon for the Elbe River cruise to Berlin. Captain announced we will be sailing tomorrow. First time in about 3 months.
Richard Mondak says
Nancy – Keep in touch and we can meet you and Keith in Passau. We’re on the Viking Viljhalm and will arrive tomorrow evening.
Rich and Kathy M.
Barbara says
We were set to sail October 18 from Berlin to Prague. We got the letter yesterday for a full refund or 50 % off cruise portion of trip to use on a future cruise. We opted for a full refund as did not want a bus tour.
Jeanne says
Hi Barbara,
We just returned from this “cruise”. Time on a bus was minimal because the distances are very short. 2 nights on ship at Wittenberg & 3 in Dresden. We loved having more time in Dresden & views from ship were lovely. The Viking crew did lots of extras, You might reconsider going.
Walt M says
Bob,
That’s wonderful news. We are on the Beyla starting 11/5 – and was really wondering if we would be cruising or Boatelling!
Please post on how the trip is going.
Walt M says
Any updates on the Viking Beyla or Astrild in the Prague/Berlin routes?
Water levels ok for cruising?
Dennis says
A Viking Elbe ships just pulled up and docked at Decin about an hour ago.
Steve says
We sail on 11/24 and just received e-mail stating that at the time the boats are sailing but depending on water levels this might change.
Steve says
Just got back from Prague to Berlin, ship sailed all the way. Food was great, crew was great, entertainment was great. Enjoy your trip
PJ says
Just completed the Viking Grand European (Budapest to Amsterdam). Did NOT have any water issues, however, we were interupted mid cruise to stay in a hotel for 2 nights, because our ship Embla required maintenance (generator replacement). We continued our cruise in Nuremburg on Aegir, to Amsterdam.
Another problem we experienced was that many passengers were sick (coughing, sneezing etc) on Aegir. The ship need additional hand sanitizer stations throughout the ship. Only had two at entrance to restaurant.
Carol Ann says
We are on Scenic starting in Nuremberg on September 30th. I really appreciate you taking time to give an update.
Xerxes says
Hi Carol Ann,
We just finished our Scenic Cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam. Had to swap ships and were on a bus from Passau to Regensburg. It was absolutely seamless and professionally managed. All free choice schedules maintained, bags delivered to cabins before we arrived, personal preferences communicated etc etc. In Amsterdam we met people who were with “another” cruise company and they had been in a bus for 7 days from Passau to Amsterdam. Scenic will take care of you. Enjoy
UB says
Xerxes is absolutely right. On Scenic and had a ship swap yesterday. Scenic handled it seamlessly. Many other cruisers had to be bused. There is a stretch that is impassable right now. We didn’t miss a beat. Perhaps a slightly longer bus ride back from our excursion but so worth it to keep sailing! Best of luck to everyone!
Sue N says
[email protected]
Good morning from Budapest. Looks like a nice day. Arrived yesterday. Changed planes in Amsterdam, had rain and fog there, warm ( 70s ) and sunny in Budapest.
We booked on Gate 1 Monarch Dutchess but due to low water Gate 1 and Royal Emerald did a swap. We are on the Emerald, beautiful ship. It has a balcony that you can sit out on, love it. So far we are very impressed with what Gate 1 has worked out.
I would difinately reccomend upgrading to the second floor on a river boat. Love being able to see out when in the room. Lower level, you can only see out when your standing up.
Again, amazing job Gate 1, we are scheduled to board the Monarch dutchess in 8 days.
Susie says
We are on your swap ship. We booked the royal emerald and have been on the Gate 1 monarch duchess since our embarkation in Amsterdam on Saturday 28 September. We are swapping this afternoon at regensburg to the Royal emerald. You will be pleases to hear that the service and food on the Monarch is terrific. The rooms I suspect are quite a bit smaller.
Jeanette says
We are currently (Tuesday early) in Straubing (unscheduled stop) (spent all day Monday is Regensburg) on Viking heading from Nuremburg to Budapest. We were told on the first night that if we have to do a ship swap it will be Wednesday (tomorrow). It was supposed to rain all day yesterday but most of the day it just sprinkled. No more rain expected until tomorrow (Wednesday).
Last night (Monday) we were told that the water is 15 cm too low between Straubing and Passau and that overnight we would sail to Straubing unless miraculously there was more water
to continue to Passau.
They will bus us to all excursions today (to Passau or Salzburg) and bus us back here this afternoon to pack for ship swap to occur tomorrow morning, (unless ship can move to Passau while we are out. )
Today’s excursions will be slightly modified due to the commute.
I feel that Viking has kept us informed and is going to accommodate us the best they can to keep as close to the original itinerary as possible. The staff has been wonderful and we realize this is a day to day decision and beyond their control.
AronInLHP says
Thank you very much for your update!! I am warily watching, as we are on the Viking Grand European tour Sept 30-Oct 14th, and have been notified of possible low water issues, but not yet confirmed impact. Hope you get good rain tonite and tomorrow evening!
Wayne Stewart says
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:15.1/centery:48.3/zoom:10
That’s a link to marine traffic on the Danube. It gives you up to real time info of where the ships are sailing. We leave today for Budapest, heading west to Amsterdam and it looks like we could be bused for a bit of the trip/
Marisa says
Thx Wayne! We leave Budapest sat. Does it still look ok like you’ll need tg off and bused???
Wayne says
I think so. Our ship was changed to the Artistry II this week. I’m thinking the Tranquility couldn’t make it back to Budapest, so we will swap ships down river. We sail from Budapest sat too. Flying out tonight.
Kate L says
Wayne, we are on the Artistry II leaving from Amsterdam on 11 October heading to Budapest. Any idea whether you will get through Passau and Regensberg yet? Praying for rain!
Margaret Lewis says
Wonder if we are swopping with you. Told today on Viking Egil we leave tomorrow Weds at Linz instead of sailing straight to Passau as planned. From there bus to Passau with excursions proceeding as planned, then bus to join Viking Gullweig at Staubing. A hassle packing up but like you, staff have been excellent.
Jeanette says
Yes! We are now on the Egil.
The rest of the trip has been slightly modified to catch up for lost sailing time. We had a 3.5 hour bus ride this morning to do the swap.
We are still very happy that we came on this trip! The boat is fantastic, the ports interesting, and we are enjoying what cruising time we have.
Keith says
My wife and I are taking the grand tour on Viking from Amsterdam to Budapest, departing on October 5. Has anyone heard anything about rain in the forecast that may help water levels. Sounds like many are having to get on busses between Nuremburg and Passau. Any word on water levels through that stretch improving. Thanks, Keith
Kristine says
We are following these posts closely also. We are scheduled to sail Sept 29 from Amsterdam to Budapest- Viking Grand European also. Hoping for some rain!
Bill Goode says
Elegant Elbe Cruise on Viking Astrild
Low water level on the Elbe caused our October 6-11 Berlin – Prague sailing to be modified from cruise to bus trips, so we opted to accept the full refund that was offered instead. We didn’t expect to be traveling again in the next 12 months, so the 50% voucher that was offered if we accepted the revised itinerary would be of no value to us.
Consistent with what I’ve read elsewhere, Viking waited until 2 weeks before our departure date to notify us. The notice came two days after I had called Viking and was assured, absolutely, that there was no problem on the Elbe, and the cruise portion of the trip would go as planned. I had called because a friend we were to meet in Berlin had asked for details about our time in there, and I wanted to make sure the trip would not be modified.
I learned from this experience. It is good that we scheduled the complete package through Viking including air and insurance. The refund will cover every penny we paid. That made me glad I had not arranged air and insurance on my own as I usually do. Several components of the trip were modified since our initial deposit, including two hotels, four airline reservations, and ultimately the cruise itself.
Barbara says
Thank you for this information. That’s exactly what Viking told me. We are leaving mid October for this trip and I hope to hear from them soon. I also will take the refund.
Kim Melton says
I had the same issue for clients that I booked. I am thankful I booked the air with Viking as I assume that even if they had insurance, it would not have covered the air for a modified schedule. Something to keep in mind for future river cruises.
Lee says
Thanks Bill for the good info. We postponed last December thinking it wouldn’t happen two years in a row. Due to booking everything separately and being offered an alternative, we were left scrambling to reorganised at late notice. Final offer received Friday, rebooked Saturday for a Tuesday departure because we initially had 3 nights in Amsterdam precruise.
It was extremely expensive travelling from Australia with business class airfares and now doing it again so soon.
I have to say Switzerland in winter was amazing as was our travel agent Patricia.
Hope to catch a break this year as we’ll have to accept the offer. Will be totally devastated if we don’t cruise the Rhine to Budapest.
Linda says
Has anyone been on the Romantic Danube Viking River Cruise from Nuremberg to Budapest in the last few weeks? We are scheduled for October 13-20.
Just received notification about the low water levels and the possible alternate scenarios. No refund offered yet.
Thank you.
Jeanette says
We just finished this cruise – disembark in Budapest today. We did swap ships. It was a bit of a hassle to pack up but was handled well and at least the busses were comfortable and the countryside beautiful. After Regensburg we docked in Straubing instead of Passau. From Straubing they bussed us to excursions in Passau or Salzburg. The next day we bussed from Straubing to another ship in Grein. At some point people had to decide whether or not to bus to Gottweig Abbey tour in Kremsvor stay on ship to sail Wachau Valley. We stayed on ship as did most. The valley was gorgeous and there wasn’t much other daytime sailing on this cruise with all the changes. The rest of the cruise times were modified some but we fit most everything in. The crew has communicated well and has been fantastic I hope the river levels improve and others can sail without modifications, but we still had a great trip!
Bob B says
Linda, please email your experience during your travels if you can. A group of five of us are taking the same Viking Romantic Danube cruise and we leave Nuremberg on Nov. 1. Thanks.
Terri says
We are scheduled to sail Viking Ingri on Oct 9. Had our Bon Voyage call Monday, 9/30. We asked how water levels were. They said it would be fine Passau to Budapest. Still very nervous. We already cancelled the Elbe River 29 September.
Walt M says
We are scheduled for the Elegant Elbe cruise on Viking Beyla – Prague to Berlin starting 11/2 (we board the ship in Decin 11/5 I believe). Any updates on water levels? Having a hard time finding accurate information on expected water levels. Looks like a lot of rain in the area forecast over the next few weeks.
Jeanne says
Hi Walt,
There are good websites to track water levels. The 2 ships on the Elbe have not moved since June & the rain forecasts do not indicate they will move this year. The bus trips are minimal.. check the map & you will see the Elbe trip is very short. We just got back…2 nights on ship in Wittenberg & 3 nights in Dresden. It was great having more time in Desden. The view from the ship in Dresden was lovely. The Viking crews were great & lots of extras… we do not not regret going.
Michael G says
Elegant Elbe Cruise on Viking Astrild 10/24-11/2 Berlin to Prague and concerned our river cruise will turn into a bus trip…hopefully Viking will notify us by next week with same offer.
Michael says
We just found out the Elegant Elbe Prague to Berlin October 18-28th with Viking has changed due to low water. Offering 50% off paid amount or full refund. Will go from Prague to the boat docked in Dresden 2 nights, then transfer to similar boat docked in Wittenberg for 3 nights. Then to hotel in Berlin.
Michael G says
Thanks Michael -not sure what we’ll do??? UGH. Hate this. I wanted a true river cruise experience….
Barbara says
I got the same letter for the same cruise and decided to take the refund. I did not want a bus tour which is what the vacation will be. The boat will not sail. It’s being used as a hotel.
Sue Farrell says
We are supposed to sail on the Astrid 10/24 also. Agree that it would be nice to hear next week so we can decide and perhaps make alternate plans….
Dennis says
A Viking ship just showed up overnight on the webcam at Decin. Looking at the hourly images, I haven’t seen any passengers. Believe this is a good sign for Viking Elbe travelers.
Walt M says
Dennis,
What is the URL for that Webcam? I would love to track our ship.
Dennis says
This is for where the ship stops in Decin:
https://www.webcams.travel/webcam/fullscreen/1359725100
Sue Farrell says
And after all that…they did sail! Wondering if the low water levels are done for this fall, or if the levels could drop down again.
Michael G says
this was on the Viking site this morning-
Elbe River
The Elbe River has been experiencing low water levels throughout the summer; however, recent rains have improved conditions and the river is currently sailable. Should water levels recede, Viking has several contingency plans to bypass any affected areas and minimize the impact to each cruisetour.
We will continue to monitor water levels daily, activate plans and notify guests directly as needed.
Kerry Stringari, CTC says
4 of us just returned Sept 16 on Amawaterways Amavida sailing the Douro River in Portugal– Porto to Vega de Terron with transfer to Madrid. Water level was fine & ships are smaller on this river. When I asked, he said on this particular river they have more issues with HIGH water as some of the bridges are very, very low. We witnessed this as we passed on near the end of the trip and it was Sept! I was a bit afraid of hot weather, but we lucked out and after Lisbon, weather was great – no rain even – ( Sailing was Sept 3-10)
We loved this itinerary–a smaller , narrower river than out Rhine Cruise on the AmaKristina and just beautiful steep vineyards almost the entire cruise. Portuguese people on shore are super friendly and good values in this country. We did our own overnight in Lisbon for 3 nights and loved the steep cobblestone streets and day trip to Fatima. Took train from Lisbon to Porto to board ship. We also loved Madrid and did that on our own with train to Barcelona after.
Our 2nd time the 4 of us sailed with AMAwaterways and we really enjoyed the experiences.
If you are looking for a different river- Consider the Douro. .
paul says
hello – I have just read your review of the Douro cruise – my partner and I are due to sail with Emerald Waterways next August and are starting the trip with three days in Lisbon.
I believe that the operator coach guests who opt to take the extended 3 days in Lisbon but we are keen to travel by train. Do you have any tips or advice about the best way to do this – do we need to book train tickets way in advance, travel time and access at Porto to the dock.
any other feedback about the cruise would be very helpful too.
many thanks
PAul
Ralph Grizzle says
Wish I could help Paul. I know little about the train. The Douro is wonderful, though.
Jon the Traveler says
you may want to look into a travel pass ahead of time for the dates you be traveling so you can utilize the trains less expensive than out-of-pocket as you go.
Karen Boblett says
We always travel in Europe by train. We always book through Deutche Bahn (check their website). They book train tickets pretty much throughout Europe. There will be schedules on-line on their website for where you want to go. We pay by credit card for 1st class tickets, but you can’t book your seat until a month or two before going on your train, but you can reserve your lst class seat. Only first class has reserved seats. 2nd class is fine except the trains are crowded in Europe and you don’t want to be sitting on your suitcase in the aisle. I have witnessed this in France and also in Germany. Check the website seat 61 and his u-tube channel. He has great advice for first time Europe train goers. Remember two things that are very important: you are responsible for your luggage –no baggage cars and storage isn’t the greatest on some trains. Plus, when the train says it is leaving at a certain time, it leaves and it doesn’t wait for you. Good luck and have a bon voyage…..
Ralph Grizzle says
Thanks Karen. Just want to add that my strategy is exactly the same. For the minimal cost of upgrading to 1st, you eliminate many hassles – and possibly stolen luggage. I’ve seen it happen.
Hannah Meeker says
My husband and I are excited to be going on the Viking “Romantic Danube” cruise from Budapest to Nuremberg, embarking on the 13th! Has anyone else been on this itinerary recently or have any info on the trouble areas around Passau and Regensberg? Hoping for smooth sailing all the way!!
Debbie Loots says
Our AmaWaterways cruise on the AmaViola began in Budapest Aug 25 and ended Sept 1 in Nuremberg. No problems at all with water levels along the way and a few evenings there were rain showers. Enjoy your cruise in that beautiful area.
Deleen Wills says
We depart October 1 from Basel on the Rhine to Amsterdam. Any water issues.?
Mike F says
We are on Viking Vili currently on the middle Rhine. Water is low but passable. We just passed a group of rocks in the center of the river that the cruise director pointed to as he was discussing low water. They are not making any commitments yet on the Danube.
Mike F says
On the Viking Vili approaching Bamberg. We were informed last night of a ship swap tomorrow on the way to Budapest. Should get another ship at Passau. Time to pack!
Belinda.I. says
Hi Mike, how did your ship swap go? Where did it happen & what was the experience like? We leave in a few days from Amsterdam & have been emailed by Viking to give us a heads up we may need to expect the same.
Jim & Dale says
Does the river flow continue to decrease as we approach December? We are scheduled to sail 11/29 from Basel for the Christmas markets.
Brenda says
I think it all depends on the weather. If they start getting rain, everything could turn out for the better. We were on the Rhine River mid November 2018. We had to do a ship swap when we got to Cologne, Germany. From there we were on buses most of the time, for the excursions
Susan Peterson says
Grand Circle Tour boats sailed easily from Vienna to Amsterdam August 25th to September 7th. There was no discussion of low water. Actually, the top deck was closed for a few days in order to get under bridges.
Tito Santana says
My parents are sailing Avalon
Cruise 9/ 25 to 10/7
Itinerary…Prague to Budapest. Dad is losing sleep that the cruise will get cancelled due to low water at the last minute. Anyone sailing Danube between these cities, please let us know if they should be concerned. Thanks!
Tito Santana says
Correction my parents are sailing Avalon
Cruise 9/25 to 10/7 …Nuremberg to Budapest. Anyone recently sailed Danube between these cities, please let us know if they should be concerned. Thanks!
Susan Peterson says
Cruised on Grand Circle Tours from Vienna to Amsterdam August 25th to September 7th and all was just fine. I was worried for us too and appreciated this blog.
Gail says
Tito – we left Budapest and are in Passau right now. We cannot go farther because the water level is too low. We’re going to be bused to Regensberg tomorrow. Your parents trip won’t be canceled- they’ll be bused too.
Carol Ann says
Gail you have been the greatest with the updates. Loved it when you called out a captain for saying there was plenty of water and saying he had fibbed. We are sailing with Scenic on the 30th. Fingers crossed for rain.
Liv says
We are on Avalon cruise from Nuremberg to Budapest right now (September 22, 2019) and can’t get past Regensburg because low water levels. We’ll be bussed to Vienna and Budapest. Quite disappointed because ship is very nice. Supposed to rain on Monday, so may have enough water for your parents. Good luck!
BLK says
We did the Crystal Mahler from Budapest to Amsterdam finishIng on the 9th. Made it through Pfelling then by inches. Just checked Vesselfinder.com. The Mahler just turns around and does the reverse trip every 17 days. It is headed back now and has been in Straubing for 4 days. Should be in Vienna by now. Crystal has no boats to swap with, so I am assuming they are busing folks to Melk, Vienna and Budapest also. It needs to be in Budapest by Thursday to pick up its next set of passengers and head north again. We got stuck in same situation on their Debussy last October going down the Rhine. We were able to divert down the Mosel at Koblenz, and it was still a wonderful trip. They do a great job in difficult situations, but this is not the trip you dreamed of.
Villagegal says
On Avalon Artistry II and we were Just informed tonight before dinner that we will have to disembark at Regensburg on Tuesday, September 24th, due to low water levels on the Danube and be bussed to hotels in Vienna and Budapest for the last 3 nights of our river cruise. At least we made it this far and are only missing 3 days of our cruise!
Villagegal says
We are also on Avalon and just talked to people on the Viking ship and Scenic ship that are also stuck here in Regensburg. Both those companies are having their people pack up but have a sister ship waiting for them past Passau so they can continue their cruise. We are quite disappointed that Avalon is not doing that since that is one of the reasons we picked them. Their marketing presentation said that if levels were low they would transfer you to another ship.
Kathy M says
I am so sorry to hear this. So you are not sailing at all? How is Avalon handling this for you? How disappointing. I sure hope you are able to at least sail for a portion of your trip. Good Luck. Liv.
Phil Best says
Currently on the Danube at Vienna having come from Budapest. I asked the captain about water depth and he indicated there was plenty of water for our cruise through Nuremberg and on to Amsterdam.
Xerxes says
Hi Phil. We are on Scenic Crystal at Passau. Have just been informed that water levels have fallen very low in the last 24 hours and we are unable to sail to Nuremberg. Will bus it there and swap ships and board Scenic Ruby. Situation has been very well handled by the crew. 125k drive and expect to sail to Amsterdam without any other issues.
Gail says
I think he told you a fib.
Linda Capelli says
Our itinerary is Budapest to Amsterdam beginning on Sept 25. Danube to Main to Rhine Rivers is the plan. Is this your itinerary?
Xerxes says
Linda, we are sailing from Budapest to Amsterdam. Arriving Amsterdam on 24th Sept….
Glenn Crisp says
On the Scenic Pearl. Left Budapest on September 10 enroute to Amsterdam. We went through Passau, Regensberg and Nuremberg (September 14-16). We were the last ones to get through these areas. Viking, Scenic, etc are now in ship swap basis. We are on the way to Wurzberg. There are dark clouds overhead but no rain in the forecast. We were very lucky to escape the ship swap.
Lauren Prokes says
We are on Travel Marvel Sapphire from Budapest to Amsterdam and stuck in Passau for now. We will miss Regensburg and see Passau instead. Not sure about future plans yet. Not meant to rain for half a week yet :/
Susan says
We are currently on Viking’s Grand European cruise aboard the Skirnir. We left Amsterdam on September 16th due to arrive in Budapest on September 30th and we will be doing a ship swap to the Modi when we get to Nuremberg on Monday. Apparently the water levels are too low between Passau and Nuremberg (ships can’t get to Regensburg). They will bus us from Nuremberg to Passau after our Nuremberg excursion on Monday. Then they will bus us Tuesday from Passau to the excursion in Regensburg, so we will be overnight in Passau for two nights. Viking usually does an excellent job handling ship swaps so not worried at all. After all, water levels are completely out of their control!
Kristine says
We are departing Amsterdam on the same trip on Sunday, Sept. 29. Is there hope of improvement in the water level? How quickly does it change? Any insights are welcome! We are so looking forward to our trip. Hope that you are having a good time!
Susan says
Kristine you may be lucky…looks like there is rain in the forecast early next week for Nuremberg, Regensburg and Passau…but too late for us. I am no expert in water levels but I think I recall someone posting earlier that they were told it can change significantly (like several metres) in 24 hours. Regardless we are having a wonderful time and Viking treats you very well so I hope you enjoy your trip as well!
Kristine says
Thank you! Hope that you enjoy the rest of your trip! We are so excited about ours!
Denise says
Hi we are going Oct 15-26 with Avalon Budapest to Nuremberg, how is the water level for the Danube ?
B Thomas says
Sept 20 2019 sail from Nuremberg to Budapest on Scenic cruise lines was modified on Sept 16 when we arrived in Prague – we were told water is too low between Passau and Nuremberg so ship will stay docked in Passau for 4 days while we do bis trips to Nuremberg, Regensburg and Passau. Hopeful to sail the balance to end in Budapest.
Ann says
Can we please have any update you can give us? Which Scenic river boat are you on?
Bob H says
Hi. We just completed our cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest IT WAS FABULOUS! Water levels were perfect! No water level problems AT ALL
Kate L says
Hi Bob..may I ask what cruise ship were you on? Thanks
Lynda says
We are scheduled the Viking Cruise departing Nuremberg on September 29 to Budapest. Have received an email from Viking about plans in case of low water levels. How is the river this week? Thanks.
Lauren says
Yes.
Gail says
Too low for our ship to go beyond Passau so we will be bused
Kathy M says
Hi Lynda. We also sail from Nuremburg on the 29th. We haven’t received anything from our sailing co. Avalon. Hoping things improve before we embark. Good luck!
Mary says
We are just completing Nuremberg to Budapest. We left Nuremberg on Sept 13 – Viking Romantic Danube. We had to swap ships because of low water between Regensburg and Passau. we went by bus to our second ship – about 4hours including one rest stop. It put us about 1/2 day behind schedule and we missed 1 morning excursion. Viking did a good job managing the ship swap and got reservations for lunch for everyone. Overall not a big deal.
Kathy M says
Than you for the update Mary.
BILL F says
How were the water levels
We received an email from Viking last night indicating possible low water on Danube
We go from Budapest to Nuremberg Sept 26 is departure date from Budapest
Any info appreciated
Gail says
We are in Passau and can not continue farther. Our starting point was Budapest.
Carol Ann Caldwell says
Thanks for the update.
Gail says
Carol Ann – you are most welcome for any update I can give. I wish you a very fun and very safe trip
Carol Ann says
Thanks for the update.
Janice says
We are scheduled to leave from Nuremberg Saturday Sept. 28, Romantic Danube. It doesn’t seem like it’s going to be as we expected. How was your cruise overall?
Bob Burch says
Are you on a Viking ship? If so, which one. We are on the Viking Tor and we leave Nuremberg on Nov. 1., Romantic Danube. Thanks.
Gail says
We are currently in Linz and have been informed that we will not be able to get farther than Passau due to low water levels
Kathy M says
Who are you sailing with Gail? Are these only Viking ships that are unable to continue? We sail with Avalon on the 29th. Hoping the water levels increase!!
Tito Santana says
Kathy M, my parents are also sailing from Nuremberg, destination Budapest. Might be the same ship as yous. They arrive in Prague on 9/25 and sail out of Nuremberg I think 4 days later. They also have not recieved any word on low water levels from Avalon.
Kathy M says
Thank you Tito. Hoping thing improve for all of us. A previous post sated rain was in the forcast. Here’s to hoping!! Good Luck to your parents.
Doug says
Not sure this helps but we docked in Vienna this morning. We left Vilshofen on the 20th and had no issues going east on the Avalon Visionary. What a wonderful cruise!!!
Gail says
We are on Monarch Princess with Gate One.
Gail says
Kathy – our ship draws about 5 1/2 feet according to the cruise director. I imagine some ships might have a more shallow draft that would allow them passage with low water levels, perhaps.
Marisa says
Hi there, thanks for the info, we’re on the Viking cruise Budapest to Nuremberg next week, see that rain is in the forecast…hope it will be enough! See in thes posts that it doesn’t look too promising … can only hope it will work out 🙁 .
Any new updates???
Kathy M says
Thank you Gail for taking time out of your trip to update us all. I the rest of your trip is smooth sailing.
Gail says
Kathy M – Thank you. We’re home now and those 11 days flew by! The only port that we couldn’t reach was Regensberg so it wasn’t too bad. If you intend to do all the optional tours, comfy shoes are a must. I hope you have a fun, safe trip and great weather. 🙂
Peter Broughton says
We are in Regensburg now. Water too low to go through to Budapest…transfer to bus 2 days time. They are hopeful of rain. Good luck
Betty Moore says
What are the temperatures in the Passau, Nuremberg, Budapest area? We are scheduled on the Viking Grand European Tour starting in Budapest on October 1st.
Gail says
Betty – we just returned from those areas. The beginning of our trip started in Budapest where it was shorts and short sleeves. Into the high 70’s during the day. Finishing in Passau / Regensburg required sweaters and jackets. It was 43 one morning but it did warm up for the afternoon. Your best bet is to google the weather there for the week and to be able to layer your tops with a sweater.
Kathy M says
Good to know. Thank you Gail.
Betty Moore says
Thanks, Gail. Hopefully there will be enough water to cruise.
Gail says
Betty Moore – I wish you have a wonderful and safe trip !
Kathy M says
Thank you Peter.
Janice says
How did your cruise go on the Romantic Danube. We are scheduled for that trip leaving on Saturday, sept. 28. We have been reading about being bused & ship swaps. We’re not looking forward to that.
Ron Rubbin. says
My family on same cruise as you. Just heard from Viking that there is possibility of low river water but nothing definite. I understand that they go overboard to help if adjustments in the itinerary are necessary . (Pardon the pun)we are just going with the flow and hope for no disruptions.
