notamermaid

It is October and time to look back at how the river did at Kaub in September: The month started with low levels but overall was already doing better than in much of August. Compared with the Danube, this low level corresponded with Pfelling in Bavaria being low, but on the Danube the low led to most river cruise ships not being able to pass through the shallows whereas the situation on the Rhine proved difficult for far fewer river cruise ships. With rainy weather coming to Germany the Rhine just like the Danube improved fast. Kaub continued with ups and downs - without having any further impact of note to cruising - till heavy rain set in at the end of the month. While the Rhine was low for most of September for barge cruising, statistically it was not officially low at Kaub from 11 September. The month turned out to be better than we had feared. A dry spell is now causing the levels all along the river from Iffezheim into the Netherlands to fall steadily (gauge at Kaub): But as you can see the downward trend is slowing and indeed the forecast for Friday afternoon is showing 130cm still, with no likelihood of Kaub falling below 100cm before rain should make it rise again. notamermaid

It is October and time to have a look at how the Danube at Pfelling did in September: The month started with really low water, too low for the large river cruise ships. Rainy weather and cooler temperatures set in during the second week which resulted in the necessary rise to bring the river level back to figures that allowed all river cruise ships to sail again. Still keeping close to the RNW line of 290cm it could have been tight easily for sailing but on 16 September rain further upstream all over the basin brought the river up to more comfortable levels. We see the level ebb and fall with every large amount of rainfall into October and the slightly erratic nature is likely to continue. We are now in a dry spell. notamermaid

Yes. That word is still used, perhaps not as much as a decade ago, but then you need that kind of weather to hear it often. Some trees near me are changing colour from one side to the other, meaning golden-orange on one and still green with some orange-brown on the other. A bit odd, I think it must be because they are close to a building on one side. The lime trees are the ones giving the real yesslo-gold not far from me and in the sunshine at the weekend it was quite the sight. The horse chestnut trees are shedding their leaves by the bucket load. I enjoy the rustling of walking fast through them when no one is looking, oooh, I am a child at heart. notamermaid

Don't be sorry as this is a very important point and one I was trying to imply when I said anecdotal. It can only refer to a specific vessel, always. The size of ship and on top of that company operating it are an indication but each vessel has a minimal difference in how it reacts, a different captain, sailing upstream or downstream, at which time of day, etc. and what the crew can do with the ballast tanks. In short: there is no strict line (figure), just a margin, or width of figures, of river level that can give a likely scenario. Brutally speaking: especially in autumn on the Danube expect anything when you book. Pfelling gauge: in the absence of rain it is falling steadily, as one would expect. Now at 332cm. The decline is slowing down and could be reduced to single figures within 24 hours. Right now the forecast suggests 322cm for tomorrow morning and little change on that for Thursday. We have no forecast that looks further into the future. Weather forecast suggests rain on Friday and potentially at the weekend. All in all relatively mild and dry weather with few autumn storms. I think we need to look at Pfelling again on Friday. First, the September summary in a graph. notamermaid

No way will I ever be. Grin. But thanks for the compliment. I do not know, but I have tried to do a recap by looking back through the thread. On 22 August a cruiser said that they had boarded a Viking ship in Komarno as the river was too low in Budapest but later did dock in Budapest when the level rose. The graph that I posted some time later showed that the level was around one meter around that day (21 to 23 August). Note that this is anecdotal and may well not apply to your itinerary and river cruise ship. notamermaid

