notamermaid

And I think the Main is going to be even better (overall speaking). Sundeck closed for some of the time I should think (depending on what the arrangements are among the busy crew), but I am sure Viking will make the best of that situation. notamermaid

Unvaccinated as an assumption based on age may lead to unnecessary worry. As far as I know the US and some other countries are very big on demanding children over the age of 12 to be fully vaccinated on a river cruise. Also German companies did this until very recently and some will continue to do so during Summer and even possibly for the rest of the year. A look in the small print of Uniworld could do the trick of finding this out. Between the ages of 6 and 12 I am not sure. Needless to say that the more people mingle in an "uncontrolled fashion" the more likely there will be many cases (if there is an original spark, i.e. one person bringing it on board). Hope you can calm down a bit and enjoy the cruise as much as possible (easier said than done, I know). I honestly would have problems myself being at ease in your situation. notamermaid

Sorry to hear that. An unfortunate coincidence with the parade, but the fact that they let you "enjoy" the city where the main draw is the Cathedral when the said edifice is understandably closed is not good. That tour especially on this day should have been arranged differently with the guides. Flexibility is key. I am afraid you have walked in the footsteps of George Lord Byron who in 1815 found it crowded and dirty and made sure to get away as fast as possible to see Bonn and the castles ("the castl'd crag of Drachenfels")... Hope you come back to tell us that dinner was splendid and I hope you can enjoy the sunset and lights from your position at Deutz (and docked with the Viking Gefjon). Tomorrow should be quieter and definitely more scenic for you. notamermaid

It has been twenty years since UNESCO declared the Upper Middle Rhine valley a world heritage site. So before returning to ferries and talking about moated castles, I will be all happy tourism assistant and further promote this section of "my" river with the splendid hill-top castles 🙂. Why is it so special? Here is the educational bit, i.e. what UNESCO says: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1066/ And as the name Rhine Gorge is frequently used for it, let us see what Wikipedia says about it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhine_Gorge Really nice photos already, but I think I should further enhance the experience with a video. Will be back later in the day or tomorrow... notamermaid

It is the beginning of July, so it is time for a recap of what happened at Pfelling gauge: In June the river experienced a few days of proper low water as regards river cruising is concerned, but not officially statistically. That is at the line MNW. We have talked about the 290cm mark in the last two weeks and those days when the level fell below that turned into problem days for the 135m ships. The river has been up and down since then, reacting to major rainfall and then falling back, with the last dip again close to 290cm (the one vada_9 referred to in post #98). After good amounts of rain Pfelling again made it to a good level. Now we see the gauge on the downward trend and if not backed up by rain soon may well see a return to a level below 300cm. Forecast suggests this could happen tomorrow afternoon. I will try and have a look again at this tomorrow lunchtime. notamermaid

That is a lot. If you had asked me I would have guessed 900km. Thank you for taking us along on that journey. The Rhine is definitely the busiest inland waterway in Europe, if you search you will also find the info that it is the busiest in the world. Not sure how that is measured, so will not comment. Anyway, the captain I talked to on a CroisiEurope river cruise ship called it (translated) "a bl**dy motorway". I call it "my" river. Splendid weather today. Hope you have a lovely sunset on the Lower Rhine. I see that the Viking Eistla has just crossed the border. Welcome to Germany! notamermaid

We have a new arrival! The Amadeus Cara has been christened in Cologne: https://travelweekly.co.uk/news/tourism/amadeus-river-cruises-christens-latest-vessel And the ship spotters of Binnenschifferforum have already seen her: https://www.binnenschifferforum.de/showthread.php?98730-Amadeus-Cara-KFGS-02339509&p=442499#post442499 Safe travels to her always. notamermaid

So here is the schedule: http://moselkommission.org/index.php?eID=tx_nawsecuredl&u=0&g=0&t=1656862780&hash=0bbe7a3b3543dd38ad24c0d4f003769feb40492c&file=fileadmin/user_upload/Sperrzeiten und Verkehr/Schleusensperrzeiten_Plan_2021-2035.pdf notamermaid