Karen Rawley says
Just returned from 16 days on Grand Circle River Concerto from Vienna to Amsterdam – no issues with the water levels, however, the Captain said they were a bit low. Viking ships, AMA, and Avalon were travelling along with us, and no one seemed to have any issues. Weather was very, very hot and humid. Only issue we had was getting to the Amsterdam airport extra early as the baggage handlers were going on strike for 2 hours – Grand Circle Program Directors are the best, and kept of informed of what we needed to do, and assisted at the airport as well.
Ellen Albus says
Just returned on 9/5 from a cruise up the Rhone and Saone on Avalon Poetry II and then the Seine on Avalon Tapestry II. Both were wonderful cruises, with no water level issues on either.
Carol says
So glad to hear this! We sail the Rhone October 28- Nov 5. From Lyon to Marseille. We had a low water “ bus” cruise last November on Viking on the Danube. I am hopeful to not repeat same. Anyone have any water level updates?
PJ says
Updated info received today from Viking regarding Grand European Tour (Sept 11)… So, “scheduled maintenance”has already interrupted the trip! ?? Two nights in a hotel!! Why not have the Aegir for the entire trip? Something doesn’t smell right. Maybe water levels are the real issue??
Due to a technical issue, Viking Embla will need to undergo maintenance in Linz from September 16 – September 17, 2019. In order to ensure you are able to visit the sights you came to see while the ship is being worked on, we have arranged for you to spend two nights in a hotel in the Passau region, then embark identical sister ship, Viking Aegir, to complete your journey.
In consideration of this change, we will be extending to you a future cruise voucher for 15% of your paid cruise fare.
Sue Ann J says
Hi, just posted comment about ten down from this one that we are going to be swapped onto the Embla from the Aegir on Sept. 18th in Passau. Why are they doing the swap if the Embla will be back from repair on the 18th when we are to swap to it and you to our boat the Aegir? Doesn’t make sense..
PJ says
Frankly, I’m disappointed in this ‘swap’ for what appears as scheduled
maintenance. The inconvenience of packing up and going to a hotel for two nights is not worthy of a 15% voucher for a future trip I will never use. I’d rather receive a 15% cash refund!
It would help if they advised us of what hotel we will stay at as well…
TR says
We embark on the Embla on Sept 11 and will be getting swapped out with the Aegit as PJ previously mentioned. Embla has had major issues in July and August with generator/engine. We will be in a hotel for two nights and bused to our ports of call and then embark on the Aegir. I believe the reason for the swap is that it would put the Embla two far off schedule to make up time. Hope there are no issues with the Aegir as it was without AC for a week in the heat of summer. I have to say I am disappointed with Viking.
Joy says
I agree I was just notified also. I can understand water levels but scheduled maintenance???
Pj says
Sue Ann J: Please give an update on your reboarding, to the Embla. We are scheduled to board Aegir tomorrow (Wednesday). The Embla had major maint replacing the generator.
Sue Ann J says
Hi Pj we will be in Nuremberg tomorrow and after our tour bussed to Passau to get on the Embla. Please tell me it’s going to be repaired and waiting for us. We would have to make a swap now because there’s low water but were just told about the maintence issue with the Embla tonight. Everyone on the boat except for our party thought it was always a low water issue and I didn’t tell them any different. The Aegir has a wonderful crew. Enjoy the rest of your trip.
Pj says
Hello Sue Ann J… We boarded the Aegir as planned after the 2 hotel nights. We heard the Embla was back in service, but there is (was) a low water level issue. Are you underway on the Embla to Budapest? Crews on both ships are awesome. We are now docked in Koblenz.
John Anderson says
I hope you have a better experience than we had several years ago. We had just completed our pre cruise 2 day extension in Budapest when we and and our fellow cruisers were gathered in a large hotel meeting room, provided a luncheon that didn’t have enough food for all, and told that our ship could not reach Budapest do to water level problems and that we couldn’t stay in our hotel as the rooms were rented to incoming guests. They put us is up in another hotel in what looked like attic rooms, bused us all over town the next day, which we had already toured for two days, took us on a lengthy bus ride to another ship where we could only stay one night. Then a long bus and transfer to another ship for the rest of our trip. They offered a discount on a future tour, which was no more than the promotional discounts that are offered in their brochures. Needless to say this was the worst of our 7 river cruises. The others were quite enjoyable.
Gail says
John – which cruise line did this to your trip?
Pj says
*UPDATE* Presently on the Embla in Vienna. This ship is going into maintenance on Sunday for 2 nights. There has been a generator problem for several weeks. There is an auxiliary generator mounted on the sun deck in back of the wheelhouse. This generator is scheduled to be removed by crane on Sunday. Apparently there is no direct access to remove/replace generator. The repair shipyard will cut a hole in the ship to remove/replace generator. That should be interesting with a timeline of ship returning to service on time. This is affecting our cruise and the cruise coming from AMS. This is a huge inconvenience for the passengers (paying guests). To be continued….
Possibly someone on the Aegir involved with this delimma, can provide what is going on with your cruise change.
Sue says
We are on the Aegir and will be changing to the Embla on Wed the 18th. We know we are transferring for mechanical reasons but we have not been told that by Viking. People we talk to believe it is low water levels. We’re not telling them any different as I know they wouldn’t be happy. I’m sure you will enjoy our crew on Aegir and we also have an awesome cooking staff ! Hope the maintenance on Embla goes well and there are no complications or delays! Hope you have a good final week!
Don C says
Enjoying reading comments from river cruisers!
Danny Mesford says
Does anyone have any updated info on the river levels on the Viking Grand European tour, we leave Amsterdam on Viking Modi 9/16, Amsterdam – Budapest.
Tim says
On Viking Lif, Amsterdam to Budapest. Just left Regensburg heading for Passau. Water levels are good. No issues to get to Budapest. Also rain in area for next few days which should make even better.
Bob H says
Hello. We just left koblenz on our way to Budapest. Wonderful sailing on the Rhine thus far. The crew is amazing! The trip is memorable. We even had a private concert on board in Cologne.
Bob H says
We are leaving koblenz on the Rhine, heading to the Main and to Budapest. So far, everything has been great.
Janelle says
Hoping for good sailing starting Sunday the 15th on Grand Circle Rhine and Mosel tour. Thanks for posting that things seem to be good in that area.
Christina M Dowler says
Janelle, We are doing this same cruise Nov 9th. It would be appreciated if you could comment on water levels. We love Grand Circle! Enjoy your cruise. Tina
Michael Natinsky says
On the vali in Budapest leaving tonight to Vienna. Crew does not indicate there is any water level issues heading towards Amsterdam. Will advise as we proceed.
Hayley says
Much appreciated, we are scheduled to leave budapest-amsterdam on the 11th so any notifications appreciated
Gary says
Just got underway from Nuremberg to Regensburg on the Scenic Amber. No issues on the Main-Danube canal. As other posts have reported do not expect problems as we travel to Budapest. Will update if something unexpected comes up.
Colleen Wilson says
Thanks Gary, we are joining Scenic Amber at Nuremberg on 16th. Travelling to Budapest. I will be watching for any posts of yours.It has been an anxious time.. Also do I need to nag hubby about his dress at the concert in Vienna. How formal is it?
Gary says
Going to concert tonight. They have told us to dress up but nothing really fancy. Cocktail style is what they would like to see. For men, nice shirt and slacks will suffice (as it is all I have with me). Jeans, shorts and sandals for men are discouraged. Did the bike ride from Melk to Durnstein yesterday. Around 20 miles with about 90% flat. Had a great time so if you are physically able to handle it I would recommend it.
Colleen Wilson says
Thanls Gary for getting back. John will be happy with that. I just might take a posh frock. My daughter and her husband have E.bikes at home so will be pleased for the info. Not long now.
Sue Ann Jenrich says
We are leaving Amsterdam on Sept. 11th on Viking Aegir for Budapest arrive Sept. 25th. We just received an email telling us we will have to do a ship swap at Nuremberg to a new ship the Embla in Passau. I am wondering why the change when I know other Viking boats are getting through that area now and there’s rain and cool temperatures predicted for several days in that area next week. Does anyone know any other reason for our swap?
Mark Stockman says
We are on the same itinerary, Sue Ann, so we would also like to get as much info as possible. This trip has been in the works for 5 years, so I hope everything goes well!
Michelle Hyatt says
Interesting – we were scheduled to leave Amsterdam to Budapest on the Embla on Sept 25th and now we will be on the Aegir??
Tom Wolanski says
Disappointing
We are scheduled with Viking Sept 15th-22nd
Are we going to be disappointed?
Carol Forbes says
Hi Gary, I have just came across this website.
We plan to sail on the “Gems of the Danube” on the Scenic Amber next year at the same time and it sounds like Scenic didn’t have any delays or route changes although we have friends that sailed on Avalon and they were disappointed couldn’t continue on their cruise.
Can you pleaselet me know if you trip went as planned. We sailed on Scenic last year and loved it.
Thanks, CF
Kathleen says
Hi! Had a wonderful week of sailing Viking Atla from Budapest to Nuremburg. No problems at all. Beautiful weather every day despite weather reports that it would rain every day. Water levels were great and no issues. It was a great trip! Best of luck and safe travels for all of those departing soon!
Kate says
Just arrived in Amsterdam on Sunday from Budapest on Scenic Ruby. Great cruise and we made it through no problems.
Martin Ycas says
We just received a notice today Sept 9, that due to previous low water levels we will be boarding the Modi in Budapest and not the Skirnir as planned. It looks like there may have been a boat swap at midway point around Bamberg and the boats were turned around.
Hopefully water levels go up.
Jeanne says
Has anyone been on the Viking Elbe “cruise” recently? We know the ships have not moved in several months due to low water. We expect to receive the email from Viking soon offering a refund or 50% voucher for future cruise if we do not bail out. We are considering going …but just wondering if anyone has done the “bus” revision. Short bus trips? Are the ships docked at Wittenberg & Dresden? And do the ships have any view or will we be facing a dock? Any other problems? Thanks for any input.
Lynne McKenna says
Hi there. Scheduled for the Elbe cruise in October. Is there any update on river level?
Jeanne says
Hi Lynne, The Elbe water level has been so low that the 2 Viking ships have not moved since June. We’ve been checking websites for info on ship movement, water levels, rain forecasts, etc. There is not enough rain expected … It would take a monsoon to get the water levels up! So you will not be cruising. Others in this forum have told us they do not get the notice from Viking until 2 weeks prior to your cruise date. Viking has been offering a full refund or, if you do not cancel & accept the revised itinerary with buses, you will receive a 50% off voucher for a future cruise. The only good news here is the distances are short so probably not long bus trips. Hope this helps.
Dennis says
From looking at levels and webcams, believe Jeanne is correct. Also fyi – We received our refund back from Viking 12 days after canceling our Elbe cruise.
Walt M says
Did they refund the cost of the flights as well?
Kim says
How do you find out that the ships have not moved or the current conditions? I know that Viking just says that the water levels are low but that we would be notified if our sailing has been affected.
Dennis says
vesselfinder.com If you are on the Elbe cruise, look for either the Viking Beyla or the Viking Astrild. Sometimes the ships don’t show up on the website, but then check again another day and they do show up. I’m not sure why.
Dennis says
Walt, Yes they refunded everything to the penny, trip, flight, insurance.Dennis
Mike V says
Dennis I find it hard to fathom(haha) that the cruise line would refund money they didn’t receive like flight expenses and insurance costs?! You have insurance to pay those and you never get insurance costs back-I’m puzzled by your comment?
Do you work for them?
Walt M says
I’m on that same cruise – VIking Belya on 11/2 starting in Prague heading to Berlin.
I assume if the ship can’t move, it is used as a hotel and your are bussed to different destinations each day (this saves the packing/unpacking each day) Correct?
Jeanne says
Hi Walt, You can scroll down to more Viking Elbe info. One traveler said they are using 2 ships…one in Dresden & one in Wittenberg. So you will have 2 days on one & 3 on the other.
Felicia Buchanan says
I am on the same cruise leaving Oct 23rd. I just called Viking stating I can’t wait until 2 weeks before my cruise to know if we can go (don’t want to do the bus tour) and the gal put me on hold for a bit and went and found out that “they had rain the last two days with more expected, and even with that the river levels ARE FINE NOW and should be great when we go because they are expecting a bunch more rain”. Do you think Viking is feeding me a line???
Jeanne says
Yes! Viking’s strategy is to advice customers at the last minute. Our cruise is Sept 23 & we still have not been notified. We have done our own research on water levels, ship locations, etc. The Elbe ships have not moved since June & there will not be enough rain to make a difference. We will probably not cancel because we are meeting friends who have already left for Europe. The bus trips will most likely be short. You will be in Wittenberg on one ship for 3 nights & Dresden for 2 nights on the other ship.
Jane says
Have you been notified from Viking yet?
Barbara P says
I am scheduled to leave on October 17 for the Berlin extension and called Viking about the water levels. Its their policy to make you wait until the last minute. I would like to reschedule another vacation but they don’t allow this. All this stress when Viking should do the right thing. I don’t believe the water levels will change in the next month. They posted an advisory on the website about the low water levels and still will not allow a change. The beautiful vacation cruising on the Elbe will never happen and Viking knows this. If anyone hears anything on this cruise please let me know.
Felicia Buchanan says
UGH, I realize many folks are retired and it isn’t a big deal to change plans…but I am still working and have a hard time getting time off work (AND my vacation time does not roll over to next year…I will lose time if I don’t use it). It is a real pain and VERY stressful to have to wait to the very last moment to find out about the water levels. I ALSO, might never get to do this again (I know a lot of folks are like no worries it is still fun, you can do it another time etc.). This is a trip of a lifetime for me and don’t want to pay the big $ to be on a bus and not have the full river experience. And I agree with another poster…why are the posts not in chronological order??
Debbie says
Walt – We should be on the same cruise as you. Fingers crossed.
Walt M says
Debbie,
I look forward to meeting you…..we are in a group of 6 friends who met on a Viking River Cruise 4 years ago and have cruised together ever since….
Debbie says
Hi Walt-
We are still planning on making the trip even if “boatel”. We will definitely miss cruising. We are also doing the Berlin extension at the end. I keep watching the weather in the area and as of now it only is showing some showers in the next few weeks. I’m guessing they will need several days of heavy rain to sail.
Debbie says
Also hoping British airways resolves their strike with the pilots and we don’t have any issues with our flights. We are flying on American outbound, but British airways from Heathrow-Prague and both flights from Berlin to home (Arizona) are on BA.
Jeanne says
Hi Barbara,
You are correct. The water levels will not change. We are on the 9/24 Elbe Viking cruise. We also tried to negotiate with Viking to switch to another cruise. Their strategy is to let us know within 2 weeks of our date so we are less likely to cancel. We knew the Elbe ships have not moved since June. We were monitoring ship locations & water levels since then. We are very disappointed they would not be more flexible with us. We just decided to go because our friends are already in France & joining us in Berlin. I have looked at the revised itinerary & the bus trips are minimal & short. We will be on one ship for 2 nights in Wittenberg & then 3 nights on the other ship in Dresden.
Kim says
Had clients on the Elbe for Oct 1 embarkation date and received the notice of the low water levels. They chose to cancel and Viking advised they would receive a Full refund including all air (booked w Viking) and insurance costs.
Barbara says
Thanks for the information. I hope you enjoy the trip. I still did not hear from Viking. I doubt I will go since I wanted to experience a river cruise. Let us know how the trip was.
Barbara says
Thanks for the information Kim. I hope you enjoy the trip. I still did not hear from Viking. I doubt I will go since I wanted to experience a river cruise. Let us know how the trip was.
Jeffrey Paglialonga says
Jeff Paglialonga, owner of Teeming River Cruises. Had our first water issue this season on the Danube at Pfelling. Water levels dropped 10′ in less than a 24 hour period. Our ship cannot pass until later this evening. The river is predicted to rise over 12′ in one day. This will put us back on schedule for the remainder of our Danube Tour.
PJ says
What makes the water levels drop 10 feet in 24 hours??? …and what about a 12 foot rise in a day??
Mel says
We were notified today that the Viking Aegir will go through to Amsterdam; no ship swaps. We are having a slight modification to our Regensburg, Germany stop, but all shore excursions are proceeding as planned. Later cruises may not be so lucky unless there is more rain.
Tim Okel says
On Viking Lif, Amsterdam to Budapest. Left Amsterdam August 28th. Amsterdam to Bamberg has been good. No water problems and good weather. Just informed tonight that there will be no water issue and we will be able to make it all the way to Budapest. As indicated in other comments reportly water level actually increased recently.
Kim Fitz says
Thank you Tim, that’s good news. Heading out from Amsterdam on Sept. 10 heading to Budapest.
UB says
Does anyone know if the Scenic Crystal and Jasper have swapped itineraries? We leave on Scenic Crystal 9/25 Budapest Amsterdam and have been looking at the ship tracker http://www.anyoverip.de/scenic/index.php?ship=Jasper&d=02&m=9&y=2019 andit seems that way based on their positions. Thanks to everyone updating us on the water levels. I have been checking every day for as much info as I can get.
Xerxes says
Hi UB. We were set to sail Budapest – Amsterdam on 11 September on Jasper. To me it looks as though Scenic has swapped Jasper with Crystal. My travel agent spoke to Scenic who deny any such change. I have written to Scenic directly last night and am waiting to hear from them. I use Vessel Tracker and it confirms that Jasper is docking in Amsterdam 10 September. I fail to understand why Scenic does not come clean….. Bon Voyage
UB says
Thanks Xerxes. Tomorrow both ships arrive in Nuremburg and it will be interesting to see if they swap to get back on the correct itineraries. I guess ultimately it doesn’t matter, they are the exact same ships……. as long as they both keep sailing, fingers crossed.
UB says
I’m also a little perplexed that the Scenic Crystal is listed as the ship on The Sept 11- 28 Amsterdam to Prague run. It certainly can’t be in 2 places at the same time. Ah well, time will tell.
Meher-Homji Xerxes says
Hi UB. Scenic has still not replied to be even though I have sent them a reminder. The silver lining for you is that your vessel will be Jasper, a newer and better vessel. Pretty perplexing. Perhaps transponders were mixed up in GPS.?
Meher-Homji Xerxes says
Good point UB….
Louise says
Hi Xerxes
We are also boarding the Jasper on 11th September to Amsterdam arriving on 25th September,
I received email this morning 5th September, currently in Prague, saying Jasper is not sailing due to low level water and will now travel on the Crystal.
This is extremely disappointing as we only wanted the Jasper being the new ship and might end up with Crystal that is 7 years old.
I hope we receive a refund for the difference in price from Jasper to Crystal.
Meher-Homji Xerxes says
Hi Louise. Yes it is extremely disappointing. I am unsure if there is a price difference though. I have been asking Scenic since last week about the change in vessels. Up until early this week, they assured me it was still Jasper. After a few emails and documentation on GPS positioning, they finally replied yesterday with a standard letter saying there had been a change and that an email blast would be sent out. They have had this information for a few weeks but have held off till the last minute to advice us. Bad move as it means unhappy customers before we board. I have read some good and bad reviews on Crystal so let’s hope we experience the good ones. Regardless, I look forward to seeing you on board. We leave Brisbane tomorrow for Prague and then on to Budapest. Safe travels!
Xerxes says
Hi UB
I have raised the same query with Scenic. They have denied any ship swap via travel agent. Have written to them directly last night and waiting to hear a reply. Very dissatisfied and disappointing
Terry says
Yes we sailed July 31 from Budapest, was supposed to be Crystal but was in fact Jasper. Apparently an issue earlier on with a lock caused the switch. Jasper was awesome…
UB says
Thanks for solving the mystery Terry. Glad you had a great trip!
Mel says
We are on the Aegir docked in Vienna. Just saw the Skinir departing. We will be in Melk tomorrow. Our crew is reporting no problems yet from water levels but rain would help.
Ken C says
On Viking Budapest to Amsterdam. Finished Danube River and now on Danube-Main canal. Questionable spots (Passau-Nuremburg) are behind us. Until we hit the canal, we were just told it could go either way but now officially told clear sailing to Amsterdam with no ship swap.
Good luck to all to follow.
Chris says
We’re on Scenic Opal. Made it through from Regensburg to Passau last night.
Colleen Wilson says
Read this with some relief Chris. Thank you for your post.
Chris says
No problems Colleen. We did modify our Regensburg program to get through. Worth it. Hopefully it now rains.
Bob H says
We are flying to Amsterdam from Colorado Springs via Dallas TX in about an hour. After a couple of days in Amsterdam, we’ll embark on Viking GEFJON to Budapest on Sep 3rd. We’re praying for good water conditions. PRETTY DARNED EXCITED!
Mary Montgomery says
We are flying out today for same precruise and Gefjon. Perhaps we will run into you.
Bob H says
That’d be fun! If not, see you onboard.
Bob H says
Interesting day in Amsterdam during our pre-cruise extension. I had a little problem at the airport upon arrival (no fault but my own). It was amazing how attentive and helpful the Viking staff was in helping me get back to the airport from our hotel to straighten things out. They were all great. Our wonderful Viking Host at the Mövenpick hotel, Maxime at the airport. They really bent over backwards for me to help things get back on track! My wife and I are now looking forward to a drama-free cruise in a couple of days. Still praying for good water conditions!
Ale Best says
How is your cruise going? Any low water issues? We are starting our cruise next week.
Bobbie M says
Just received notice from Viking that the Grand European Tour from Budapest to Amsterdam embarking on Sept 5th will now be on the Vali rather than the Tir with a possible ship swap.
Dennis says
We are on the Viking SKirnir, in Melk, heading for Budapest. We made it through Regensberg and Passau. We were told last night that we were the last boat through and that ship swaps had resumed in Regensberg. Pray for rain.
Ken C says
The information you are being given appears to be wrong. Viking Ve is behind you in Passau and made it through with no ship swap. I am on Viking Tir going reverse, made it thru the critical spot near Regensburg and have seen cruise & freight ships going past us in the other way. Our sister ship, Vali is with us in Nuremburg and is expect to make it later today/tonight or they would have had stopped us to swap today.
Inside information from crew member, we cleared with 30 cm (12 inches) to spare without any tricks having to be used.
Markings on shore show water level down from normal but all Viking ships are making it though fine at this time. Rain is predicted this afternoon in Nuremburg.
BLK says
On Crystal Mahler. Left Budapest August 24th for Amsterdam on August 8th. Left Melk this evening. Headed to Passau for the morning, but were told tonight that without rain we can not get to Regensburg Friday. With 10 days still to go, we have no plan beyond tomorrow. It is raining now, but we need rain upstream to get past Pfelling. We were on a Crystal cruise last October from Amsterdam to Basel that had to detour to the Moselle because of no water in the Rhine. Crystal was great and we enjoyed the new itinerary. But, there is no detour available here.
BLK says
Sorry, that should have been Amsterdam on September 8th. In Passau now and leaving for tours at 2:30. Crystal is repositioning the ship upstream a bit while we are off the ship and we will be reunited with it somewhere upstream later in the afternoon. No further word on what happens overnight and tomorrow when we should be in Regensburg.
BLK says
Crystal Mahler and Amaviola made it past Pfelling with 10 cm clearance this morning and just now arriving Regensburg. We heard we (Mahler) did offload fuel and water supplies to lighter the ship.
Kate says
We are on the Scenic Ruby. Left Budapest August 26 heading to Amsterdam. We got through Passau yesterday but thought we were going to have to do a ship swap. Fortunately the Captain was able to get through yesterday while the passengers were all off on tours and we were met by the ship further down the river. Captain said the water is very low but moving ahead 4 hours made all the difference. Having a wonderful time!
Mary says
Did you have to travel 4 hours by bus?
Kate says
Mary our bus trip from Salzburg was about 2 hours.
Mel says
Dennis – just saw your ship in Vienna. We are on the Aegir headed to a Melk. Hoping for good sailing. Enjoy Budapest.
Kate says
We only had 2 hours from Salzburg – didn’t go to Passau because the captain pushed through so we didn’t have to do ship swap. Now in Nuremberg .
Ken C says
That’s right, I’m on Tier now going to Amsterdam. Was suppose to be Vali but there was a ship swap earlier this summer. They probably just informed you now because we Tier/Vali did not have to ship swap this time. Vali continuing to Budapest and Tier continuing to Amsterdam with no swap this trip only once earlier this year to flip flop which ship.
Ken C says
Left Budapest 8/22 to Amsterdam 9/5.
River depth seems good. River flow seems fast. We have been told we should have no problem except maybe Passau to Nuremberg but looks good. They will not commit until Tuesday 8/27 what happens there, cruise through or ship swap but at worst 1 swap.
Dennis says
Okay everybody,
We found out tonight that there will not be a ship swap for us on the Viking Skirnir. We just left Wurzburg
and we will be in Bamberg tomorrow. They said that we were one of three sailings from Amsterdam to Budapest this summer, that did not have to swap ships. I don’t know if this information will help you a lot because it is hot and dry. Keep an eye on Passau and Regensberg as this is the problem area of the Danube. Pray for rain in these areas and good luck
Carol H says
Thanks for the info Dennis! Looks like there is actually some rain in the forecast for these areas so maybe there is hope for us next week!
Joe Mozdiez says
Looks like the start of a rainy period for Nuremberg beginning Sept. 2 for several days.
Colleen Wilson says
Hi Joe, We will be joining Scenic Amber at Nuremberg on September 19th. New to river cruising Any tips gratefully received.
Trevor says
Hi Colleen
Joining the same cruise.
Fingers crossed for good water levels
Regards Trevor (Australia)
Colleen Wilson says
Hi Trevor, Great! See you on board.Hubbies name is John. (England).
Dennis says
We were informed tonight that we will not have to swap ships. We are one of three Viking sailings from Amsterdam to Budapest that have been able to complete the trip with no ship-swap. We just left Wurzburg, heading south to Bamberg on the Viking Skirnir. It has been hot and dry so pray for rain for Passau and Regensberg which are the problem areas of the Danube.
Peter says
Thanks Dennis for the updates!
PS says
WHY AREN’T POSTINGS LISTED IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER????????????????????
Bob H says
We are scheduled on the Viking GEFJON on Sep 3 from Amsterdam to Budapest. This is our first time river cruise. We got a notice that the Danube MAY be non-navigable if water levels continue to recede. We are nervous. We fly out to Amsterdam on this Saturday, Aug 31
Nancy says
We r on the mimir aug 30 Amsterdam to Budapest and I have not received notice re Danube – although I spend an hour a day looking at these water levels. Hoping for the best.
Ann says
Where do you check? We are doing the Scenic Amber -Black Sea Explorer leaving Budapest Sep 24th. Check this site very day in hope that we will be able to stay on the ship. Thank everyone for your posts.
Grammaroma says
We go end of October on GEFJON too. Would love to hear how you like it too. Hope water levels stay ok for all.
Kim Fitz says
We’re on Emerald Waterways from Amsterdam to Budapest leaving September 10th. We haven’t heard a word from Emerald yet. Our first cruise as well. Keep us posted Bob. And good luck, hope all works out ok.
Pete S says
We are on the Crystal Ravel and just docked in Budapest. Crew says depth ok now but will become an issue for eastern Danube if it drops further.
Cheers
Trevor says
Hi Pete
What does eastern Daube mean?
East of where ?
Regards Trevor
Ralph Grizzle says
Probably means from Budapest to the Black Sea.
Rich Bono says
Ralph
Just finished our Tauck river cruise on the Rhine
River levels were great and the weather was fantastic. We started in Amsterdam on the 19th. and ended in Basel on the 26th we were on the MS Inspire great trip
John says
No issues on the Amsterdam >> Basel Rhine River. Gorgeous weather so far and River is flowing well. having breakfast on the bow tied up at Boppard. On the S.S. Antoinette.
