Low Water Levels Affecting Danube, Rhine River Cruises

[bebtwice]

Yes, frustrating that Vantage has not provided any info, even an email stating the current situation. There certainly can be passengers that are not aware of the low water levels and that the cruise may be canceled.  There must be others who are leaving before Thursday (our departure date) as they do pre-cruise tours or just have farther to fly than from the US. The way things are looking, the closest thing I may get to a cruise next week is one down the TN River! LOL

 

I too am interested in what the options may be if Vantage cancels. Doubt they will want to do refunds. I wouldn't mind re-booking if it's an even swap - same cabin class, airfare, etc. for a different tour next year. We would have to go earlier as we already have plans for a Fall 2019 trip. As Donna said, prices for the same tour next year have increased, as will undoubtedly the airfares so we could be out additional money.  If it's a credit for future travel,  well we'll have to see what works.

[Mark_T]

2 hours ago, ural guy said:

The boat is still in Amsterdam.

 

Vantage still can't/won't give an answer that the cruise is canceled.  I don't know why, it isn't like the small bit of rain they've had is going to change anything in the next few days.

 

Just a thought, but if there is some sign of conditions improving, I presume with the addition of a short cheap flight between Basel and Amsterdam, they could simply reverse the itinerary?

 

That would also add a few days before the ship has to travel through the Rhine Gorge giving even more time for things to improve...

 

 

[DonnaMW]

I think I have pretty well given up hope.  Last cruise cancelled and if they all or some rebooked,  the price will rise.  I went with Vantage for solo cabins. Well next year already 

WAITlisted most dates.  

I emailed again to ship Friday. But this time no reply.  Not a good sign.  

 

I understand and that they have no control but like someone said there are people out there that have no idea of what is brewing unfortunately. 

[bebtwice]

I had had a similar thought about them reversing the itinerary but not sure how they would handle that. Means getting people to AMS and out of BAS. These either means additional flights or changing the international legs. We've booked our airfare thru Vantage so that would be their responsibility but might be a different story for all those we booked independently as to who would pay for the changes or the additional short flights. If we were to get "stuck" a few days in a port I would prefer it be Basel, as I have previously spent a week in AMS and the surrounding area, but of course would deal with it if necessary.

[bebtwice]

Donna, do you mean the cruise that was supposed to start last Friday (10/26/18) was cancelled? If so that would make 2 cruises in a row if I'm reading these posts correctly. That doesn't bode well for this week's.

[DonnaMW]

 

On ‎10‎/‎18‎/‎2018 at 12:55 PM, cruiser747 said:

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but, we were to leave today on the Vantage Voyager out of Amsterdam to Basel on a 14 night cruise. Vantage called us yesterday and said it had to be canceled due to the low water level. It was less than 24 hours before we were supposed to leave. Keep an eye on the weather. It will take a lot of rain to bring the level back up. We are extremely disappointed but what can we do but reschedule. Next fall was our only option to rebook.

this is the cruise before us like Oct 18   14 days ams to Basel  but cancelled and that is why the ship is still in Amsterdam. 

Yes agree both air going and getting back would have to be changed.  Sounds too much   I still think since the ship is to go from Amsterdam to Budapest (changing Destinations)   I Believe its just going to stay in Amsterdam and do the Nov 16 cruise and skip us. 

Sorry for having such a bad attitude about this it just seems financially better for Vantage. 

 

Time will tell

[Mark_T]

I suspect in the end it will be the water levels and logistics that make it less likely rather than just cost, as compared to complete cancellation I doubt the cost of the flights would be that bad, but it would be a huge logistical problem and would of course impact on the next cruise as well.

 

Whatever happens though, absent, a lot more rain than expected it would be a very marginal call to begin heading towards the Rhine Gorge in 5 days time...

 

It is one of the downsides of operating a 14 day one way cruise with only a single ship.

Edited October 28, 2018 by Mark_T

[ural guy]

8 minutes ago, Mark_T said:

I suspect in the end it will be the water levels and logistics that make it less likely rather than just cost, as compared to complete cancellation I doubt the cost of the flights would be that bad, but it would be a huge logistical problem and would of course impact on the next cruise as well.

 

Whatever happens though, absent, a lot more rain than expected it would be a very marginal call to begin heading towards the Rhine Gorge in 5 days time...

Mark-  The cruise after ours (16 Nov) is supposed to sail Ams-Bud, where they then start Christmas market sailings.

 

If they reverse they 2 Nov sailing, then the ship is in the wrong location for the rest of cruising season.

 

Unless Vantage is thinking they can piece together something where we sail on the Mosel more than planned, and round trip it from Amsterdam, plus adding more Netherlands stops, I don't see where this is about anything other than money.  

 

No possibilities of ship swaps, unless they can lease one quickly.  Vantage doesn't have the fleet that Viking and some other lines do.

