Rhine water levels 2018 and similar topics

[Dbs944]

2 hours ago, nstarrenburg said:

From the FB page of the person currently doing the Basel to Amsterdam cruise on AMA.

The Cape May ferry can now bill itself as a river cruise.

[gadugger]

6 hours ago, Coli said:

See you there gadugger. Heading to JFK later for our flight to AMS. The mystery tour will be epic! Poor Rhine.

Hi Coli, additional bad news for us. Flight from KC to Detroit cancelled. Not expected to get to Amsterdam till early Sunday.  Save me a doggie bag from Saturday dinner  :) George 

[pully8]

MarkT  Your pictures look lovely and thanks for the updates. . 

[pully8]

58 minutes ago, hbr777 said:

This is truly ridiculous. And all AMA keeps saying on their Facebook page is "We are looking forward to seeing you on board!"  Do they think we are all stupid?

Agree, have to wonder if whoever at AMA is responsible for social media monitoring works remotely? Like in another country and has no idea of where  AMA sends cruisers and is not required to be accurate or informative about events?

Role is simply to respond with pleasant and positive statements? Dissemination of current factual information would be at a higher pay level and probably guided by the legal department? 

[pully8]

1 hour ago, hbr777 said:

This is truly ridiculous. And all AMA keeps saying on their Facebook page is "We are looking forward to seeing you on board!"  Do they think we are all stupid?

nothing like the promotional material used to market the product. 

[peregrino]

29 minutes ago, pully8 said:

Agree, have to wonder if whoever at AMA is responsible for social media monitoring works remotely? Like in another country and has no idea of where  AMA sends cruisers and is not required to be accurate or informative about events?

Role is simply to respond with pleasant and positive statements? Dissemination of current factual information would be at a higher pay level and probably guided by the legal department? 

 

AMA and APT are probably counting on the probability that most passengers leave all planning to their TA, and barely look at their itinerary between booking the cruise and boarding the ship.

 

"The really good thing about not planning, is that complete failure comes as a total surprise, and is not preceded by a period of worry, anxiety and depression!" - Old project managers' saying ;(

[pully8]

Wonder if there is any disclosure of changes when people pick up their documentation?

Some of course receive all via email these days and some TAs work purely on line.

The late dissemination of information is a concern on many levels.  

 

 

 

[CILCIANRQTS]

4 hours ago, squarepi said:

We were notified yesterday that we will not be boarding Viking Mani in Basel, but instead it will be Viking Idi. It appears on the Rhine shiptraffic.net site that the Mani is still around Strassbourg (Strassburg?). So far, so good, at least we are still able to arrive in Basel. I'm going to attempt to attach a photo of the Rhine River Gorge area that shows the log jam of ships...the ship traffic website posts the names of every ship. The black areas are the stacked up ships with name posted over name. Praying for rain.

 

Mani is being repaired due to bent prop. We were put on the Idi one week ago also.

great ship and wonderful staff!

[peregrino]

On 11/14/2018 at 10:35 PM, gadugger said:

"Clayton's choice" A toast to you for exposing me to this phrase from the exotic land of Australia  🙂

 

Hi gadugger!  Exotic indeed... 

 

We are thinking, however, that Australia should be sending a Henley-on-Todd team to the Rhine River:

 

https://www.australia.com/en/events/sports-events/henley-on-todd-regatta.html

 

[G.M.T.]

On 11/15/2018 at 5:36 PM, sjde said:

It looks like no great chance of rain in the forecast .

This is what I received-

 

The water levels on the Danube River are low. However, the MS Johann Strauss (the ship your cruise is on) is able to reach as far as Regensburg, Germany. This town is past Nuremberg to the east.

ALL ships can reach Regensburg from Nuremberg, there are many locks that can control the water levels.

[katz]

13 hours ago, hbr777 said:

This is truly ridiculous. And all AMA keeps saying on their Facebook page is "We are looking forward to seeing you on board!"  Do they think we are all stupid?

Maybe they mean on board the bus.  I posted my unhappiness with AMA (as a first-time customer) on FB last night.  They responded right away with their generic messages, but asked for my sailing date, etc though a PM.  I sent that and they responded in minutes saying that a rep would contact me shortly.  I am assuming this to be on Monday.

 

When a cruise line says they will give credit, does that always mean credit towards another cruise or a refund of actual money?  Right now, I am not keen on another river cruise.

Does AMA give out tote bags like some of the ocean cruise lines?  I am thinking of every way I can to pack lightly, since I am not good at it!!

[peregrino]

On 11/16/2018 at 2:20 AM, notamermaid said:

 

Pretty bad. Even worse when you have to rely to a great extent on the river with your company. Deutsche Welle has just published a short video showing the logistical nightmare. For transporting commodities nothing is as efficient as a ship. 2000 tons of oil fit into one ship,  that equals 40 rail wagons or 80 trucks.

 

Notamermaid, we here are all worried about our cruises, but your posts about the impact on the German economy are part of a much more serious trend.  We could all spare a thought for the many people whose livelihoods are affected by climate change in Europe.

 

Although this is a cruise website, it seems like the financial impact extends beyond the cruise and tourism sectors, to much more of the European economy, since these rivers are part of the freight route for European nations.

[OBX-Cruisers]

On 11/16/2018 at 5:28 AM, notamermaid said:

I am looking out onto a sunny valley this morning. It is already cooler than a couple of days ago and this weather will stay with us now. Winter is coming. Yes, rain and snow next week with both frost and snow even down in the valley. The Rhine gorge hills covered in snow do like nice. Yet, rain would be better. Today and tomorrow will bring no rain to Germany and the outlook for next week is not too good as the overall precipitation is not substantial. At least until Thursday. Will next weekend bring more?