Gary says
Currently cruising down the Main river on Avalon Tranquility ii.Left Budapest August 18th for Amsterdam.No issue with water levels.Due Rudesheim Thursday 29th.All good so far.Very warm days.
Marcy says
Our cruise from Budapest ended in Nuremberg this morning. Smooth and beautiful sailing all the way through. A very special experience. Bon voyage to all!
Rick says
Thank you Marcy, its nice to hear good news. We are scheduled to sail from Budapest to Amsterdam next Friday August 30th on Viking Vili. We were preparing for a possible switch to a sister ship (Tir?) if the Vili does not make it past the Regensburg/Passau stretch. And also preparing for a transfer past that section. But if you made it from Budapest to Nuremberg that is encouraging. It can still change, but this is positive news. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to comment. I will try to take time while I am en-route to do likewise.
John E. says
Thanks, We are scheduled to sail from Nuremburg to Budapest on August 31st. on Viking, hoping for good water levels on the Danube.
Kathleen says
Thank you for this information! We are scheduled to sail from Budapest to Nuremberg on Sept 1 on Viking Atla. Received an email from Viking yesterday about the water levels so I am nervous. I know water levels can change hourly, but fingers crossed that water levels remain ok for our trip. I do not want this to become an expensive bus tour!
Brooks says
Hi Kathleen,
We’re leaving the same day on the same route but going in the opposite direction on the Viking Egil. We got the same Danube low water level notice. We’re also concerned and hope any change is minimal. Time will tell.
Brooks
Richard Marshall says
Kathleen, Good luck! Please poet your results. We leave on the same trip September 14. Hope all goes well. Recent posts sound encouraging.
Brenda says
Hi Kathleen, We were on the Rhine last fall (mid Nov) and had to do a Ship swap. We were with Viking also. They really do everything they can to make the cruise an enjoyable vacation. We had to leave our ship in Cologne, Germany and pick up the new one in Kiel. That day we were bused to our Castle tour then to a private sailing on the middle Rhine that included lunch and beverages. After the tour we were bused to our new to us ship.
While we were on the cruise we had a great time, it was still a lot of fun and we did see pretty well everything we were supposed to. It was only when I got home and looked at a map of the river that I realized how much of it we didn’t sail on. We received a voucher to be used on a future trip. This summer I contacted my TA and asked him to find me a deal. That he did, a smoking deal at that! We are doing the Romantic Danube in October. I am looking forward to it and am hoping that the water levels hold or come up. If not, we will still have a great time. There are seven of us in our group.
PJ says
Interesting blog regarding water levels… Frankly, never considered that being an issue. We, as guests aboard these river long ships probably consider just cruising on the ship with all its’ amenities as the main attraction. The thought of being bused to sights and changing ships simply isn’t acceptable. We all spend a large sum of money to have a ship cruise the rivers, the entire trip…not on buses.
Richard Williams says
Well, that is exactly what happened to all of us on the Viking Atla late last August on the Danube. Instead of unpacking once, watching the shores pass by from our balcony or from the decks with other travellers, we got to see what we could out the passenger windows of several buses, pay for our beverages and snacks and lunches along the way, have little conversation except with the person across the aisle, and pack up and unpack for several days. Viking, who of course did not cause the problem, did, in a way of an apology, gave a percentage of the money we spent as a credit to use on another trip, but only if we used it in the next year. So we got no kind of an actual money refund. My wife felt that she could not just let it go so now we are about to float the Rhine starting August 31st. What do we hear now from some sources? Yup – possibly too low water for the boats to move on the river due to record high heats and little rainfall. Is that why Viking’s Website is down?
Kathleen says
Richard,
Did they notify you that you would be bused prior to arrival? Or was that discovered once you arrived in Budapest? I have been watching weather forecast (which some rain forecasted, although they can never seem to accurately predict our weather here so it does not give me a lot of faith) along with the navigation of the boats. Atla made it ok last week with no problem. I am hoping the same this week and for us. Best of luck to you on the Rhine!
Bob Twineham says
On the Rhine on Viking Tialfi at Speyer sailing Amsterdam to Basel Aug 24-31; no problems at all nor, as best can tell, with Viking traffic Basel to Amsterdam. Has been hot and dry but river level seems fine. Another website to check for German river levels is bafg.de, select wasserstande in list of services in little box on left side; levels updated hourly(?) each day on comprehensive map.
John says
Leaving for 5he Amsterdam >> Basel Rhine River raise next Sunday. A friend was in Wiesbaden a week ago enjoying the wine fest and said the water levels looked okay. Were any readers on the Rhine lately? Thanks in advance.
John says
Stupid typing ?. I meant the Rhine, River cruise.
JIm T says
We’re on the Rhine now heading north on the Viking Vali just about at the Germany/Netherlands border. River level is fine for us and commercial traffic, but would say it’s down just a bit from optimum. Ending our Grand European Tour in Amsterdam tomorrow. Made it all the way and had a fantastic trip.
John says
Jim T., thanks for the info. Really looking forward to the southbound trip. We were scheduled last Oct but got cancelled due to low water level. Have been worried due to some of the reports on the other European rivers.
Layne Noble says
Thanks for info. We are scheduled for an AMA Waterways cruise from Basel to Amsterdam on sept 3rd. This is our free cruise replacing the one we were on last fall that got detoured as we couldnt get past Cologne from Amsterdam. Detour cruise was still great and hope we can now enjoy this one. Any current info on rhine levels appreciated
Layne N
John says
We are in to our third day and are at Boppard. No issues at all so far. Even had a light shower last night. Food is wundebar ??
Dennis says
On the Viking Skirnir heading south to Budapest. Just leaving Cologne. Water and weather has been great. Keeping our fingers crossed
Peter Sinton says
Thanks Dennis,
Keep posting reports on water levels and weather.
We will be heading out on another Viking longboat from Amsterdam to Budapest on August 30 (gods and waters willing).
Cheers,
Peter S
Murray says
Thank you Dennis
Similar to Peter S, we will be leaving Budapest for Nuremberg on Aug 24 so postings will be very appreciated.
Good luck
Murray
Carol hibler says
Peter— assume you are on the mimir! Hoping we will be ok with water levels! We have had this cruise booked for over 18 months and we are really looking forward to it! I will check the posts on here to see what’s going on!
Nancy says
We will also be on the Mimir August 30 and keep checking this site. Thankyou for info. Hoping for rain which is typically not what I wish for a vacation.
Dennis says
Everything is great on the Rhine. We will let you know about levels at Regensburg and Passau as they seem to be the trouble spots. The crew seems positive that water levels will be ok.
Janice Fitzgerald says
Omg say hello to Michael a bartender and stephen we were on that cruise sept 2017 started at amsterdam to budapest.we were supposed to go last year but no water and we weren’t going on buses
Dennis says
Okay everybody,
We found out tonight that there will not be a ship swap for us on the Viking Skirnir. We just left Wurzburg
and we will be in Bamberg tomorrow. They said that we were one of three sailings from Amsterdam to Budapest this summer, that did not have to swap ships. I don’t know if this information will help you a lot because it is hot and dry. Keep an eye on Passau and Regensberg as this is the problem area of the Danube. Pray for rain in these areas and good luck
Toby Berman says
We did Basel to Amsterdam and got in Monday. On Vantage Voyager.
No water level problems on Rhine or Mosel
Heavy cargo barges had no problems. Weather quite good.
Peter says
Are river cruise from Basel to Cologne going normally at present please?
Marcy says
We boarded the Scenic Amber in beautiful Budapest yesterday. Water levels are “perfect.” The cruise director just confirmed how quickly that can change, but he feels positive about at least the next few days. The passage from Passau to Nuremberg is always the trickiest spot. That’s the second to last day of our cruise, so we’re taking it day by day and enjoying each moment :)! Safe travels to all!
Marcy says
I meant Passau to Regensburg….
Grammaroma says
2 months til we go. Like reading current levels and any issues
Murray says
Hello leaving Budapest on Aug 24 for Nuremberg. Just got an update from Viking on low water level for Danube. Any boots on the ground out there with current information.
Thank you
Roger Ewing says
We are cruising on the Avalon Visionary on the Rhine heading toward Rudesheim at noon today. Our cruise started in Basel Wednesday and will end a week from today at Munich. The water level on the Rhine from Basel to our current location just south of Mainz has been great. The barge traffic is heavy so water levels are not a problem. Great cruising!
Roger Ewing says
We have been cruising the Rhine up to Boppard through the Rhine Gorge and the water levels have been fine. The water was down somewhat through the gorge but traffic was moving well. Currently we are on the Main headed toward Wurtzburg and Nurenberg. Water levels on the Main are perfect. Traveling on the Avalon Visionary from Basel to Boppard on the Rhine and to Nuremberg on the Main.
Mel says
Does anyone know about the status of the Viking Aegir? Was just notified by Viking that there could be an issue. Trip scheduled less than a week away.
Ken C says
According to https://www.vesselfinder.com/ it was scheduled to arrive in Budapest 8/14 at 5:00 and it is sitting at the dock in Budapest. Was it Viking’s standard “CYA” notification or something specific?
Nancy says
Ken – did you ever find out what ship you are going to be on?
I bet you will be on the Viking Tir or similar ship and not the Viking Vali which will be in Amsterdam this weekend. A post in June on Cruisemapper.com alerted travelers that the Viking Var had hit a lock and was disrupting traffic back then. (See link below). All is fixed now but I bet that ships couldn’t get through and Viking probably had to do some ship swaps which is why the Vali is now in Amsterdam and the Tir is now in Budapest.
https://www.cruisemapper.com/news/5686-viking-var-hits-danube-river-lock-germany
If you go to Cruisemapper.com and pull up the itinerary of the Viking Vali, it shows that ship as ending up in Budapest this weekend but that’s obviously not what’s happening as you can see on Vesselfinder.com. Same thing with the Tir – it shows it ending up in Amsterdam when we can both see on Vesselfinder.com that it will end up in Budapest this weekend.
Have a wonderful flight to Budapest this weekend and enjoy your river cruise.
Ken C says
Thanks. Though not officially notified by Viking, that’s what I’m guessing also. I’m tracking all 14 Viking Budapest-Amsterdam, Amsterdam-Budapest cruises and 6 ships (3 sets of ‘sister-ships’) are going reverse directions, so I believe there were previous ship-swaps that caused that.
Charlene says
We are scheduled for September 5th Amsterdam to Budapest on Viking Vali… Do you think this mean our cruises will consist of being bused from one city to the next. We haven’t been notified from Viking about a ship change. Thanks for the update.
Ken C says
Just got Viking notice – changed to Tir
Kim Fitz says
Hubby and I are heading out from Amsterdam to Budapest on Sept 10 via Emerald Waterways. We’ve been told that we’re sailing on Emerald Destiny, which is scheduled for departure from the Amsterdam port. However when I look at the itinerary for Emerald Destiny on cruise mapper, it’s no where near Amsterdam, Emerald Star is the ship scheduled to leave A steradian on Sept 10. Strange. Doesn’t really matter one way or the other as long as the water levels are ok. Thanks for all the useful information on this sight, it’s been very helpful.
Mel says
Standard CYA
Mary says
On Viking Gefjon in Passau, left Amsterdam on 8/6, no swaps, captain expects to make Budapest w/o swap. Previous cruise B to A made it thru OK also. Good weather, some rain at nite.
Joy says
Hi Mary, are you loving it? We are scheduled for September 11th! I am worried about water levels and wonder if I should reschedule ? Any thoughts?
Thank you!
Joy
Mary says
Our first river cruise, cannot predict. Delightful towns, impressive sights, great local guides. Wacchau Valley now, sunshine, then a shower.
Joy says
Hi Mel, can you please update when you are on your trip or get back? Really worried about water levels?. Thank you!
Joy
Mel says
Sure. I’ll report when we get back
Dennis says
We are leaving Amsterdam for Budapest On the Skirnir this Monday 8/19.
We are hoping for smooth sailing andI will report back when we return.
Joy says
Please do that is our same cruise September 11th! Would like to hear about water levels, boat transfers etc ! Kind of worried?. Joy
Mel says
Aegir is in Vienna. Just saw Skinir’s departure. We’re in Melk tomorrow. So far, our crew is reporting good water levels but rain would make it better.
John Lane says
Just returned from the Scenic Pearl “Gems of the Danube” August 5 sailing. Instead of embarking in Nuremberg we started in Passau and were docked there for 2 additional nights with tours the following days to Nuremberg and Regensburg. Day 3 we started our normal itinerary in Passau. Long motorcoach 3.5 hours between Nuremberg and 1.5 hours to Regensburg. Still had a great time!
Kathy says
Just returned from a Vantage River Splendor 27 day cruise from Bucharest to Mainz (Germany). Sufficient water for the entire cruise, although there was concern expressed about water levels on the Danube upriver from Passau. We cut our day (July 28) short in Passau and left that port during lunch instead of the planned 4PM departure due to reports that this would put is at the low spot at maximum water, but warned that we might have to leave the ship and take the rest of the trip by bus. Fortunately we were able to get past the low water area although we did arrive in Regensburg on July 29 later than planned. No problems the remainder of the cruise on the Mainz-Danube Canal, the Main, or the Rhine.
JIm Taylor says
We are on the Viking Vali and just docked in Passau on our Budapest to Amsterdam cruise. We had a good rain last night and are optimistic we can get past the trouble spot between here and Regensburg this evening. At least we have heard nothing yet about having to change ships. The Danube was a little low passing through the Wachau Valley yesterday, but the rain should help. So far so good.
Ken C says
Jim,
Interesting. I’m suppose to be on the Vali from Budapest to Amsterdam starting 8/22. But if you are on it now (8/13 in Passau) going to Amsterdam, it can’t be in Budapest for me on 8/22. Called Viking, they said they were not aware of any vessel change to my schedule. Maybe they are waiting for Vali and the ‘sister-ship’ Tir to get passed the troubled spot and know if you do a ship-swap and Vali returns to Budapest or continues all the way to Amsterdam before making a final decision on what ship I will be on. Since VesselFinder.com was mentioned on this site, I have been tracking all 14 Budapest-Amsterdam and reverse ships, so I thought this might be the case with Vali. Note: all ships seem to be doing fine, no stoppages or reversals and at least 4 have seemed to have passed the ‘trouble spot’ in the last 3 days. So with rain you should be good.
JIm Taylor says
We were supposed to be on the Tir, but got an email from Viking a few days before the cruise that we would be on Vali because Tir had not been able to get to Budapest. As far as I know, we’re on the Vali all the way to Amsterdam; that may put you on the Tir. We just now left Passau on our way to Regensburg. Looking out our basement window, water level looks pretty good, so it appears we are getting past the choke point. If we do for some reason switch ships before Amsterdam, I’ll add to this comment.
Ken C says
Just got an email from Viking saying we may be on a sister ship but didn’t specify which one, so they may now expect the Vali to make it all the way to Amsterdam.
Dennis says
We were notified of a ship change from the Modi to the Skirmir for our cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest scheduled for 8/19. It looks like to rain is helping with the water levels. Hoping for the best!
Cynthia Cuthbertson says
We arrived in Budapest yesterday on scenic Amsterdam to Budapest we were lucky and got through the trouble spot ok but the trip before us had to change ships putting us on Jade instead of Jewel no problems thankfully a wonderful trip
Lynne says
Is anyone on the Elbe Viking trip Berlin to Prague? I was wondering if they were still having low water issues?
Jeanne says
Hi Lynne, You may have missed my earlier reply to your post. The 2 Viking Elbe ships have not moved for almost 2 months. We have been tracking water levels. Water depth is currently at only 33% of average depth. The rain forecast for the next 30 days is only 1.3″ total . It would take a monsoon to bring enough rain to make a difference in the water level. So you can conclude now that you will not be cruising. They will offer you a bus option.
Lynne says
Thank you
Jeanne says
Hi Lynne,
Let me know when Viking contacts you & what they are offering. I have heard they will not notify us until 2 weeks out. Our cruise is Sept. 24.
Are you going to cancel? The bus distances are not long. Wittenberg is only about 2 hours from Dresden
jeanne
Dennis says
Lynne/Jeanne, We are scheduled to leave 29 Aug for Viking’s 1 Sep Prague to Berlin cruise and awaiting notification (hopefully) any time now. Last year we were on their 2 Sep Danube cruise and received a notification that water levels were low on 24 Aug. Since we were adding three days at the beginning, it wasn’t much notice for us. I will provide an update as soon as I receive one. Dennis
Dennis Suski says
I heard from Viking on 14 Aug that sailing would not be possible for our 1 Sep Elbe cruise.
I definitely appreciated the two week notice. We could either cancel for full refund -or- go staying on
stationary ships with Bus tours and receive 1/2 off a future ocean or river cruise.
At this time, there is a split decision at our house.
Jay says
I’ve been there and done that. Take the full cash refund, you have all options then, and book something in the future – after checking on water level predictions. You would be paying way too much for a bus tour.
Liz says
We’re booked on Sep 11 Prague to Berlin Elbe cruise but fly from US to Prague on Sep 7. I have called Viking several times for updates on water levels and receive a different answer every time – from “ river continues to be non-navigable” to “water levels are ok and ships are moving” – got that answer on 2 occasions only to call back and get a different agent who confirmed nothing is moving. Very disappointed. Please keep me in the loop if anyone is notified from Viking specifically about their Elbe trip.
Dennis says
Liz, I was getting the same answer too unless I asked them to tell me specifically about the most recent cruise. I heard on 14 August that our 1 Sept Elbe cruise would be stationary; if the same holds true for you, your notification should come on/about 24 August. We are still on the fence about whether to go or not as we’re not sure we’d use the 1/2 off future cruise. I appreciated Jay’s opinion and weighing that in. Dennis
Liz says
Dennis, Thanks for your comments. I will post the results whenever I hear the options for our cruise from Viking. If offered, we’ll take the refund.
Jeanne says
We are still trying to decide if we will cancel or take the bus tour on the Elbe. We probably won’t get our official notice from Viking until 2 weeks ahead. Does anyone know if the 50% off a future cruise offer is good for more than a year?
Jeanne says
We are still undecided what we will do. Our cruise is Sept 24 & no amount of rain will help the water levels by then. The Elbe ships have not moved in almost 2 months.
If we cancel & get the refund, it’s too late to find another river cruise.
The good news is the Elbe trip does not involve long bus trips because the distances are short. If we are in Dresden, Its only 37 minutes by bus to Meissen, 53 minutes to Bad Schandau & Bastel Bridge.
Dennis, did Viking give you a detailed revised itinerary?
Dennis S says
Yes, they gave me a revised itinerary, but can’t get to it while at my work at this time. I’m pretty sure it was: bus from Prague to Dresden (maybe 90 miles), 2 stationary days on Beyla, bus to Astrild (forgot the distance), 3 stationary days on Astrild, bus to Berlin (think 72 miles). The tours would be on buses either on the way to the ships or from the ships. One needs to be pretty efficient and organized with their suitcase for the packing/unpacking. Also, I just compared the water levels to a screenshot I made 7 days ago; and even though its been raining, they levels are about the same or worse.
Dorothy Purdie says
We did this cruise in May and it was an excellent experience. When you are counting on a cruise you do not want a bus trip. My suggestion would be to cancel as soon as you are offered a FULL refund. As you can anticipate this happening why not now check your bucket list and select an alternative that you can do this year during your scheduled vacation time and do the Elbe next spring. A river cruise may be out for this year and if $ don’t allow Europe now and in 2020 save the $ and do something close to home that you have dreamed of. Check out Road Scholar which are all-inclusive (you can relax and be taken care of with red carpet care). We have done more than one river and ocean cruise as well as a number of trips with Road Scholar. We try to keep a want to do and be flexible and still keep the dreams alive. Good Luck.
Dennis S says
We canceled! I thought it was pretty pricey when I bought it. The non-cruising and changing ships part made it worse.
Liz says
Dennis,
Do you mind giving me your booking number? My travel agent has called Viking today and is getting the runaround as I have. No mention of a possible cancellation or alternative offers.
She thought it might help if we could refer to another passenger who was offered specific options.
I still do not understand why Viking is not being candid with us. It’s very frustrating.
Thanks, Liz
Jeanne says
Hi Liz,
I don’t think you can get straight answers from Viking. Their policy seems to be that they will notify us 2 weeks in advance of a cruise. This policy most likely is more profitable for them because more people will just go on the cruise…even if it involves buses. With only 2 weeks, customers have already been excited about the trip, packed their bags, & hired their catsitter. Its hard to find another trip at the last minute…so we just go along.
I have learned more from other cruisers in this forum, & by checking websites that give water levels & ship movements. Our trip is on the Elbe & no ships have moved there for over 2 months. I tried to convince Viking to let us switch to another river…but they do not budge on their policy.
Dennis says
Howdie Liz, 5406077 Let us know what happens.
Liz says
Dennis,
Thanks, I’ll keep you posted. They still have made no offers and have now changed the Prague hotel. Since we are going a day in advance and had booked a room in the original hotel, we now have to cancel that and move to the new location, which is almost double the price.
Grrr….
Dennis says
I didn’t see an answer to Jeanne’s question on how long the 50% is good for. I was told the following when I was in the process of canceling: The 50% voucher “requires” you to “book” within one year, and travel within a year. So the maximum time to complete the travel would be two years. Additionally, it’s my understanding from reading other posts that the 50% is applicable to only the “cruising part” of the itinerary. I guess this makes sense because the pre- and post-land parts remain unchanged; in the case of the Elbe itinerary, this would be substantial.
Liz says
Dennis,
We just heard from Viking that our Sep 11 sailing would be a stationary ship swap + 50 % discount on future river or ocean cruise. Our email did not indicate a time constraint on the future cruise but I assume there is one. Alternately, we can cancel for a full refund, which is what we plan to do. Strangely, as recently as yesterday, they would tell us nothing.
Thanks for all your input and good luck to those of you booked on later Elbe cruises. I guess the routine now is about 2 weeks notice.
Dennis says
Our notification didn’t give a time constraint either, but they gave me the 1 and 2 year info on the phone. The Elbe river level continues to look unchanged and I can see that the Beyla location has been and is in Dresden. For the near future, all of us Elbe travelers will be in the same boat (pardon the pun).
Dawn Baum says
We are taking our first river cruise, sailing Avalon Paris-Normandy on August 31. I’m seeing water levels much below normal on the Seine. Should we be concerned that our vacation will turn into a land trip?
Nancy says
I’ve been following various Viking and Monarch (Gate1) ships on the Rhine River, Danube and Grand European Journey itineraries (Rhine/Main/Danube) using a site called vesselfinder. com (for Viking, make sure to click on the Swiss flag if 2 ships of the same name are listed). Using this site, you can track the current location of your ship day by day. So far this week, at least from what I can see, all ships seem to be able to sail their normal itinerary without ship swaps. That’s great news for my neighbors currently on the Viking Skirnir from Budapest to Amsterdam. We leave in 2 weeks on the Monarch Countess from Amsterdam to Basel along the Rhine and i haven’t noticed any hiccups on the Rhine River in the past 10 days.
Mel says
Thank you Nancy for sharing this information. We leave in a few days.
Xerxes says
http://www.rivercruiseinfo.com/content/river-levels
Our Scenic cruise is on 11 Sept from Budapest to Amsterdam. I found this website which is very informative with regards to river levels.
Safe and happy travels to all
Mel says
Thank you
Karen Rawley says
Thanks – we leave in a few days for Grand Circle, Great Rivers, from Vienna to Amsterdam, and we understand from German friends that the rivers are fine, and our tour director called to inform us it had been raining for a few days, so all is good.
Ralph Grizzle says
Please note that the rivercruiseinfo site does not appear to be accurate. If you click under Danube, for example, you’ll notice a server error. That’s been happening for more than a year now. I’ve written the owner and no longer get a response, whereas I used to be able to reach him (more than two years ago). I feel that it is not being attended to properly. Just a word of caution.
Cynthia Cuthbertson says
Scenic Jade made it through no problem we docked in Budapest yesterday
Richard Bono says
Nancy,
Thanks for the information, we will be leaving on August 19th on the Rhine from Amsterdam to Basel.
Klaus Ritenour says
Your going to love that trip so scenic lots of vineyards and castles
Jody says
We are on the Skirnir and have made it through the Main Danube canal so no ship swaps on this trip due to water levels! We had a heavy rain last night and it is cloudy and cool in Nuremberg today. Thanks for the link to vessel finder!
Dennis says
Just received a note from Viking that we are now scheduled to embark on the Skirmir in Amsterdam instead of the Modi, this Sunday. Any idea what happened to the Modi? Was the water level really low near Nurenburg.
Ken C says
Modi is currently on it way from Amsterdam to Budapest. Skimir is its “sister-ship” running the reverse route/schedule. There was apparently a ship swap earlier this year with those two ships and they just have swapped schedules after that. Same as 2 other sets of Viking sister ships. All 14 Viking Amsterdam/Budapest ships (7 sets of sister-ships) are proceeding currently as scheduled. I was scheduled on Vali but got notification, I will be on its sister-ship Tir.
Nancy says
Jody – glad your trip on the Viking Skirnir is going well. Say hello to my friends the Armstrong’s if you meet them!
Jody says
I will Nancy, but am struggling to keep up with first names!
Nancy says
We are currently on the Viking Hild heading to Basel. We just connected with the Rhine after touring the Moselle for several days out of Trier after being bussed in from Paris. Water levels are good so far and the river is running fast (in the other direction). People on board are saying that when their previous cruises were altered due to water levels they had a chance to cancel, or to go ahead with plans and get a substantial discount on their next trip.
Barbara says
We are scheduled for the Viking Hild going the other way – Basel to Paris but not until the end of October.
I’d be interested in how the Rhine is now vs. October. No more heat wave but I don’t know how the seasons affect the river levels.
I think the bus from Paris to the Rhine is the way it’s planned on the original itineraries.
Was the busing more than what had been planned?
Marcy says
My parents and I are on Scenic Budapest to Nuremburg leaving August 15th. I started checking this site for updates much earlier and more frequently than necessary :). Thanks to all for sharing your experiences! I’ll post updates on our trip for cruisers behind us.
Kate says
Thanks March – we are just a week behind you.
Jill says
Marcy, we will be watching for your comments as we are doing the reverse (nuremberg to Budapest) starting 9/3
Marcy says
It looks like there’s been a lot of rain lately, so I’ve actually been wondering if I should be concerned that the levels will be too high! This water level watching can make you nuts. As someone else posted, I think we all have to go with the flow (pun somewhat intended) and enjoy our cruises come what may. Easier said than done, for me at least, and I am happy to share my experiences.
Jean says
We are doing Prague to Paris with APT on the 10th of September 2019.
I am hope the water levels will be ok
John says
My wife and I will be sailing the Rhine River from Amsterdam to Basel, beginning 25 Aug. Knowing we are still almost three weeks out, we were wondering if anyone on this blog has been down/up the Rhine and whether they had any issues. Happy sailing to all?. John
Steve says
We just completed the Rhine cruise at Basel on July 25th. No problems during our cruise, but you could tell by looking along the riverbanks that levels had dropped considerably over the last few weeks.
Sharon says
The Rhine is gorgeous ! We did Viking from Amsterdam to Basel in the fall of 2018 and loved every bit of it ! Make sure you take in the Dinner evening in Rudesheim ..it’s a hoot ! We have done 2 cruises since ..Danube was low and they gave us a credit. The Rhône ( with pre trip in Nice) was lovely and perfect !
Mel says
Curious if there has been any rain along the Danube/Rhine rivers in the past few days? Have an upcoming trip from Bucharest to Amsterdam.
Kate says
We are also anxiously watching as we are doing Scenic’s Budapest – Amsterdam leaving August 26th and any updates on water levels is appreciated.
