River Cruising Water Cooler

[notamermaid]

Thank you for the tips. I was a bit surprised about that message I got. See it maximum once per year. In the end it worked nevertheless. I thought it may have something to do with licensing of public broadcasting but it seems not.

 

notamermaid

 

[TheKingD]

I appreciate the links about the old Crystal river ships.  We were on the Debussy on the Rhine, and we really enjoyed that trip and were scheduled to be on the Danube on the Ravel when everything shut down.  The Mozart is supposed to be a really nice river ship too.  Somehow I stumbled on @notamermaid and the really interesting posts before we were on the Rhine cruise, and here we are!  I'm not sure I could get DH on another cruise in Europe, because he wants to be able to get home on land if something happens.  So we are going on an Alaska cruise this summer instead of anything across an ocean.  Maybe one day I'll be back to the Danube.

[notamermaid]

Good to hear from you again.

19 minutes ago, TheKingD said:

So we are going on an Alaska cruise this summer instead of anything across an ocean. 

That sounds exciting. An area of the world I will likely never see.

 

19 minutes ago, TheKingD said:

We were on the Debussy on the Rhine, and we really enjoyed that trip and were scheduled to be on the Danube on the Ravel when everything shut down.

I do not recall - did you choose a refund option, did that work out?

 

I find that my mind is now just kind of moving on with daily life but a few things I vow not to forget and a few things still hurt from the past few years. While I am basically able to see the world physically, I mean health-wise, I somewhat have lost a bit of that feel for travelling. I still have not been outside of my country for more than a couple of days since 2019. Cannot pick up where I left off in December 2019.

 

Still, I have fun with all the ships on the Rhine and people coming from far-flung places enjoying "my" river. And I have been to places in Germany that have been really interesting.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[TheKingD]

I agree with you @notamermaid.  I think traveling requires a lot more patience and flexibility for possible bumps in the road than it did five years ago, and we are not as full of adventure any more.  You are in a great place to enjoy everything close by, and actually we are too, because we are 2 to 3 hours from either really nice beaches or lovely mountains.

 

We were lucky with our cancelled Danube cruise, and we were able to get full refunds for both the cruise and for the airfare on Lufthansa.  We could have opted for some future cruise credits, and some of those seemed generous at the time, but we cashed out instead!

 

If the Alaska cruise goes well, DH might be up for another cruise at some point, even though I am the one who really loves a cruise.  We'll see.

[notamermaid]

On 5/9/2024 at 10:38 PM, TheKingD said:

You are in a great place to enjoy everything close by, and actually we are too, because we are 2 to 3 hours from either really nice beaches or lovely mountains.

Oooh, yes, I count myself fortunate to be able to get to lovely places very fast. Actually, tonight we have had a lovely sunset that I have been able to enjoy. We are supposed to be even able to see Northern Lights due to the sun's strong activity but I did not get out in time to be able to direct my vision at North. I have been working today so have been a bit busy well into the evening.

 

You say two to three hours, in that time I would be able to get to Luxembourg or France. It would be great to hear a different language again. Perhaps in a couple of weeks time.

 

Getting to mountains within two to three hours or to the beaches is great. You can certainly call that getting away from everyday life. A lovely weekend trip... I think to the beaches is a bit further for me, close to four hours probably. Very manageable of course. I prefer the French Pas-de-Calais region, that is nearly five hours. Not many people want to go there but I enjoy it.

 

notamermaid

 

Edited May 11 by notamermaid

[notamermaid]

This is a high quality webcam, a snapshot, you can see the northern lights, high in the Alps: https://www.foto-webcam.eu/webcam/funtenseetauern/

This photo is from midnight.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

Elsewhere there has been mention of river cruise ships of the small kind, meaning converted or newly-built barges. They are so practical for sailing areas of shallow rivers and small canal locks: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2535554-want-to-go-beyond-the-standard-rivers-of-europe-and-scenery-downsize/page/2/#comments

 

Here is a barge that unusually started life in Britain. For our Royal Navy connected lady near Bath, here is a special mention of this vessel, the modern Sir Winston. Her former name is Victoria Regia. @Canal archive I think you may enjoy this thread: http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/showthread.php?p=253847&nojs=1

