Rhine water levels 2022 and similar topics

[notamermaid]

21 hours ago, CielBleu said:

So happy to hear this!  What areas along the river?  I hope it is widespread.

I think @Canal archive meant in England. Which is actually connected to our weather here. I explain a few details. Anything more complicated I leave to meteorologists. Our basic weather is made over the North Atlantic mainly. The general direction is East and then towards the continent. We get lows so often from the British Isles that in my family it became what one in modern terms calls meme. "She is sending us rain again" they said when I lived in England, something I found out when I returned to Germany. So when it rains in England we usually get this in Germany something between one and three days later.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

7 minutes ago, Daisi said:

Hoping rain comes soon, not only for vacationers, but for those who depend on the rivers for their livelihoods. 

Thanks Daisi. Our conditions are better than on the Po or some areas of France, but I am getting a tiny bit nervous about autumn. You can tell nature is suffering immensely, not much lush green left along the river banks. Parks are parched and trees on the river islands that grow on little soil are struggling, even turning red as if burnt or in autumn. Completely wilting. Everywhere is so dry.

 

notamermaid

 

[gentlemancruiser]

 

Rhine/Moselle at Koblenz doesn't look too bad at the moment 

 

https://www.feratel.com/en/webcams/germany/koblenz.html 

[notamermaid]

Thanks. I see 29.5 Celsius again. Just like my flat. Glad to see Koblenz is looking after its trees. In this heat they may be driving round with lorries and water them, not sure. Have seen it in the past. They have a bit more soil than many small island trees. The fine details reveal the drought, like the area around the mobile home campsite. You should see the standard green!

 

I wonder what this year's grape harvest will bring? The heat normally makes for good but not plentiful wine as long as the soil is not too parched. They say many grapes here do not like the heat that much. Dryer and warmer conditions may change the vineyards in the long run and growers are going to lean towards different grape varieties the industry says. But then again, they may just be speculating...

 

notamermaid

 

[travellovervic]

It's raining in Amsterdam and Rotterdam area today. It's not too heavy, but hopefully helps a bit. We left Amsterdam last night on Viking Hermod.  Vic

[notamermaid]

47 minutes ago, travellovervic said:

It's raining in Amsterdam and Rotterdam area today. It's not too heavy, but hopefully helps a bit. We left Amsterdam last night on Viking Hermod.  Vic

Thanks! That means it is coming over to the continent for sure now. Slightly different direction and shifting, this means there is a weather warning at Basel and Bremen! Unusual combination.

 

Have a great cruise.

 

notamermaid

 

 

Edited August 17, 2022 by notamermaid

[gayles]

2 hours ago, luckycruisers2 said:

Everything was handled with super efficiency. Day one we were told the ship switch was likely to happen.  We also received an email prior to our trip informing of same.  A couple of paid excursions had to be canceled but we will receive an onboard credit - which if it isn’t spent will be returned to our credit card.  We also received a $25 pp credit for lunch for the day we were off the ship in Speyer.

Thank you so much for the report!  We are doing B to A on August 30.  I am curious which excursions were canceled?  

[SBR2022]

2 hours ago, travellovervic said:

It's raining in Amsterdam and Rotterdam area today. It's not too heavy, but hopefully helps a bit. We left Amsterdam last night on Viking Hermod.  Vic

So was the Viking Hermod able to sail from Amsterdam to Kinderdijk then to Cologne? Others recently have said they had to take a bus to Kinderdijk and Cologne.

[momofthre3]

5 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Sorry to read that you cannot experience the S.S.Antoinette. I would say come anyway but quite frankly on the Rhine it is dry, parched and other ships do not have much water either. Not sure if land trip is your thing. Perhaps the Netherlands or a river cruise from Cologne downstream towards the Netherlands? They are still running. Accessible is the Moselle. The rare Moselle-only itinerary is done by bike & barge cruises.Viva Cruises does one in September on a large ship, August sailing sold out. Frankfurt to Nuremberg is still on, if you can find such an itinerary. The Seine? Or use a CroisiEurope ship on the Rhine and hope for the best?

 

Hope you find a nice replacement holiday and that Uniworld is good to you with refunds.

 

notamermaid

 

We have two choices. Uniworld Budapest to Passau or a cruise to Greek isles. Not sure which one. Scared Danube will be low on water also. Thoughts?

[steamboats]

5 hours ago, Daisi said:

Not good news now...the Rhine is closing to barge traffic. 

 

https://theloadstar.com/rhine-closes-to-barge-traffic-with-water-depth-set-to-hit-record-lows/

 

 

There are no closures due to low water - neither on the Rhine river nor the Danube river. All river traffic is on the operators own risk. They have to check the water levels and then decide whether they can go or not. Those which are still going only go with a third of the regular load. This may cause more problems regarding the current energy crisis as the barges do ship coal to powerplants. So no coal no power... The train system can´t replace the barges.