JB says
We just completed Scenic’s Amsterdam to Budapest cruise July 17 to July 31st. We had to do a ship swap mid-way through on the 24th but it was seamless. We were able to do our tours of Nuremberg on the morning of the 24th and have lunch back on the ship. The only disruption, besides having to pack up that morning, was a long (220 km) bus ride in the afternoon to get to the new ship in Passau where our luggage awaited. We even had the same cabin on a newer ship. No tours were missed although on the day following the swap passengers had to be bussed further for their tours. We decided to stay on board that day and relax. Our Tour Director transferred ships with us but the staff was different on the new ship which was an adjustment for them and us.
Steve says
thanks JB. we’re scenic departing budapest august 12. did scenic say/offer anything for the inconvenience or would you say there was no inconvenience.
Cynthia Cuthbertson says
We just docked in Budapest yesterday on scenic Jade we were lucky and didn’t have to change ships. Great trip
KarenD says
We haven’t had rain but all seems fine on the Danube. Started in Budapest the other day, in Vienna this eve.
Kate says
Thanks very much for the update! We don’t leave until the 26th but hoping water levels remain OK.
KarenD says
My cruise ended Saturday morn and never had any issues on the Danube. Grand Circle Budapest to Prague trip
Mel says
Thank you for the update. Our cruise starts the 19th.
Derek Smorenburg says
We left Passau two days ago and now in Durnstein on our way to Budapest. River is running strongly with rain at the moment. Interesting to note the flood levels of 2013 some 10 meters up from current level.
Sabine says
A lot of people travel on the 15 day cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest (or in the other direction). About halfway through this cruise the ships coming along the Rhine from Amsterdam through Germany first do some 384 kilometres on the River Main from Mainz as far as Bamberg, then 171 kilometres on the Main-Danube Canal from Bamberg to Kelheim and then another 209 kilometres on the Danube from Kelheim to the Austrian border.
Of these three stretches the middle one (the Canal) has the most locks, which means it is unlikely to suffer from low water, but in fact the first stretch (the River Main) is also regulated, so here there is less danger of low water levels, too. The area which is most affected is the third stretch (the Danube), so I must say to Ralph Grizzle that the main problem area is NOT the Main but the Danube between Regensburg (or Straubing) to Vilshofen (or Passau).
At present the heatwave has abated and there has been some rain, so hopefully this week’s cruises won’t be affected too much.
Jody says
Thank you Sabine for further elucidating water levels!!! We leave August 5th From Budapest to Amsterdam and have been anxiously wondering how our cruise may be affected.
Rich says
Thanks Sabine. How do you find your water levels today? We are just a day behind you.
Sabine says
Hallo Jody and Rich,
https://www.wetteronline.de/pegelstaende?gid=HES
Great that you are about to start your river cruise soon!
See if you can manage the above website. “Pegel” is the word for water levels. On the map of Germany on this webpage they give ports with above-average water levels red flags and below average water levels green ones. So today’s map shows the bottom right corner of Germany as red (=above average) . If you click on “Fluss” (river) “Donau” (Danube) there is a table of all the ports on the German part of the Danube. You can see there, for instance, that Passau has an average of 499 (centimetres, I think) and right now has 524 – this translates as more water under the keel! So I hope you won’t have any worries.
Sabine
Kate says
That is great news – we leave later in August! Thanks for the update.
KarenD says
Just keep checking how the levels are as the month progresses
Jody says
Hello Sabine! I have looked at that map and was on able to figure out how to read it. Thanks so much for your information as it makes sense now! I’ve been watching the weather and it seems as if areas along the Danube and Rhine have received rain in the last several days. Thank you again! Jody
Jody says
Thank you Sabine for The information on how to read the site you mentioned. I have struggled to decipher the information! Jody
EVA says
Checked this site because we’re leaving Aug. 18 for cruise on Rhone/Saone and Seine through France and are worried about water levels. Anyone had a recent experience on the French rivers?
While reading the comments I saw people asking about the food on Avalon. This will be our 3rd cruise on Avalon. Did waterways of Belgium and Netherlands in 2016 and Active Discovery on the Danube (Budapest to Prague) in 2018. Food on both the Visionary and Tapestry was fantastic. Very high quality food with many local touches. Highly recommend Avalon.
Hilda Issabeigi says
I’m very disappointed to find out about water level shifting up and down can effect the ship going through, we had NO idea, and no one told us about it when we were booking our cruse. I think Viking Customer Service should worn first time river cruisers like us, so we can plan better. We spend our life savings for this trip and I’m very concern and sad thinking something will go wrong.
I wish I new before booking this trip and I blame Viking Customer Service for NOT telling us all the
possible changes that might happen and we should consider before final decision.
Here is our trip: Romantic Danube August 03, 2019, Viking Gullveig
cynsu says
Same here only we are on Avalon.
Gary says
My wife and I are doing the Christmas Market Cruise – Budapest to Amsterdam departing Budapest on December 1st – I followed the river levels / cruises in December 2018 for the trip – river levels were a disaster- was December 2018 just an anomaly or is there genuine concerns about water levels in the Danube and Rhine in December? Also anyone have any insights on Emerald Waterways / food / experience etc ?
Jeannette Deschesnes says
Yes we are leaving on 8/10 on Grand Circle on the same Romantic Danube Prague/Vienna/Budapest and we are being impacted potentially. I have no way to know what the water levels are so I know whether to cancel or not. Can anyone help?
Phyllis and john says
We are also leaving on a 10 on Grant Circle, Prague to Budapest. We are also concerned that we won’t be on the shift for the entire trip.
Andrew Brak says
Suggest you go and enjoy your holiday. Don’t worry too much.
We are booked on a similar tour on the Ama Bella leaving by the end of August and we are looking forward to it and thinking about having a good time. Cheers.
KarenD says
And the bus portion of this tour Prague to Linz or Linz to Prague was always planned that way. So nothing changed on the tour with Grand circle
william hammer says
was there any bussing required?
KarenD says
I’m on it right now. At this moment all is good. Am guessing you are taking this boat on the return after our cruise. You will be bused from Prague to Linz and we get off in Linz on Saturday then bussed to Prague.
Kathleen Green says
I bought a book, Frommer’s Easy Guide to River Cruising and read it cover to cover before booking a river cruise. This was the best thing I could have done and there was no surprises on our river cruise in June of this year. It’s important to research all aspects of river cruising since there are so many companies as well as so many different areas to cruise in. I don’t think any travel agent or booking company will tell you about the pitfalls you might encounter!
Joyce Yamshak says
My husband and I are on the blue Danube leaving Neurenburg on the 23rd of August, My sister and brother n law are also on this cruise, we all agree that Viking never mentioned the possibility of busses rather than boats in advance. We should have been told that the rivers might not be passable. Anyone have water depth info on the Danube ,Neurenburg to Budapest?
Ken C says
All Viking ships Amsterdam-Budapest & Budapest-Amsterdam are going fine at this time & and there has been rain lately try this website https://www.danube-cycle-path.com/danube-flooding.html for water levels on Danube
Nancy says
I agree as our times were totally flexible and could have booked when the water levels were typically okay.
Lynne says
We are on a Viking cruise Berlin to Prague September 9. I am already concerned after hearing about my friend’s cruise having to be bussed the whole time. I guess there is no way to predict at this time.
Jeannine says
We are leaving on July 29 on a Tauck cruise on the Danube from Vilshofen to Budapest. Any news on water levels or will this turn into a bus trip? We were on Viking Elegant Elbe in July last summer and it was a bus tour although they did a boat swap half way thru the tour. Viking did a great job of handling a bad situation, but tours like this should be avoided in summer when the water levels are so low.
Tracey Matthews says
We asre cruise Rhine with AMA 1 sept. Starting to get concerned. We tried last year and cruise was cancelled 4 days before. Full refund. Problem was that we were overseas and had to make alternative plans. I am also not interested in being bused about. If I wanted a bus tour I would have booked one. Just wish they would make a call sooner rather than later. We are leacing our travel agent a plan b and plan c document to deal with changes should a cancellation happen. My advice to anyone doing a river cruise is to be prepared!
Kate says
Yes i agree – they should definitely let you know of th risks. We are scheduled with Scenic from Budapest – Amsterdam August 26th and will be in Europe a week ahead, so are looking at a Plan B just in case. I too am not interested in a bus tour, especially with the price we paid for our river cruise. Appreciate any information from people who are there ahead of us.
JAMES HILL says
just got off Budapest to Vilshofen 21st/28th July AmaWaterways new mega ship AmaMagna. No issues with water levels although Captain indicated there will be some issues upriver from Vilshofen towards Regensburg over the coming days unless rain arrives
Jeanne says
Yes, you can predict! The Elbe is in bad shape! We are booked on this cruise Sept. 25. We’ve been doing research on water levels. Both Viking Elbe ships have not moved from Dresden since late June. Water levels are very low and no amount of rain will likely correct this! We have concluded our cruise will be impacted. Viking will not allow us to change to another cruise until they make an official decision, which may be 1-2 weeks in advance of our trip. This doesn’t give enough time for plan B. We really don’t want to spend our time on buses!
What are you going to do?
Lynne says
We are scheduled on the Viking cruise from Berlin to Prague on Sept 9 and I am already concerned about the water levels. My friend cancelled her July trip because of the busing from place to place.
I guess there is no way to predict yet.
Brian B says
We’re traveling down the Danube from Tittling, Germany to Budapest, Hungary in August on a AMA Waterways cruise ship. Today we spoke to our tour provider, Backroads, who indicated that there have been no disruptions to date this year as their boats have been able to navigate to the deeper parts of the canal. So while I’ve seen comments that the Viking cruise needed to be rerouted, we’re hoping that it’s partially boat-specific and not all cruises experience a disruption.
Toby Berman says
Does anyone know if Vantage between Amsterdam and Basel traveling now is affected by water levels? We are leaving on August 5th and are very concerned. We have cancel for any reason insurance. Should we cancel? Help would be greatly appreciated.
Mina says
Hello!
So far, the sailing on Rhine and Moselle ( Amsterdam to Basel) is not affected by water level. Wishing you to have a great time on Vantage cruise.
Jan says
We leave on APT river cruise on 2nd August – Amsterdam to Budapest and were told yesterday that we will have to change ships midway because of water levels. Hopefully it doesn’t get any lower – we fly out on Monday
Jackie says
What river will you be on?
Janet says
Rhine main and Danube
Carol says
We are due for our river cruise on July 27th on the Danube. Any infomation on current water levels.
Linda Highlander says
So are we. Got an email from Viking. There will be a ship swap mid-cruise and motor coach trips if the river doesn’t rise. Very disappointing, but we are trying to remain positive. Talked to Viking about switching to another cruise, but they were non-compliant!
BETH BLIZZARD says
we are also on the Budapest to Neuremburg Viking July 27th and received an email with “likely” will affect our cruise. not promising but we are going with the attitude, we are not in control of weather and will do our best. it seems only Viking is having issues? lower draft maybe?
Carol Ollier says
I am currently cruising from Budapest to Nuremberg. We were told last night that our cruise boat would stay in Passau and be bused to Regensburg and back and not visit Nuremberg at all.
Ruth Hoefakker says
Which cruise line?
Carol Ollier says
Emerald. It was a GREAT cruise!
Lorrie says
I believe there are other complications aside from water levels. Here is an article from June 7 that says that a ship hit and damaged a lock near Nuremberg.
https://www.travelweekly.com/River-Cruising/Canal-lock-damage-on-Danube-disrupting-river-cruises
Laurie says
The lock was repaired by June 14th. My cruise went through those same locks July 15th – 21st. There is low water on the danube before you go through all the many locks that is causing the issues. Our ship was the very last ship with Viking to get through the lowest point. There have been 2 heat waves and bouts of dry weather so far this summer in western and Eastern Europe. One in late June and then another around July 17th into the week of July 21st. Unfortunately 2018 had weather with drought conditions too. The rain needs to fall in Europe and then the rivers will open for the boats. This can change overnight so hope for the best.
Ruth Hoefakker says
We also have received an email from Viking regarding our August 1 departure from Budapest to Nuremberg stating the cruise will likely be affected by the low water levels and indicated the possibility of ship swaps and/or different docking locations, etc.
Richard Hrezo says
We did that last year and Viking did an amazingly painless “ship-swap” while ensuring no sights were missed. We went from one cabin to the same cabin on a sistership and retained many of the same personnel. Viking is really an outstanding cruise line
Joanne Voss says
We had a ship swap last September and as upsetting as that was Viking handled it with perfection! Our cruise director went aboard the new ship with us, we were assigned the same room # as we had, they picked up our luggage and when we came back from our tour we boarded the identical ship we t to the same room and our luggage was waiting for us. The tour did include more bus time and they had to provide us with a lunch elsewhere BUT all aside Viking handled it very well. Hope this helps!
Ruth Hoefakker says
Thank you, Richard and Joanne, for your encouragement!! Hope our trip goes as well as both of yours did.
Joan Levine says
We just got bussed from Nuremberg to Passau due to low water levels on Danube
Elsa nystrom says
That is strange as we just completed 14 days on the Danube, Main and Rhine with no issues on Uniworld’s River Princess. Vienna to Amsterdam. We are flying home tomorrow there was no mention of low water by our captain.
Picked early date despite crowds and there are lots of ships on the river and tourists inthe towns because we got cancelled last year. There are trade offs. We had cool weather except for one hot day in Vienna and a little rain.
BETH BLIZZARD says
what line were you on Joan? Viking?
Halliki says
we are booked on River Princess Vienna to Amsterdam Aug 18 and are concerned over probable cancellations/deviations. Does anyone know a reliable site for info on river water levels?
Elsa Nystrom says
We were on the River Princess, and had no issues anywhere before it reached Amsterdam on the 21st of July. Only a few delays because of so many ships waiting to get into the locks. There are many, more than 60, on this itinerary. We missed the heat wave and had little rain, except for a hailstorm in Germany, which was amazing. Made it back to the ship in time but many on tour were soaked to the skin.
As to predicting water levels, there are so many variables that it is pretty hard to do. I suggest that if you think about an alternative plan you might put into operation if your cruise is cancelled when you are already in Europe.
Carmen says
That’s too bad. What cruise company?
Peter Macaulay says
Just back from the Douro, but as levels are controlled by a lock system I don’t think they ever run out!
However because the flow is so limited by lock’s the river is rather green and stale at times!
Joel B. says
We just returned from a river cruise on the Danube the week of July 14-21 on the Amastella. Water levels were fine. No disruptions.
Laurie says
I was on a Viking cruise from Budapest to Nuremberg from July 14th to July 21. We were the last ship to get through the lowest point in the Danube. While the majority of the passengers (including us) were on their excursions the captain headed upriver and we boarded back on in Deggendorf after our excursions which was passed the spot on the river where it was an issue. Our boat did scrape the mud on the bottom of the river and from what I understand the river was closed for at least the Viking cruises after that point. We are in Prague right now for an extension and the temperature has jumped up to 88 to 90 degree Fahrenheit and dry.
BETH BLIZZARD says
so it does sound like a Viking specific issue- must draw a lower draft than others. we also go to Prague after- I hope the temps go down a bit!
Laurie says
From what I understand Viking longships are slightly larger than AMA ships. There are 190 guests on Viking versus I think 150 on AMA. I think last year in 2018, AMA was able to go through low water areas when Viking could not but by the fall off 2018 the river was so low AMA was affected too. My cruise was very fortunate in mid July to get through because our captain pushed through and made sure to continue upriver while the guests were on excursions. The boat was lighter going through the low points with most of the guests off the boat. Our excursion bus would meet the boat up river at a small docking area and then we continued on. Viking handled the situation best they could. Let’s hope Europe get some rain and the cruises will be fine. Conditions can change overnight with rivers.
JOHN B STANLEY says
This is a follow up post to my 7/14 comment on Viking-we were to set sail on the Elba from near Prague to a point near Berlin on 7/27. I was tracking river levels on the site wetternonline.de [thank you, Rivercruiseadvisor, for this reference]. On 7/24 there were 3 locations where levels were below 70 cm [~2.3 ft], and from other comments on line, the water required for Viking ships is 4 ft +. We were told on 7/20 by a Viking customer service manager that they would let us know well before our air departure of 7/23 if they would be sailing or not. On 7/17, Viking sent us an email stating that this ship would not be sailing and gave us 2 options: bus to destinations using the 2 boats on the Elba as hotels OR receive a full refund including insurance. We chose the latter and have rebooked for September stays in each city, minus the cruise. Water levels are simply too iffy and it was nerve wracking waiting on Viking to make a decsion; which, to their credit, they delivered, as promised. We received our full refund within 10 days. This is not timely information for anyone looking at real time water levels, just a follow up. The website above is good for following water levels, real time. I saw them dropping by the day. Best, John S from Viriginia and good luck to all!!
Jackie says
I’m 17 days out before a Rhine cruise and I’m concerned. Koblenz is down to 127cm and Germany is forecasted for a major heatwave next week. Has anyone heard anything about the Rhine or about any rain being forecasted for the Rhine River valley before Aug 5?
Gail Mc Donald says
We are due for our river cruise on July 27th. Tracking water levels on the website BfG – green dots say good water levels. You an pinpoint an exact spot by scrolling down on the list. Concerns about the heat wave rolling in just before we leave. Keeping fingers crossed. We probably will go with what we end up with anyway since we have planned a visit afterwards to England and can’t change that easily.
Jackie says
Hopefully we will both have good water levels!!
Cathie says
Any news about Seine and Loire River levels? We’re on Viking’s France’s Finest trip.Aug 20- Sep 3rd starting in Paris.ending in Avignon.
Joe Mozdiez says
Hi all, any information how the current levels compared to a year ago? Thanks, Joe
Susan says
Has anyone cruised on the Danube Waltz recently? Viking Longship Vilhjalm. Heard water levels were high,
Cksmith says
We are set to cruise the Danube on the 30. We would appreciate any “boots on the ground” information.
Ms.K says
we are due to get on Boat in Budapest on July 31…. fingers crossed as well….
RP NZ says
We are on a viking cruise leaving 22 July from Budapest and just got an email from Viking giving a heads up of potential problems with it. No futher details yet
Deborah Hirsch says
On Danube now on Avalon Impression —just left Wachau on way to Vienna. Water levels were fine since leaving Nürnberg.
Pam says
Did you enjoy Avalon? I have heard the food is just fair. We are planning our first river cruise. Any advice is appreciated!
Kathy Merk says
Hello. Would also like to know how the food is. Will be sailing with Avalon in September.
Jean says
We had never been a rive cruise before and had no idea of all of these issues.
I enjoyed the trip from Budapest to Passau. We could not cruise from Passau to Nuremberg due to low water issues.
We were bussed from Passau to Prague. We stayed at the Hilton in Prague, The hotel is under construction and it sounded like they were jack hammering right under or next to our room.
We are older and wanted to rest after our morning excursions. They did not stop until 7:00 pm. We asked for a different room, they did not give us a room in a quieter location.
I think that the Hilton should have made it very clear to our travel agent about the construction noise.
Susan S, says
We just returned from Budapest on July 5th. We did the Danube Waltz from Passau to Budapest. No problems with river levels, although the locks near Vienna broke and some ships could not get through. We made it through before then. It was an amazing trip!
Susan K. says
And we were on the Viljahm.
Thomas says
Leaving next week – just heard today Danube river is low and we already have ship change
Ralph Grizzle says
I just came off the Danube last week. Water levels were optimal. Things changed quickly if that is the case.
Judy says
We cancelled on Tuesday the Elegant Elbe Viking cruise we were scheduled to take Saturday. The itinerary basically was changed to a poorly arranged bus trip with hours of shuttling and no cruising.
JOHN STANLEY says
Hello Judy – did they only give you one days notice so you were already flown over to Prague or Berlin?
We fly to Prague on July 22 and sail on the 27th after 4 days in Prague – we’re very concerned they are going to wait till we get over there to tell us that they’re going to mod the trip. I have seen this same thing in several forums going back to 2016 – The sales agents act so concerned that you’re happy but then they pull off this kind of strategy, not the way to handle it.
John
Maureen King says
I’m so sorry to hear this! Did they offer an adjustment or vouchers if you chose to take the altered trip?
JOHN B STANLEY says
We were on the phone with Viking Sunday and Monday. They advised that they had cancelled the same Elegant Elba trip that was to start 4 days earlier than ours, giving those passengers 12 days notice.
Yesterday, they told us we would get 3 days notice, which is ridiculous considering water levels that I am seeing on the below site are under 3 feet in some places.
https://www.wetteronline.de/?gid=SAH&iid=Elbe&pcid=pc_pegel_data&sid=River [levels are in centimeters, conversion 30 cm/foot]. This is updated daily at numerous points along the Elba and many other rivers, so i assume there are guaging stations with wireless transmitters].
We are being strung out, not real happy about it. Given what we are paying for this trip, we nor anyone elses deserves this treatment or stress.
I do want to add that our cruise on the Rhine in 2015 was absolutely outstanding, no water issues at all. Such a contrast I never expected.
Mike says
Viking is offering full refund on Elbe River for trip beginning in Berlin on August 19. If you want motor coach then 50%. We canceled and they were very understanding. Appreciation to all of you who update water level situations!
Bruce Bogardus says
Just arrived (Aug. 27, 2019) in Koblenz from Trier on Moselle. So far water level about 6″ lower than “normal” so no problems.
Gail Mc Donald says
Any recent travelers on Rhine river cruises? I leave in a couple of weeks for Avalon Basel – Amsterdam and am keeping my fingers crossed
Russell says
Same cruise line and same destination leaving the 20th I believe. It seems water level is low near Basel but rain forecast for the 11th and 12th there. You can look at this page which seems to show up to date Rhine water levels. Bon voyage. https://www.wetteronline.de/pegelstaende
Gail Mc Donald says
Thanks. We leave Basel on July 27th with Avalon – Hopefully!
Laurie says
Hi Russell, I am trying to read the chart on the wetteronline page but not really understanding it. For Rhine River – I clicked Colgone – is that the correct one? Also, What are the green flags for? Do they mean levels are ok? I am leaving for Rhine River Cruise on July 27th. TY
Joy says
Hello, I was wondering if you went on the cruise and if the water levels were ok and you enjoyed it?
Thank you,
Joy
Jackie says
Gail- let us know how the river levels are on the Rhine. I’m leaving Aug 5.
Lee says
Friends of mine finished cruising Basel to Amsterdam on Scenic a week ago with no drama and no changes. Bon voyage, enjoy. We are watching water levels for Amsterdam to Budapest in December, postponed from last year…..here’s hoping!!!
Marg Labron says
Make sure you post when you get back – we do this same trip Sept. lst. and would love to hear about the water levels and your trip
Kate says
Yes, us too … we are scheduled to leave Budapest on August 26th.
Mary says
Us too, 9/1. I am worried.
Jeri Barry says
Just returned from taking the Grand European Tour (Amsterdam to Budapest) with Viking. Water levels all along the way were fine. Although the top level of the ship had to be closed for five days while on the Mine River to make it under some low bridges. We did have to do one ship-swap at Nuremberg because of a damaged lock earlier in the month. The only reason for the swap was to get us on our originally scheduled ship. The cruise itself was absolutely wonderful, even though we had to endure a major heat wave! Highly recommend this tour and Viking!
Kate S says
We are doing the same cruise in reverse at the end of August, so hoping there will be enough water in the river.
Loretta Lott says
Kate – we are on the August 19 sailing. Are you?
Kate says
We are on Scenic August 26th. Have not heard anything mentioned about Scenic cruises being affected so far but keeping fingers crossed!
Kate says
We are on Scenic Aug 26th
Denis & Sharon Dunne says
We were on the same cruise and boats. Same response for us.
Faye Lopez says
Were doing that same trip leaving from Amsterdam on July 18th… anything special you would recommend that we do? we are spending a couple extra days in Budapest, as everyone said it was beautiful.
Lee says
Friends of mine finished cruising Basel to Amsterdam on Scenic a week ago with no drama and no changes. Bon voyage, enjoy. We are watching water levels for Amsterdam to Budapest in December, postponed from last year…..here’s hoping!!!
Judy says
We are currently sidelined on the Budapest-Amsterdam Viking Grand European River Cruise because of low levels on the Danube. We managed to get to Passau, but have pulled into an “alley” just outside of Passau. Today’s Regensburg tours required 3 hours of bus riding (1-1/2 hours each way), and tomorrow we’ll be bused to Nuremberg (3 hour bus ride one way) where we will swap ships. Sadly not the cruise we hoped for because we missed two days/nights of cruising. But it was wonderful until we hit this snag, and I can only hope it will be wonderful once we get past it.
Kenneth Eslinger says
Hi Judy, Thank you for your update. Please keep us informed as we are about to head your way on the same cruse. Would like to know, just in case we need to plans for some other activities for the days we are parked on the Danube.
WAlter says
We are at straubig , on emerald going to Budapest , we can’t go any further as water is low, they hope for rain tonight, think it will take a lot of rain to raise the river levels
Jody says
We are scheduled to take this same cruise beginning August 5th. Thanks so much for the info as the hours required to be bused to and from destinations will factor into any decision we make if we are given a choice to cancel. If you have time, please keep the updates coming!
D Dawson says
We just returned from a fantastic cruise on AMAMora. The water level on the Rhine was high the third week in June, but not flooding or anything to cause a problem. The only change for our ship was that most of the upper deck was closed the last couple of days, as we neared Basel, so the ship could go through the locks and bridges. Only the front area of the roof was available for guests as this is a lower section. I believe they expected the level to lower a bit as July approached.
Wally says
Wally & Mrs. Wally are taking the Monarch Princess from Regensburg to Budapest leaving July 14th. Any tips? First River Cruise; multiple ocean cruises
colin langman says
Hi Wally and Mrs Wally, please post a review once your cruise has finished. I am doing same trip in october on the monarch princess and very difficult to get reviews about Gate1.
Laurie says
How was your River cruise? We are leaving July 25 for thr Budapest to Regensburg. How was the water navigation and the Monarch Princess?
Kathleen Green says
We just completed a week cruise on a Viking ship from Budapest to Nuremberg and the water levels were fine. They did swap ships at the beginning of the cruise due to higher waters but other than that, smooth sailing. We had beautiful weather with only an occasional shower one day. Viking did keep us docked in Regansburg (our last stop before Nuremberg) due to the fact that a lock was damaged but the bus ride into Nuremberg was only a little bit longer than the ride from Nuremberg docks into town would have been. We couldn’t have asked for a better cruise or weather.
Jen Reid says
Thank you, going on this trip in a few weeks and glad to hear the water levels were good. Any tips for this itinerary? Is there something you did that you would (or wouldn’t) recommend?
Kathleen Green says
We were not impressed with the optional Bavarian Beerfest in Passau. If you are on the Budapest to Nuremberg cruise, and signed up for the Panoramic Budapest tour ( which we did), know that you will miss the debarkation going thru Budapest and miss all the beautiful photo opportunities. (They bus you at the end of the tour to a pick-up site down (up) river.)
Kathy Carole says
Which other optional tours do you recommend? There are so many and we are looking to hear about the best ones that we should not miss. We are doing the reverse cruise on Viking so I imagine the panoramic Budapest tour would not conflict with the entry to the port.
Terri McCartney says
Hi Jen,
I’m so happy on found this site. Great information. We are going on the Viking cruise on July 19 on the Viking Gullveig. Will you be on our ship?
Jackie says
Thank you to all the people posting on river levels. I’m going on the Rhine from ams to Basel August 5 and I’m nervously watching water levels.
Lisa says
We are doing the reverse on August 7th…. I am a little nervous about water levels as well.