Interesting steady drop anticipated and not one that I can explain I think. I can say that it is the nature of the river before and at Budapest but that is not really that helpful. If I extrapolate this from what I know about the Rhine I can say that it is a mix of basic run-off, by that I mean what is in the ground water table and reaches the main channel in a steady low amount; the water given by the tributaries, water from the main channel through rain and what comes from the source in Germany, the channel man-made alterations (i.e. straightening and embankments), hills that alter the width of the valley and locks retaining water upstream. As regards the water table, Spring has been too low on rain and in autumn this shows on the Rhine and on the Danube now, as it has done in August already. In that month of course it was made worse by far too little rainfall. A high volume of water will cause a fast rise but in an environment altered by humans it can result in not enough water being retained in the low lands adjacent to the river and a somewhat channelled river letting it flow through too fast. I suspect this partly also applies to the Budapest built-up area. You are right, low temperatures should help in keeping the level up. I think they will do to some extent in that when the levels of the Danube reach a certain low, the baseline flow will keep it from falling further at the same rate as it does now. To know more about this we would then need to have an idea of how much water the locks upstream tend to retain. Since you posted the forecast has moved of course and it now "sees" into the future to 16 October. We can see the line levelling off and I am hopeful that this will continue to be or become what I have described as a sort of baseline under which the river is unlikely to go now. But that is only an assumption from this laywoman as I have indicated above. Fingers crossed we will see rain in Bavaria towards the end of this week and if not, I hope that my thoughts on this are helpful to you. notamermaid

Thank you. Uniworld, interesting. I had not looked at their offers. 2011 is some time ago so I have had a quick look now for 2023. Uniworld describes this as new for 2023 so I expect it is a variation on a previous itinerary: https://www.uniworld.com/us/river-cruise/central-europe/rhine/zurich-and-the-rhine-river-valley/2023-nuremberg-to-zurich/day-to-day This particular itinerary does not do the little trip down to Rüdesheim. Interesting about Uniworld is that they dock in Rastatt on the Rhine which makes this stand out from other offers. Of the Main river villages it includes Volkach. Uniworld offers a longer version which may well be two legs like the half you did, gnome12: https://www.uniworld.com/us/river-cruise/central-europe/rhine/grand-central-europe/2023-basel-to-vienna notamermaid

It is October and time to look back at the river levels in September at Dresden: A rocky start to the month with a worrying drop in the second week. But the higher volume of rain and lower temperatures helped and kept the level pleasant for the rest of the month. Into October we continued to see a level of over 100cm. We now have dryer days but for now the level is still good. 115cm. notamermaid

That is a very good point. In the criticism surrounding the Lumagica lights trail people did not realize that the company uses LED lights which are far "better" than standard bulbs. Electricity used in other ways could present a bigger problem and expense during events in winter. The sun has come out of the mist and is heating up my flat again nicely. The warm days are giving me more energy personally and I am enjoying the autumn colours that are increasing by the day. Onto river levels. All good. Looking very pleasantly around the mean but now getting a bit lower in the absence of rain. No problem for river cruise ships. What were we worried that the river would struggle in September and October! Summary of September coming. notamermaid

To my delight I have read of a few more variations on river cruise itineraries and that includes ports on the Main. Mainly I see a rise in Frankfurt as an embarkation port, to me noticeably over the last three years. But a couple of smaller ports appear in descriptions of itineraries more as well. Now I have had a look at a 2023 itinerary of Avalon Waterways. I am not sure if it is completely new but it is not bookable for 2022. It is called German Grandeur and has as a typical extension Munich: https://www.avalonwaterways.com/river-cruise/german-grandeur-with-2-nights-in-munich-eastbound/WZNE/?season=2023 This is the route Basel to Nuremberg or vice versa. Upper Rhine, Main and Canal is not such a typical route but is offered by a couple of other companies as well. This itinerary sticks out a little as it does not directly go from Mainz to the Main but does a short trip further down the Rhine into the Rhine Gorge which means you can sail much of the castle stretch. Turnaround port is Boppard, a good choice if you do not want to sail all the way down to Koblenz in my opinion. One port struck me as I have not read it in an itinerary before at all - Seligenstadt. I did not even know of that town having a port so I checked. It appears to only have a marina and ferry; I did not read anything of a river cruise port. It turns out that Avalon Waterways only offers an excursion to Seligenstadt from Frankfurt, so no docking in the smaller town. I do not recall ever having been to Seligenstadt so cannot tell you anything about it from my own experience (I may have been there while visiting family nearby as a small child). The other ports are standard offers on the Main. I like the offer of Neuschwanstein Castle on the Munich day. Another North American river cruise company that sails this route is Amawaterways. Also from Basel to Nuremberg, it does not sail into the Rhine Gorge but also does the short "detour" from Mainz. Only it stops at Rüdesheim just before the castle stretch and then turns back. This itinerary called Medieval Treasures goes to two other unusual small ports, Kitzingen and Volkach (a bicycle tour): https://www.amawaterways.com/destination/europe-river-cruises/2023/medieval-treasures Here the extension is Prague. Both offer the excursion to Rothenburg ob der Tauber which is a must in my opinion if you can take coach rides and enjoy Medieval town walls. The two itineraries naturally have a different focus as is reflected in the titles they have been given and I can imagine you may have difficulty deciding between these two itineraries if you want to do this route. Having sailed with neither company I think I would go with the Avalon Waterways one for three reasons. 1. Boppard turn around port (bearing in my that Boppard is really nice but not spectacular - I like it) 2. I would like to see Seligenstadt where I would likely be among only a handful of river cruise tourists 3. Neuschwanstein extension, do not fancy going to Prague, would prefer Munich for return journey. Just my thoughts on these two. A third option is CroisiEurope. The French company sails from their base at Strasbourg all the way to Linz in Austria. You may find another company that takes you on this journey on the Rhine and Main onto the Main Danube Canal and possibly further. notamermaid