 

There are quite a few river cruise barges that are relatively old. 1945 is not the oldest by far! Hard to beat must be the De Nassau, she was built in 1910. She has also had an interesting life, according to the German Binnenschifferforum: https://www.binnenschifferforum.de/showthread.php?98493-De-Nassau-FGKS-02211655

 

notamermaid

 

 

 

[Canal archive]

Notamermaid fascinating set me off researching - there are so many Sir Winston’s and I think I found the original registration one person was talking about. Wonderful thank you so much but as usual I got and get sidetracked so easily it’s woeful. I will try to get some very early canal engineering examples today from the 1700’s.

[notamermaid]

8 hours ago, Canal archive said:

Wonderful thank you so much but as usual I got and get sidetracked so easily it’s woeful.

Is it ever possible not to get sidetracked with such stuff? 😊 Takes will power not to keep researching, I know that well.

 

I have looked a bit more into the canals of France, as I was wondering how they decided on the lock size. It was some time in the 19th century, that is they went for standardisation then and we still use some of what was decided then in European waterway ship classification. It was the Frechman Freycinet who gave his name to the type of peniche (barge) that is the basis for the ship class I on rivers and canals west of the Elbe. So the small locks that determine how far up the rivers and through the small canals in France a river cruise ship can sail make it clear that any modern ship will not be able to but the converted barges, if converted from peniches, can. West and East measurements are here: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binnenschiffsklasse_I

 

Which means that English real narrowboats can sail on all those waterways suitable for peniche as they are shorter and narrower, narrower by quite a lot. Wikipedia has quite a comprehensive page on the narrowboats [feel free to get annoyed with any mistakes on the page 😉]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narrowboat

 

As far as I know all river cruise ships built after 1980 are larger than peniches. It is fascinating to read where ships can sail or cannot, a few years ago (I mentioned it at the time) I talked to a representative of CroisiEurope. The lady told me that one or two the locks on the Neckar are just a few centimetres too small for one of their ships. But they also have another ship that is just a bit smaller so that one sail all the way to Stuttgart whereas the bigger ship turns round on the itinerary some time after Heidelberg and before the impassable lock.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[Canal archive]

The canals of the U.K. are either narrow or broad so the boats can vary in width usually a smidgin under 7ft /2.1333333 mtrs approx or 3.962 mtrs. Length depends on the locks so the majority of boats can use a 70ft long lock / 22.336 mtrs. There are a few locks shorter so you have to read your cruising notes.

I got caught up today sorting some education stuff for our steam pump. But evidently at the start of the canal building frenzy across Europe the French decided to go different to Holland. Will check on that we have a 1763 copy of how to construct a canal translated from the French it has some of the most amazing artwork in it.

[Canal archive]

Host Jazzbeau I’m getting a bit concerned about a certain contributor and absolutely hate to have come to this conclusion but I have decided not to continue on these forums for the time being. I will be reading contributions as I find the majority of inputs interesting/amusing and somewhat entertaining. Keep up your good work, Thank you Canal Archive 

[Host Jazzbeau]

9 hours ago, Canal archive said:

Host Jazzbeau I’m getting a bit concerned about a certain contributor and absolutely hate to have come to this conclusion but I have decided not to continue on these forums for the time being. I will be reading contributions as I find the majority of inputs interesting/amusing and somewhat entertaining. Keep up your good work, Thank you Canal Archive 

I will be sorry to miss your contributions, so I hope this is a short-term break.  BTW I have found that the best way to deal with 'difficult' posters is not to reply.  Most of 'them' have to have the last word, so let them.  And if a post seems like a Guideline Violation, Report it and let the Admins deal with it.  One 'difficult' poster shouldn't cancel your Cruise Critic community participation – every community has a few odd or difficult members, and in others' eyes we each may fall into that category!