Russell says
Lisa, you can check river levels here https://www.wetteronline.de/pegelstaende
Rick says
Just returned from an AmaWaterways Danube river cruise on the AmaLea from Budapest to Vilshofen, Germany. Water levels were high and the river current was very strong, but no flooding or problems with travel. Just north of Passau, the captain informed us that the water levels were rising. What a fantastic display of the talent of AmaWaterways crew when they lowered the ship by 14 inches by pumping water into the holding tanks to weigh the ship down, along with dropping the canopies and the bridge on the Sun Deck! We passed under the last low bridge with 14 inches to spare!
In August of 2018 we sailed the Rhine with Ama, and were told that water levels were historically low. AmaKristina sailed through the narrows without a hitch! We will be taking our third river cruise with AmaWaterways, as they have certainly earned our trust and respect!
Jim says
Thanks for the post Rick. We’re boarding the AMA Certo on 6/30 enroute to Nuremberg.
Mary Engelbert says
Thanks, Rick. We’re cruising with the Ama Lea on August 12 and after cruising on the Rhine last year with seriously low water levels (having to be bussed for about 3 hours) this is good news!
Mikki says
how did you enjoy AMA lEA- am cruising on AMALEA on AUG 09= hope river levels are ok
any ships comments from you would help
Mike says
We are cruising from Basel to Amsterdam on the Avalon Vista. Water levels have been just fine. We are leaving Strasbourg this evening.
Sharon S says
Thank you for posting this!
Mary says
Yeah! We are leaving Basel on June 22 for the same trip. How has the weather been? I’m seeing lots of rain in the forecast.
Barbara says
We have the same concerns. Leaving on an Amsterdam to Basel cruise on June 26th. Strasbourg seems to have thunderstorm or flood warnings everyday.
Marty says
I will be on that same cruise
Paul says
Us too. Traveling on Scenic Opal.
norma dugger says
Taking my family on a Rhine cruise Amserdam to Basil leaving July 1 . Hope weather predictions are sunny.
Norma
Meryl says
I’m on Scenic Ruby, leaving Amsterdam for Basel July 1, wondering if river levels are going to be a problem.
Stewart says
Just completed Paris-Normandy-Paris cruise on AmaLyra on Seine River.
Water level ok.
Edward Dennerlein says
We were just on the Elba river and water levels were fine. June 3to 8, 2019
Viking Beyla wonderful ship and crew
Gail Collins says
Great to know! We leave in a week. Any tips on the destinations we visit?
Stewart says
Currently traveling on Rhône river from Arles to Lyon France on AMACello with APT.
River levels have been fine
Kate H says
Thankful I found this site. Husband and I will be sailing the Danube on “U by Uniworld” Ship A from Budapest to Regensburg. If anyone has updates please help by replying. Oh, June 8 thru June 15.
Terri says
We are on Avalon right now, started in Budapest heading as I write this out of Vienna, water is high they put the sunshades down but still are able to get under the many bridges.
Cheryl McCloskey says
We are on a Gate1 cruise on the Danube from Regensburg to Budapest from June 3 to 9. Water levels are very high. Sunshades have had to taken down numerous times but we made it under every bridge although with very little clearance.
Michael Griffin says
Thanks for update Cheryl. Please keep us posted. I depart same itinerary in a couple weeks.
Linda says
How was Gate 1 cruise. Looking at monarch governess for end of May.
Bucky says
Started June 9th on Viking Legend on the Danube from Budapest to Passau. Today, June 13 on the way to Linz. River is high but no problems thus far.
Darren says
Thanks Kate
Would be interested in an update from you if possible. We leave Amsterdam on 5th July heading to Budapest on APT. Any updates would be appreciated.
Joan C says
Just returned from a Rhine/Moselle cruise. Water levels good … high on the Moselle but no problems.
Paul Krupa says
We were just notified by Viking that our cruise embarkation on May 28 in Budapest may be delayed due to high water. Please let us know if anyone has done the Budapest to Amsterdam recently and can comment
Laurie says
Paul, My relatives are currently on a Danube Cruise – Nuremberg to Budapest and the levels are too high so they had to do a ship swap near Passau.
Randy Kraus says
Could you post any updates of changes or cancellations. As we leave on the same trip June 8th
Randy says
Hey Paul I found a site that breaks it down. It’s called wetteronline. You can change to English. It shows as of today. All of the flow meters along the way. Are up,some a little from the mean water level to today. Some are up a lot. This is going to be trouble. There is rain in the forecast. And Austria had more snow also which is melting. I will be checking daily.
Rob says
We cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest on Viking from 12th June and would appreciate any updates anyone has on levels/need to be bussed etc.
James says
We leave Amsterdam on June 8th to Budapest on Avalon. We are looking for updates now. We will try and keep you informed how our cruise is going.
Randy says
I just seen on the news a river boat has collided with another river tourist boat in Budapest at 9 pm last night killing 7 people and 21 still missing. The Danube is raging in Budapest. Stay informed people. This is real.
Rob says
Thanks James that would be great
James says
We are on day 7 of a 15 day Avalon cruise to Budapest and arrive in Bamberg tomorrow morning (June 14). Water levels have been no problem. However, we have been notified that a Viking ship damaged a lock gate south of Nuremberg and traffic cannot continue until approximately the 19th. We will be bussed from Nuremberg to Vienna on Monday. Not happy, but Avalon will give a 50% refund for the days not on the ship.
Susan says
We are on route on Avalon Envision from Budapest to Nuremberg, currently in Linz where we diverted due to high water levels on the Danube. Only a slight change to our schedule, now finishing our cruise in Regensburg rather than Nuremberg. This morning, however, we noted the Scenic Pearl which was travelling virtually along with us from Budapest to Amsterdam offloaded passengers and luggage this morning, (25th May) in Linz. Avalon have been most professional and kept us informed. It’s been a fabulous cruise!
Gee says
We are leaving Budapest on the 27th- Viking Grand European and have heard of no possible changes,delays,etc. Interesting that others have.
Anyone have any information?
Susan says
We are currently on a Viking Grand European river cruise – departed Budapest May 16th and due to arrive in Amsterdam on the 30th. Water levels on all 3 rivers – Danube, Main and Rhine – are high with noticeable flooding in Regensburg. Our ship only managed to arrive in Regensburg from Passau thanks to the captain cranking up the speed significantly in the night. Apparently we just made it under one bridge with inches to spare. Our ship stayed in Regensburg for a few nights and we were bused to Nuremberg for our tours and back. Then they told us we had to pack up and do a swap with our sister ship in Bamberg so we were again bused from Regensburg to Bamberg for our tour. Viking did an outstanding job keeping our itinerary in tact. Much of our weather has been cool and rainy with a few days of sunshine.
Mary says
Viking didn’t warn us a few years ago that the rivers were low and they knew because they had been bussing people on previous cruises. They bussed us all over Europe which caused us to pack and unpack multiple times. No cruising, just bussing. It was our second Viking cruise. When we complained they said they would give us 25% off a future cruise. As if we’d ever use Viking again! Going on a Tauck cruise in a week.
Eloise says
Same experience with Viking in 3018. Lack of transparency and unwillingness to compensate for list cruising days other than discounts on future trips. No way using them again.
BJ Harris says
We depart from Amsterdam to Budapest on a 2-week Viking river cruise. Keeping our fingers crossed about the water levels ???
James says
We depart from Amsterdam to Budapest in 12 days (Avalon). I will be very interested in any information you might post on your journey concerning water levels.
Faye Lopez says
we have that same trip panned on July 18 – Amsterdam to Budapest on Viking, pease advise of water conditions if you can ….
Helen Pelosi says
We are currently on the Danube (just started a Budapest to Amsterdam cruise. In Vienna today . No problems so far. But are hearing comments because of the warm weather ( up to 28 in Budapest 25 in Vienna . Snow may be melting and rivers rising but nothing official.
Bruce Marquis says
Just ended a Scenic cruise in Budapest. High water on the Danube south of Regensburg prevented passage and forced bussing us to a ship-swap downstream. Water in Budapest is high, bust passable. It’s water upstream – and low historic bridges that are problems
Linda Petzl says
May I ask how far downstream you were bused? Passau? Thank you.
Paulette Hannah says
We just completed a river cruise on the Gironde estuary, where the Bordeaux river cruises go to the Dordogne and Garonne rivers. Water levels were just fine, and we had no problems. It was another great river cruise in France!
Mark says
Great article and information. We just booked our first River Cruise which is scheduled for early September 2019 on the Rhine. Being from the States, we had no idea that there were issues with water levels on the Rhine. I guess we’ll keep our fingers crossed for a wet summer in Europe… 🙂
Jeffrey Paglialonga says
There are limited tools online for checking and predicting water levels. (See https://www.elwis.de/DE/Karte/#) It takes some effort to discern information and to translate. Most knowledge comes from local Dockmasters and Captains in the area. Like Ralph is saying it can be very unpredictable. I like to quote our friend and longtime Cruise Director on the rivers, Roland Noordermeer, “The Danube can at times rise/fall 3 or more meters in 24 hours.” Just an hour of rain can make the difference on whether a ship can pass a certain point. I just looked at the above link and there are no High/Low water issues between Frankfurt and Nuremberg.
Sabine says
Here’s a good map of Germany showing the actual water levels. The technical term is “Pegelstand” or “Pegelstände”
https://www.wetteronline.de/pegelstaende?gid=HES
At present I’m on the River Main near Wuerzburg and it’s raining hard. But the Main is generally a regulated river anyway.
Sabine
Rolf Australia says
On 23 May 2019 I rode my bicycle along the Danube between Deggendorf and Straubing. The river level appeared to be fairly high. That is it was just touching the lower path adjoining the river. The current appeared strong, there was quite a bit of flotsam and the regulating weirs appeared to be controlling river levels. Strangely I did not see a single tourist river cruise or commercial barge all day. See what tomorrow brings on the way to Regensburg.
Greg K. says
how do you translate to English on wetteronline.com ??
Greg K. says
Sabine, thank you for the info! How can I get the website translated into English?
Tracy Dio says
If you use Google Chrome as your search engine, and are logged in, there will be a prompt by Google asking if you wish to translate to English.
Cindy Watty says
May 9, 2019. Water levels on the Rhône and Saone for our AmaCello sailing we’re fine.
April 28, 2019. Water levels on the Seine for our Uniworld Joie de Vivre sailing to Normandy we’re good. Smooth sailing!
Ralph Grizzle says
Great to hear Cindy! Thanks for letting us know.
KathyD says
Currently in Rhine…. no problems. If anything, levels are higher than
normal. Beautiful weather!
Laurie says
Thanks KathyD for the update.
Randil Munson says
Just finished a Uniworld cruise on the Danube [April 28 to May 10, 2019], water levels were pretty high, some areas were at the top of the bank.
Ralph Grizzle says
Thanks for letting us know Randil.
Ken says
Boarded the Scenic Ruby April 21st For a Rhine river cruise, Basel to Amsterdam..
Water levels were fine. The cruise was fantastic!
Ralph Grizzle says
Appreciate you Ken!
Patricia Weir says
You’re luckier than we were. We took the Budapest to Amsterdam cruise with Scenic last October and spent 2 weeks being hauled around Europe on buses. We went from hotel to ship #1 to ship #2 to hotel #2 to ship #3, spending an average of 6 hours a day on buses (one memorable day was 10 hours). Scenic’s only warning was an email the day before our departure saying that we would be put up in a hotel the first night then the cruise would resume. It never did. It was a terrible and extremely expensive ‘vacation’. We understand nature happens but on day #3 when we still hadn’t moved from the dock, my husband asked the cruise director when was the last time they had a normal cruise and he said “May”. So they absolutely knew we were going on a ‘bus cruise’ and didn’t tell us, kept stringing us along with promises (lies) and were totally unresponsive to our distress. Most of us got sick from being on the buses so much, but couldn’t even rest on the ship, we had to get up early nearly every morning to get on another bus going to the next ship or hotel. Their insurance company refunded us $3,165 for a cruise that cost over $20,000. Scenic’s motto should be “you pay for a limousine, we deliver a bicycle”
Susan Howard says
Your comment was very helpful. Given the choice between bus tour and river cruise, Avalon allowed us to cancel our October 2018 cruise from Basil to Amsterdam, with a full refund including trip insurance and a credit toward any Avalon cruise in 2019. We’re going in July from Luxemberg to Amsterdam.
Julie says
Our Avalon cruise was canceled last July (or we could have done the bus tour). We were given a full refund, including trip insurance, but we were NOT offered any credit toward another cruise. We couldn’t get the same cruise but are leaving May 29 from Amsterdam to Zurich on the Rhine and Moselle (same # of days as previous reservation). This cruise is about $2000. more per person and no discount offered. I’m not sure why because we asked for discount due to cancelled cruise.
Karlaine says
We sailed from Basal to Amsterdam in November 2018. before we left we were informed of the possible disruptions because of the low water levels and given a choice to cancel at no charge or continue. We continued as our flights were already booked and we did spend 2 nights in hotels all at Avalons expense. we also received 50 % of our money back and a discount on our next cruise to be taken before then end of next year.
Meg says
Just took the Emerald Liberte down the Rhône from Lyon to Arles & the water levels were fine. In fact, everything about that cruise was fine!
Ralph Grizzle says
Gold star for you! Thanks Meg for helping our community with your comments.
Captain Mark says
Since my cabin was below the water line, all I saw was water. Brown, murky water. Next time it will be an Ocean Cruise.
Ralph Grizzle says
You need a better cabin! Thanks for commenting though.
Ralph McCarthy says
We just returned from a Viking cruise from Nuremburg to Budapest. The water levels were fine… no problems. The only impact to the cruise was that there was dock work underway in Nuremberg so on arrival day we were bussed to the next stop (Regensberg). The first day tour of Nuremberg was via coach (which I thought was fine). All on all, it was a wonderful trip… highly recommended!
harmony says
which river cruise were you on? we are still in a toss between viking and Uniworld for June 2019 on the Rhine
[email protected]
Ralph McCarthy says
We did “Romantic Danube” from Viking.
Barb says
Are booked on Viking’s Romantic Danube starting in Budapest with a pre cruise extension on May 30/19. Hope the water levels continue to be good.
Bucky Cox says
Hey Barb – how is it going. We are booked for the Danube Waltz cruise from Budapest beginning June 8 on the Viking Legend. Would appreciate hearing of your experience.
Bev says
I’ve travelled with Uniworld quite a few times and I think they are very good.
Renee says
They are excellent & have great customer service.
Rhonda says
We completed the Viking Romantic Danube on the Atla from Nuremberg to Budapest on May 5. Water level was fine. Boarded in Nuremberg on April 28th and there were no construction issues there. Crew was great! Best of 5 river cruises we’ve taken….first Viking.
Ralph Grizzle says
Thank you Rhonda! Very helpful.
Lynn Boyd says
I went on a Christmas Markets of the Rhine River in December, 2018 with Grand Circle starting on the M/S Melody. Water level on the Rhine was too low for our ship to sail through the gorge, so Grand Circle gave us the optional Heidelberg full day tour including lunch for free while we swapped ships to the Rhapsody. We were bused to some of the markets, but Grand Circle gave us lunch money so we didn’t have to return to the ship until dinner time. I was very happy with the Program Director and Boston Office solution, and they also gave us a credit on a future trip as an apology. All in all a very good solution to the problem. Thanks Grand Circle!
Ralph Grizzle says
Thanks for sharing this Lynn. Sounds like Grand Circle handled it really well.
Catherine Schultz says
I am leaving for my first River Cruise on AMA May 19, 2019 from Passau to Budapest. Hoping for good water levels. ??. It’s a wine cruise so regardless of high or low levels in the river, we plan to enjoy ourselves! ?. Cheers!
Claire Curry says
We are going on the same cruise at the end of June. Please let us know how your trip goes.
It will be our first river cruise,I am worried about the water level.
Carmen says
You will love AMA. Top notch service and food. We did one of the initial Bordeaux cruises in 2016. We are scheduled to do Melodies of Danube in the fall. Let us know about the water levels and your cruise! Enjoy
Susan Starr says
I sailed GCT and we sailed two day on The Great River trip. Sat at dock for four days. No ship transfer. Other ship at dock with Viking was making swap. Does anyone know which cruise lines offer ship swap? I don’t want to sit at dock for days again!
Bettyann says
We are doing Basil to Amsterdam Viking in 3 weeks. Updated water levels – anyone?
Thank you
Henry says
We just finished a Viking river cruise from Amsterdam to Basel and water levels were perfect. The weather could have been a little warmer but other than that, the trip was everything we hoped it would be.
Jan Gessel says
What is Grand Circle?
Christina M Dowler says
Our Grand Circle cruise last November was cancelled 14 days before it was set to sail. We were told it was due to very low water levels. Grand Circle reimbursed us our cruise costs, air fare and even paid for 2 nights hotel we had booked. They also gave us 1000.00 credit. While disappointed we could not be more pleased with how Grand Circle handled the situation. Bussing and ship swapping are things we would have not been interested in doing. We have rebooked for this November and are leaving next week on a Grand Circle Rhine cruise from Amsterdam. GC provides excellent value and customet service.
Holly Henderson says
We were booked on Grand Circle river cruise Vienna to Amsterdam last July 2018. We were never notified that there was possibility that the water level in the Danube might be too low before leaving and it wasn’t until we were in Vienna that we were informed the cruise was cancelled and a bus trip substituted. We decided to bail out and eventually GC reimbursed all but our airfare to and from Vienna. Since we’d had good luck with GC in the past we are trying again for the river cruise June 18 starting in Amsterdam and have fingers crossed for good water levels. Anyone else booked at that time?
Karen Rawley says
We are doing same trip in August. We will wait and see on the water levels – not too much you can do about it, this far out.
We too were scheduled to depart last August, and Grand Circle called us the day before. We were reimbursed within 48 hours for all of our costs. Giving it the ole College Try for this year!
Jim Rose says
We have booked a Viking Budapest to Amsterdam cruise for May 2020. From all of you experienced cruisers out there…..should we be concerned about water levels in the month of May? Thanks.
Jill Josupeit says
2017 we did that trip on Viking. A couple times getting under a bridge was very close due to rains raising the water level. Otherwise, the trip went well. We were told when we arrived in Amsterdam in a downpour of rain that we did the trip in the best direction. The weather tends to go towards Budapest from Holland. The people about to embark would probably have the rain stay with them a while.
Lee Pangallo says
Our friends did an Amsterdam to Budapest trip in June a few years ago with Viking. They had to change ships at Passau with the sister ship travelling in the opposite direction because they couldn’t get under the bridge, due to high water levels.
They said it was no problem, packing their bags in the morning, leaving them in their rooms for the staff to handle. They went on their scheduled excursion and returned to the other ship where they found their luggage in the same numbered room, just had to unpack.
To me it seems to be the luck of the draw……I have my fingers crossed that our postoned trip for December 2019 goes ahead.
Good luck, all seems fine at the moment.
Leo M says
No. Your cruise is too far out to worry about water levels. Start checking levels in the Danube in November if you are concerned. Buy trip insurance! Your cruise company cannot control rainfall or guarantee a full river cruise. River cruising in Europe is one of the riskiest gambles in travel. Very, very safe but how the company deals with trip modifications can very from trip to trip. Good Luck. Leo
Linda Brown says
We are due to embark on our very first river cruise with Evergreen in September 2019. We are really looking forward to the experience and will take the water level situation as is. It cannot be controlled and will enjoy the experience what ever it is
Janenne Poulter says
Am finding these posts very helpful 🙂
We travelled with Scenic River Cruises Oct 2013 from Amsterdam to Budapest and had no trouble at all, the rivers were fine.
We are now about to embark on another Scenic River Cruise departing 12 June 2019 fro Nuremberg to Budapest, so am hopeful the rivers will a gain be fine, sounds like levels may be returninf to being okay?
Any updated information would be greatly appreciated.
Ralph Grizzle says
Thank you. We’d also like to hear how the water levels are during your June voyage if you wouldn’t mind letting us know. I will email you my info but you can also post here.
Jim Rose says
Hi Ralph,
We have a Viking Budapest to Amsterdam planned for May 2020. Should we be concerned about water levels in the month of May?
Thanks.
Jim Rose
Ralph Grizzle says
Not at all – at least not now. Too early to predict, but generally spring should be fine.
Linda says
We were on the Viking Cruise from Budapest to Nuremberg May 25-June 2. We had some rain the first 3 or 4 days. River levels were high but ok until getting close to Passau, and we were alerted that there might be a need for a ship swap. Fortunately we made it through based on the efforts of a great crew. The cruise was wonderful and hope yours will be too!
Delia says
We are taking a Viking river cruise Amsterdam-Budapestat at the end of May; how can I find out the river water levels. I understand by the comments, that Viking does not do anything until a couple of days before the trip. Not an encouraging feeling.
Any comments welcome. Thamks
Ralph Grizzle says
You can’t find out about future water levels. Water levels are subject to change. Right now they’re good, but no one can predict. Insure your trip.
Todd Wright says
Insurance fine print is scary. Water level insurance is iffy. They won’t cancel the trip when they can offer bussing options so the insurance companies don’t see the trip as cancelled because it is not. Any advice on how to get effective insurance that might actually pay out would be very helpful. Thanks.
DEBBIE GUZZI says
Buy insurance with a private company out side the cruise line
Wendy Stevens says
We did a cruise with Scenic in Nov 2018. We were unable to continue on the Danube due to low water levels so we were bused to venues and taken to a couple of hotels. Scenic’s insurance refunded us $2800 without any drama at all. Everyone received a refund depending on the value if their original booking. It was still a wonderful experience. We loved it. Good luck with your trip.
Don says
We went the reverse of your trip last September and motor coached twice and switched bots once. It was actually quite exciting seeing a back country and only missed 1/2 day and two nights that would have been spent on the boat but we’re at first class hotels in Amsterdam and Budapest. We got $3500 each credit for our “troubles”. We are going to use it on Bucharest to Budapest this Spring. I hope we have a day on the motor coach again. My advice- look at as an adventure and try to do the same thing if there is an option
Bonnie Aucoin says
Our trip in October from Amsterdam to Basel was also interrupted with a switch in ships. We found out just a week or so before our trip but know that it was not the fault of the cruise line. All cruise lines had the same issue. Viking could not have done a better job keeping us entertained during the swap. They booked an entire restaurant for our lunch and it was wonderful. They even booked a small riverboat cruise with lunch included so we could still see the castles in Germany. When we met up with our new ship there was a lady outside with warm fragrant towels to wipe our hands/faces. Inside the ship the crew was ringing bells, cheering and holding up “Welcome Home” signs. It was our first Viking cruise and we were very impressed with every aspect of the trip.
Ralph Grizzle says
Great story. Thank you!
Terrie Weiss says
Thank you for Yr comments.
Hubby & I are booked in with Vikkings, Budapest to Amsterdam in August. Reassuring that Vikkings looked after their passengers in low tide conditions.
Patricia Procell says
My husband and I are also going in August. Very concerned about water levels simply because I don’t do well on buses.
G mayer says
See you there!
Ralph Grizzle says
Good attitude Don. Thanks for sharing!
Shirley Martin says
If you get that email 2-3 days before departure, I would cancel. We took a Viking cruise in October, 2018 Swiss Alps to Paris and it was terrible. Up early every morning to get on bus, then hours on end to destination, a quick tour then back on bus to docked boat in time for late dinner. Some days as long as 10.5 hours. Repeat next day. Those who paid extra for veranda and balcony rooms, and those who paid for expensive beverage packages were out of luck. Viking would not reimburse them even though there was no time on ship except to eat and sleep. We were totally exhausted and physically sick by the time we got home. Viking reimbursed us $500 of a $10K cruise.
Patricia Procell says
Did you have the trip insurance in order to get that refund?
Leo M says
Booking a European river cruise is like going to a casino and putting all your money on 1 number on the roulette wheel 6 months to a year before they spin the wheel! No one can predict what the water levels will be so don’t worry about it. The major cruise companies deal fairly well with water level issues. A river cruise traveler MUST be flexible and adaptable. I have done 5 cruises in 12 years. 3 had to be modified due to water levels. I repeat. Don’t worry just enjoy your trip ad it evolves.
Henry says
Anyone have any updated information on the Rhine River water levels between Amsterdam and Basel Switzerland? Our trip is coming up in early April and wanted to know current conditions?
Ralph Grizzle says
Current conditions are perfect. I’ve spoken with reps in Europe last week.
Henry says
Thank you for the update!
Henry says
Following up on the Rhine river cruise we did with Viking April 7-14. The water levels were fantastic as was the cruise. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience! Hope the water levels continue to remain perfect for the year.
Gayle Guerin says
Thank you. My husband and I are cruising Viking Amsterdam to Basel June 30-July 9. Hoping we have smooth sailing in the Rhine. We are excited about our first Viking cruise!
George Black says
We have been on a number of river boat cruises with one cancelled trip this past October due to low rivers. Can we bet that ealier in the year gives us good chance of clear cruising?
Ralph Grizzle says
What we know is that the rivers are at normal levels now. It’s impossible to predict. But we have reports from our contacts on the ground in Europe and things are good now.
Chris says
Went thru all comments. All but two referenced Danube, Rhine, etc.
Any comments on spring cruises on the Rhône? More concerned with high water level issues due to rain and snow melt.
melanie says
Ditto, Chris! High is fine but low scares me. Has the winter snow been enough to replenish the summer drought and low levels of the Rhine?
Gary says
I am taking the Emerald Christmas Cruise in December 2019 – Budapest to Amsterdam- can anyone tell me if their Christmas Cruises were interrupted by low water levels in December 2018?
Ralph Grizzle says
I do not know about Emerald and 2018, but my Viking cruise was briefly interrupted during a Christmas Markets cruise a few years ago. There was a bridge that we could not get under but we waited it out and eventually proceeded.
Heather Kenyon says
We are on Riviera cruise from Budapest to the Black Sea in 10 days time and I’m wondering how the Danube is on that stretch of the river.
Paulette says
We took an Amawaterways cruise in early November 2017 from Budapest to Vilshofen and had no problems. I realize it’s a year off your requested timeline but thought it may be a data point for you.
Ralph Grizzle says
Thanks for letting us know too!
Debra Umgelder says
We cruised with Viking, Rhine, November -Dec 2018, Christmas Markets Cruise.
The Rhine was very low, we had to transfer ships day two of the cruise.
We also missed 3 city stops and spent a lot of time on buses.
Not ideal. Viking offered a small compensation, but it wasn’t commensurate with the issues that we experienced.
Carolyn says
We took a river cruise the end of November 2018 on the Danube and had to transfer twice to another ship due to low water levels. The first time was not a big deal, 45 minute drive but the second time it was a few hours drive. Because of the long drive, most optional excursions were cancelled in Budapest.
Ken T says
What portion of the river were you on and in which direction?
Lee says
Hi Gary, We booked APT Amsterdam-Budapest cruise for December 2018 which didn’t go ahead as planned due to low water levels in both the Rhine & Danube rivers. We were offered and alternate cruise of The Netherlands & Belgium with a flight to Vienna & bus to Budapest OR Refund OR rebooking for 2019 and 2018 prices.
We chose to rebook for 6 December 2019 and are hoping the water levels won’t be too low two years running.
We couldn’t however cancel any other travel, on insurance (without penalty) as they had offered and alternative.
We chose to travel Amsterdam to Zurich, do a tour of Switzerland with Insight which was magical in the snow, fly to Vienna and train to Budapest. It turned out to be a wonderful trip and we are looking forward to our cruise of the Rhine Valley & train trip to Salzburg 2019.