 

They can't provide anything like what we signed up for. 

Edited October 28, 2018 by ural guy

[bebtwice]

Donna, wasn't thinking and was basing the dates on a  one-week cruise rather than it being two weeks, so yes the departure before us would have been 10/18. Agree with Mark that I think the logistics of having to change people's flights and/book additional flights plus dealing with possible buses and hotel stays (since no ship swap is an option) would make it just easier for Vantage to cancel. Keeping my fingers crossed if it is going to be canceled that we get notified before Wednesday.

[millebe]

5 hours ago, Blizzard56 said:

another

We are on the Uniworld Nov 2nd 13 night cruise from Amsterdam to Basel on the River Queen.  We are leaving the US on Thursday Nov. 1 so hoping for some type of communication from Uniworld prior to departing.  Much like what others have said about their planned trips, Uniworld is not responding and there are no options to swap boats with this cruise line either.  I was hoping this cruise would be cancelled but after reading this message board, it does not sound like that will happen.  Marinetraffic.com shows the River Queen close to Amsterdam so I guess we will go as far as we can on the Rhine then bus/hotel the rest of the way.  Not the way we wanted to spend our vacation.  Based on the lack of honest communication from this company, this will be our 3rd and last river cruise with Uniworld.

[bebtwice]

I can understand the cruise companies wanting to wait till the latest time possible to cancel, but people, especially those who booked their own airfare, need time to make alternate arrangements. We have commitments at home that we have made arrangements for and we have to change again if we are not going.

[notamermaid]

millebe,

as you have mentioned on the Rhine thread, the River Queen is a 110m ship, so there is a slight chance she can sail sooner than the 135m ships. What difference in centimetres that could be I do not know. Her being in the right place sounds encouraging. I do understand that you would prefer to hear from them again before you depart your home country. With water levels slightly improving they might just be waiting. But perhaps you prefer to contact them again. By Tuesday morning the situation on the Rhine will have changed enough to get a clearer picture for the cruises starting Thursday and the weekend.

You will not be at the Rhine gorge before the 7th of November, much can happen before then.

 

Hope all goes well.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[DaveinCharlotte]

Re Vantage River Voyager:  Wouldn't another possibility be that Vantage concocts a bus-based itinerary from Basel to someplace above the Rhine Gorge (e.g., Koblenz) then continues the other 2/3 of your itinerary as planned?  (If this were possible, though, I wonder why they wouldn't have done that in reverse for the 10/18/2018 cruise.)  cruiser747 said refunds were offered for the cancelled cruise, and I'm hoping that will be true for ours too (the Nov 16 cruise). 

[pwp1]

Just returned from Viking Budapest to Amsterdam, Oct 6 sailing.  Still collecting my thoughts about all the detours, but we changes ships 3 times. 

 

Started with the ship not able to get into Budapest, so we were bussed to ship & back into Budapest.  Did Rhine gorge in a smaller boat (pic attached of exposed river bed at Lorelei curve)

 

Outlying tours were cancelled, never got to Koblenz. Bussing cut into our time in towns & cities.  Locals were vocal about the historic low water levels in the rivers.  Viking kept us updated every evening.  The last few days, there were hints that we would be surprised when we got home.....

 

2 days after the trip ended, a voucher was received for 50% of cost of the trip & towards another Viking trip. They did a very honorable thing to preserve their reputation.

 

IMHO, Viking did the best they could to deal with unpredictable events.  

 

Wishing future river Cruisers good luck with their planned trips.

 

 

[Mark_T]

Viking have definitely stepped up their game when it comes to handling low/high water situations over the last couple of years.

 

 

[Blizzard56]

1 hour ago, millebe said:

We are on the Uniworld Nov 2nd 13 night cruise from Amsterdam to Basel on the River Queen.  We are leaving the US on Thursday Nov. 1 so hoping for some type of communication from Uniworld prior to departing.  Much like what others have said about their planned trips, Uniworld is not responding and there are no options to swap boats with this cruise line either.  I was hoping this cruise would be cancelled but after reading this message board, it does not sound like that will happen.  Marinetraffic.com shows the River Queen close to Amsterdam so I guess we will go as far as we can on the Rhine then bus/hotel the rest of the way.  Not the way we wanted to spend our vacation.  Based on the lack of honest communication from this company, this will be our 3rd and last river cruise with Uniworld.

 

[Blizzard56]

The best suggestion I have is to have a back up plan in case your cruise is cancelled.  We used a website that another traveler suggested. mydaytrip.com   They were very accommodating and hopefully can get you from one city to the next without any problem.  We used them to get us from Vienna to Prague and it worked out great.  We didn't have to lug luggage to the train or airport.  They came, on time, to our hotel and put the luggage in the van and off we went.  

