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From where did you take train? How long was train trip and did anyone help with luggage?

Thanks!!

We flew in/out of Budapest. We took Railjet, booked specific train time & booked first class. It was 2.5 hours from Budapest to Vienna. It was a very nice trip. We left from Keleti train station & had help with our luggage. However, when getting off the train in Vienna we had to do it ourselves. We then took a cab to our hotel.

I am on Crystal Mozart (Sep 10-20) & we will NOT be going to Budapest. The situation isn’t good & no rain in the Budapest region is forecast for the next 10 days. We will be bused to Budapest from either Bratislava or Vienna. Depends on water conditions in Bratislava. Will know tomorrow.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the cruise overall and that the short time you’ll spend in Budapest will be fun. Taking a train there is a much better option then a bus!

 

We are new to cruising - how do we locate where the boat is docked in Vienna?

 

Your updates have been wonderful. Thank you and safe flight home from Budapest.

Taxi driver will know where pier is & it was a breeze. They took us directly to the Crystal dock. Check in was quick & efficient.

We have enjoyed the cruise & the scenery is beautiful. It’s been a lot of fun & Crystal is top notch! They are handling the situation with professionalism in spite of the difficulties. It is disappointing for the passengers & difficult for the employees. We have decided to proceed to Budapest via bus. We voted & since it is my husband’s birthday trip we are going to see Budapest!!!! Bus travel to Budapest is a problem many people would love to have. We are indeed fortunate. Still not sure if we will be bused from Bratislava or Vienna. Water level in Bratislava may be challenging. To be continued...

How disappointing but as you say it is what it is. I am sure the situation will not change for our cruise. I have been looking at the long range forecast and it appears the temperatures are still unusually high and there is no rain in the forecast.

 

Thanks for advising what options were given - if we get the same, we will opt for a return trip to Vienna as we really do not like buses. It just means a trip to Budapest at a future date.

 

I hope you enjoy the rest of your trip - which option will you take? If you choose the bus to Budapest can you post about the experience?

 

My husband and I really appreciate all the updates you have provided.

You are very welcome. We are leaning towards staying on the ship & going back to Vienna. Less hassle, more relaxing & no extra packing involved. 7 hours on a bus does not thrill us either. We are flying out of Budapest & will be spending a night there at the end of the trip anyway. We already have train tickets from Vienna to Budapest. We will plan a trip to Budapest at a later date as well.

Just keep in mind the bus ride from Vienna to Budapest or vice versa is 3.5 hours one way depending on traffic and with a short pit stop half way. Your Plan A involves 7 hours on the bus which is too much. Plan B maybe the better alternative--less tiring for the passengers. The bottom line is there's really no good solution to resolving this low water situation.

Yes, they provided full disclosure. That is why Plan A is the least desirable to us. I would prefer to spend my time on the ship sailing back to Vienna. No packing involved. We will get final plan at 2:30 today.

Update on Sept 10 - 20 Mozart sailing. Good news/bad news. We will sail tomorrow to Bratislava & do scheduled Shore excursions. Bad news is we will not sail to Budapest. Several choices - Plan A - go by bus to Budapest & stay one night in hotel & bus back to Vienna OR Plan B - skip Budapest, cruise back to Vienna & have an extra night on ship in Vienna. The water level is not looking good for the next 6/8 days at this time. The rain in Linz today didn’t help the area going into/out of Budapest. We will have final revised shore excursions & travel plans tomorrow at 2:30. There are 120 ships in the same situation on the river right now. It is a logistical nightmare for the cruise lines. You just can’t fight Mother Nature. Hope that the cruise on Sept 20 doesn’t have to deal with this but it is what it is & we have to go with the flow.

Update on Crystal Mozart - currently in Linz. Forecast is showing rain tomorrow for the Austrian Danube region. The Captain would like to make the decision tomorrow evening whether conditions will allow us to proceed to Budapest. We will be sailing to Passau this evening. So....we wait & continue to pray for rain.

Yes I will be happy to update. Last night “meet the officers” get together the Captain said when we get to Linz there will be “decisions made”. I take that to mean that the water level could be an issue going forward. He wouldn’t elaborate. I’m hoping it doesn’t end in a bus tour.

Failed to mention this cruise is round trip in/out of Vienna on the Danube.

I am currently on board Crystal Mozart for the Sep 10- 20 sailing. We have been told they are able to sail the posted itinerary. I will gladly update as we go along. I too was wondering the status prior to leaving.

You could at least give credits for the passeges that you quoted.:beer-toast:

I tried but I couldn't forward/share from one board to another one. I'm sorry it wasn't intentional.

Two posts from early this a.m. on another board. Looks like things may be improving.

"We have had 12 hours of continuous heavy rain in and around Passau and along the Danube and more forecast for the next two days at least.

Yesterday, at the beer festival we were at, it rained so hard that water started to flow under under the beer tent, people were amazed when their sandaled feet became waterlogged. Walking home with squelching sandles was fun after some really good beers.

This morning the ex-lawn (now only grass and weeds) looked more green that brown."

=================

"Sailing along on the S.S. Beatrice up the Danube. We passed the Iron Gate this afternoon. Captain expecting no problems as we head to Budapest. We haven’t seen any rain yet, but welcome all that Germany can put into the river.

Up from Bucharest, on Wednesday, we had as little as 25 cm clearance between our hull and the river bed!"

River levels are rising. I have a feeling that the end is nigh.

Mother nature can be real fickle at times. Hot weather and limited rain along the Danube. Just one year ago me, my family and friends watched in horror as Mother Nature dropped 51 inches (or 1300mm) of rain on our town. Too much in one place, not enough in another.

 

Our cruise starts saturday, we leave for Europe in 36 hours. About a week ago one of our group members (we are a large group) asked if anyone was ready to go even if the cruise was cancelled. At least 8 of us said yes. So we have packed bags and provisions that will work if we are ship based or land based moving between cities either with the cruise or on our own. Europe is a wonderful place with a lot to see and do. Planes, trains and other means of transport are readily available. While I would like to take my first river cruise on the Danube, our group is ready to come, vacation, have fun and not worry about those things we can't control and focus on those that we can, and make the most of our time there.

 

I am sure this is highly stressful for the ship crews and even more so for the office based staff trying to coordinate everything. My prayers go out to you that Mother Nature finds a way to smile on you and drop a bit of rain on central Europe. Several have commented or hinted at the ruination of a trip of a lifetime - the trip of a lifetime is what you make of your vacation, not what others make for you. So go, pack an extra suitcase of patience and adventure, and ENJOY!!

What an excellent attitude! I will remember this whenever I feel the slightest bit of frustration. Thanks for taking the time to write this.

We too are scheduled on Crystal Mozart Sept. 10. I am so glad to find this Crystal board also. This will be our first river cruise & first time sailing on Crystal. We are so looking forward to it. I hope the weather patterns change soon for people & the passengers hoping to sail in the near future.

Hi all,

 

We are scheduled to be on the Mozart September 10. Like everybody, we are watching the situation very closely. We have been reading the various low-water threads, which include some comments from passengers currently on the Mozart and other Crystal vessels - regarding cancelled ports.

 

Given the number of low-water discussions it is hard to figure which one may have info on the Mozart. We thought maybe starting a Crystal low-water board would help focus the discussion to Crystal passengers.

 

That said, our interest obviously is the Mozart. Any and all current insight into how the situation is being handled would be greatly appreciated.

 

Obviously, significant rain in the next few weeks could change this. Or so we hope!

 

We will pay it forward once we travel, assuming the trip is still on by the time we get there! A lot can happen over the course of several weeks.

 

Thanks,

Herb