Paulette Hannah says
Hi Gary,
I am currently looking for reviews for an upcoming 2020 river cruise to Africa. I like this site for its objective and balanced view. I ran across another review site that seems to have many reviews about the water level problems in December of 2018, so that may be helpful. In reading the comments, my takeaways are the lack of transparency & communication to passengers before, during and after the cruise. Also, compensation seems lacking when due and not as promised, regardless of travel insurance purchased. Keep in mind that the small number of reviews compared to the large number of travelers means that folks already dissatisfied have found a place to vent. I wouldn’t necessarily throw the baby out with the bathwater, as the saying goes. The cruise lines can’t control the water levels, of course, but they don’t seem to have a good backup plan when things go awry.
We did one cruise on the Danube from Budapest to Vilshofen with Amawaterways in Nov. 2017 and had a fabulous experience; we just returned from the Mekong with Ama, as well. We are now looking at South Africa; not sure if we’ll do a river cruise since they only offer 3 and 4 nights, then the rest is a land package, so we may just do a land package. I’m still looking into customer satisfaction with land tour companies; objective reviews are difficult to find.
Good luck on your trip; the best advice I can offer is research, research, research.
Sheryl Dahl says
If you choose a land package, I can tell you that a Botswana safari we did with International Expeditions a couple of years ago was the best trip of my life. The camps were beautiful and modern and the morning and evening safari outings were terrific. It’s not as crowded as some other popular areas in Africa so we weren’t trying to view wildlife behind 6 other jeeps. There were only six of us in our group & we were able to spend lots of time with the lions, elephants, leopards etc. It was heaven.
Darlene says
We did a Christmas Market Cruise in November-December 2018 from Budapest to Amsterdam. The ship was unable to make in to Budapest which resulted in going by bus to Vienna and missing four ports of call in Bratislava, and Austria. Our ship was in Regensburg where we boarded on Day 3 and ended up doing two German ports twice. Certainly not ideal but we talked to many people on different cruises that were in the same “boat”.
Helen Pelosi says
We did a Christmas river Cruise in Dec 2017 with Avalon. Prague to Vienna No problems with water levels. Loved every minute of the cruise being Australian our first “ cold Christmas. Loved the Christmas markets spent extra 4 days in Budapest wonderful
City. now understand why Gluewein is such a big seller certainly warms you up!! Enjoy
Mel says
I recently came back from a river cruise very confused as why and how so many of the passengers were left in the dark on cruise the conditions of the river they were on. They had purchased a vacation that had been having multiple ship swaps and countless hours of bussing for multiple cruises prior to theirs this unavoidable. But the the fact that no one told them how routinely this was happening was very avoidable. Past cruises were very vocal about their ship swaps in the same spots
During the cruise it came to light that these particularly low spots had been too low to cruise for a lengthy amount of time leading up to our cruise.
The cruise company we we used confirmed (after the cruise) that they were banking on rain that never materialized and that was why they did not inform passengers earlier.
I have asked the company we cruised with: When they were last able to successfully cruise the low areas we encountered. They avoided answering.
Is this communication with passengers reflective of the river cruise industry as a whole?
What are questions a first time consumer should research or ask in order to find a company that is reputable in the industry.
Or is this relatively standard procedure when it comes to the river cruise industry.
Robin says
We’re back and it was fabulous. Sailed the Amaserena the entire itinerary from Nuremberg to Budapest. Yay! Super thx Captain Christian.
Caroline says
12/10/18 We are able to sail from Heidelberg to Cologne on Viking. Cruise staff said it’s the first time in 4 months they’ve been able to make it down the river this far. After uncertain initial few days, we are very happy for the rain and no disruption in our Rhine river cruise!
Sheri says
Sailed on Viking from Passau to Budapest on 11/29. There was rain in Vienna (raising the Danube just enough) and our cruise was not interrupted. Our cruise was fabulous from beginning to end.
Robin says
from Amawaterways…
Update (December 4th, 2018): We are very happy to report that with the recent rainfall in Europe, the water levels on the Rhine and Danube have risen dramatically over the past few days. We anticipate returning to scheduled itineraries for all cruises embarking December 7th onward*.
Heart-felt thanks to all our travel partners and guests for their patience and understanding and our remarkable onboard crews who continued throughout this period of low water to deliver an exceptional vacation experience for our guests.
*to be confirmed: AmaLea Iconic Christmas Markets – embarkation in Nuremberg on December 9th, 2018
Will says
That is such a relief to hear!
Sherri says
Does anyone know what month the low water levels became an issue this year on the eastern stretch of the Danube? Trying to plan for next year.
Mel says
The Danube has been at record lows. It started May/June
When water levels are “low” cruising requires ship swaps . In our case we were on 3 boats.
Earlier in the season some cruises required 4 and 5 ship swaps.
The problem areas to inquire on are: geographically listed ***west going east ***
***same low spots apply but reverse order. I have listed low spots of one was starting in Nuremberg ending in Budapest.
1) ***Ragensburg to Passau.
Straubing to Passau is 3-four hours round trip
Coming from the east: Krems To Passau
2) **Straubing to Ybbs
(Straubing to Ybbs : bus transport)
Approximately 4 hour bus route.
**Vienna to Budapest.
(Bus route taken for this entire stretch of river)
Approximately 4 hour bus route.
Diane Brooks says
Sherri we were on Viking in Early August from Budapest to Amsterdam and we were told we would have 1 ship swap, that happened as did numerous bus drives lasting 5 -6 hours and we missed 4 towns. For 2019, I suggest looking at river levels in the early part of the season due to the high snow falls in Germany. Flooding could present issues too. Good luck!
Sherri says
Thanks for the information
Lottie says
Currently on Danube with Riviera cruises.
Moored in Budapest and going nowhere.
Ralph Grizzle says
Thanks for sharing! Sorry that you’re docked 🙁
Lottie says
You’re welcome.
Apparently Riviera “had no idea” this might happen. 🙁
#dowebelievethemboysandgirls
Brad says
We’ve booked the Danube for May of 2019, in ll your wisdom, that can you predict?
Cindy says
We booked Ama Watetways on the Danube in April 2019 🙂 Does anyone out there have good news?
milie says
Have been reading all the hassle stories about the low level waterways and cruise problems…wondering if these issues also occurred in the early spring (May) too? We were hoping to book our trip on the Danube, but I definitely DO NOT want to end up on buses!!!!!!!—Thanks for any advice…
Jane says
Anybody currently sailing with Viking on the Rhine Getaway, Basel to Amsterdam? How are water levels affecting the cruise?
Caroline says
As of yesterday, no interruptions! Happy to report lots of rain and first time the ship can make it through to Cologne.
Carl Schrenk says
Contrary to popular belief, ones river cruise WILL be significantly impacted due to extreme water level fluctuations. The main reason people want to spend big bucks on a river cruise is to actually be on the river. If the river cruise ship is significantly impacted either by high or low water levels then buses will be utilized. Bus trips would be my very last choice for a vacation. The river cruise company should significantly reimburse the vacationers for the inconvenience, or notify the vacationers before the trip with money refunded, or applied to a different date. Question, Is this a novel idea??
PS (post script). One of our friends did experience the bus trip nightmare. Actually they did get one day on the river only the cruise ship ran into a bridge with all passengers on board.
Paula says
I cruised the Danube in early Oct. with Viking, and our trip was impacted by low water, although not as badly as some earlier cruises. And no, your suggestion isn’t a novel one, but it’s certainly not anything you’re going to get from Viking. The only thing they offered was 25% off our NEXT cruise! And although the water level had been an issue since at least August, they waited until 3 days before the cruise to let us know there MIGHT be an impact, and then told us the day before that there would be. Other cruise lines were more timely and generous in how they handled the situation.
Diane Brooks says
We cruised in early August and we were told water levels were an issue in July. All up, lies, deception and bus trips, certainly not a river cruise we were expecting. No reasonable notice or information provided before or after the cruise.
Karen Rawley says
We were schedule on Great Rivers with Grand Circle last August. They called the day before we were leaving and cancelled the trip. We were totally refunded within 48 Hours. Just rebooked for this August ad they were having a great deal of free airfare and free 4 dat extension. Keeping fingers crossed this is a GO. I have a friend in Germany now and they said the rivers are fine
Holly says
Had you been reading social media pages, you’d have known the mid and late September Viking cruises were canceled altogether. While there were some cabins on Oct/Nov cruises, they wouldn’t even let us change to those. We leave soon for another try at a river cruise.
Robin says
In a bit of GOOD news, it would appear that AMA is operating scheduled itineraries. I got communication from both my travel agent and an AMA rep. My eDocs were received this morning too. I was told that there is no anticipated change and that my sailing (Dec 14th Nuremburg to Budapest) on the AMASerena is still set to go as per original plan. Hopeful.
Mike says
What was your actual experience
Robin says
We have returned. All went perfectly Mike 🙂
Kaitlin says
Hello! I’m set to leave on the Viking Danube Cruise Dec 8 and just got the email that the course may be disrupted. I am freaking out and am considering canceling- anyone go recently or have any advice? I have travel insurance
Sheri says
See my reply below to Nancy Gibson.
Ernest Salomon says
This is a German government river depth guide-You will be bussed more than you will be on the river cruising!
https://www.bafg.de/EN/06_Info_Service/01_WaterLevels/waterlevels_node.html
Paula says
I did the Danube Waltz cruise on Oct. 9th, and like you, only received notice about this right before leaving. We spent the first night on a different ship, then the next day got bussed 4 hours to Vienna where our boat was, which meant our afternoon excursion in Budapest was canceled. To do our Bratislava tour meant a 1-1/2 hour bus trip. From Vienna our itinerary was as scheduled.
Not sure how the water levels are now, but I can tell you that Viking has not been as good about handling this with regard to compensation and notice as some of the other lines.
Jill says
I have a question for all those who has the bus replacement due to low waters: what did you do about laundry? We are doing the Christmas Rhine cruise soon and are traveling with our young daughter. I loathe spending excessive money on hotel laundry services (we recently had to pay $100 USD at the Four Seasons!) and after reading all these comments, it doesn’t look like onboard laundry will be an option. I want to pack as light as possible in the event we have to truck our luggage back and forth from bus to hotel but in doing so, it means we need to have laundry facilities somewhere, At least once. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
mary says
we, too, travel light. Agree hotel laundry options are very expensive. We just check and the hotel and ask for a local laudromat. Takes about an hour to do ourselves . Good to go
Beth says
I will be sailing December 14-21 from Budapest to Nuremberg on the Danube for a Christmas cruise. I am getting so nervous. I was never notified by AMA until I went into the booking and saw the low water level notification. I have no idea what to expect. I have been reading horror stories with regard to bussing people, staying at multiple hotels, not even cruising…. Has anybody been redirected? Are you still sailing?
Cally says
We are booked on the November 30 trip from Budapest to Nuremberg on the AmaViola. We received a “low water level” notification from Ama on November 14, and are awaiting final notification as to which itinerary we’ll be on. According to the letter we received, if they have to alter the itinerary due to water levels, we will sail from Budapest to Vilshofen, with an extra night in Vienna. It does not appear that there will be any ship changes or bussing, other than the transfer from Vilshofen to Nuremberg.
Beth says
I’ve heard the same thing. My agent called as well and we were told the office was affected given the California wildfires but they will be sending electronic documents.
I am crossing my fingers for more rain. We still have two weeks!
Robin says
Yes. I feel badly about the fire and concern for the staff and loved ones affected but surely they are able to operate out of an alternate location. It is 11 sleeps until we leave and not a word from AMA.
LeslieG says
I hear you. I’m in Cali (about 80 miles North of where the fire was – so got a lot of the smoke here – which is finally washed away with days of welcome rain). We’re sailing Dec 15th (Christmas Markets on the Rhine) on AmaPrima and I’ve yet to receive any update or even final confirmation from Ama. Just emailed my travel agent again. I would have expected to receive something by now – even some sort of final “pre-cruise” package like we get with ocean cruises…
George says
We are due to sail 8th Dec on AmaPrima Basel to Amsterdam we have been told Rhine Gorge
water levels are to low for this trip. Looks like a trip round Holland and Belgium . As the same as last week for the AmaPrima & Amakristina.
LeslieG says
@ George – Looks like we’re embarking as you’re disembarking. Is there a sample itinerary for the “trip round Holland and Belgium” you’re referring to? I’ve heard NOTHING from Amawaterways yet! < 2 weeks. Waiting for my travel agent to get back from her own river cruise (Bangkok) and get me some sort of update.
George says
Hi Leslie
Awaiting email Thursday 6th December confirming which route the AmaPrima will be taking we are due to join in Basel Saturday have been given 2 options
1 fly to Basel train to Cologne to join ship .
2 fly to Basel train to Zurich and fly to Amsterdam.
I am following the AmaPrima on Cruise mapper.com and at the moment it is in Cologne .will be able to let know which way it is going tonight when it leaves .
George says
Tuesday 4th
Amaprima in the Rhine Gorge heading for Ruidshiem
Good news
Ralph Grizzle says
Glad to hear things are moving! Are you seeing other passengers ships (as large as yours) on the Rhine?
George Wallace says
Hi Ralph
I’m using an App to track ships on the Rhine as we are joining the AmaPrima on the 8thDec in Basel , but we’re told last week that it would be a different voyage as the Rhine Gorge was suffering from low water,it would appear the rain of the last few days has improved conditions.
Noted a couple Viking Ships have also managed to get through the Gorge. Hope this helps .
George
George Wallace says
More Cruise ships heading for the Gorge
At 16:00 Amsterdam bound .
Ralph Grizzle says
Thanks for the update and enjoy your cruise!
LeslieG says
Got my travel docs last night. So far no changes in itinerary. According Weather.com they’re finally getting rain, so…? Just looked at Cruisemapper (great idea, George – why didn’t I think of it!) and AmaPrima is just north of Speyer. Seems to be quite a few ships all up & down the Rhine.
George says
Glad to hear your news ,we have been on the AmaPrima before and have sailed with Ama 4 times previously,they are a great company and look after the clients very well.
Hope you enjoy trip to Europe & the Rhine
Regards
George
LeslieG says
Nice to hear from someone (a repeat passenger even!) who’s been on Amaprima. We’ve done several ocean cruises over the years, but this is our first river cruise. Thanks for all the comments. Will watch for your postings on your trip next week. Bon Voyage!
LeslieG says
Promising news! Thanks for the update. My travel agent (who was out of the country until yesterday) says she receieved my travel docs from Ama and wants to set a meeting – I assume to communicate any route changes. Hoping to get with her today.
George Wallace says
Wednesday update email from AmaWaterways
Confirming trip from Basel to Amsterdam as Rhine Gorge now passable.
Enjoy your trip .
Robin says
We are doing the AMA cruise the same dates but reverse direction. It is now less than two weeks out and we still have no travel documents. We are getting antsy. But I spoke with my travel agent who has been in communication with AMA. Apparently Nuremburg is the problem and the cruise line may have to use Vilshoven (sp?) instead with an extra night in Vienna. It will mean missing Nuremburg and the holiday market but we are hoping this would be the extent of changes. Remember though Beth, as indicated above, AMA ships require less draft to operate. Fingers crossed.
Robin says
Beth, I just got communication from AMA that my Dec 14th sailing (Nuremburg to Budapest) is going ahead with no anticipated disruptions as of today.
Beth says
Excellent!!! I just got my documents yesterday. Very happy
Ernest Salomon says
https://www.bafg.de/EN/06_Info_Service/01_WaterLevels/waterlevels_node.html
German river depth guide You will be bussed!
nancy gibson says
We are scheduled for Viking River Cruise from Passau to Budapest leaving December 5, 2018. Are any ships sailing on the Danube? Thanks.
Sheri says
We are on the same cruise departing Passau on November 30th. I received a notification from Viking today that reads,
“From Vienna on Day 6, you will travel to Bratislava by motorcoach (50 miles) to continue your shore excursion program then return to your ship in Vienna. On the morning of Day 7, we will likely need to disembark the ship in Vienna and travel by motorcoach to Budapest (150 miles). Following your shore excursion program, you will overnight on an identical sister ship for the last night of your itinerary.”
The email goes on to read that we will be given a 25% off voucher for a future cruise.
Hope this helps. Not the worst case and the drives should be beautiful..
Nancy Gibson says
Thanks Sheri, it sure could be worse. Enjoy your cruise.
Nancy Gibson says
Thanks Sheri,
It sure could be worse. Enjoy your cruise.
Paula says
This sounds like exactly what happened on my Oct. 9th cruise, just in the opposite direction. Just one caveat–the drive between Vienna and Budapest, which took about 4 hours, was anything but beautiful(I had hoped we’d at least get to see some of the countryside)–it was all on a major highway like any American interstate. Very boring.
Sheri says
Our cruise ended in Budapest uninterrupted and was wonderful. I’m sorry yours was not able to navigate the Danube for the entirety of your cruise.
Cee Schulz says
In October 2018, my husband and I took a Viking river cruise to nowhere. Our cruise ship NEVER left the dock because of low water on the Rhine, and now we are fighting with Viking to be fairly reimbursed. We could not board in Basal, so we were bussed to the next port in Speyer, Germany. We had a veranda view of the embankment for 7 days. Every day, we were led to believe the ship would sail the next day. That day never came. Instead we were bussed through Europe on highways to each port city, then bussed back to our ship in Speyer. Round-trip bus rides got longer each day to ports farther and farther away. Round trips went from 4 hours on a bus to 6, 8, and 10 hours on a freaking bus! Our final destination was Paris. We boarded the bus in the morning and arrived there in time for dinner, which counted as one day in Paris. We tried very hard to make the most of what was to be a trip of a lifetime to celebrate our 40th anniversary, including upgrading to the premium drink package. Truth be told, the experience on the bus was miserable and the experience dealing with Viking in the aftermath is miserable. The blame lies with Viking for withholding the truth about water levels so low that cruising wasn’t possible. Bussing is no substitute when you sign up for a river cruise. Shame on Viking.
Mike says
Thanks for your feedback. We were scheduled to cruise on Viking from November 28 from Paris to Zurich arrving on December 8th. We received notice from Viking about low water levels about week before our trip. We canceled. To Vikings credit they strongly recommended we take out the insurance – which we did- our claim is currently pending. The young lady we spoke with at Viking understood our reluctance to spend $15K+ for a bus tour of Europe. The down side is we missed seeing a French riot first hand. 🙂
Gail says
Just wondering–did Viking give you full refund? What about airfare? Were you reimbursed for that if you cancelled? I know they don’t give you the insurance money back. Did you get the insurance through Viking? We are looking at a trip end of October, 2019 from Budapest. Thanks.
Gail
Dee says
Has anyone an update on the effects of the low water levels? I’m departing Amsterdam to Budapest in a little over 1 week
Ann says
We are or were doing this trip on December 8th and have been sent alternative arrangements which involve a trip around Holland and Belgium for 11 nights then flying to Vienna and then coaching to Budapest. We are not happy but it is better than nothing. They did say however that they will be watching the water levels in case they get better. We could have waited until next year to do the same for the same price but with no guarantee that next year would be any better we decided to go ahead.
Lee Pangallo says
Ann, It sounds as though you were travelling with Ama or APT here in Australia. Did you enjoy your cruise through Holland and Belgium or did they cruise Amsterdam to Budapest as planned. Looks as though others may have. We opted to postpone to December 6, 2019.
We had to make a quick decision as we were given the itinerary on the Friday, making our alternate plans on the Saturday then left Sydney on the Tuesday. In total 1 weeks notice of disruption. No cancellation of cruise, so no cancellation of airfares without penalty. We had a wonderful trip in Switzerland and are looking forward to our cruise later this year.
Jim Peters says
At the recommendation of “River Cruise Advisor” we chose the Danube for our first river cruise. After reviewing the offerings of the various cruise operators we chose Viking and must say that after all the low river problems we experienced we would again, and already have, booked another Viking cruise! More to follow on that.
The synopsis of low water experiences, and more specifically derogatory comments about Viking, that was emailed the other day certainly did not reflect our feelings towards Viking. We were notified by our travel agent a week plus before the departure that there may be problems due to low water. We subsequently received an email from Viking reflecting the same information. While there was a slight increase in the river level during our cruise it was not enough to prevent water levels from impacting the cruise. That being said, we are glad we continued on with the cruise!
Comments were made in the email about Viking and refunds, which were dramatically different from our experience. Going in the email we received from Viking prior to departure indicated that there would be a 25% credit towards future cruises. Upon return we received another email that upped that credit to 50%.
During the cruise there was some confusion, as would be totally expected under the conditions, but Viking staff went out of their way to accomodate individual needs.
While we would have appreciated normal river levels, we enjoyed the time of our lives on the cruise and certainly glad that we went ahead with our planned vacation and thanks again to Ralph for recommending the Danube for our first cruise.
Deb says
Your review makes sense and describes what we were thinking might happen. We are doing the Romantic Danube the end of Oct 2019 and were just talking about strategic packing just in case we have to switch ships or stay in hotels. Fingers crossed that we don’t. Thanks for posting this!
Jim Peters says
At the recommendation of “River Cruise Advisor” we chose the Danube for our first river cruise. After reviewing the offerings of the various cruise operators we chose Viking and must say that after all the low river problems we experienced we would again, and already have, booked another Viking cruise! More to follow on that.
The synopsis of low water experiences, and more specifically derogatory comments about Viking, that was emailed the other day certainly did not reflect our feelings towards Viking. We were notified by our travel agent a week plus before the departure that there may be problems due to low water. We subsequently received an email from Viking reflecting the same information. While there was a slight increase in the river level during our cruise it was not enough to prevent water levels from impacting the cruise. That being said, we are glad we continued on with the cruise!
Comments were made in the email about Viking and refunds, which were dramatically different from our experience. Going in the email we received from Viking prior to departure indicated that there would be a 25% credit towards future cruises. Upon return we received another email that upped that credit to 50%.
During the cruise there was some confusion, as would be totally expected under the conditions, but Viking staff went out of their way to accomodate individual needs.
While we would have appreciated normal river levels, we enjoyed the time of our lives on the cruise and certainly glad that we went ahead with our planned vacation and thanks again to Ralph for recommending the Danube for our first cruise.
Mark says
Any updates on current conditions on Danube? Scheduled on Viking from Neuremberg to Budapest Dec 8.
Tim Fischer says
We received notification from Crystal Cruise Lines of the low water levels. We are scheduled to leave Amsterdam on November 25, 2018. Instead of canceling the cruise they offered an amended itinerary that is NOT comparable to the original. No longer included: Cologne, Koblenz, Rudesheim (Mechanical Music Museum), Speyer (Heidelberg Castle), Breisach (Black Forest), or Basel (Michelin Star Dining) and (Swiss Chocolate Making).
We understand the river conditions are beyond their control. We chose Crystal to celebrate our one-year anniversary because of their ‘award winning’ customer service. Since the itinerary changed significantly, we asked for a cash refund, which is being denied.
We don’t have the luxury of time to take another cruise in the next two years (and have our money held by Crystal Cruise Lines). It’s hard to believe that consumers have no rights/or protections.
We have trip insurance, but it is also being denied because an alternative NON COMPARABLE itinerary is being offered.
Any advice?
Raj says
We are also booked on the same itinerary, Tim and hoping the revised tour does go ahead. Celebrating our 25th anniversary and have others trips scheduled after the cruise. Only hoping they do not cancel it, else we will have to create a new itinerary for those 10 days.
Teri Fittz says
We are scheduled to leave for Viking from AMS along rhine. Any more recent updates for those that might have traveled last week? Big disruptions?
Lew says
We were on a Uniworld cruise from AMS to BAS leaving November 5, 2018 and we probably were the only ship that made the complete trip (with a few modifications). All nights were spent on the ship and we sailed through the complete route. Uniworld was fantastic and the week before, they notified us they had switched our ship and crew (Empress to Princess) which had smaller draft but was exactly the same layout. While we did have to sail slower at times which led to earlier embarkation from some ports, and one changed port, all the day tours left and returned to the Princess which at times sailed while we were touring local towns to make up time because of slower speeds. We did get to sail through the Rhine Gorge and see all the castles, even though it was earlier in the day than originally planed. Throughout the cruise we were updated daily on the itinerary. In each town we met people from the other companies who were on bus trips or had ship swaps with days in hotels rather than cruising. This is our seventh river cruise and I learned again why it is so worth it to carefully pick your river cruise company not just by price and brochures. I now know to check on the height and draft of the ship since the water levels can really ruin a great planned trip.
Craig says
Currently on Danube with Uniworld. Travel has been fine between Budapest and Vienna. Destined for Passau.
Jean says
Thanks for info Craig. Is your cruise still on schedule to arrive in Passau?
Craig says
We completed the journey to Passau without schedule disruptions, although I understand at times the water depth was barely passable. Good job by Uniworld.
Sue says
We are scheduled to cruise Passau to Budapest on December 8 with Uniworld. Do you think we will have any schedule disruptions because of water level?
Rebecca Stout says
Any updates on the Douro for next week?
Rich says
Anybody on this blog that is presently on the Crystal Ravel River Cruise which was scheduled to travel from Vienna to Basel on Oct. 25th
We were scheduled to be on this cruise but after reading about the low water levels etc. we decided to take one of the three options from Crystal to cancel.
This was a tough decision as we were really looking forward to this cruise but we were very pleased with Crystal for stepping up with three different options.
We are curious on how the cruise is going and would like some feedback from anyone that is on this cruise.
Thank You in advance.
Rich
George says
Water level 368 CM in Linz tonight. Cruised from Bratislava to Linz without issue.
Rich says
Which ship are you on and how far are you going?
Jane says
This Is disgraceful and disrespectful behaviour by Viking as we paid for a river cruise not a bus drive and they do not advise until two days before we leave then offer very little compensation it’s time to take a class action
George says
Is this site funded/controlled by the cruise lines? Are critical comments being sanitized? Are cruise line employees posting positive comments about their employers?
Ralph Grizzle says
Hi George, Comments are not being sanitized. Cruise line employees, to my knowledge, have not left any comments. I’m sure you’ve read through the comments. Many are very critical. What are you seeing that makes you question the comments? Our take is that people are very disappointed and voicing their disappointment.
Ralph Grizzle says
We did have a system malfunction where 30 comments went to spam – not sure why – but your comment was among those. We discovered the issue and have approved all valid comments that went to spam.
BThompson says
I cannot access comments after October 22. Are there any?
Ralph Grizzle says
October 22 is the last that I see (aside from yours). There have been no comments since then.
George says
The link to the site that purports to show the currently water levels on European rivers http://rivercruiseinfo.com/content/river-levels is apparently worthless as for weeks it has shown that all water levels are fine.
George says
The link to the site showing water levels http://rivercruiseinfo.com/content/river-levels is apparently worthless as for weeks it has been stating that the water levels are fine on all the tracked rivers.
Ralph Grizzle says
Thank you. I believe you are correct. We’ve amended our post to note that the site appears not to be accurate.
Holly Klein says
Our river cruise we are to fly out Friday for has “just pulled the plug” because of low water on the Rhine… wished I had found your website before and not been so shocked tonight. Thank you for the information.
George says
Sorry to hear about your cruise. What cruise line were you using. I’m trying to get AMA Waterways to let me cancel my upcoming Rhine river cruise without penalty. So far they won’t even respond.
Leslie says
Anyone have information about Amadeus Silver II? We are scheduled to cruise from Amsterdam to Basel starting October 28.
Lee says
We were scheduled on Avalon from Amsterdam to Basel Switzerland this weekend November 27thru October 1, 2018. Avalon just cancelled the cruise.
Sherri Albee says
Just returned from a Viking cruise from Amsterdam to Basel that was deviated because of low water levels on the Rhine. The passengers lost about a day and a half from their journey because of packing, unpacking and being bussed to the other ship’s location and a farther bus trip to the port we were to visit. We basically missed the entire Middle Rhine valley with all of the castles. We also missed going to a port because of the change in schedule. According to the crew, there has been no appreciable rain along the Rhine in more than two months and crews have known they were going to deviate. The cruise after ours was going to have to do the same thing. I believe Viking owes us a partial refund. We booked a river cruise, not a bus trip.
