How did low river affect your trip- I cancelled

[DonSherman]

After following posts on this site, tracking ships on the Internet, reading river levels on the Internet and reading cruise critic news reports, I decided to cancel a river cruise on a Uniworld from Budapest to Amsterdam Oct 2. I did this based on reports and that I had cancel for any reason insurance, which offers a voucher good for 2 years. Uniworld claims that their Amsterdam-Budapest, and reverse trips have all gone smoothly - up to Sept 20- when I last called. They use only the SS Maria Theresa, and can't swap ships around low spots.What I read from various posts made me very uneasy. Not all posts have been from very unhappy people, but a low river can mean busses,very altered itineraries, missed ports, and tours of places not so interesting, and poor transport to airports at odd hours. Was I crazy to cancel? What was your experience on a mid September or later cruise that involved traveling on a major portion of a the river between Budapest & Amsterdam?

[stmartins]

We booked the Maria Theresa 14 day Budapest to Amsterdam trip in July and everything was going great until we reached vilshofin Germany. We docked on a Saturday night for what was to be "until the water reach a level for safe passage"...well that never happened.

We were bused to Nuremberg for our tour, 2 hours there and 2 hours back. We didn't get see as much at a leisurely pace but had a great tour guide that was very informative.

When we returned to the ship we were told that the cruise was being cancelled and that we had until the following Thursday to make travel arrangements for the remainder of our vacation. They were very helpful with any problems and provide help with schedules etc. They would get us to Munich airport.

They also refunded 50% of the cruise and gave us 50% towards a future cruise with them..

The service on the ship didn't change. Food was still wonderful. We were given a tour of the Bavarian Forest. The town was a nice place to wild away time..

All was good for us at least...some others well..weren't happy..

Looking forward to doing Amsterdam to Budapest (the reverse) next time but we will anticipated a cancellation and there not being a sister ship for a swap.

It's a beautiful ship and great crew..

Edited September 23, 2015 by stmartins

[capriccio]

In August Uniworld had two ships doing the Amsterdam to Budapest (and vice versa) itinerary. Luckily we picked the 'cheaper' fare on the older River Empress as opposed to the more expensive, brand new Maria Theresa.

 

We received an email from Uniworld and a call from our travel agent as we were passing thru security at Dulles airport on August 3 en route to Budapest for our August 5 departure. I held my breath because I knew that the Maria Theresa cruise for August 9 had been canceled the previous week due to low water. Luckily, since we were on a ship that has lots of sister ships on the Danube routes, we were informed that we would board the River Princess in Budapest, disembark at Melk and (after touring the Abbey and having an complementary lunch at a very nice restaurant) be bused to Regensburg and embark on the River Empress. For our inconvenience we would each receive a $1000 future cruise credit.

 

The bus ride should have taken about 3 hours but ended up taking 5 due to traffic on the autobahn (Sunday afternoon in the summer) and a couple of accidents causing long back-ups. The ships had the same layout and no one had to switch cabins. Almost everyone remarked that we were getting to experience two Uniworld ships for the price of one.

 

We spent two nights in Regensburg and were bused to Passau on the second day. Since that was a longer day than anticipated in the original itinerary, we each receive 20 Euros to pay for our lunch.

 

In our opinion, Uniworld handled it extremely well and I didn't hear any complaints at all. Crews on both ships were fantastic and our cruise director was a marvel. We (a group of 5) already have reservations on the Grand France itinerary next May. We'll get to experience two more ships (intentionally this time): the River Baroness on the Seine and the SS Catherine on the Rhone.

Edited September 24, 2015 by capriccio

[JVilleGal]

We are currently onboard the Avalon Illumination, sailing Amsterdam to Budapest! Other ships have had issues but so far our wonderful captain has sailed us thru the close calls without a scratch! We are expected to arrive Budapest (after yesterday's broken lock) this morning in about another hour! The ship, the Captain and our crew have been wonderful!

[JVilleGal]

On our cruise nothing nothing at all was altered or cancelled! No itinerary has changed and no ship swap. From reports of others apparently we have been lucky. The Captain & CD have both been very open about the low levels and has undated us through out the last 2 weeks. We spend 3 days in Budapest and have loved the trip!