I see the notice about construction is for the route Koblenz to Trier and it is evening trains that are partly replaced by a shuttle on a stretch that is under construction (I think a tunnel alteration). There are construction works near Mainz which could alter IC trains going to Koblenz but I cannot see that on 30 September, which means I may just not have found it, not sure. I know you want the Rhine valley route, so backtracking is not an option. I cannot get the machine to show just one change. It throws in an "S" (tram) almost every time. Here is a screenshot: I changed the setting to 10 min change time and price is for two passengers. First train is via the right bank of the Rhine, you can see that is says VIA. Which means you go through the tunnel under the Lorelei rather than seeing the Lorelei. Second train is backtracking, so throw this out. Third suggestion actually leaves from Flughafen Regionalbahnhof. First and third both go through Mainz and Koblenz, RB 81 is along the Moselle. Same train, just an hour apart. What shocked me is the ridiculous price difference between suggestion one and three. Also note that the VIA RB10 takes much longer. You may want to go for this one instead: Why it is not possible on that day to go from Frankfurt airport straight to Koblenz and then change to go the Moselle is a mystery to me. Perhaps it works early morning (as you hinted at) and evening, which does not help you of course. notamermaid

Pfelling still on an upward trend, now at 338cm. Nice and makes the outlook for next week better, although the peak will be reached during today. I see that Avalonwaterways uses Deggendorf as a regular embarkation port and Uniworld regularly stops at Deggendorf on a Vienna to Nuremberg itinerary. Interesting. I had not realised that Deggendorf is so popular. By the way, the MS Mozart* was built in the shipyard at Deggendorf. notamermaid *the Crystal in her name is gone

To make it precise: when the beginning or end point or turning point is Vienna or Budapest, i.e. a downstream port. From the upstream end an itinerary from let us Frankfurt on the Main to then Nuremberg or Regensburg is good. You could stretch it to Straubing but I think that town is not really used for embarkation. Avoid Straubing to Vilshofen (see Danube thread for info). The low water problem could be a big issue on the Grand European (Amsterdam to Budapest) when both the Rhine and Danube are low. Rarely happens outside of a six weeks window in Autumn - and even then it is pot luck exactly when and in which year. Having said that: it is now July and we had a few days in June that got me a tad nervous, just a tiny bit. If you are completely unwilling to risk low water problems, choose a 110m ship (99 percent guarantee of no problems) or a river itinerary that is entirely controlled by locks. notamermaid

Important factor about the low water issues on the Danube which are more pronounced than on the Rhine. If that is something that one wants to avoid as much as possible, one should start or end the cruise in Vilshofen, Passau or Engelhartszell. Passau and Engelhartszell are the standard embarkation ports with German lines, and also other European lines have made that move, in more recent years the North American lines have been going for this, away from Nuremberg and Regensburg. But Amawaterways it appears was one of the first to really go for Vilshofen. notamermaid

Yes, one of those "melts your heart" moments. The daughter asks if daddy had made the buoy. He replies yes, together with his employees (says their names). notamermaid

Wow, highly unusual. The link does not appear, but you are fully right about the maintenance being annual and scheduled in advance. Just for info's sake I posted about it in the thread on the Moselle. This is part of my post: quote "This is scheduled always far in advance. River cruise companies for example will have already adjusted their itineraries on the Moselle for next year accordingly as the dates have been published, even online for the general public to see." end quote notamermaid

As of 4 June Arosa as a company does not require proof of vaccination or recovery anymore. But regulations of various countries still need to be adhered to so the Douro still cannot be sailed by those who do not meet the requirements. Here are the details: https://www.arosa-*****/river-cruises/company/current-travel-information.html I am a little surprised they have taken that step now, I expected it later in the year. But from an economic point of view it makes sense to do this sooner rather than later. A test instead of vaccination or recovery would have the same effect of opening up the booking to everyone but with all regulations scrapped in Germany (more or less) the consumer is probably more content with having a completely open and normal river cruise... A couple of weeks ago I saw that another European company (small one that charters ships) had moved to "3G". Cannot remember the name. Question is whether and when international river cruise companies will follow suit. notamermaid

This small country in Europe borders on the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and France, but also has a coastline along the North Sea. Despite the country bordering on the popular river cruising countries there is the somewhat curious fact about Belgium that none of the large and at the same time popular river cruising rivers flow through it. Yet the country is sometimes visited on river cruises that focus on this part of Europe. The Meuse is the longest river that flows through Belgium but of the over 900kms only 183kms are actually in Belgium. And the Meuse is sailed by river cruise ships but nowhere nearly as much as the other rivers we so often talk about. So we need to have a different approach here I think and say: tell us about Belgium! The country, the towns, the excursions from the Netherlands, the waterways that crisscross Belgium and are used by river cruise ships. To start us off with the waterways here is the European map, which you need to enlarge quite a bit to see the waterways of Belgium: https://unece.org/DAM/trans/main/sc3/AGN_map_2018.pdf notamermaid

