gentlemancruiser Posted August 10, 2015 #1 Share Posted August 10, 2015 (edited) Below is message from Avalon's FB page. There is currently a cargo ship blocking the Danube around Straubing / Deggendorf. German news reported it over the weekend. There are no longer any ships able to transit this section of the Danube because the water level around Straubing is now at 115 cm or 3ft 7in. Cruise Change Alert – August 10, 2015: Today, we received news from the German River Authorities that a cargo ship remains stuck, blocking a portion of the Danube River (near Deggendorf). The cargo ship will be rescued and removed later this week. Given this situation, we have had to alter the Central European Experience – Westbound (WNR 0811) cruise departure scheduled for this week. While we have put together a new, alternate itinerary for travelers, we are also providing them the option to cancel with a full refund and future cruise credit. We have proactively reached out to our guests and/or travel agents affected by this itinerary alteration. We are also encouraging agents and travelers to contact our team directly at 866.397.6593 or email traveleradvisory@globusfamily.com (our U.S. office hours are Monday through Friday, 6 AM to 6 PM MT and Saturday, 7 AM to 3:30 PM MT). If you are outside the U.S., please contact your local Avalon Waterways’ office for details. Edited August 10, 2015 by gentlemancruiser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gentlemancruiser Posted August 10, 2015 Author #2 Share Posted August 10, 2015 The photo in this article really shows what the situation is like. http://www.sueddeutsche.de/bayern/vilshofen-trockenheit-stoppt-schifffahrt-auf-der-donau-1.2579793 I cannot read German but thanks to Google Translate for this service. Cargo vessels no longer drive, holiday steamers must stop: the Danube between Straubing and Vilshofen is in parts only 1.80 meters deep. The prolonged drought brings the boat trip on the Danube to a virtual standstill . The Danube between Straubing and Vilshofen is in parts only 1.80 meters deep, said Juergen Schillinger from the Waterways and Shipping Office Regensburg on Thursday . Cargo vessels currently started not because they can no longer cross the Danube between Straubing and Vilshofen. The Hotel Marine is increasingly affected , Schillinger said. Partly would passengers between Straubing and Vilshofen transfer to a bus and then continue with a second ship . " We have extreme low tide " , also said Anton Kuhnt of the river police Deggendorf . At Isarmündung in Deggendorf träten ever more apparent gravel banks . An improvement in the situation was not foreseeable. " A storm is not enough there. " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharra13 Posted August 10, 2015 #3 Share Posted August 10, 2015 Thanks for the update. Man, this is not good for my nerves...less than two weeks to go until our trip. I hope we are able to go. :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floridiana Posted August 10, 2015 #4 Share Posted August 10, 2015 Straubing and Deggendorf are between Regensburg and Vilshofen/Passau on the same low water stretch of the river. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floridiana Posted August 10, 2015 #5 Share Posted August 10, 2015 Thanks for the update. Man, this is not good for my nerves...less than two weeks to go until our trip. I hope we are able to go. :( I wouldn't worry, but be prepared for being bussed between Regensburg and Passau. I drove from Deggendorf to Passau on the Autobahn in sight of the Danube when it had plenty of water. Check google maps Germany to see where you will be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharra13 Posted August 10, 2015 #6 Share Posted August 10, 2015 I wouldn't worry, but be prepared for being bussed between Regensburg and Passau. I drove from Deggendorf to Passau on the Autobahn in sight of the Danube when it had plenty of water. Check google maps Germany to see where you will be. Bussing wasn't exactly what I dreamt of when we booked, but I will definitely take a few bus rides over a cancelled trip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisker92 Posted August 11, 2015 #7 Share Posted August 11, 2015 (edited) If you go to Straubing, in the cathedral there is a stained glass window by Durer of Moses. Strangely, ln 2010 we were stuck in Deggendorf because of high water! Edited August 11, 2015 by Talisker92 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gentlemancruiser Posted August 11, 2015 Author #8 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Looking on Vessel Finder there are a lot of ships in Regensburg and Passau. There must be a whole lot of rafting going on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruisingAlong4Now Posted August 11, 2015 #9 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Looking on Vessel Finder there are a lot of ships in Regensburg and Passau. There must be a whole lot of rafting going on! 11 passenger boats in Passau Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gentlemancruiser Posted August 11, 2015 Author #10 Share Posted August 11, 2015 11 passenger boats in Passau A busy place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debordo Posted August 11, 2015 #11 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Praying for rain... we are approx. 