Danube blockage

[JVilleGal]

Ditto

[Avalon Waterways]

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

 

 

gentlemancruiser: We can promise we will give you our very best!! Generally, waters have risen and temperatures are cooler. We can only imagine that trend will continue over the next month. We look forward to sailing with you!

[UKBayern]

We live between Regensburg and Passau and there has been a heat wave here for a couple of weeks now. People are really getting fed up with the tropical temperatures.

We passed over the Danube bridges at Straubing and Wörth yesterday, and the river is really really low. We should get rain and lower temperatures after the weekend, but it is going to take a while for the water levels to go back up. The cargo barge is not the biggest problem, they think they will have moved that by tomorrow. We need rain, and a whole of a lot of it.

[Shebely]

My vote is for Avalon Waterways as the best logistical team. I have been reading this forum since the historic flooding on the Danube in June 2013. In my opinion they have not only a Plan B, but probably a Plan C also when things do not go as planned. They are part of the Globus family.

We have sailed with Avalon 4 times - 3 times in Europe and also a great Peru trip (Machu Picchu and Amazon). We leave for our Vietnam/Mekong adventure in 4 weeks.

[gentlemancruiser]

Does anyone know if the cargo ship has been moved? Are the ships moving again?

[jeb_bud]

Scenic Opal tried to get to Passau but turned back to Regensburg

[jeb_bud]

I don't know if it was low water or the grounded ship.

[Hydrokitty]

Holy thread drift Batman! I'm going to repost my previous message in case anyone can answer the questions about the status of the cargo ship. Avalon if you are around, I'd love to hear what's happening.

 

Sorry gentlemancruiser...when things get really frustrating some of us tend to descend into the depths of silliness..here's the latest from UK Reuters:

the 120 meter long "Herzog Tassillo, ran aground late Tuesday night. The ship is fully loaded with iron ore and they were attempting to move it today. This was unsuccessful and they are now removing the iron ore, which could take another day. Approximately 30 ships are being held up on the Danube and it is unclear if the river will be opened immediately upon removing the cargo ship as low water levels have resulted in faster currents on the Isar River causing large amounts of gravel being washed into the Danube and hindering shipping. The gravel is currently being cleared by a dredge. I got this info off the Reuters UK web site. This is of course terrible news.

Edited August 14, 2015 by Hydrokitty

[Host Jazzbeau]

[sorry guys -- now that I know the location of the naked rain dance, it seemed time to clean-up the hijacking of this thread :D]

[JVilleGal]

[sorry guys -- now that I know the location of the naked rain dance, it seemed time to clean-up the hijacking of this thread :D]

 

 

[emoji299]️[emoji6]

[Fairfield Nana]

We got off the Scenic Jasper in Budapest from Passau (should have been from Nuremberg) on Aug 9 and the river was still quite low and expected to drop further. Very hot all the prior week --in the high 90's/low 100's-- and we were told on disembarking that the following week was a bit dicey. No idea if the Jasper or other ships sailed, but when we left Budapest on the 11th, there were a lot of cruise boats in town. We had to bus from Passau to Regensburg and Nuremburg on separate days and all in all had a super time!

[UKBayern]

Thursday afternoon, the cargo ship was towed to Deggendorf. The Danube was opened for ships at 23:00 last night. However, only very limited navigation is possible, and the Danube is generally closed for larger ships, due to the extreme low water levels.

Edited August 14, 2015 by UKBayern

[UKBayern]

Just read on the Bavarian newssite: because of the sandbanks, and the very narrow shipping lane, they are now only allowing alternative traffic: a few hours ships in one direction, a few hours ships in the other direction. No cargo ships, only limited passenger ships which are shallow enough to get through the 1.70 metres deep shipping lane.

[orangebeach8]

We are currently on the Viking Gullveig docked at Passau. Had to take a 3 hour bus ride from Nuremberg to reach the ship. People who wanted to tour Nuremberg had to take another 3 hour trip back today (and of course 3 hours back to the ship later. We will be parked here till at least Sunday night I think...then only 3 days of actually cruising). The ship is very nice...the veranda cabin is fairly roomy for a river boat. However we are wedged between 2 other ships so other than size, it is not usable. Service is fine.

Unfortunately, we are not changing ships midstream as some other Viking ships have been doing and unlike Avalon, we were not given the option of cancelling. True, cruise companies cannot control water conditions, but they do control how they treat their customers. I'd say, stick with Avalon. We've cruised with them twice before.

[Tiggywig]

Got an e-mail from Scenic last night to say our Budapest to Amsterdam cruise on Monday is expected to go according to schedule so fingers crossed. I suspect it will be on Crystal instead of Jewel but they are both the same anyway. Will keep you all informed.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[pully8]

does not sound very good. wedged between 2 ships and bussed for 3 hours each way. hope it improves.