Here is the thread on the Main river. It runs entirely through Germany from East to West and joins the Rhine opposite the old town of Mainz. The river is navigable for a length of 388km from Bamberg to the mouth as a federal waterway, a few more kilometres can be sailed by small boats. At Bamberg (harbour) barges and river cruise ships divert into the Main Danube Canal leading to the Danube. To continue with more info here is the wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_(river) Like the Moselle, the Main is a river that is rarely sailed by river cruise ships on its own, but is combined in an itinerary with another river or canal, a standard shorter route is for example from Frankfurt to Nuremberg, which is already on the Main Danube Canal. So much from me as a start. Over to you. Tell us about your experience. Further travel tips and info always welcome. notamermaid

Cruisecritic.co.uk ran this story on 11 April: https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/news/3982/ TUI, apart from being a European well-known package tour operator, rang a bell with me as regards river cruising. There was something, in German, let me think... I have found it, TUI Sonata! Digging a bit deeper in my brain and consequently the internet, I re-found this article about the end of river cruising for TUI: https://www.schiffe-und-kreuzfahrten.de/sonstige-reederei/kein-tui-flussgenuss-mehr-aus-fuer-flusskreuzfahrtschiffe-ende-oktober/52455/ The TUI Sonata was one of four ships of TUI Flussgenuss that was an enterprise serving the German river cruising market. Sailings only started in 2011, it ceased operations at the end of the 2014 season. As a company not being a complete newcomer to river cruising as such, this article from the German correspondent with Seatradecruisenews, reads a little differently: http://www.seatrade-*****/news/news-headlines/tui-returns-to-the-rivers-with-three-vessels-for-the-uk-market.html And this is how travelweekly ran the news: https://www.travelweekly.com/River-Cruising/TUI-launching-river-cruises-in-2020 TUI UK will operate these three ships solely for the UK market. The vessels have not been confirmed yet, it will be interesting to learn which ones they have chosen. The WT Sonata mentioned in the article, when it started sailing for TUI, was a new-built, a so-called twincruiser, a design that is a kind of pushboat in that the driving vessel is separate from the passenger vessel, both parts together have a standard length of 135m, the longest allowed on the rivers she operates on. notamermaid

There are rivers and landscapes beyond the standard Rhine, Main, Moselle, Danube, Seine and Rhone, or even the Elbe and the Douro, the last one getting ever more popular. Here is the catch: you cannot see them on a 135m ship. Even the 110m ships might not be small enough. Do not get me wrong, I am not talking of the very expensive barge cruises on the canals in France. I mean other rivers and canals built as trading routes. They criss-cross Europe and give you access to towns and landscapes that you might never have heard about... So, in order to see such places you need to downsize, go for the smaller ships and forget about multiple dining options, swimming pool, sundeck lounge, etc. If you are still interested read on. One example of such a cruise crossing Europe is CroisiEurope's offering: Amsterdam to Berlin! Yes, there is a different way out of Amsterdam, you do not need to go to Cologne. :) The problem: there are very few sailings. But to give you an idea what is possible on smaller ships, here is the itinerary: http://www.croisieurope.co.uk/cruises/amsterdam-berlin-formula-port/port-without-transfer I have given the Neckar and Oder rivers their own threads and mentioned a few companies in those. More info to come. And please ask away... beyond the language divide I might be able to find out something for you. :) notamermaid

The ITB (Internationale Tourismusbörse Berlin) is behind us and one of the topics that has left me contemplating is "overtourism". Even if you are new to the subject the idea is easy to grasp: there are places in the world that are so heavily visited by tourists that the negative side effects are straining the place and the people who live there. On the "negative bucket list" this year is - among others like Venice with 22 million visitors a year :eek: - also a popular river cruise destination: Amsterdam! Those are the places people should not go to this year to give them a rest. Here is an introduction to the topic: http://www.dw.com/en/overtourism-where-will-it-take-us/a-42863355 And this is the situation in Amsterdam: http://www.dw.com/en/overtourism-swamps-amsterdam/a-41746155 Now, river cruising is still a niche product which becomes apparent in the fact that the ITB had no separate section for it but listed the articles and events under cruising on its website. Yet with small places like Rüdesheim on the Rhine having a relatively high number of tourists, overtourism is something that could affect us river cruisers more than we like. I do not mean to be a spoilsport but living on a river and working in the industry has made me sensitive to the subject. Your thought and comments are very much welcome. notamermaid