[ural guy]

1 hour ago, DaveinCharlotte said:

Re Vantage River Voyager:  Wouldn't another possibility be that Vantage concocts a bus-based itinerary from Basel to someplace above the Rhine Gorge (e.g., Koblenz) then continues the other 2/3 of your itinerary as planned?  (If this were possible, though, I wonder why they wouldn't have done that in reverse for the 10/18/2018 cruise.)  cruiser747 said refunds were offered for the cancelled cruise, and I'm hoping that will be true for ours too (the Nov 16 cruise). 

They could.  Nothing I'm interested in.  Looks like you'd miss half the time aboard the boat.  

 

And corporate has never hinted at anything like that.  The message that they have been consistent with is that the cruise will go on according to schedule.  

[bebtwice]

Also not interested in spending most of the 2 weeks on buses and having to keep packing & unpacking frequently. Being able to just unpack once is part of the appeal of a river cruise versus a land tour. Guess all we can do is wait at this point.

[DonnaMW]

23 hours ago, DonnaMW said:

I think I have pretty well given up hope.  Last cruise cancelled and if they all or some rebooked,  the price will rise.  I went with Vantage for solo cabins. Well next year already 

WAITlisted most dates.  

I emailed again to ship Friday. But this time no reply.  Not a good sign.  

 

I understand and that they have no control but like someone said there are people out there that have no idea of what is brewing unfortunately. 

 

Well finally got answered to my email from Friday.   Sorry no news yet on nov 1 cruise.  

Suppose to fly Thursday  ship still in Amsterdam. Not Basel. 

[Mark_T]

5 minutes ago, DonnaMW said:

 

Well finally got answered to my email from Friday.   Sorry no news yet on nov 1 cruise.  

Suppose to fly Thursday  ship still in Amsterdam. Not Basel. 

 

That really is unacceptable.

 

They know right now that the ship is 100% not going to be in Basel on 1st November.

 

Even if they are working on alternatives it is far too late to be so uncertain...

 

Sadly this feels like they are trying to substitute hotels and a coach trip once you all land in Basel instead of being honest up front...

[bebtwice]

I agree that keeping people in the dark is unacceptable. I'd rather they cancel than turn this into a land tour, especially for the price we've all paid. I realize they can't control the weather and the river levels, but if you can't provide most of what people signed up (and paid) for, there should be the option to either get a full refund, re-book the cruise for next year under the same terms (cabin class, airfare, etc at no additional cost) or get a full credit towards another trip.

 

They'll be a lot of unhappy customers if this turns into a land tour via bus. I feel particularly sorry for those who are completely unaware of the situation and are going to get  blindsided but whatever the decision is.

[pully8]

41 minutes ago, DonnaMW said:

 

Well finally got answered to my email from Friday.   Sorry no news yet on nov 1 cruise.  

Suppose to fly Thursday  ship still in Amsterdam. Not Basel. 

May we ask who is writing to you via email? Is this a person on the ship or in a corporate office somewhere?  Seems bizarre to not have accurate information at such a late stage.

We know the operators can make changes and most terms/conditions state they will contact you on writing, but timeframes are at their discretion.

Handed a letter on arrival perhaps? 

Perhaps these cruises need to be sold as mystery trips and priced to reflect that reality?

Edited October 29, 2018 by pully8
wrong word

[pully8]

33 minutes ago, Mark_T said:

 

That really is unacceptable.

 

They know right now that the ship is 100% not going to be in Basel on 1st November.

 

Even if they are working on alternatives it is far too late to be so uncertain...

 

Sadly this feels like they are trying to substitute hotels and a coach trip once you all land in Basel instead of being honest up front...

Agree. 

[notamermaid]

52 minutes ago, DonnaMW said:

 

Well finally got answered to my email from Friday.   Sorry no news yet on nov 1 cruise.  

Suppose to fly Thursday  ship still in Amsterdam. Not Basel. 

I do not understand why Vantage is giving no hint as to what will happen. I imagine that you have already made clear in your e-mail that you would like some specifics about your cruise not the general non-described wording.

 

Here is some maths. The River Voyager is 135m long. Upstream the average speed is 6 knots, lets say 11 kilometres to make it easier and forget the bits behind the comma. Amsterdam to Basel is around 950 kilometres. Not sure of exact figure. This takes us to the River Voyager needing 158.3 hours for the journey. Equals a good 6 and a half days. Perhaps less. It is Monday...

 

That is the calculation without stopping, lock waiting time, waiting in the Rhine gorge for passing traffic. Talking of the Rhine gorge. There is no way the River Voyager will get through the Rhine gorge before a level of 55cm. And that is me being positive.

 

I do not understand Vantage here. Puzzling for me, annoying for the passengers to be to say the least. If they have a ship on the Basel side, why do they not tell you so?

And if they want to have the River Voyager in Koblenz ready for you, she had better start sailing soon.

 

notamermaid

 

Edited October 29, 2018 by notamermaid