Sorry to disappoint you but those concerns exist here. So far I have heard of only one institution/volunteer group saying that light decorations will be reduced. It is early in autumn so I am hoping for the best. Will see how it goes. I cannot imagine major events being cancelled, but not much can surprise me these days. Smaller charity events with local volunteers may find things a struggle but I have not looked into it yet. So far I have not read about cancellations. I am still in autumn events mode so catching up with news and my mind is not in winter yet. If I read anything major I will post it. notamermaid

I am back on track, so hear is a bit of info. The river does what it always does, rise and fall, in the last week in a more or less uneventful way, i.e. no consequences for river cruising. There was a mild accident between a river cruise ship and a barge, but both ships sailed on after quick inspection by police. No names disclosed. People are celebrating harvest; we have had reunification day with celebrations and protests. The lights are still on, the prices are rising and into the happy nature of Rhinelanders is mixed a certain level of nervousness about winter and increased mask wearing. Of the latter I would say a rise from 1 percent to 5 percent. Not much but noticeable. Federweisser young wine is in the shops. Try with caution... The weather is foggy with sunny spells and dry. Further upstream exhibitions in a few museums have a focus on the Upper Rhine valley. Will look into that more. Another river cruise ship hull has made it from Serbia to the Netherlands, it is the "Rheingold". The people on Binnenschifferforum have already spotted the next river cruise ship hull transport on the Danube, it is called "Gentlemen". River level update to follow. notamermaid

A bit more background info: https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/ship-operations/german-start-riverside-luxury-cruises-revives-crystal-mozart notamermaid

Thanks to a friend who happened to have a screen in the cellar that he does not need anymore, I am ready to post again from my own computer. Well, not quite ready as I have to catch up on things and work. Got a nice marbled sky sunset tonight. Foggy mornings and sunny afternoons. Pleasant weather. notamermaid

Andernach - just a tip. I like macarons, the real French stuff. France is a bit far so luckily I have been able to find an alternative on a trip in the Northern part of my state. At the railway line, on the town side, is a café with shop: https://stephany-lifestyle-patisserie.business.site/ The macarons are very tasty, the petit four adorable and the accessories shop will keep the ladies busy for quite a few minutes. Two sisters run it, at least one of them is a Konditormeisterin, I think that is a master confectioner. Expertly hand-made sweet indulgence, they use Valrona chocolate they say. Should you happen to be in town. Of course you can find similar cafés in other touristy towns. I know I am repeating myself, but if you venture a bit further away from the Old Town check out Café Baumann in Koblenz on Löhrstrasse. If you have just come from Strasbourg in France you do not need all those recommendations of course. 🙂 notamermaid

It appears that due to the nature of the river between Vilshofen and Passau, together with the lock and dam, another significant rise at Passau did not happen. The level is now down to 506cm. Pfelling is at 412cm. That means in Germany and quite a few kilometres into Austria the river levels are great for sailing, neither too high nor too low and not in danger of reaching either status soon. Hopefully it is similar further downstream. In the Rhine valley it is sunny and bright with a little wind. I hope all cruisers on the Danube have the same fine weather right now. notamermaid