Bob says
Viking River Cruises – Romantic Danube – 8 Days Nuremburg to Budapest.
The cruise started on Sept 7th in Nuremberg on the Main Danube Canal for 80 km before joining the River Danube at Kelheim. Kelheim to Budapest is 750 km on the river, due to the low water levels we actually only travelled 470 km on the river, mostly at night, thereby being unable to see the scenery. We missed over 37% of the River Danube cruising and had to be coached between Straubing and Ybbs to change ships, a distance of 280km, with only approximately 8 hours daylight cruising centred on the Wachau valley. Guided tours were re-arranged causing less free time in Passau, Vienna and Budapest and also missing several on board features included in the brochure.
Notification by Viking a week before departure of ‘possible’ problems due to low water levels and a ‘mid-cruise ship swap’ did not advise the scale of the changes required like missing 37% of the River Danube which I believe should be classified as ‘significant’.
George says
How are the Ama Waterways cruises doing on the Rhine? We will be going from Amsterdam to Basel starting Nov. 17
Beckie Collett says
The cruises on the Rhine from Amsterdam to Basel are cancelled. We set sail from Amsterdam to Basel and had to stop in Cologne from going further because of water levels. Ama Waterways has rerouted us from the Rhine to various waterways and the trip has been amazing. Yes our itinerary was scratched but the one put in place has been magnificent. We have been to Ghent, Antwerp,
Burges, Rotterdam, Ultrech, and Dusseldorf and have has an incredible time. With so many people and a logistic nightmare of scrappi g the 1st tour what Ama waterways has done is short of a miracle. They are an incredible line who have their customers satisfaction truly in mind and have pulled out all the stops to keep us satisfied, informed and happy all along the way on this trip that could have been both a logistical nightmare and real disappointment for everyone. A wonderful time and compensation has been had by all.
George says
Thanks for the info. The week after our scheduled cruise on Ama Waterways (leave Amsterdam Nov. 17) is already scheduled and paid for (leaving from Basel to Paris) so an alternate itinerary is not acceptable to us. We did not pay for a bus cruise. Ama Waterways needs to cancel our cruise and give us a full refund.
Beckie Collett says
I would contact them immediately to have all your concerns answered and how they will be handling this unfortunate set of circumstances..
George Dugger says
Thank you for your advice. We booked through Untours which partners with AMA Waterways. I am writing them an e mail right now. I will post updates.
M Conley says
My husband and I were on the same cruise… have you been compensated as promised? We have not.
Beckie Collett says
Yes we have received the letter that states the compensation for the trip. We stayed on the trip all the way to Zurich and they were amazing in all of the remaining cruise from Amsterdam when we returned from Cologne and went through different rivers. I have spoken to friends we met on the trip and they received theirs as well. Did you stay on the ship for the entire trip?
M Conley says
Yes we stayed on the ship all the way back to Amsterdam…After touring Belgium, etc. They truly amazed us by creating a new river cruise overnight. Then AMA flew us to Basel (original cruise destination), put us up in a very nice hotel all paid for by the company. All connections were on time and escorted us all the way to the gate! We really were pleased with the way AMA handled the situation! The cruise director, Alia, could not have been any better!
We will contact them directly to secure compensation..thanks for your help!
Mary says
Leave 10/28 Sunday on Viking sailing Budapest to Amsterdam. Any updates on the Viking ships; are they making it on the rivers or busing / ship swapping. Cannot get any information out of Viking and they currently have multiple ships sailing this week and next! Any info about the Danubue, Mein and Rhine is much appreciated. thank you!
Beckie says
Rivers are all LOW! CHECK WITH YOUR TOUR GUIDE..We are still on our cruise that was supposed to be on the Rhine but got rerouted after day 2 because of water levels. All lines are affected when it comes to the Rhine and Danube..Good luck..
Diana says
I’m booked on a Rhine River Cruise with Viking for the end of Nov. I’ve been hearing about the low water levels and people being bused. Since this is my “bucket list” trip, I really don’t want to take a bus tour when I’ve signed up for a river cruise. I filled out 2 different contact forms on the Viking site and have yet to receive a reply. Those of you who have traveled in this region this month ~ how are the levels and how was your trip? Thank you.
Sherri Albee says
I just posted a comment above. My husband and I returned from s Rhine River cruise aboard the Viking ships Kvasir and Idi. We missed seeing several castles along the Middle Rhine, had port stops cancelled or shortened and lost a lot of time on buses and packing/unpacking for ship swaps. The river levels have been low for a while. They are not being honest with their customers.
Rich Ward says
We received a letter last Monday from Crystal Cruise Lines informing us of the low water levels.We were scheduled to leave on Oct 25th on a river cruise from Vienna to Basel Switzerland.
We were given three different options including cancelling with a full refund.
Unfortunately after much consideration we decided to cancel.
After reading some of the comments here I think we made the right decision.
We were impressed that Crystal contacted us and gave us the options.
Maybe next year we will try again.
Ralph Grizzle says
That’s impressive on Crystal’s part. Thanks for sharing and hope you get to go when the time is better.
Rod says
We just came back from an Avalon cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam Sept. 18 to Oct. 5th. We had received notification from Avalon approx a week before departure advising of possible changes and water level problems. However all went very well until we reached Cologne. Avalon handled the changes seamlessly. We bused to Amsterdam for the last two nights in a 5 star hotel, all expenses paid, and compensation of 100% for the last two days. No complaints, would certainly travel with Avalon again, great service, food excellent, spotless ship (The Passion) Cruise director Maria was amazing.
Ralph Grizzle says
Thanks for sharing Rod. Glad that Avalon handled it well.
B. Thompson says
We are scheduled on Uniworld November 10 from Budapest to Amsterdam. We cannot do bus tours. Even if it started raining now, would boats be able to navigate?
Bob says
Although we took none of the cruise lines listed. We took a Rhine River Cruise with Avalon Waterways, between Sept 29th and Oct 6th, 2018, and were informed two days before we docked at Koblenz. They said we may have to trade ships between Rudesheim and Mainz. We had a small layover at Rudeshiem, and a determination would be made. If we had to trade ships, we would have to have our luggage ready by morning. We would be bused to two smaller ferry lines for the trip through the gorge. Fortunately the rain the day before and during the night, was enough to keep from grounding the ship. The Captain said, “We need between 2 to 3 meters from the current level, to safely pass. We will notify everyone by 7 am next morning”. We were notified departing Rudesheim, that the water levels had significantly increased and we would sail through. Our sister ship going northbound was also able to continue through to Amsterdam. I have nothing but admiration for Avalon and the Crew we had on Tranquility II. Nothing was kept secret, and we were always kept in touch by the Cruise Director, and the Captain. They also laid out the night before around 500-530 pm, what was in store for the next days activities. My two cents, in case you’d like to try another river cruise. I would use Avalon again, without question. And yes, regardless of the line or money spent. It is the carriers responsibility to plan and/or make amends.
George Dugger says
Yes, I know how to spell Amsterdam 🙂
George Dugger says
How are the AmaWaterways cruises doing on the Rhine? We will be going from Amsterday to Basel starting Nov. 17
Cathy Thoman says
current Ama trips on Rhine are cancelled. Keep in touch with them!
George says
Our cruise was booked thru Untours. I have requested that our cruise be cancelled without penalty but that we keep the airline reservations. We have a weeks stay in Paris after the cruise. Thus we would do our own trip in Amstersdam and Basel taking the train to Paris. Untours said they will be contacting their AMA rep. A cruise company should never cancel or significantly change a cruise without enough notice that other plans can be made. It is quite common that pre and post cruise plans are in place and are affected by last min. changes.
gillian quinn says
oh im so glad i found these comments. i go with Saga on a budapest to Vienna cruise on Thursday. i am going On thursday 25th and Saga wont tell us until Tuesday. but i certainly dont want to do a bus trip as i have been really looking forward to a riverboat cruise . if they offer a cancellation i will take it. i quess its not their fault. what a drag!!! i had tickets for an elo concert which i sold as i booked my holiday and now i wont have either .. i never expected a water problem we certainly dont have that in n IRELAND !!!!
Olivia says
Our Riviera cruise from Budapest to Budapest started with really low water levels in Budapest on 5th October. Travelled as far as Linz upstream but downstream the cruise terminated in Bratislava. 3 hour bus journey each way if passengers wanted to visit Budapest and then a further 3 hour journey the next morning at an unearthly hour to catch flights. Spoiled the end of our holiday. Accept others were more seriously affected, but we specifically asked our TA to check with Riviera before we left UK that previous cruise itineraries had been achieved naturally or by bussing, hotel stays or switching ships. Don’t think they were totally honest. We would have liked the opportunity to re book.
Rich Ward says
We were scheduled to leave Vienna to Basel on Oct.25th on the Crystal Ravel.We received an email from Crystal on Monday giving us three options,one was a reduced cruise of 7 days ,a 14 day cruise back and forth from Vienna to Passau or a cancellation with a complete refund.
After much discussion and reading all these comments(thank you)we decided to unfortunately cancel.
Kind of knocks the wind out of your sails when you are looking forward to getting away but we were happy with Crystal for giving us options.
If anyone is on this cruise would love to hear some comments during or after their cruise.
Thank You
[email protected]
Lisa says
Wee have just finished our 16 day cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam, and we travelled with Gate1, on the Monarch Baroness. We hit very low water levels between Passau and Regensburg on the Danube, so the crew dumped all excess weight, and we sailed slowly through the night, scraping the bottom across sand and rocks occasionally (eek!). We had 10cm of clearance. Our ship was smaller and lighter than the Viking and Scenic ships, so we did see lots of passengers exiting their ships with all their luggage at Passau, presumably to travel by bus.
Then we hit record low levels on the Rhine at Nuremberg. Gate1 transferred us all to a day cruiser ship to continue sailing for about 3 hours (and the day cruiser was large and comfortable, served meals and beverages) and then we transferred to Gate1s sister ship, the Monarch Queen, further up the Rhine. The ships are identical and we went straight into the same cabin numbers we were on the Baroness. From there we completed our cruise to Amsterdam.
We were very impressed by Gate1 efforts not to disrupt our sailing, and they did wonderfully well. We didn’t miss any of our sightseeing tours and slept every night on the ships. Most importantly, we sailed every day.
As far as we know, it is still dry with no substantial rain predicted , so I think as time goes on, I would think you would be better cancelling if you are on Viking or Scenic. We also saw Avalon stranded, and an Emerald ship. Passau is definitely an issue.
Bill says
You’re happy with Gate 1 in all cases?
Lisa says
Definitely! We think they went over and above to make sure we kept to the scheduled itinerary. And having open bar cocktail nights with the tab picked up by the company to compensate for the small alterations they did have to make was all well received! ?
Cindy says
Hi, I am not cruising until next April on The Rhone River in France on Stella Rosa. Does anybody know anything about average water levels at that time of year on Rhone River?
Austinetc says
Rivercruiseinfo.com is a dead site! Do not use it! The water level reports are absolutely wrong!
Di says
Was anyone disrupted on an Avalon cruise Amsterdam to Budapest this year in early July? Thinking of next year this time….Di
Steve says
Any comments on how AMA Waterways did through this difficult, low water level period on the Danube. I know they are supposed to have boats that can navigate through lower levels than their competitors.
Claudia says
The Amaserena from Vilshoven to Budapest could not proceed beyond Vienna. The line did a good job rescheduling and we chose to spend three days in Vienna on the ship. (A great place to be stranded) Bus to Budapest and we ended up hiring a private guide for a tour there. Disappointing, certainly, but I was pleasantly surprised to receive a letter of apology from Ama Waterways with a significant future cruise credit. They handled the situation in a very classy way.
Mark says
We just finished Budapest-to-Amsterdam on 10 October with Scenic; they told us we were their first boat to successfully make the entire trip since July.
For example, we had to wait an extra day for a “wave” to raise water levels near Passau. With the extra day there, we docked downtown for shore excursions than moved to an industrial dock for the following day, which served as a base-of-operations for shore excursions via bus rather than docking in towns nearer the excursions. The bus excursions were 2 hours of driving time or less, so quite tolerable.
The Rhine Gorge water levels were predicted to rise and did not, so we were within one day of having to switch boats and stay in a hotel in Nuremburg for 3 days as a base-of-operations for excursions while the 2nd boat came upstream to meet us. Scenic was very good about clarifying our options, which included an option to stay on the boat for an extra 3 days without excursions or move to the hotel to continue excursions, both with substantial credit offered for the change in itinerary. At the last minute, the crew decided to hurry the boat downstream to catch another “wave” in the Rhine gorge. I was really impressed by the extra effort that the entire crew went through to avoid having to go to a “plan B” or “plan C.” To lighten the boat for more clearance, they emptied the hot tub and waste tanks, and offloaded diesel and fresh water to just a limited supply, then moved the boat through the low-water section while passengers were away at a shore excursion. Really fantastic effort in my opinion.
Bottom line: Buy trip insurance and be ready to be a flexible traveler. We got lucky and had a trip-of-a-lifetime, but we could have very easily gotten too worried about water levels and used our trip insurance to cancel.
Heather Mallanda says
You always have the option of canceling at any time with viking as long as you buy insurance, if you dont buy insurance shame on you.
Diana says
We bought the insurance. What’s irritating is that we became aware – quite by accident – 2 months prior to our departure date about the low water levels and when I called, the Viking agent completely downplayed the situation and said if water levels remained as they were on the day I called (8/13/18), at most we would be bused around one lock. It later became apparent that was a serious misrepresentation of the water situation at that time. The reason I’m pointing this out is the insurance reimbursement is based on how far out you cancel. Had Viking been forthcoming about the situation, we may have cancelled sooner and received a more favorable reimbursement (percentage of vouchers versus refund). Either way, we are out of pocket the $1,400 cost of the insurance. And have a diminished opinion of Viking.
John says
You must be a shill for the company.
Your comment about reimbursement is absolutely incorrect
Not happening
Viking is the worst.
Sandy says
Booked on an AMA cruise on November 1 from Nuremberg to Luxembourg. Sailing basically on the Main and Moselle Rivers, plus the Rhine Gorge. Any insight into the water conditions on these rivers?
Todd says
Any word on Emerald Danube cruises upcoming in October?
ginette says
I am a travel agent and just got word today that my client’s Oct 16-23 Budapest/Passau cruise was cancelled on Emerald. So upsetting.
Ralph Grizzle says
Thank you for sharing this with us Ginette.
Todd says
Thanks for the info. I am not on that particular cruise but another one coming up soon. I have not heard anything from Emerald so am assuming that we are good to go on the cruise. I will try to post status once we arrive… still hoping for some river cruising.
Todd says
We are into the first full day of our 8 day Danube cruise with Emerald. Information has been provided (finally) and we will not cruise the river until the final day, from Regensburg to Nuremberg. Two nights in a hotel in Vienna and the rest of the nights on the ships. But, there will be no cruising between any ports, so the ships have become fairly expensive hotels on the river. Our view isn’t even noteworthy. A refund package based on a number of factors is being offered but won’t really know details until end of trip as everything seems to be dependent upon some form of calculation related to elements of the trip missed. It is all contained in someone’s fine print. At least Emerald has a guarantee.
Still, lots of disappointed people… understanding that there is no control over river levels, it is a continuing refrain from most cruises that communication is the biggest issue. I still have not received any form of official notification from Emerald other than what I have received today on the boat. They have 2 email addresses, a phone number, street address (which they require up front in order to be able to “communicate”. Not sure if anyone has had better luck with other companies, but even with Emerald there is variation… some people received hard copy, mail delivered letters before departure. Some received email and many, like me, received nothing. What is the criteria for selection in this regard? Did I not spend enough on my cruise?
Todd says
Next word on our October Danube Cruise with Emerald… left the tour when given the opportunity for a “full” refund. Chose not to do bus tours. “Full” refund = less than 1/3 of the amount paid for the trip. Refund is for the “cruise portion” only. Still waiting to hear why we never received notification of river levels prior to arriving on the ship while some others did. Still waiting to find out the criteria used for deciding on the refund amount. Not expecting anything in the way of communications since this has been the sore point throughout the whole experience. Be prepared at any point to lose your trip and much of your money. Trip insurance notwithstanding.
Jan R says
Our group of 22 cruised on Viking August 4 Romantic Danube, Nuremberg to Budapest, and were only told by email the afternoon before our flight that water levels on Danube were low and we ‘may’ have to be bused to Passau to our Viking ship docked there instead. It was so disappointing since we talked so many friends and family into coming. We were bused many hours BACKWARDS to Regensberg and Nuremberg and then found we could not cruise to Budapest either–another long bus ride! Then a long early morning bus ride to Budapest airport for flight home. Our cruise was only two days, and our ports were in ugly industrial areas with so many ships docked there. We all had paid extra for french balconies, but because ships were stacked up by six across, we looked directly into other ships bedrooms, a few inches away! A complete waste of money. We hoped Viking would at least compensate for part of the balcony cost–but they said all they could do is give us 25% off a FUTURE cruise. We were so disappointed, we realize they cant help the low water levels but we could have been notified ahead of time or even an apology from Viking. We called customer service when we returned and lady was actually rude over phone. We have a different opinion of Viking.
Holly says
Paying extra for balconies is always iffy because all ships at some point will be stacked in the docking areas where that balcony will look into another ship. That happens no matter the water levels.
Tore Lindland says
We are leaving Sept 28th for a Viking River Cruise from Basel to Amsterdam and were informed that there are low water levels on the Rhine and that we are starting out on a different ship and will do a ship swap, they said 1 or 2 inches of water could make a difference, I look at it as an adventure and am sure Viking will do everything they can to make the trip enjoyable!!
Deb says
How was the trip? Love your positive attitude!
Roland Noordermeer says
The River Rhine being a perennial river with a catchment of 185,00 sq. km is usually very predictable. The Rhine’s two largest tributaries, The River Moselle and Main have been completely harnessed and in general do not cause much trouble.
Extreme rainfall however in the entire Rhine catchment area over an extended (continuous) period of time could cause some flooding with occasional extremes such as August 2002 and June 2013 when the river cruise industry was disrupted for a few weeks. Flooding in the Rhine catchment mainly takes place during winter and early spring.
The Danube Catchment being 800,000 sq. km is a bit more unpredictable and it is not completely harnessed by man. Plans to construct a number of barrages and accompanying locks have existed for a couple of decades to solve shipping challenges have gone down the drain after several lawsuits from the green parties who recently won.
On average, small parts of the Danube cannot be navigated 60 days a year (mainly in winter months of January and February), this can be easily solved by just waiting behind a bridge during high water or at a ford during low water until you can sail through, sometimes a few hours, sometimes a day and that’s it. Nothing to worry about.
The River Elbe has always been a very challenging river and notorious for low water and the industry has had some interesting challenges, therefore special ships equipped with paddle wheels have been built and are successful.
Due to extreme heat throughout Europe this spring and summer we have had quite some challenges in the RMD Region (Rhine, Main, Danube and their tributaries). unforeseen and worse than the summer of 2003, when we had some challenges as well.
Not a drop of rain throughout the RMD region for several months caused extreme low water on the Danube with not only the usual fords, becoming rather shallow, but also at unusual sections. This has created unexpected situations, thus given some serious headaches to the industry and its customers.
A single ship swap with a one or two day disruption of the program is not a big deal, because on other itineraries a swap is a necessity when changing rivers. Thanks to the Main-Danube-Canal the Rhine and Danube Catchments have been connected since September 1992.
The local water and shipping authorities display actual water levels at different sections and also do forecasts, but these have become rather unreliable, as they continuously have to correct them this year.
Water after rain travels in “waves through” the river and this can be observed when checking the important water level gauges. It is a question of a few hours, sometimes 24 or more that the level is high enough to sail through. The Danube can at times rise/fall 3 or more metres in 24 hours.
Now we have had a lot of rain in the catchment for the past weeks, which saturated the land again and extra rain will now be able to find its way to the river feeding a lot of shallow sections again. Nevertheless if rain doesn’t come the wave is gone again after 72 hours, a rather complicated situation to predict.
The most challenging stretch of the Danube is between Regensburg and Passau where a natural part of the river is only fed by 3 sizeable rivers, The Altmühl joining the Danube as part of the Main-Danube-canal, The Naab, just before the Danube reaches Regensburg and the Isar, just past Deggendorf.
The river was forecasted to be navigable for a few days, last week, but then a correction took place to this week, which is communicated by the authorities last minute…
That’s it for now.
I hope it helps you understand that the industry and all cruise lines are doing their utmost best to properly inform you about the situation on the rivers.
This problem caused by nature is very expensive for the cruise lines as well. Let’s hope we can sing in the rain again, this fall.
Marjory Linford says
Just found this article Roland. We have read many comments from Viking travelers who are finding it very difficult, being bussed instead of cruising. This article is such an interesting explanation of the concept of river levels. As you know, we were on the last ship Jewel to get through the low water and left Amsterdam on 25th June 2018 just managing to scrape through to Budapest. I can understand passengers being upset at their trip being disrupted but the vagrancies of nature run riot with the best laid plans of tour directors. If you go on a river cruise, you have to be aware of the problems which may arise through no fault of the company. This year was exceptional throughout Europe with such dry weather causing havoc not only to the travel industry but with the commercial traffic, whose livelihood depends on the rivers. I hope people who have had their trip disrupted manage to read your article and thus can appreciate the problems that the cruise companies have had to contend with this year.
Liz says
Anybody have any current knowledge of Danube water levels?? We are leaving on our Viking Cruise next week. I’ve called Viking and though somewhat evasive, they say there has been some rain and they do not expect any disruptions at this point. I’m wondering how true this is?!
David Cline says
Liz, I called twice and it was not until I challenged the second Viking person given the reviews I was reading AND posted such on the Viking facebook that they called me. The person was honest and did reflect what I had been reading. I would be very surprised if there are not disruptions. There is a section of the river that the boats CURRENTLY have not been able to go on. They have done some swapping of boats and they have been doing some busing to a port or two. What is not true is to simply say their itinerary is being kept because it leaves out the changes. We are going anyway (Oct. 6 from Nuremberg) and are ready to embrace the change. If I had not received that call I would have been very upset but now I am prepared.
Liz says
Hi David!,
I had the exact same experience! After leaving a message on Facebook, I was contacted by Viking and given very honest and exact information. Just today we talk to someone else that told us, as of right now, things look good for no disruptions. My fingers are crossed!! See you soon!!
David Cline says
got the viking email today listing all the ways our trip could be disrupted. From missed ports to boat swaps and busing. wow they are bad on pr! Their web site says little, the reality is probably a boat swap asnd some busing. going anyway but they risk us using another company in the future due to such behavior.
Todd says
Nice to have been prepared. Emerald did not send me anything but some on our cruise did receive notification. What I don’t understand is the levels of communication and variation in those levels based upon either some unknown criteria, overworked agents, or simple dis/misorgranization. We are at beginning of our tour and trying hard not to be too disappointed, but some preparatory information would have helped ease the initial let down.
Mikecs says
We are meant to be sailing Bucharest to Budapest with Viking on 18th Oct. Viking’s web site is saying everything is OK, but has antbody sailed this section of the Daube recently?
Ellie says
We are still on our Budapest to Amsterdam “cruise”—on a bus from Rudesheim to Amsterdam. We have had numerous bus trips in lieu of sailing, a transfer from one ship to another, parts of cruise cancelled. It appears the Danube isn’t passable after Rudesheim.
Sue says
Rudescheim is on The Rhine ( still equally disappointing )
Maggie says
We just returned from Budapest yesterday. The Danube is extreme low and we did not see any river boats cruising. We were on an Avalon cruise and had to be bused from Vienna to Budapest.
Dave says
Maggie were you on Avalon’s Vista ?
If so did you receive any apology or compensation?
We traveled on Vista and lost half our River cruise travel which was really disappointing but I have only positive comments re the ships crew and staff as they were excellent.
Too bad Management do not treat disappointed passengers with more respect and apologize and also voluntarily extend some form of compensation.
These trips are not cheap and when you add Air fares they are darned Expensive
Dave
James Osekowsky says
Sounds like the government. “One part of me says this, another side of me says that” The worst decision is no decision.
Spektator says
We had a 15-day river cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam that was supposed to leave on August 4, 2018 on Emerald Waterways. Because of the low water levels on the Danube we stayed in the hotel an extra day and then were bussed to Bratislava. We spent three nights on the river boat and were not able to get past Passau. Emerald told us we could not continue from there and gave us the options of flying home, continuing on route by bus, or making our own arrangements. Because of our travel plans we opted to continue by bus. We stayed in three different cities along our original route and then bussed most of the other sites. It was quite a disappointment but I was more displeased with the lack of information and planning exhibited by Emerald. They are promising a partial refund of $175 for the days we weren’t on the boat and a $500 credit on a future cruise.
Dawn says
We have booked a Seine river cruise for Sept. 3-19, 2019, Paris to Normandy w/3nights Venice and 3 nights Rome on Avalon. Does anyone recommend “cancel for any reason” insurance? We’ve been reading a lot about water levels affecting river cruises, and must decide soon which level of insurance to purchase. It’s our first river cruise, and has been on our “bucket list” for years; as many have said in these posts, we aren’t looking for a bus trip. Any insight would be much appreciated!
Jim says
We sailed on Viking from BUD to Nuremberg, theoretically departing on 8/24. Low water levels on Danube forced ships to not pass between BUD and Vienna. Viking put us up in an excellent hotel on the Buda side for the first night instead of the ship. The next morning we proceeded with BUD excursions, then everyone rendezvoused for lunch on a riverboat restaurant, after which we were bussed to the ship approximately halfway to Vienna. Next 3 days were as scheduled. Night before we arrived in Passau an announcement was made that Passau was as far as the ship could proceed. Coaches were provided for shuttles to/from remaining cruise stops. Viking additionally added a day trip to Linz, which was a significantly shorter ride than was Nuremberg. Our post cruise plans prompted us and a bus load of other guests to leave the ship a night early to eliminate some bus travel. Again, Viking put us up in a first class hotel in Nuremberg, arranged for all meals and provided a crew person to stay there also to ensure everyone was well taken care of.
Bottom line observations:
-God controls the rain and there is nothing that Viking or any other ship companies can do to increase the river levels.
-Viking did absolutely everything in their power to ensure guests still could enjoy a memorable Danube cruise. I cannot say enough for the professionalism of Viking River Cruise personnel. Oh, by the way, everything about our cruise, ambiance of the boat, cleanliness of the boat, quality of the dining, housekeeping, staff’s desire to meet everyone’s personnel needs, and finally the Bavarian accordion and guitar combo during the “German food dinner” playing Tina Turner’s Rolling on the River, made our cruise an exceptionally memorable experience.
-We were notified a week or so prior to the cruise about low water levels and the potential impact upon our cruise, along with a commitment to providing a 25% credit for the cost of the cruise that’s could be applied to future river or ocean cruises.
-Upon return home a follow up communication from Viking apologized for the disruption and increased the credit to 50%.
-Suppose we could have explored utulizing our trip insurance to cancel the trip, but glad we didn’t.
Lastly, we want to thank Ralph Grizzle for recommending the Danube to us for our first river cruise and also for recommending Cruise Specialists. They did a great job!
Karen Boblett says
Hi Ralph, in Poland now. As I have told you before and I am now repeating this to your listeners, we got caught in this mess a few years ago. We had another trip down the Elbe from Prague to Potsdam, which was canceled by Nicko Cruises because of low water levels. Instead, they offered us a trip on the Havel and Oder from Potsdam to Stralsrund. If we had refused, they would have mailed us all our money back that we had paid them for the trip. The German government insists that they take out insurance to cover this kind of problem and the problem is solved for the customer. Don’t plan on this with an American company. We decided to go and had a great time. They gave us the identical places on board that we had paid for, met some great people, Americans and Germans.