[bubbulz]

We sailed on Uniworld's SS Marie Antoinette at the end of September from Amsterdam to Basel. The only impact the low river levels had on our cruise was that the swimming pool had to be emptied for about 2 days in the middle of the cruise where water was particularly shallow. This allowed the ship to sit higher in the water.

[Dolebludger]

As you may have read from my previous post, our Scenic Amsterdam - Budapest cruise required a 2 1/2 hour bus ride from Nuremberg to Pasau and a change in ships to an identical one, with the identical room. Nothing else changed, and I'm not unhappy at all about this. Scenic had the low water problem in the Danube all figured out in advance, and all was smooth. Others have posted that some other river ships have more shallow drafts than others, and can handle low water. Makes sense. If I had a river cruise booked at this time that involved the Danube, I wouldn't necessary cancel. But I would have some questions for the line for which I would require some specific answers. I wouldn't let it go at "there won't be a problem". I would want to know what the plan would be IF there were a low water problem. I understand the water level in the Danube continues to drop, with no relief in sight. And a couple of weeks ago when I was on this river cruise, I know there were other cruise lines that had no alternative ship at the end of the low water area, and either flew guests home or turned to cruise into a bus/hotel tour. I've been on those, and I'd rather stay home than risk it.

[DonSherman]

Since our cruise is to start Oct 2 on Uniworld from USA-our insurance "cancel for any reason" required that we cancel before flight time. While waiting to decide, we got an offer for a last minute 50% off from actual price, not 50% from so called list- we had to decide the same day on the offer. We will be traveling with my wife's sister and her husband, so we decided to take the new deal on Regent- price includes all shore excursions, all drinks- wine, liquor, tips, etc. So we will be calling Uniworld soon to cancel, and get a voucher good for the next two years. So we may cancel a river cruise that may still do well, but we decided it was not worth the wait and see on Uniworld with the Regent deal we got. I am happy for those who got a good cruise this month (Sept 2015), but empathetic for those who did not. I am now more relaxed. Since we have a choice of a cruise using a voucher in the next two years, is the better time to book the spring or fall? We avoid summer because of the need to avoid summer heat. What causes more difficulty, too high or too low water?

[Dolebludger]

Don,

 

I think that was a good move. I read now that the Danube's low water problem is getting worse. In other words, the portion of that river that is not navigable is becoming longer. And, even if Uniworld had the same forethought Scenic did so they would only bus you for the non-navigable part and put you on an identical ship, it seems to be growing into a bigger problem than we experienced earlier this month. And we don't know how Uniworld would handle the problem. I'm sure you've cruised Regent before (as have we) and you know it is reliably excellent. Enjoy your Regent cruise!

[JVilleGal]

As a happy Regent traveler I probably would have jumped at that deal too....

[sunshine nana]

We have decided to try taking the train from Budapest to Vienna to Nurenburg to Prague and maybe on to Amsterdam and Paris. It seems that the cost would be close to the river cruise and we would have no buses! DH is a train buff and we could go with just a large carryon each. We would have all hotels and trains booked in advance. We would get breakfast at each hotel and would just have a snack for lunch and a nice dinner with wine. We would book our own excursions if necessary in the cities.

As to spring or fall: We were on a WWII bus tour in June of 2013 that included a cruise on the Rhine one day. We were the first boat to be able to go for weeks because of flooding. All in all, after 12 cruises on Princess, Celebrity and even NCL, many in Europe, the river cruises seem expensive and too iffy. We have read of rafting, not being able to see anything from the balcony or window other than another ship. Add that to the high price and we have to laugh at "sailing thru the harrrrrrt" of Europe with not another boat in sight.Does anyone agree? Has anyone done the train trip?

[Dolebludger]

sunshine,

 

The trains in that part of the world are good. The advantages of a river cruise are these. First, you unpack and pack once. On this route, that has become impossible on a river cruise at this time. Second, tours are all arranged for us. This is of benefit only for those of us who don't know what we want to see and do in a given location and where to find private tours there -- and for us it is a big benefit. Third, they relieve us of the problem of finding transportation in strange locations. But if you are familiar with the locations, this would not be a big problem. And finally, language barrier is not a problem on a river cruise. In Holland, Germany, And Austria this shouldn't be a problem, as almost all locals speak English as well as their native language. In some of the other places on your list, it could be unless you are multi-lingual.