40 days away from our first river cruise. Here is hoping for some huge rains! Debordo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbzbear Posted August 11, 2015 #12 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Thanks for the update. Man, this is not good for my We did a river cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam in July and had to be busses from Passau to Nuremberg by bus to continue our cruise nerves...less than two weeks to go until our trip. I hope we are able to go. :( Hi! We are breaking in to this post. We were on a river cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam in middle,of July. Without warning we were informed that we had to stay two nights in Passau , then bussed to Nuremberg to board another ship to continue our cruise. We missed Regengsburg altogether. Right now we just crossed the Danube August 11th Tuesday in Straubing by car and did not see any ships or even small pleasure boats. The Danube had lots of gravel at the edges showing. A sad situation. If I were you I would cancel and book at a future date and totally enjoy the cruise. Sometime end of May or in June. Hope this was helpful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JVilleGal Posted August 11, 2015 #13 Share Posted August 11, 2015 30 days until we board Avalon Illumination in Amsterdam. Getting super concerned! If dancing Naked in the moonlight would help, I'd do it! Trust me not a vision my neighbors would appreciate :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Travelicious Posted August 11, 2015 #14 Share Posted August 11, 2015 I'm due to board AMADolce in Budapest next Tuesday. Is it just the area between Passau and Regensburg that is the problem? I can deal with being bussed to a different ship to continue the journey, but not being bussed around all over the place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Host Jazzbeau Posted August 11, 2015 #15 Share Posted August 11, 2015 There is apparently another blockage in the lower Danube near the town of Zimnicea: http://www.agerpres.ro/english/2015/08/10/danube-river-traffic-jam-monitored-with-sentinel-satellites-20-00-54 [Note that I didn't say "around" Zimnicea, because I don't want another geography lesson ;)] According to wikipedia, Zimnicea is a town in Teleorman county, Romania, a port on the Danube opposite the Bulgarian city of Svishtov. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avalon Waterways Posted August 11, 2015 #16 Share Posted August 11, 2015 (edited) Cruise Change Alert – August 11, 2015: Yesterday, we received news from the German River Authorities that a cargo ship remains stuck, blocking a portion of the Danube River (near Deggendorf). The cargo ship will be rescued and removed later this week. As was previously posted, given this situation, we have had to alter the Central European Experience – Westbound (WNR 0811) cruise departure scheduled for this week. While we have put together a new, alternate itinerary for travelers, we are also providing them the option to cancel with a full refund and future cruise credit. Unfortunately, this situation will delay the Avalon Visionary from arriving to Paris in time for the next cruise departure. As a result, we have also had to make the difficult decision to CANCEL the next cruise aboard the Avalon Visionary: Central European Experience – Eastbound (WRN 0818). A full refund will be provided. We are also happy to discuss and/or arrange alternate travel plans. Another cruise affected by this cargo blockage situation is the Jewels of Central Europe (WBR 0804). Travelers on this cruise have been given the option to disembark their cruise early (for a refund) or fly to Paris (on us) to join a Paris to Normandy’s Landing Beaches itinerary. We have proactively reached out to our guests and/or travel agents affected by these itinerary alterations and cancellations. We are also encouraging agents and travelers to contact our team directly at 866.397.6593 or email traveleradvisory@globusfamily.com (our U.S. office hours are Monday through Friday, 6 AM to 6 PM MT and Saturday, 7 AM to 3:30 PM MT). If you are outside the U.S., please contact your local Avalon Waterways’ office for details. Edited August 11, 2015 by Avalon Waterways Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JVilleGal Posted August 11, 2015 #17 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Thanks for posting, you are sure making This Avalon cruiser feel a bunch better! Just 30 days... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare xpcdoojk Posted August 11, 2015 #18 Share Posted August 11, 2015 My thoughts, when I see these threads are a few things. One it would be really nice if there was a stickie with a map showing the river cruise rivers and the typical cities that they port at. Then we could see exactly where the low points where navigation can't occur. So I looked on the web and I really couldn't find any low detail map with just the ports. Most of the river cruise maps were junk with random names posted no reference to the ports and points on the rivers. The others were way too much detail. Sigh. The second thought is crap that is my cruise 3 months from now Avalon cancelled. jc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avalon Waterways Posted August 11, 2015 #19 Share Posted August 11, 2015 (edited) xpcdoojk and JVilleGal- We're so happy you're sailing with us. xpcdoojk- We can't promise much when it comes to other ships and/or Mother Nature, but we can promise this cargo ship blockage will be clear well before your cruise in a few months. (smile) We very much look forward to welcoming you both aboard! Edited August 11, 2015 by Avalon Waterways Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare xpcdoojk Posted August 12, 2015 #20 Share Posted August 12, 2015 xpcdoojk and JVilleGal-We're so happy you're sailing with us. xpcdoojk- We can't promise much when it comes to other ships and/or Mother Nature, but we can promise this cargo ship blockage will be clear well before your cruise in a few months. (smile) We very much look forward to welcoming you both aboard! No worries... I