 

Back to today. The first filling station in an area served by the petrol depots along the Rhine has completely closed its business - temporarily - as it has run out petrol. Shortages have not come to our town yet but my neighbour was complaining the other about the price she had to pay for heating oil. We can now all feel the events of the last four months in our wallets. Some groceries are up in price as well. Still, we all have food and if we want to safe heating oil, we can always find ways to: stay in a café, spend a suspiciously long time at the neighbours who heat with gas... or if one is desperate just stay overnight in the office.

 

The river levels this morning: Maxau 327cm, Kaub 45cm, Koblenz 42cm. Kaub is forecast to drop a little further, below 40 is possible.

 

notamermaid

Love your German humor and good attitude..........Will make sure my wife of German heritage reads your comments.  Love to travel with people such as you seem to be

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[notamermaid]

18 hours ago, Coli said:

See you there gadugger. Heading to JFK later for our flight to AMS. The mystery tour will be epic! Poor Rhine.

I hope you have had a pleasant flight and the mistery tour becomes a nice surprise.

 

Today is a busy shopping day for me under a bright Autumn sky. It is nice, but there is always the thought "this is not normal".

How is the poor Rhine doing today? Not too well: Maxau 327cm, Kaub 39cm, Koblenz 43cm.

 

notamermaid

 

[sharkster77]

Just chuckling to myself a bit, as AMA is subjected to the venom normally reserved for the "evil giant" Viking (granted, the venom is warranted).

 

 

Edited November 17, 2018 by sharkster77

[Philandher]

I've been following this thread for a few weeks now as we sail from Basel to Amsterdam on 12th December on Scenic Opal. It would appear that there is a difference in the way various cruise companies are dealing with the issue, my question is, has anybody had any experience of how Scenic have dealt with or are dealing with the problems on their past or current cruises?

Thanks.

[CILCIANRQTS]

1 hour ago, Philandher said:

I've been following this thread for a few weeks now as we sail from Basel to Amsterdam on 12th December on Scenic Opal. It would appear that there is a difference in the way various cruise companies are dealing with the issue, my question is, has anybody had any experience of how Scenic have dealt with or are dealing with the problems on their past or current cruises?

Thanks.

 

See Scenic thread this page.

[kathywin53]

Boarded in Amsterdam on Amaprima,  met  Coli and her mom....nice to connect. Several others from home area on board.  notified at briefing that first 5 days are planned but not the cruise we booked. Told we would be ending in Basel but transport to there could be determined later...? Plane, bus, train.

tomorrow tour Amsterdam then we leave for Utrecht NL. Excursions are being planned for stops but we do not know what they are.

wine specialist on board and will be doing presentations. I suspect there re no vineyards planned but will update if any arise.

[gadugger]

34 minutes ago, kathywin53 said:

Boarded in Amsterdam on Amaprima,  met  Coli and her mom....nice to connect. Several others from home area on board.  notified at briefing that first 5 days are planned but not the cruise we booked. Told we would be ending in Basel but transport to there could be determined later...? Plane, bus, train.

tomorrow tour Amsterdam then we leave for Utrecht NL. Excursions are being planned for stops but we do not know what they are.

wine specialist on board and will be doing presentations. I suspect there re no vineyards planned but will update if any arise.

Supposed to be there. Still in Minneapolis.  Mystery cruise or misery cruise? Hello to Coli. Supposed to get to Amsterdam 10am sun.

 

 

[gadugger]

1 hour ago, gadugger said:

Supposed to be there. Still in Minneapolis.  Mystery cruise or misery cruise? Hello to Coli. Supposed to get to Amsterdam 10am sun.

 

 

Now 10:30. Hope ama transfer is monitoring our flight 

[gadugger]

52 minutes ago, gadugger said:

Now 10:30. Hope ama transfer is monitoring our flight 

Now 11 am. Thanks Delta for taking more than 48 hrs to get from Kansas City to Amsterdam 

[DickieD]

We were booked on a Grand Circle Travel B to A cruise commencing Dec 17 which was cancelled yesterday. We were given two options: (1) a cruise this December on the Seine, which was almost fully booked, and a $500 credit for future cruise or (2) full refund and a $500 future cruise credit. Although disappointed about missing the scheduled Christmas Market Rhine River Cruise I fell GCT was up front and very fair.

 

We have already booked a Panama Canal Holiday Cruise from Fort Lauderdale to San Diego commencing Dec 18 for 16 days. Not as exciting as our original plans, but a good alternative. 

 

We’ll rebook the Rhine Christmas Cruise for 2019.

[sjde]

This is making me very nervous. We are going on Teeming, not Grand Circle, cruise starts on Nov 25, but if that is all the notice they give us,  we will already be over there!

[nickbevoz]

2 hours ago, DickieD said:

We were booked on a Grand Circle Travel B to A cruise commencing Dec 17 which was cancelled yesterday. We were given two options: (1) a cruise this December on the Seine, which was almost fully booked, and a $500 credit for future cruise or (2) full refund and a $500 future cruise credit. Although disappointed about missing the scheduled Christmas Market Rhine River Cruise I fell GCT was up front and very fair.

 

We have already booked a Panama Canal Holiday Cruise from Fort Lauderdale to San Diego commencing Dec 18 for 16 days. Not as exciting as our original plans, but a good alternative. 

 

We’ll rebook the Rhine Christmas Cruise for 2019.

 

In the circumstances a good offer and, importantly, a timely notice period.

[pully8]

Agree a good offer and timely notice period. We have emailed APT and our TA and are waiting. The message is  APT will contact us.

Our cruise is close to Christmas and new year, we chose it for those dates. Given the current situation and reports from people in Europe, the severe drought and record low water levels we have concerns. We are unable to book anything else until we know one way or another how APT are going to manage our booking.