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Danube water levels 2020 and similar topics - plus tips and info


notamermaid
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14 minutes ago, banditoo said:

 Pretty risky time to be traveling abroad for many reasons. 

Based on info kindly provided here, watching media, researching sites, and weighing all the facts, DH and I now concur that rescheduling is our best option. As much as we wanted to be supportive of the travel industry during this hard time, conditions have eliminated that choice. Banditoo, thanks for your concern.

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8 minutes ago, hernstro said:

Based on info kindly provided here, watching media, researching sites, and weighing all the facts, DH and I now concur that rescheduling is our best option. As much as we wanted to be supportive of the travel industry during this hard time, conditions have eliminated that choice. Banditoo, thanks for your concern.

Very tough times and very disappointing times for many travelers. This will eventually settle. First important to get our populations healthy again. 

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banditoo,

Thank you for your help. Canada is taking strict measures but I think it will benefit the public immensely. All the best to the Trudeaus.

 

The situation is changing fast, a few days ago for example Germany closed just few affected schools, now due to the close proximity to Grand Est, Saarland state in the West of Germany is closing all schools.

 

Berlin is reducing public life and public transport.

 

It will get harder for tourists to get around, relying on shuttle and taxis.

 

Quite frankly, I see no point in doing a river cruise anywhere for the next three weeks at least.

 

notamermaid

 

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Thank you Notermaid for your  generous contributions to this topic,  which I’ve been following for the last couple of months.  DH  and I were scheduled to sail on AMAlea from Vilshocen to Bucharest on April 25.  As of last night AMA has canceled all cruises now through 4/25,  so we will have to figure out when we can reschedule this lovely trip. I recommend everyone  check online repeatedly with their own cruise line to see the current status.

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My most sincere gratitude also to notamermaid -- you are the best source of information, with good sense and humor. Thank you so much!

 

It looks like Grand Circle Tours will pretty much have the Danube/Rhine all to themselves. As of 9 a.m. on March 13, they are still sticking with their scheduled cruises. My husband and I will not sail on our long-awaited Grand Rivers of Europe cruise with the Vienna Pre-trip starting March 27. I'm very troubled by GCT's decision to add to the current chaos and confusion -- and potential health risks -- in the world. 

 

Thinking healthy thoughts for everyone!

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Scenic revised their cancellation policy, received an email at 11:07 am:

"Cancellations until 30 April 2020
The Scenic Group (Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours, Emerald Cruises, Evergreen Cruises & Tours) has made the difficult decision to temporarily suspend all river cruises operations for guests embarking from now until to 30 April 2020We have updated our cancellation policy to allow guests more time to make decisions about upcoming travel with Scenic and Emerald Cruises.


We want to assure you that your travel plans will be protected, and are providing the following options;


If you hold a river cruise reservation during this period, you can either:

  • Receive a 125% Future Travel Credit for the full value of the trip to be used for a river or ocean cruise within the next 24 months based on their date of cancellation,
  • Receive a full refund of the value of your Scenic booking


The situation in South East Asia has also escalated significantly in recent days, with several Governments restricting access to ports and points of disembarkation along the Mekong River. It is no longer possible for Scenic to continue cruise operations in this region and therefore, we have cancelled the remaining river cruises for this season up to mid-May and the same above offer applies.

 

Our cancellation policy for guests with bookings departing from 1 May to 31 May              2020

For any guest departing from 1 May to 31 May 2020, Scenic will waive all of our cancellation fees with the value of the bookings applied as a future travel credit. We are allowing guests to change or transfer their booking up to 14 days prior to departure for river and ocean cruise bookings, and up to 30 days prior to travel for land tours.


For current river cruise, ocean cruise and land journey 2020 bookings departing 1 May to 31 May 2020, the future travel credit is valid for travel up to 31 December 2021."

 

Hope this helps those with Danube trips.  I will also share this on the Scenic Roll Call, if it isn't already there.

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Quite a couple of US river cruise companys did cancel cruises ..

 

Viking May 1st

AmaWaterways April26th
Avalon April 30th
Emerald April 30th
Scenic April 30th
Uniworld April 23rd

 

Austrian GTA Sky Ways has also cancelled cruises.

 

German Phoenix Reisen will make an announcement on Monday.

