Rhine, Main, Danube and COVID 19 Surge

[lyndarra]

I have been considering a river cruise in 2022 but my tyravelling compaion and I are concerned about the surge in COVID infections in The Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Slovakia.

Is this likely to affect cruise boat operations or lead to problems with port tours?

With our country now easing restrictions on international travel a European cruise holiday was looking attractive until now.

[Coral]

I completely agree. I don't have anything booked. 

 

No one expected us to still be in this situation right now. No one can predict the future.

[rcaruso]

Notamermaid and Steamboats--Help.  We are leaving at 4pm to Budapest for the river cruise.  I will be calling Viking, but we have two weeks after ship in Bavaria.  Please give your advise ASAP as situation in Bavaria.  Thanks,

[notamermaid]

23 minutes ago, rcaruso said:

Notamermaid and Steamboats--Help.  We are leaving at 4pm to Budapest for the river cruise.  I will be calling Viking, but we have two weeks after ship in Bavaria.  Please give your advise ASAP as situation in Bavaria.  Thanks,

rcaruso, I have no further details right now, but that cruise through Austria could be in jeopardy. Definitely talk to Viking, also mention your post cruise plans. They will know about what is happening now. Herr Söder of Bavaria has likely gone ahead with measures that exceed what the federal government wants, so for that I will kindly ask @steamboats to comment if she has time. Can you talk to your host in Karlstadt?

 

notamermaid

 

[rcaruso]

1 minute ago, notamermaid said:

rcaruso, I have no further details right now, but that cruise through Austria could be in jeopardy. Definitely talk to Viking, also mention your post cruise plans. They will know about what is happening now. Herr Söder of Bavaria has likely gone ahead with measures that exceed what the federal government wants, so for that I will kindly ask @steamboats to comment if she has time. Can you talk to your host in Karlstadt?

 

notamermaid

 

Thanks, I am already on it, and haven't heard back yet, will be calling Viking shortly.

[steamboats]

@rcaruso just announced... Bavaria is going into a lockdown starting Nov 24th til Dec 15th. There are two stages depending on the 7 day number. Over 1,000 is going into a strict lockdown which means shops, restaurants, hotels are closed too. Under 1,000 the restrictions hardly will affect you as restaurants are still open (but only up to 10 pm). Bars, clubs, discos are closed. Limited numbers of spectators for sports events.

 

But all Christmas markets will stay closed.

 

Munich has 754 today and rising, the county Main-Spessart (Karlstadt) has 261.

 

steamboats

 

 

[rcaruso]

10 minutes ago, steamboats said:

@rcaruso just announced... Bavaria is going into a lockdown starting Nov 24th til Dec 15th. There are two stages depending on the 7 day number. Over 1,000 is going into a strict lockdown which means shops, restaurants, hotels are closed too. Under 1,000 the restrictions hardly will affect you as restaurants are still open (but only up to 10 pm). Bars, clubs, discos are closed. Limited numbers of spectators for sports events.

 

But all Christmas markets will stay closed.

 

Munich has 754 today and rising, the county Main-Spessart (Karlstadt) has 261.

 

steamboats

 

 

How is Passau, Würzburg and Frankfurt?

[steamboats]

4 minutes ago, rcaruso said:

How is Passau, Würzburg and Frankfurt?

 

This link may help you. Those are the offical numbers updated daily.

 

Passau city (578) is currently below 1,000 but the county is above.

 

Würzburg is at 302, the county 327.

 

Frankfurt has 320 (but is not Bavaria anymore).

 

steamboats

[notamermaid]

The brutally honest dashboard... My guess is the red and pink colours will eventually spread to Rhineland-Palatinate, Ludwigshafen and Speyer may be the first ones to go (to pink). I'd rather they closed bars and nightclubs here, before closing Christmas markets. According to research the Luca app mostly "pings" in bars and discos.

 

notamermaid

 

[rcaruso]

28 minutes ago, steamboats said:

 

This link may help you. Those are the offical numbers updated daily.

 

Passau city (578) is currently below 1,000 but the county is above.

 

Würzburg is at 302, the county 327.

 

Frankfurt has 320 (but is not Bavaria anymore).

 

steamboats

Thank you.  On phone with Viking as we are to leave today, and we hear on social media the cruises will be cancelled. You and Notamermaid are great help. Vielen Vielen Dank!

[Funky Fusion FoodsJ]

4 minutes ago, rcaruso said:

Thank you.  On phone with Viking as we are to leave today, and we hear on social media the cruises will be cancelled. You and Notamermaid are great help. Vielen Vielen Dank!

Anxious to hear what you find from Viking.  We're scheduled for a Nov 28 cruise starting in Regensberg.

[steamboats]

Slight correction... shops don´t close, just a limitation of the number of customers which can go into a shop.

 

steamboats

[lyndarra]

On DW news this morning there was mention of Christmas markets closing down. Not looking good. Just as we are getting our freedom our wings have been clipped. All vaxxed up and nowhere to go, even New Zealand is still closed to us.

 

[steamboats]

12 hours ago, lyndarra said:

On DW news this morning there was mention of Christmas markets closing down.

 

Bavaria and Saxony have announced the closure of the markets. Here in Bavaria they can still be open until next Tuesday. Markets in Austria have to close by Monday when the lockdown sets in.

 

steamboats