What lovely colours along the Canal! The acers in town(s) are now changing nicely to orange and reddish brown with green mixed in. Not as beautiful as your scenery in Canada but very pleasing. I enjoy it, also collecting some horse chestnuts from a park. I will use these for a display in my hallway. Have also put some leaves in my office. Lifts my mood at work (have got some problems with the personnel department). Things not looking too bright with me and my neigbourhood. Not wanting to add insult to injury, but on top of that my computer screen needs a spare part so getting this sorted will take at least till Monday. Smartphone also not working as it should. So I am still on "Could I briefly use your computer?" mode with a very obliging dear person. But time is limited and I need to get things done. Busy at work with autumn events. So I will see you when I see you. Enjoy the sunshine and colours wherever you are. notamermaid

According to the trusted folks on Binnenschifferforum this is the ex Prinses Juliana from 1976, a former Dutch river cruise ship. Renovated in 2017 and since then owned and operated as the Riverbär by the hotel owners there in town on the Moselle, she is a hotel, excursion boat and is very rarely used as a river cruise ship on the Rhine and Moselle (my knowledge from reading about the ship last year). Length 95m, width 11m. notamermaid

Yes, North Carolina did better than I had feared. Thanks for reporting. My friend has reported no damage and is fine. I have found a shop that may be able to fix my screen. Will hopefully find out this afternoon. notamermaid

Ocean cruisers coming to the rivers? I think we have seen and heard that in the last year more than before. Uniworld did a survey - okay, with a pinch of salt as always: https://travelweekly.co.uk/news/cruise/a-third-of-ocean-cruise-passengers-would-opt-for-river-sailing-uniworld-finds Great, but there is this slight unease about overcrowding coming with this trend. Not sure how busy the Nile is but on the Rhine, please, other ports! Explore beyond Rüdesheim and Cologne... Being nearly back to the tourism numbers that we saw in 2019, will 2023 be seeing the numbers top those in 2019? Well, first we need to end this year in peace and style. Who knows what will be. notamermaid

Thanks for following along. Still a good five more weeks to go. So much time in which anything can happen on the rivers. Well, as you have read, not so much on the Main. At the moment I would say anything goes, low water, high water. Or completely smooth and uneventful. I will not put my money on any scenario... So you may see Christmas markets in all the ports. Just a note on Sunday of the Dead: depending on where you are on that day, you may find the Christmas market in that town closed during the day. notamermaid

Not too sure about further East but around Passau I would say definitely cool nights with potentially the odd very warm afternoon depending on weather pattern close to the Alps. Mild night frost possible, for morning excursions you may want to have hat, scarf and gloves. Walking shoes for rain are essential. Snow possible in the high hills if winter is early. Much is possible at this time of year and I think it is best to look at a current weather report close to your sailing date. Like accuweather or similar. For the areas past Vienna - over to those with sailing experience in autumn. notamermaid

Thanks for reporting. Yes, that was a tight squeeze. The level rose fast. Sounds like it was a prudent idea to leave Passau behind. The level peaked at 657cm which is a problem zone for some river cruise ships, depending on superstructure of course. It is now down to 593cm but there is a wave coming, Pfelling has risen fast and is now at 534cm, with the high volume of water having reached Vilshofen. We will need to see how that affects Passau during this afternoon which to some extent depends on how much water is retained by the lock and dam at Kachlet. notamermaid

Great video of Loreley sailpast! And what would come along from the other direction - a Viking river cruise ship. Lovely to see photos of Koblenz, confirms that autumn colours are looking promising. Must walk around the gardens near Deutschherrenhaus, very nice. I hope I will have some time for that soon. notamermaid

That is lovely to read. Thank you for reporting. Pfelling gauge peaked on 30 September and has gone down again. At 395cm, things are looking good for this coming week for sailing. The weather is improving with little to no rain and higher temperatures. Could this be a "Golden October" week? Looks somewhat promising but autumn colours may be better next weekend and into next week, it is a little early still for yellow (golden) and orange. notamermaid