This year was a hot one in Europe — in the 90s in Europe during the month of July so it was pretty obvious with the lack of rain and high temps, parts of some rivers would be having low water levels.
We did do Crosi-Europe on the same trip I just described to your listeners in August of this year. The weather was a little cooler and there weren’t any water problems north of Berlin and into the Baltic. Another great trip with wonderful food and nice table mates.
Karen
Elsa Nystrom says
We were scheduled to do two cruises with Uniworld. The first was in Bordeaux, plenty of water in the French rivers. The second was scheduled for Aug 19, from Budapest to Bucharest. Two days before end of our first cruise, we got a message from our travel agent that the second cruise, which was to be our last due to my husband’s health issues was cancelled. Had booked a suite on the SS Beatrice, the ship we took on our first cruise. Since we were in France, we eventually took one of the options they offered.
However, first I must say that this is when you rely on your travel agent to fight for you. She did, and we ended up in Provence on the Catherine. There were no suites available, but Uniworld offered us two level 1 cabins. We though this was fair. They also refunded our hotel stay in Budapest, 3 nights.
I never thought the eastern Danube would have low water issues, and I don’t think Uniworld did either as they waited until the last minute to cancel. We are also getting a discount on a future cruise.
This is when your company shows its true colors. Uniworld has always done the right thing by us. We could also have chosen a full refund, but since we were there, we decided to choose an alternative.
It really messed up our flights, but I always get travel insurance. this time my travel agent suggested adding an Allianz flight insurance policy and I am glad I did.
Henrretta says
Put these on the ships Facebook page and demand a refund for the bus part. You did not sign up for a greyhound bus trip. It gets results! I did and it works.
Ricky says
We were scheduled in two days (Sept 23) to pick up the Crystal Bach riverboat in Mainz Germany. Now pick up port has changed to Andernach. Info of changes thereafter are not forthcoming. Does anyone have further info on the Rhine situation, going north?
Linda says
I would also like to know the water levels of Rhine and Misel rivers. Cruising in a week. Thanks!
Olivia says
We are due to travel on the Danube, Budapest to Budapest via Esztergom, Bratislava, Vienna, Melk, Durnstein starting 5th October. Having read some of the horror stories I emailed TA today to ask whether our cruise might be impacted. Was told current cruises were being completed to itinerary and only one cruise had been cancelled on 6th Sept. Can this be true? They didn’t say whether anyone had to change ship or be bussed between destinations to achieve the itinerary, so if there is anyone out there who has completed our cruise on a ship in the last week or so or can give updated info on the water levels I would be grateful.
Arlene Schuetz says
Well, we are supposed to sail Amsterdam to Budapest on 9/22. This is a once in a lifetime for us, my birthday and our 40th Anniversary. We are spending a great deal of money on a suite and air to celebrate. Contacting Viking gave no answer. They had a “volume” of questions. I have no idea what’s going to happen. We leave tomorrow 9/21. It’s wait and see, I guess!
ken says
how did everything end up?? we go next week on Oct 1
Barbara Hearn says
Has anyone taken the Grand Circle cruise down the Rhine recently?
Linda says
I would like to know also. Leaving in two weeks
Kathy says
I’m concerned about my cruise on the Danube from October 1 thru 7, 2018. Based on comments about bussing instead of cruising and the inconvenience of it I’m considering canceling. I have insurance to cancel for any reason and wondering if any of you have information about getting full refund by using it.
Ben Poitevent says
My wife and I are scheduled for Amd to Bp on Oct 12. It is becoming increasingly obvious there will be changed itinerary, ship swaps, bus travel in lieu of cruising, hotel stays, and other disruptions that will very likely spoil our 12 days of cruising. It has also become obvious that Viking is not stepping up and fully informing us and other passengers of the known low water levels, and probable “variations” they know we will be facing. A river cruise that becomes a bus tour is not just a variation, it’s fraud. It’s time for Viking to guarantee a full, uninterrupted cruise, or issue full refunds.
SC says
Totally agree with you. Ours is really not a pleasant experience with several last minutes surprise arrangements. Viking on this business should have known, well prepared and communicate with the clients. Viking’s reputation is damaged.
SC says
Totally agree with you. Ours is really not a pleasant experience with several last minutes surprise arrangements. Viking on this business should have known, well prepared and communicate with the clients. Viking’s reputation is damaged.
Mary says
Any info to share on your cruise? I leave 10/28 and am trying to decide if we should cancel now? Please post any info on busing or ship swapping.. thank you, Mary
Gretchen says
We leave on 10/23. In the same boat. I would rather cancel than have my river cruise trip of a lifetime turn into a bus tour with bag lunches and smelly toilets.
Mary says
Hi Gretchen, Are you on Viking Grand European tour. Bdp to Amsterdam?
gillian quinn says
I Agree . im waiting till Saga offer a refund but i will miss out on my flight to Heathrow from Belfast. but i supose the weather isnt their fault. what a shame.did you cancel
Donn says
We were on the same scheduled cruise. We called office day before flying halfway around the world and demanded specific updated info. We were told 5 of 8 days on motorcoaches and hotels vs 8 days on the ship. We had reserved one of the two suite staterooms at the back of the boat and cancelled the trip. Maybe next year if the river is up.
Steve says
We leave on 10/27 from Nuremberg. Afraid it is turning into a bus tour. NOT GOOD. I’m 6’-5” tall and don’t fit in a bus!!! Has anyone demanded a refund from Viking? I know the contract is solid on there part but this is ridiculous. I wish an attorney would respond.
Diane says
Ours was in early August and Viking were decent from start to finish. Itinerary changes, buses, ship swap and drip feeding of information to keep people fooled all through the cruise. The funny thing was, so many people were so gullible until they realised we would be missing the last 2 stops and being bused to Amsterdam.
Jill says
I have a question for all those who has the bus replacement due to low waters: what did you do about laundry? We are doing the Christmas Rhine cruise soon and are traveling with our young daughter. I loathe spending excessive money on hotel laundry services (we recently had to pay $100 USD at the Four Seasons!) and after reading all these comments, it doesn’t look like onboard laundry will be an option. I want to pack as light as possible in the event we have to truck our luggage back and forth from bus to hotel but in doing so, it means we need to have laundry facilities somewhere, At least once. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Gary says
Tell us what has happened!
Jennings says
I just returned from a cruise from bud to buc, yes the itinerary was changed and we didn’t get to constanta, but the cruise company was accomodating, the shorter cruise was nice and hotel substitutes were great. Hotel rooms are larger than cabins. Grand Circle is to be commended
Jill says
Hi! What did you do about your laundry needs?
Peter says
We were booked on Amsterdam to Budapest leaving on October 30 after contacting on many occasions prior to our departure from Australia they eventually a credit for a future cruise but have failed to cover the loss our flights from Budapest to London and the hotel in Budapest we had other flights and car hire and accomodation which we could not Council
Viking knew of problems as far back July August
Ed says
How about the Rhine? Any recent experiences? Booked in about 2 weeks … Amsterdam to Basel … Thanks!
James says
We did the Rhine & Moselle River Cruise (Avalon) June 23rd to July 5th and the Rivers (especially the Rhine) were rather high. We barely got under a couple of bridges.
Christine Delano says
Hi James… which Rhine and Moselle cruise did you do on Avalon. We are hoping to book a similar trip Jun 2020 for our 50th anniversary. It’s a once in a lifetime for us, and concerned that we could end up on a bus. Can you give a few detains to your trip? Did you enjoy it?
Kate says
Has anyone travelled on a Scenic Rhine cruise recently? We had planned a 15 day cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest departing 17 Sep. I have not been contacted by the company or my agent. Thanks
Janet says
We are booked to cruise Budapest to Amsterdam with Scenic towards the end of September. So far no word from Scenic re possible changes, but I am concerned that we may be on a road trip and not a river cruise.
Ron says
Hello Kate.
Just finished Cruise with Scenic .. finished 3rd September. Changed boats twice . Was bussed two day between boats .. missed the Rhine gorge and other sections. Made most commitments re castles and city visits but had a lot ofbussing and this led to short free time in a lot of places. Scenic staff try hard to keep to itineraries but the river being low caused problems.
The main complaint with all travellers is that the companies have known well in advance that the levels are impassable in some area but do not let you know until you arrive that there may be problems. They extracted a lot of money from customers but are reluctant to cancel even when they know in advance. Compensation is laughable. Great trip if all goes to plan but don’t expect the companies to compensate.
Charles Thorne says
Due to cruise with Viking on 2nd September Budapest to Nuremburg. Contacted Viking several times to voice my dismay at possible coach travel in place of boat. Viking are not willing to discuss and commit possible options and time is now running which I feel is just not good enough as we have paid river cruise price and not a coach tour price.
Betty Maxwell says
Does anyone know what options Crystal Cruises has made through the September 17th cruise on the grand European from Amsterdam to Budapest?
Mike says
We will be cursing the Elbe in Sept. Anyone cruise that river lately?
Ralph Grizzle says
CroisiEurope or Viking?
John landau says
CroisiEurope every time.
donna in mn says
We are leaving for a pre-cruise trip to Prague on 8/29. Viking sent me an email on Friday 8/24. I spoke to my AAA travel agent and she said if we cancel, our insurance won’t pay anything. I agree with everyone else…a bus tour isn’t a river cruise!!!
Harold says
I’m booked along with 4 family with Viking Budapest to Amsterdam Oct 1 2018. One family member is 88. Does anyone know it this trip is still worth it and how many days of cruising is now a bus ride ?
Anne says
Hi Harold, we booked on this cruise also. I have been concerned also. I have been checking the weather each day and there has been some rain. Viking has an update on their web page to say they expect business as usual in a couple of weeks.
Ken says
hi
we are also on the same cruise. There is a web page that indicates water levels for all rivers in Europe. All levels look at this time to be normal. The concern we have is are we getting factual info from Viking or are they waiting until it is too late to notify passengers?? We did not sign up for a bus tour and quite frankly this “bait and switch” is not good business for a reputable company like Viking.
Any updates???
Catherine says
Ken-Have you gotten any updates. We’re on Viking Danube Waltz Cruise on October 14, but we are leaving for pre-cruise on October 9th. Any updates would be appreciated.
ginette says
Catherine..I am a travel agent and just got word today that my client’s Budapest/Passau cruise was cancelled Oct 16 – 23 on Emerald Waterways
Roseanne says
We start our cruise on Sept 1-Nuremberg to Budapest.
I know Viking has no control over water levels, but they do have control over cancelling instead of putting customers through hellish bus trips when they looked forward to the river cruise of a lifetime. I am actually dreading going, but what choice do we have?
Rosemary Maginniss says
We will be on the same trip with you.l Very concerned about what they are actually going to give us.
Roseanne says
We are also very concerned. Don’t know what to expect when we get there. Certainly don’t relish the thought of being bussed! Really puts a damper on preparing for the trip. ?
Ralph Grizzle says
Rosemary, how is your cruise so far? Water levels disrupting, or not? Thanks, Ralph
Charlie says
Rosanne. I am scheduled for the return trip Budapest to Nuremberg the week after your trip. Please let me know what you experience.Not that I can do anything about my trip at this point.
Roseanne says
I will try to keep you posted.
Anthony says
We are going on the same cruise next week with Viking. Please let us know how it is progressing. We would be most appreciative.
Ralph Grizzle says
Roseanne, how is your cruise so far? Water levels disrupting, or not? Thanks, Ralph
Ted says
Booked on the Avalon Budapest to Nuremberg cruise August 10 through 17. Received word that Danube was closed at Budapest and above Passau at about 10pm the night before departing to Budapest. Bused from Budapest to Karamov, cruised to Passau. Bused from Passau to Regensburg and then to Nuremberg. Cruise part was okay. Avalon knew river was closed but waited until very last minute to inform customers. Avalon cannot control the river conditions but should inform customers with sufficient lead time to make reasonable decisions.
Ken MacKenzie says
Had a similar experience with an Avalon cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam (WBA 0907) starting Sep 8th. The first 7 days of the cruise were superb- great cabin, great meals, everything as promised and expected. Then on day 8 we were abruptly told to pack up and abandon ship as the cruise had now become a bus tour because the water level was too low to continue. The problem with this was that Avalon must have known that there was a better than 95% chance of the cruise being abandoned as there had been no rain in the region since April, and several previous cruises had been cancelled or curtailed. They shoud have informed us of this strong possibility BEFORE embarking us in Budapest and given us the opportunity of bailing out at that stage, with a full refund, which we would have taken. Terminating the cruise at Vilshoven, a dot on the map, made it impossible for us to make alternative arrangements, so most of us had to stay with the bus tour.Then followed 7 days of hell- hours spent on buses stuck on the autobahn, accommodated in third-rate hotels, in some cases bare floorboards, minimal furniture (one easy chair in a double bedroom), single beds pushed together which we had to make up ourselves, no tea or coffee faciities) queuing in dining rooms as in a worker’s canteen for almost inedible food, and in four towns given a few Euros and told to make our own lunch arrangements. What a contrast with the sit-down meal service on the ship, with wine with every meal and tea or coffee whenever we wanted it. To compensate for this fiasco, Avalon made the generous offer of a 50% refund for every night we were off the ship, and a 10% discount on any future Avalon cruise we might take in the next 2 years (interesting to know how many of our fellow passengers will take that up!) The moral of this is if anyone is considering a European cruise with Avalon, make sure you enquire BEFORE EMBARKING whether they guarantee the cruise will be completed, and if this is not forthcoming, don’t go, otherwise you could end up doing a third-rate bus tour with one of Avalon’s partners such as Cosmos.
Kitty says
We just got back from a Vantage 15 day river cruise from Mainz to Budapest. We only got to cruise 3 days and got bussed the rest. Not a good experience at all. This was a C – bus trip instead of a A grade river cruise. No word yet on compensation. We boarded the ship and did not move for 3 days then only on the Main canal. No Rhine or Danube at all.
June says
We were due to fly out to Budapest on 17/08/2018 to join our cruise ship,but we were informed the day before it had been cancelled !! The full amount of our holiday was refunded back into our account within a day.Just had to send a request for our prepaid airport car parking.We could go in October but I am not going to risk it !!
Michael Bodell says
June, please share which line you were on. Thanks.
june griffiths says
Hi, we were travelling with Riviera Travel .
K8 says
Our Budapest to Black Sea Riviera cruise 30th August was cancelled less than 24 hours before check in time, by phone call. On a web site re river levels, we have since read that they knew on 22nd August that river was in a very low water state. It would have been better if they had put us on cancellation standby, at that time, but, it was a massive shock. All bags packed ready to go next morning. Compensation received, full refund, but, special 15 day holiday for husbands 70th…..gone, we know they can’t help depth of river, it’s the short notice that’s not good. Keep telling ourselves that our group of 4 are all ok, worse things happen but, very disappointed .
S. says
We were also booked on that same cruise. We were actually on our way to overnight in London when the call came through! With a full refund plus expenses including baggage man and £500 off two shorter river cruises already booked with them, we feel Riviera dealt very fairly and promptly with us. Our concern is – did the fact that our original boat Oscar Wilde which was moved from Budapest to go up river a few days before, then being replaced by Thomas Hardy – the boat which was listed to be used on the September 2nd departure have a bearing on this? Was there a problem finding another boat for the September 2nd departure resulting in our cruise being the sacrificial lamb? Other companies were actually sailing on that stretch at the time of our departure. I accept we will never know!
Rg says
At least you got a full refund and didn’t fly to Budapest
.
K8 says
Hi June, we were due to join ship 30/08/18 Phone call..cancelled less than 24 hours before flight. We were still trying to find out when our refund would be in our accounts nothing in after a week, ridiculous…. two couples… Took over a week, by bank transfer, ridiculous, we were worried they had gone into administration, was over £12,000 for the four of us. It was paid in after a week. They knew a good week before it was cancelled that rivers were low. We needed refund back in bank to rebook a holiday. Low river levels not their fault, but……could have put us on a pre warning…. Thank goodness we were at home, not in a hotel waiting for flight or on Euro train.
Martin says
We sail on Friday 24 August, vilshofen to Budapest, has anyone got up to date info on water levels please?
Jay says
I was on Viking…Budapest to Amsterdam 8-4 to 8-19…
We were on 3 boats and last day in a hotel ?
Ralph Grizzle says
Hi Martin, how was your cruise? Water levels disrupted, or not? Thanks, Ralph
fiona says
anyone have information on disruptions to last weeks romantic Danube cruise
Dave Woodhead says
We have just had our cruise from Budapest to Cologne curtailed just north of Passau and we have been flown home. The Danube between Passau and Regensburg was too shallow for our ship. It was supposed to be a two week cruise and we only cruised for 6 days.
David says
Did you get re-reimbursed, we are scheduled for Amsterdam to Budapest 8/21
Dave Woodhead says
We have been told we will get compensation but we have no idea how much at the moment.
Sandra says
We were on the same Cruise & apparently we will receive 75% refund, Which we feel is Fair,
Dave says
Sandra, was this the Charles Dickens? If so who told you about the 75% compensation?
Riseanne says
Sandra, what cruise line were you on?
Ross says
I am currently on a cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest using the Travelmarvel ships. We have been lucky in that we have been able to swap ships from the Diamond to the Jewel. As there is no water near Nuremberg (not sure of the exact place) we had a 4 hour bus trip to pass the region near here that had in fact no water. Crew have told us this is the fourth time they have had to change ships to continue their cruises.
Some more expensive cruise lines are busing instead of cruising at least half of the way.
All the best, happy cruising not busing.
Ross
Carol B says
We are traveling Viking October 12 leaving from Budapest to Nuremberg and received information that Budapest has closed its port, people are being bused for the whole trip. Has anyone received credits if cruising the river is not possible?
Peter says
Did Viking provide the information? What sources? Anything about the Rhine water levels?
Carol says
Information received from the Facebook page VIKING RIVER & OCEAN CRUISES FRIENDS.
Peter says
Great FB page! Lots of current information. Thanks Carol.
Annmarie says
We are booked Budapest to Amsterdam Sep 14 to Sep 28. We will be in Budapest a few days prior to sailing date. We have tried to get information from Viking about disruption to cruises but no information is being shared. Will try the FB page but would welcome advice as to what we should do. Tripnof a lifetime is not a bus tour!
Juan Cristiani says
I am on the same tour you are and I am seriously considering cancelling. Viking is saying things are getting better but from the reviews even if they know you will end up in a bus tour they are not telling people prior to departure. Please share any information you receive. Thanks [email protected]
Bill Wheater says
We were just cancelled. Crystal Cruise Bud to Amsterdam leaving Aug 16, 2018. Bummer.
Hubbard says
Just got through the same cruise with the aid of a ship change and following buses . Crew excellent but does not make up for a holiday of a life time gone terribly wrong. Surely Scenic new of the low snow melt coming via Switzerland. Money via satisfaction ie the usual component for profit at any cost….
Bill Wheater says
Which line were you on ?
Betty says
Hi Bill did you get notification from Crystal prior to your departure and if so how much t
Lead time did they give you?
Bill Wheater says
We were notified on the 7th for the cruise that was to begin on the 16th. In our case we did our own flight arrangements and were already in Europe when we were notified.
Ben says
I am hearing the water levels are down in some stretches of our Viking cruise Amsterdam to Budapest, October 12, 2018 that may result in a cancellation or changed itinerary. Can you advise?
Darc says
We just did Viking Bud to Ams, arriving in Ams on Aug 5. Had a ship change half way through and only lost the final Saturday to bus trips. Another heat wave on its way, they needed to position their ships along Rhine & Danube so they aren’t all stuck at one end. Hopefully by Oct levels will be much better.
Jane says
I talked to someone at Viking and pressed her for information about river water levels for the past week. She admitted to interruptions due to low water levels. Since we still had a month to go before our cruise we cancelled and got a 50% refund.
Fran Britton says
I sure wish I had known about your website BEFORE our “river cruise” of this month. First half was great; second half was all by bus and I would give it a C- grade!
tim says
Fran,
I am scheduled to sail he danube from Budapest to Amsterdam in a week. which cruise were you on?
was the second part of the cruise all bus and no ship??
Helene says
Have you gone on your cruise yet? We go in two weeks. Are we going to be bused most of the way?
Judy says
My friend went on Viking in August from Passau to Budapest for 6 hrs on the bus and change hotels every day. Awful
R says
Fran, we are scheduled on a Viking cruise beginning Aug 22nd. Were you contacted by your cruise line before the cruise began about the change in plans? And did your cruise line offer any sort of compensation for the second half bus tour? We are trying to decide if we want to cancel at this point…..
PSV says
Just got off Viking Amsterdam to Budapest, more bus trip than river cruise. Changed boats & spent 2 nights in hotel. Viking tried to accommodate however, we paid for a river, not bus, trip. Received email 5 days prior to sail that we might have change. Too late to cancel, and they offered discount of 25% on next cruise, not good enough. PSV
claire says
Oh my!we go on danube from budapest to nuremburg oct 19 so i am wondering just how much notice viking will give us if they have to cancel OR do they spring silly bus tours at the 11th hour just to avoid refunding the tour. It will requre a lot of precipitation to renew parts of Danube.
Todd says
If they are at all like all of the other companies, you won’t hear a word until the last minute… or in our case, never. We go on to the cruise ship and that was the first we heard. We are stuck in Budapest right now and all up and down the river, every company is bussing and hotelling with a few nights spent on the ship, but no cruising. The Danube is really low. If you can get out now, DO IT! I would have a week ago if only I had been alerted.
Diana says
We were scheduled on the Viking Skadi Grand European Budapest to Amsterdam 10/5/18 through 10/20/18. First time cruisers, celebrating our 40th anniversary. We cancelled 10/3/18 (fortunately we had trip insurance but still took a $1,400 hit even with that) and after reading your post, I’m glad we did. The first of August was when we first heard about the low water levels (on a friends Facebook post) and so we called Viking on 8/13 and the rep seriously downplayed the situation. Then when we got the email from Viking two days before our scheduled departure telling us we were likely to be bused, we called and Viking was willing to do absolutely nothing for us. We agonized another day before cancelling. I agree that the water levels are beyond their control but Viking has otherwise handled the situation quite poorly.
Martha says
We are scheduled for the same trip next October and I am getting this early! I wondered if you could share with me what trip insurance you had. I can’t find any language in any of the policies I have looked at so any info would be much appreciated.
Diana says
Our travel agent set it up through http://www.tripmate.com It’s not cheap – $719 per person – but it covered cancel-for-any-reason. Hope that helps!
Ralph Grizzle says
Thank you Diana. We are looking at this company to include in a broader piece about insurance. Appreciate you bringing it to our attention.
Mary says
Hi Todd, I am booked on Viking Grand European departing Budapest 10/28 to Amsterdam – 15 days… called Viking they said it’s raining and ships are cruising. True or False – Are you being bused from city to city or ship swapping? thanks for any input…
Wondering what to do / I did buy trip insurance!
thanks, Mary
Roger says
I am on a cruise right now. The Rhine is at record low levels. Cancel if you can
Todd says
False. No rain anywhere and none in the forecast. No ships were sailing and everyone we met at the airport today indicated the same. They got from Amsterdam to Regensberg and then all busing to Budapest. Lots of disappointment on the rivers this year. Maybe a rain miracle will happen but not looking good.
Todd says
Adding to what I said before, the weather forecast in the Danube river basin has some rain starting next week. Good luck in your decision making. I hope you get better information that will help with your decision making than we got. Companies have been sued successfully for not providing relevant info in a timely manner.
Mary says
Hi todd.. Any further update? Are you being bussed or ship swapping.. Budapest to Passau are ships
cruising? We leave in 10 days…Budapest to Amsterdam ?
Todd says
We left the tour. They were bussing from Budapest to Vienna, two nights in hotel then bus to Regensburg. Ship swap there but still no sailing. Ship as hotel and then bussing to destinations then back to ship. Yuck. That’s why we left.
Mary says
Thank you for the update! WOW what a disappointment!!
Marcy says
We were set to leave tomorrow 10/20 for pre-trip to Prague before sailing on the Viking Danube Waltz. I was aware of the drought situation on the Danube and have been following it. I contacted Costco Travel a few weeks ago for them to check the status with Viking and was advised that “all was well.” We were then notified by Viking on 10/16 that the itinerary was going to be “modified’ with ship swaps / potential hotels / bus trips. After several phone calls to Costco Travel and much online research (including finding this blog!) we opted to cancel. We are fortunate to have ‘cancel for any reason’ trip insurance. Yes we will be out the premium, but it is far worth it rather than having our luxury river cruise that we have planned for the past 2 years turn into a bus / hotel trip and not a cruise at all. On a side note, we hired a private guide for the post-trip in Budapest and she informed me that we made a very “wise decision” to cancel. Her husband drives buses for the cruise companies and they he is having to go past Vienna to pick up passengers to bring back to Budapest!
Todd says
Yes. A wise decision indeed. Good for you. It is a tough choice but you can now plan to cruise another day. I guess the bus companies can be happy this year.
Martha says
Would you mind telling me from what company did you purchase your travel insurance?
Marcy says
Hello Martha. We have the TripMate insurance policy we purchased at the time we booked our trip with Costco / Viking. It doesn’t guarantee we will get our money back, but it will be either that or a voucher for another cruise to be used within a year. We submitted the claim on Friday and are awaiting a response. Was a fairly easy process – mostly done online.
Martha says
We are scheduled for the same trip next October and I am getting nervous already ! I wonder if you could share with me what trip insurance you had. I can’t find any language that would cover this in any of the policies I have looked at so any info would be much appreciated.
Diana says
In my opinion Viking has been horrible about truthfully communicating the situation to customers. I saw another recent post that said a ship hasn’t sailed out of Budapest in 3 months. I’ll bet someone at Viking made a calculated decision that it would be better to downplay the situation rather than be truthful with customers. I see customers of other cruise lines saying they were offered a full refund for a future cruise. Now that would be a cruise line I’d consider for future business.
Paula Donlan says
Our friends are on that cruise now heading south to Budapest and our on their 2nd ship swap in Germany.
Charlene Walker says
Just returned from a 14 day Grand Circle Cruise, (Great Rivers of Europe) Vienna to Amsterdam. We had 2 nights delay and were given accommodations at the Hotel Regina in Vienna with 3 great program directors on the front end with a short bus trip to Regensburg where we boarded the MS Harmony on the 2nd day of schedule. We cruised 10 days to Frankfort visiting the quaint towns along the way as planned. . We had a great local day trip on the Rhine to see the castles in the area of lowest water to navigate. We experienced wonderful service from the ships crew and our 3 very professional program directors. The longest bus trip was from Frankfort to Amsterdam (about 4 Hours). Where we stayed at the Hilton Doubletree in the heart of Amsterdam. Grand Circle really made our trip worth while even with the two low water areas. Take your next River Cruise with Grand Circle. You won’t be disappointed!!!
Charlene Walker
Midway Utah
Steve P says
How was river between Passau GE to Budapest?
Marianna says
Hello I am booked leaving Amsterdam to Budapest Aug 31 Viking I just sent email to Viking about cancelling Did they offer you anything else in compensation
M
Donna says
We just had a nightmare Viking cruise Budapest to Amsterdam. It included sailing on THREE different boats, wasting cruise time on buses to the next boat, horrible flight arrangements to cruise and then not being “in the system” at the airport on the way home. That was both in Amsterdam and Atlanta. If not for some very nice and professional airline employees, we’d still be trying to find our way home. The final straw was receiving an email today from Viking. They say they will give us 50% off our next cruise…. AS IF we would book another. And by the way, we booked this cruise during the half off sale. In other words, they are giving us NOTHING. They keep our $20,000 and we did not get what we paid for.