 

Czech Republic and Slovakia and also Slovenia have restrictions... So some ports may not be available right now. Hungary stopped all public transportation between Austria and Hungary. Private transportation is still up.

 

steamboats

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Hello steamboats,

Good to hear from you. Hope you are well and fit beyond typing on a keyboard. A little hut on an Isar island feels like an attractive notion these days, all alone with the ducks, away from the world.

 

I reckon Phoenix Reisen, after all the restrictions that have been added by official bodies in the last 48 hours, will not be able to deliver the promised product and the announcement will contain cancellations.

 

Where is G.M.T., hiding in the cellar behind the beer bottles? If so, it is not a bad idea as - I am being serious here - one does not meet people normally and the virus does not survive long on smooth surfaces. I think the current estimate is 24 hours, right?

 

Wherever you are and whatever you do, you two, stay safe.

 

I have just returned from work and cannot help feeling a sense of doom. Working in the industry myself, I had to deal with cancellations today.

 

It will pass, we will be able to cruise again, till then everyone keep your sanity and stay in the best of health.

 

notamermaid

 

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The Czech Republic has closed its borders to people coming from 15 high risk countries. These include Germany and Austria which in effect means you cannot get from Vilshofen embarkation port to Prague for a post cruise extension or flight home. If your cruise has been cancelled, fine, if you still intend to sail with a company that is still offering cruises in the next few weeks, I suggest you contact them.

 

Czech citizens are obliged to quarantine for 14 days when returning to their country.

Source: Deutsche Welle Top Stories

 

notamermaid

 

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Thanks for the info. As regards public life, Austria has put greater restrictions on it than Germany has. A river cruise from Passau to Amsterdam is still possibly, but apart from sailing and eating and drinking one cannot do much else. A guided tour of 25 people is still possible (if you can still get a guide that is), but attractions are shut for the most part.

 

To be honest, a quarantined river cruise ship docked in Breisach or Cologne I can imagine being a nightmarish thought for medical people in those towns.

 

Hope the elections in Bavaria go ahead with no aftermath of a spike in cases.

 

notamermaid

 

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Tomorrow by 8 am Germany will close the borders to Austria, Switzerland, France... This will pretty likely also affect river cruises on the Danube river (and on the Rhine up to Basel).

 

I don´t have a clue how the elections are going. For local elections I usually turn in my absentee vote. Here in Munich I have 80 votes for 17 different groups. The ballot paper was 165 cm wide!!! Nothing you can unfold in a regular vote cabin. I needed my living room floor to unfold it.

 

steamboats

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Notamermaid and Steamboats,

Thank you both for all the wonderful info you have given me and others on these boards.  Stay well, avoid crowds. Work from home if you are able.  The most important thing is handwashing.  Dr.Oz was on our tv this am--stated good regular handwashing can decrease chances of getting virus by 50%.  In nursing school many years ago, the good nun was teaching us isolation precautions.  Her mantra was hot water, soap and friction.  It does work.  Stay well both of you and your families.  The rivers will still be there when this ends.  Blessings to all, Pat

Edited by pacmom
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Thanks for the info, steamboats. This is the article about the border closures on SWR website (in German): https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/baden-wuerttemberg/strobl-fordert-mehr-grenzkontrollen-100.html

 

Commuters and goods are exempt and German nationals are allowed back into Germany. I have a very dear friend who is not German who wants to come home to Germany tomorrow after having visited a tiny village and been shopping nearby. But I have no doubt he will find some back alley if the main road is checked.

 

These are treacherous times. If Coronavirus does not get one, one slips on the ballot papers lying on the floor. Grin. Be careful.

 

Incidentally, I started cleaning my flat today in a good mood, thinking "what an opportunity to spend time in the house doing the odd job". 30 seconds later I cut myself on a piece of metal. Expletives followed and my mood went right down...

 

notamermaid

 

Edited by notamermaid
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Notamermaid, Steamboats, and G.M.T.:  We are very appreciative of all your wisdom and we feel connected to you even though we will not be in your country this spring as originally planned.  Take good care in all this craziness, and please keep up the good spirits when you can, and we will see you the next time, whenever that is!

 

All our best,

Cindy & John

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Our minister president (head of the state of Bavaria) is supposed to declare the state of emergency tomorrow.