As the UK-based company moved onto the North American market last year I think it is time that past and future cruisers and all those interested in the company as such were given a "venue" to discuss and share info. You may also post as a present cruiser from a ship, of course. :) Just a few basics. Riviera Travel has been around for some years, offers also land trips and is expanding with its river cruise section. Their latest ships have all been given names of famous novelists and poets of the United Kingdom and this is the latest offering for river cruisers. The Robert Burns, soon to be christened: http://www.travelweekly.com/River-Cruising/Omega-World-Travel-CEO-named-godmother-river-cruise-ship notamermaid P.S.: the photo or rendering of the Robert Burns was taken in front of the Lorelei rock on the Rhine

First of all, where is the river and why do I start a thread on it? The Neckar is a river in Germany for its entire length and is a tributary to the Rhine coming from the South East, i.e. joining the Rhine at Mannheim on the right bank. The Neckar is 362km long and has been an important trading route for centuries - first for food from the large foresty areas and later, since the industrial revolution, for the large factories developing on its banks. This may lead you to think that the Neckar is a dirty canalized river with little appeal - you are right to some degree, but also mistaken. I will come back to that later. The Neckar has some relevance for river cruisers as it is not only a river used by barges but river cruise vessels are also allowed to sail it - up to a length of 105m, the ships that is. Ok, this would mean that you past cruisers on the large ships have not sailed the Neckar, but many of you have at least have seen its banks - at Heidelberg on an excursion from your Rhine cruise! Here is the wikipedia page on the Neckar: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neckar notamermaid

Beyond the standard ports... part 1 I would like to start with a port that some of you have stopped at, some have been to on an excursion and the city is well known: D?sseldorf, the capital of the "Land" of North-Rhine-Westfalia . However, being relatively close to the more alluring Cologne it is not a typical stop for river cruise lines. Comparing it to Cologne one can say that it is younger, somewhat less historically interesting in an all-encompassing sense due to the lack of Roman antiquities, more stylish and vibrant in a fashion sense and with a leaning towards modern art. The harbour area has been refurbished with modern architects having been "let loose" with ideas. ;) D?sseldorf is said to have the "longest bar" in Germany in the old town. The district of Benrath with its baroque palace has an unusal claim to fame: it is a dividing line between German dialects - very important for linguists - called the "Benrather Linie". Here is a short video to give you an idea of what to expect: http://www.dw.com/en/a-checklist-for-d%C3%BCsseldorf/a-36475922 notamermaid

Hello everone, I would like to start this thread on the Moselle, a tributary to the Rhine and a beautiful river to cruise along. Some of you already have, so I would like to invite you all to share your experiences and any tips you might have for future cruisers. I will try to add some facts and trivia and tips of my own. The Moselle has its source in the Vosges mountains in France, forms the border between Luxembourg and Germany and then flows through Germany, meeting the Rhine in Koblenz at the famous Deutsches Eck. In folklore the Rhine is often referred to and depicted as "Father Rhine" and the Moselle as "Mother Moselle". The Moselle is often called "lovely" or "gentle" as opposed to the "wilder and stronger" Rhine. Most cruisers go as far upstream as Trier, for example on the Viking Cities of Light itinerary; there are some companies that turn, i.e. let the passengers disembark, at Remich, a small town further upstream. It is possible to go further into France and barges do so on a regular basis serving the industrial areas of Lorraine, the region in France bordering on Luxembourg and Germany. The Moselle meanders a lot and that explains some of its appeal in my opinion. The towns are not as industrial and large as on the Rhine, making the cruising less spectacular but giving plenty of "small town charm" to travellers' experiences. Trier, of course, is the exception being a large university town and the oldest town in Germany. In the hills overlooking Trier there was a Celtic settlement and the Romans founded the town giving it the name that evolved into present-day Trier. notamermaid

Here is a cruise critic article on the popularity of river cruising among UK travellers: http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=6885 A recent study published by IG River Cruise shows that in 2015, for the first time, North-American travellers outnumbered German travellers on European river cruises. The German news agency dpa issued an article. But more on that later. notamermaid