[Dolebludger]

Another factor about the expense of river cruising. These cruises may be more expensive than Princess, Celebrity, and NCL. But I don't think they are much more expensive than lines like Regent, Silversea, and Seabourn. River cruises (even the lower level ones) are more inclusive than the first-mentioned mass market ocean cruise lines. Judging from our experience with mass market ocean cruise lines, we simply stopped taking them almost 15 years ago because of "nickel and diming", lines and crowds, and non-existant service. The Scenic river cruise we recently took had a price consistent with the cost of "lux lines"like the second mentioned ocean lines above, which we now take or stay home. And on the Scenic river cruise, rather elaborate tours (shore excursions) were included every day (at times, more than one). Also, on Scenic, all beverages were included, and service was good, just like on an upscale ocean cruise. Two things were inferior to the ocean cruise lines we usually take. The food wasn't as good (but still better than on mass market ocean lines) and the room was smaller. But the elaborate, included tours made up for that.

[caviargal]

We have decided to try taking the train from Budapest to Vienna to Nurenburg to Prague and maybe on to Amsterdam and Paris. It seems that the cost would be close to the river cruise and we would have no buses! DH is a train buff and we could go with just a large carryon each. We would have all hotels and trains booked in advance. We would get breakfast at each hotel and would just have a snack for lunch and a nice dinner with wine. We would book our own excursions if necessary in the cities.

As to spring or fall: We were on a WWII bus tour in June of 2013 that included a cruise on the Rhine one day. We were the first boat to be able to go for weeks because of flooding. All in all, after 12 cruises on Princess, Celebrity and even NCL, many in Europe, the river cruises seem expensive and too iffy. We have read of rafting, not being able to see anything from the balcony or window other than another ship. Add that to the high price and we have to laugh at "sailing thru the harrrrrrt" of Europe with not another boat in sight.Does anyone agree? Has anyone done the train trip?

 

We have done many trips by train around Europe and love that type of travel.

 

I would NEVER take a bus tour (my idea of hell) and would not choose an ocean cruise in Europe personally (unless aboard a small ship that offers extended port times) as the distance from real points of interest, overpriced excursions, masses of people and lack of cultural opportunities do not appeal to me; nor does the mass of people and constant nickel and diming.

 

We have done ten river cruises and enjoyed them all, some more so than others. While there are often other boats docked in the same port, they have 150 passengers rather than 3000 and often are centrally docked. We have experienced both high and low water issues with AMA and neither impacted our trips in a negative way. AMA uses a different design for their boats that prevents many of the issues the other lines experience.

 

DIY train trips are one of our favorite ways to travel in Europe but they have their own challenges. For the five cities you mention, you would need three weeks and between some of those cities, a flight would be the better option.

[DonSherman]

After reading all the responses from those of you who posted, I have learned a lot. I even feel better about dropping Uniworld for Regent- it also included air in the 50% discount-and after regent, we can look forward to Uniworld some time in the next two years. I find cruise critic as a very valuable resource, and it is not the site, but the forum participants that make it great. Even if someone posts something we might feel unreasonable, it all adds to our knowledge. Thank you all for helping to make cruising more enjoyable. I will let you know how our druise with regent goes. Next year we take the entire family, 10 or us- my two sons and their families on Disney next June. Any feedback will be appreciated, but I expect I need to go to the Disney roll call for information.

[Dolebludger]

Don,

 

Just curious, what is your Regent itinerary? (Not that it could be a bad one -- there are no bad ones.) Just wondering if it could be Europe by any chance. You know, most all cities and historical sites in Europe are either located on rivers or located near an ocean or sea. Because when Europe was developed centuries ago, transportation by water was the way to go. While this sub-forum concentrates on locations accessible from rivers, There are a lot of great experiences in Europe to be had from an ocean cruise ship -- if you pick one of the "right lines" -- which you did.

 

Can't say much about Disney, as my kids are nearing retirement themselves. And I just won't take a cruise that charges extra for beverages. It's a personal thing. But there is a Disney sub-forum right here on CC.

[aussiemaid]

We are a party of 12 booked on Viking Prestige scheduled to sail from Budapest to Passau on October 11. We are scheduled to arrive in Budapest late on the first day, and were looking forward to exploring Budapest on the 2d day before the evening departure.