 

My twos just returned from "shopping" - not much left. The supermarkets are more or less empty. No grain or flour anymore. This is really crazy.

 

steamboats

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Bavaria is now in a state of emergency. But finally our federal government has got everyone together and is acting swiftly. See more on that in the Rhine threat.

 

Phoenix Reisen has cancelled river cruises until 14 April.

 

steamboats, what is it with people and toilet paper? I know there is supposed to be some psychological phenomenon about control and an invisible enemy behind it, but why that item?? I get it with pasta. Even so, all shops are open that sell essentials. What a crazy world.

 

Oh, not only is my office building closed, the main entrance (I am in a kind of annex) is barred with a notice saying entry for one person only at a time and has a line marking on the floor. It looks like a crime scene. Strangely bemusing and surreal.

 

notamermaid

 

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36 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

steamboats, what is it with people and toilet paper? I know there is supposed to be some psychological phenomenon about control and an invisible enemy behind it, but why that item?? I get it with pasta. Even so, all shops are open that sell essentials. What a crazy world.

Toilet paper is one of the main items that people are stocking up on here too. It seems to be a world-wide phenomenon. Strangely, I haven't heard anything about a run on hand soap.

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3 hours ago, gnome12 said:

Toilet paper is one of the main items that people are stocking up on here too. It seems to be a world-wide phenomenon. Strangely, I haven't heard anything about a run on hand soap.

Hand soap, indeed. There are no sanitizers left, but there is still soap to be had in all the shops I have been to lately. I suppose it proves that we are not behaving as rationally as a race as we should in a crisis.

 

notamermaid

 

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6 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

Hand soap, indeed. There are no sanitizers left, but there is still soap to be had in all the shops I have been to lately. I suppose it proves that we are not behaving as rationally as a race as we should in a crisis.

 

notamermaid

 

Since I'm really not going anywhere right now, hand soap is all I need. Aside from the fact that I'm not seeing anyone, I'm only a few steps from my bathroom sink.

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Fortunately I have enough toilet paper for the next two weeks 🤣!!

 

German river cruise companies which have cancelled:

A-Rosa (now also Rhine river, due to closure of Amsterdam, Antwerpen...)

Phoenix Reisen

1AVista Reisen

nicko cruises

CroisiEurope

 

Just to mention the larger ones.

 

Austrian Lüftner Cruises has cancelled too.

 

With Austria not allowing any kind of assemblies and all tourist attractions closed,

Slovakia closed (including the port of Bratislava)

Slovenia closed

ports in Netherlands closed

border to Switzerland closed

 

there is currently no river cruising possible anymore.

 

Today the Federal Foreign Office of Germany has issued a worldwide travel warning for all non essential tourist travel. They also issued a "bring back program" for tourists stranded in foreign countries.

 

The German islands in the North Sea are closed too for tourists.

 

steamboats

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That is a real blow with the islands, steamboats. I was thinking of escaping to one. I was seriously contemplating going to a quiet unaffected place.

 

Shopping is challenging, also psychologically. Disinfectant first, wait till there are few enough customers in to maintain the required distancing, get your shopping, be stared at if you still pay cash, rush out.

 

Non-EU citizens are now turned away on flight arrival at Frankfurt Airport. Basically, they take you through immigration check to see where you are from, then put you in a waiting lounge to wait for the next plane to take you straight back.

 

Deutsche Welle is kindly acknowledging our disappointment of not being able to travel. So for all those not being able to go on a river cruise, here is a suggestion against that (and boredom). Cooking and baking! A Bavarian speciality: https://www.dw.com/en/how-to-make-bavarian-bread-dumplings/av-52809600 

 

Right, I am off to enjoy the sunshine will I still can, well, am allowed to.

 

notamermaid

 

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Have decided to take the next few (I hope) weeks to do some  cleaning and culling of "things" 

Agree about taking a walk, that is on my list  for today also,  Have 3 children out of work because of various closures.

Oh, yes enough toilet paper for 2 weeks. Can't figure the crazy need for hoarding toilet paper.

DH read in today's paper that Purell is being sued because of false claims. Doesn't really kill the germs it claims to.  As I keep saying hot water, soap and friction still works really well.

Let's enjoy the sunny weather when it is with us.  Stay well and be safe--no fights over toilet paper.  Pat

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