[gnome12]

10 hours ago, Canal archive said:

Host Jazzbeau I’m getting a bit concerned about a certain contributor and absolutely hate to have come to this conclusion but I have decided not to continue on these forums for the time being. I will be reading contributions as I find the majority of inputs interesting/amusing and somewhat entertaining. Keep up your good work, Thank you Canal Archive 

 

53 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

I will be sorry to miss your contributions, so I hope this is a short-term break.  BTW I have found that the best way to deal with 'difficult' posters is not to reply.  Most of 'them' have to have the last word, so let them.  And if a post seems like a Guideline Violation, Report it and let the Admins deal with it.  One 'difficult' poster shouldn't cancel your Cruise Critic community participation – every community has a few odd or difficult members, and in others' eyes we each may fall into that category!

You can also choose to ignore specific users. You will not see their original posts, although if they are quoted that will still show.

[Canal archive]

Yes in some cases easier said then done but hey ho on we go, 

Edited Saturday at 07:40 AM by Canal archive
My input was cras!

[Canal archive]

Has anyone any information on an overnight cruising accident in the Budapest area reported on Sky News today. Sounds like a horrible event

https://news.sky.com/story/two-dead-and-five-missing-after-boat-collision-on-the-river-daube-in-hungary-13139203

[notamermaid]

Just read the German headlines. Two dead and five missing in a collision of boats 30km North of Budapest. Awful.

 

It appears that a "Hotelschiff", that is a river cruise ship, was involved. A damaged ship of that kind was stopped at Komarom. The investigations are ongoing: https://www.20min.ch/story/ungarn-5-noch-vermisst-bootskollision-auf-der-donau-fordert-zwei-tote-103109048

 

notamermaid

 

[Daisi]

Sounds like a smaller personal boat with 8 adults - 1 recovered with head wounds that speaks Italian, 2 confirmed deceased, and 5 still missing - collided with a river ship. Not sure who hit who.

 

This is the Hungarian news article, not much more info than what was in the German article that @notamermaid shared, but could possibly be updated quicker as more info comes out. 

 

https://index.hu/belfold/2024/05/19/hajobaleset-veroce-szallodahajo-halalos-serultek-eltuntek/

[Daisi]

Further update, it looks like it was a Nicko cruise ship - MS Heidelberg according to Reuters.

 

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/two-dead-five-missing-after-suspected-boat-collision-danube-2024-05-19/

[Canal archive]

https://news.sky.com/story/two-dead-and-five-missing-after-boat-collision-on-the-river-daube-in-hungary-13139203
 

latest from Sky News, so very sad!

[notamermaid]

6 hours ago, Daisi said:

Further update, it looks like it was a Nicko cruise ship - MS Heidelberg according to Reuters.

It appears as such, judging from the ship signal. Hungarian online reports show damage to the hull. The ship name has not been officially disclosed, though, and the circumstances remain a little unclear. The MS Heidelberg has just left Komarom. It is a river cruise port used by German ships on some standard itineraries. The ship by the way is just over 109m long, so some reports say 110m.

 

notamermaid

 

[Daisi]

@notamermaid, was just looking at the videos. Very sad to see the search at night, and the empty life jacket. Sounds as if most of those on the smaller boat were younger, which is sad.

[notamermaid]

I do not think I could watch a video. A few reports also remind readers of the tragic accident in Budapest a few years ago. Of course, I did not need to be reminded and quite frankly did not want to be reminded. I so hope there will be at least a bit of good news coming from Budapest in the next hours.

 

notamermaid

 

[jpalbny]

2 hours ago, notamermaid said:

I so hope there will be at least a bit of good news coming from Budapest in the next hours.

 

Me too. 🤞

[Daisi]

It's not looking good, they are still searching for the missing. I do see that the captain of the river boat is in custody for failure to render assistance. According to the police, he didn't notify his crew of the accident.

 

https://index.hu/belfold/2024/05/20/verocei-hajobaleset-orizet-kapitany-rendorseg-brfk/

 

@notamermaid the video I saw was the police searching at night, you didn't see much as it was dark and they only had a smallish spotlight and flashlights. They spotted a life jacket in the river. 

Edited 6 hours ago by Daisi

[notamermaid]

I see. Thank you for the additional info. By the way, while the ship has sailed in the past for Nicko Cruises there are no cruises listed by the company for the MS Heidelberg this year. It is not clear which charter it is, I could not find any info on that. However, the ship is listed as being part of the Starling Fleet: https://www.starlingfleet.com/en/our-fleet/

 

notamermaid