Has anyone experienced arrival in Budapest expecting to depart the following day? Does anyone know how Viking is handling the low water levels and the busing? Will we spend the night in a Budapest hotel? On board the ship? Have not heard from Viking yet, or our travel agent

[Dolebludger]

aussie,

 

I don't know, and I doubt that anybody does. Contact your TA and demand that he/she get an answer from the cruise line. If you have good travel insurance, the response could be grounds for you to cancel and and receive full reimbursement. Viking has been the major offender in the "unreasonable bussing" problem.

[JVilleGal]

Viking is not likely to say a word.... It has rained for 2 days hard in Budapest. Not sure about up River. Have seen Viking passengers on tour in Budapest

[notamermaid]

Hello sunshine nana,

 

We have decided to try taking the train from Budapest to Vienna to Nurenburg to Prague and maybe on to Amsterdam and Paris. It seems that the cost would be close to the river cruise and we would have no buses! DH is a train buff and we could go with just a large carryon each. We would have all hotels and trains booked in advance. We would get breakfast at each hotel and would just have a snack for lunch and a nice dinner with wine. We would book our own excursions if necessary in the cities.

As to spring or fall: We were on a WWII bus tour in June of 2013 that included a cruise on the Rhine one day. We were the first boat to be able to go for weeks because of flooding. All in all, after 12 cruises on Princess, Celebrity and even NCL, many in Europe, the river cruises seem expensive and too iffy. We have read of rafting, not being able to see anything from the balcony or window other than another ship. Add that to the high price and we have to laugh at "sailing thru the harrrrrrt" of Europe with not another boat in sight.Does anyone agree? Has anyone done the train trip?

 

I am a train enthusiast but I would find it challenging to do your trip in a reasonable time. While train travel in Europe is easy to organize carrying luggage around and sometimes over passengers :eek: is not relaxing. I have seen many trains in Europe from the fabulous to the ugly (save the very ugly). Topnotch Thalys to full-of-football-fans regional train. If you splash out on first class it is usually great, but nevertheless you can end up with delays especially on Fridays in Germany. Strikes at short notice, etc.

 

A river looks different from the river than from the river bank. ;) It is a perspective and feel I am glad to be lucky to live close to.

 

Have fun planning what I am sure is - bearing in mind that mishaps are possible - a great train trip.

 

notamermaid

[Mark_T]

We are a party of 12 booked on Viking Prestige scheduled to sail from Budapest to Passau on October 11. We are scheduled to arrive in Budapest late on the first day, and were looking forward to exploring Budapest on the 2d day before the evening departure.

Has anyone experienced arrival in Budapest expecting to depart the following day? Does anyone know how Viking is handling the low water levels and the busing? Will we spend the night in a Budapest hotel? On board the ship? Have not heard from Viking yet, or our travel agent

 

You are two weeks away from your sailing, at this point I wouldn't expect any cruise line to say anything other than that they expect to operate as scheduled.

 

Nobody can predict river levels this far out.

[DonSherman]

To answer the question posed our trip on Regent, it is always a concern to post when you will not be home on a public forum, as you can never be sure who reads it. I will be happy to reply after we return. For now I will count on my 3 pit bulls and live snake collection to keep my home safe!

[Hydrokitty]

To answer the question posed our trip on Regent, it is always a concern to post when you will not be home on a public forum, as you can never be sure who reads it. I will be happy to reply after we return. For now I will count on my 3 pit bulls and live snake collection to keep my home safe!

 

Oh darn....the snake is a definite keepaway!! Guess I'll have to make other plans! :D

[3urop32014]

I have been monitoring all the threads regarding water level and trip is coming up soon. I am aware that I likely will have a ship swap halfway through and may not get into downtown Budapest. I am okay with that as at least we still get to be on the river and staying in Budapest at the end, so being 1 hour out of the city is not a huge impact.

 

To rebook for next year would cost us a lot more IF we could get a room for similar time frame. Looking at the availability there is little room types of the same we booked for without paying at least $1000 more then we paid sticking with Scenic.

 

That would mean booking for 2017 and who knows what the cost will be then.

As well there are 6 of us going and to rebook we would not likely find a time that would work again for all of us.