am a very seasoned traveler, and I am pretty certain it will rain between now and November in Germany.:D On another topic, our cruise director last year on the Avalon luminary from Bucharest to Budapest was Katy (pronounced Kotty ) and her husband were on the ship, do you know her email address? She is very good By the way. jc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hydrokitty Posted August 12, 2015 #21 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Cruise Change Alert – August 11, 2015:Yesterday, we received news from the German River Authorities that a cargo ship remains stuck, blocking a portion of the Danube River (near Deggendorf). The cargo ship will be rescued and removed later this week. As was previously posted, given this situation, we have had to alter the Central European Experience – Westbound (WNR 0811) cruise departure scheduled for this week. While we have put together a new, alternate itinerary for travelers, we are also providing them the option to cancel with a full refund and future cruise credit. Unfortunately, this situation will delay the Avalon Visionary from arriving to Paris in time for the next cruise departure. As a result, we have also had to make the difficult decision to CANCEL the next cruise aboard the Avalon Visionary: Central European Experience – Eastbound (WRN 0818). A full refund will be provided. We are also happy to discuss and/or arrange alternate travel plans. Another cruise affected by this cargo blockage situation is the Jewels of Central Europe (WBR 0804). Travelers on this cruise have been given the option to disembark their cruise early (for a refund) or fly to Paris (on us) to join a Paris to Normandy’s Landing Beaches itinerary. We have proactively reached out to our guests and/or travel agents affected by these itinerary alterations and cancellations. We are also encouraging agents and travelers to contact our team directly at 866.397.6593 or email traveleradvisory@globusfamily.com (our U.S. office hours are Monday through Friday, 6 AM to 6 PM MT and Saturday, 7 AM to 3:30 PM MT). If you are outside the U.S., please contact your local Avalon Waterways’ office for details. Now that's customer service....I've never cruised with Avalon, but this makes me want to learn more about Avalon. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare xpcdoojk Posted August 12, 2015 #22 Share Posted August 12, 2015 We have one Avalon under our belt and one booked in November. We have sailed RCI, Carnival, Celebrity, Princess and HAL. I was not sure what to expect, but they did a very nice job. The captain looked like I wouldn't have picked him to be a captain, and everything was a little less professional than the big ocean liners, but that said, I felt Avalon was super solid. Our cruise director was very very good. The guides, I felt were the best possible. (This after many awful guides on ocean ships, so much so that I quit doing ships tours 15 years ago). I felt like the guides were absolutely the best available on the itinerary. I can't really imagine better. The ship we were on was an older ship but still very nice. Food was good, not awesome the local wines were never awesome, but never bad. Eastern Europe has lots of drinkable wines. Said by someone who finished off an Owen Roe Sinister Hand blend tonight with a 3 day sous vide pulled pork... I imagined when I booked the river cruise 2 years ago, that Avalon was sort of the RCI of river cruises. Not the super highend but the solid middle representing a value, and that is what we found. jc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gentlemancruiser Posted August 12, 2015 Author #23 Share Posted August 12, 2015 xpcdoojk and JVilleGal-We're so happy you're sailing with us. xpcdoojk- We can't promise much when it comes to other ships and/or Mother Nature, but we can promise this cargo ship blockage will be clear well before your cruise in a few months. (smile) We very much look forward to welcoming you both aboard! Thanks Avalon! Now can you promise me a great time on the Avalon Vista WBA908. I'm getting very nervous about a ship swap or cancellation. Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gentlemancruiser Posted August 12, 2015 Author #24 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Now that's customer service....I've never cruised with Avalon, but this makesme want to learn more about Avalon. :D We used them last year for another Danube cruise on the Impression, which was interrupted because of a broken lock. It was a hassle and I didn't enjoy the bus trip, however Avalon did a lot during the bus trip to make the best of a bad situation. In the end Avalon really took care of us which is why we are trying again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare YoungDubFan Posted August 12, 2015 #25 Share Posted August 12, 2015 I have taken one Avalon trip, have another booked for next year and am leaving on a Globus tour to Turkey (sister company of Avalon) in three weeks. I have always been very impressed with how quickly and publicly Avalon posts information about affected cruising and their plans to deal with it. They seem to be very proactive and really put their customers first. Viking River Cruising could learn quite a bit from Avalon about customer relations and communication. During all of the issues over the past few years with high water and low water, there have been very few complaints about how Avalon has handled the problems. Kudos to Avalon for keeping track on these boards and promptly addressing issues and posting updates. I'm really looking forward to my Paris to Normandy trip next year. Kelly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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