 

steamboats

[Bet & Peg]

Travellovervic - Please keep us updated!!!! I known things are changing day-to-day but we will be following in your foot steps leaving NYC September 5th!!! It'll help to be prepared!!!! Please post about your excursions plus ship-swaping!!! Thanks much!!!!!

[notamermaid]

43 minutes ago, momofthre3 said:

We have two choices. Uniworld Budapest to Passau or a cruise to Greek isles. Not sure which one. Scared Danube will be low on water also. Thoughts?

Hmm, I am not an ocean person but Greek Isles sounds better. On the Danube you may be bussed from Komarno to Budapest. Not too bad. But Mediterranean sounds good. Have only been to the Adriatic Sea.

 

I am sure someone on this board has been to Greek Islands.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

35 minutes ago, steamboats said:

All river traffic is on the operators own risk.

The last interview I watched on the river levels stressed that again. I thought they may prohibit the double width barges in the Middle Rhine Gorge but even those are sailing proven by the fact that one had an emergency stop in the early hours of today.

 

Emmerich gauge has fallen to minus four centimetres.

 

notamermaid

 

[Bet & Peg]

Momofthre3 - my choice - the Greek Islands!!!! Have only been to Athens, Corinth and Santorini but just loved it!!!!! Try to include a sail through the Corinth Canal and if you get to Santorini, have at least a lunch on the water in Ammoudiou, just below Oia - fabulous!!!!!

[worldtraveller99]

Which ship would you be on in the Greek Islands momofthr3?

[debster818]

Anyone know how the water levels are on the Rhine?  Doing Castles on the Rhine with Uniworld September 11, 2022.  We are worried.  Thanks.

[travellovervic]

2 hours ago, SBR2022 said:

So was the Viking Hermod able to sail from Amsterdam to Kinderdijk then to Cologne? Others recently have said they had to take a bus to Kinderdijk and Cologne.

Yes, we sailed to kinderdijk this morning, and crossed the German border an hour ago, on our way to Koln / Cologne overnight. 

[debster818]

7 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Thanks for the link, Daisi. That is a Canadian website, right? Never seen it before. The generalization is there, but at least they do not call it "death of river cruising". Still cannot get over that stupid headline. Anyway, in this logistics article they say and quote: "Closure of the German waterway was announced late on Friday as water levels on the Kaub gauge hit 37cm – 41cm is necessary for operations..." and "Barge operator Contargo said: “For reasons of safety we shall largely discontinue our navigation on the Upper and Middle Rhine.”" The first is obviously not correct as barges are still sailing even as I write, but the second I have read in German myself. The company has done that and much cargo is going by rail and road instead.

 

Meanwhile, I read that the large barge - a "Verband" as we call it - that had got stuck during the night near Oberwesel is free and had has moved further up to Bingen. The river was closed to shipping but is now open gain for upstream sailing. Downstream is not possible as the double-width barge is too dangerous to pass. The authorities expect full traffic to resume later today. Video says it had engine problems and needed to throw anchor. It is 190m long and 23m wide! https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/rheinland-pfalz/koblenz/schifffahrt-mittelrhein-gesperrt-motorschaden-100.html

 

notamermaid

 

We are doing the Rhine - Basel to Amsterdam September 11, 2022.  Very worried.  Our trip has been cancelled twice already due to covid.  Please keep us updated.  Thanks.

[debster818]

1 hour ago, Bet & Peg said:

Travellovervic - Please keep us updated!!!! I known things are changing day-to-day but we will be following in your foot steps leaving NYC September 5th!!! It'll help to be prepared!!!! Please post about your excursions plus ship-swaping!!! Thanks much!!!!!

I will cross my fingers for you and I.  We are doing the Rhine September 11, 2022.  Worried.

[notamermaid]

So, excursion boats. What are they like? Big and small, different companies, different age. I have been on a few different ones over the years and find them comfortable. But you need to know that you may share it with other travellers. One thing about which one you will get if your river cruise company has chartered one is that it will not be the Goethe. The historic paddle wheeler is resting in Rüdesheim awaiting higher river levels.

 

Here is some footage of one and interviews (in German):

https://www.ardmediathek.de/video/Y3JpZDovL3N3ci5kZS9hZXgvbzE3MDg3MzE

A bit of info from the video: Trechtingshausen and Niederheimbach cannot be reached by boat (see all the sandbanks). The two captains find it stressful, higher concentration than normal is vital. The Rhine is narrow in the Rhine Gorge. Now there are even more ships and paddlers are an added danger. Along the river banks more people get close to the water, not a danger as such, but they could get too close to the navigation channel. The excursion boat Bingen, like the others, become more difficult to manoeuvre with less water under the hull. The older of the two captains thinks that the river being closed to shipping is just "steering up panic". The authorities/police do not issue a ban in low water. With having lost so much revenue during Covid all they want to do is sail safely without accident as, if there is any damage to the ship, spare parts are not that easy to get. They cannot afford to have one ship being out of service for long.

 

If you like technical stuff, stop the video at 1:02. A nice shot of the radar screen.

 

notamermaid

 

 

Edited August 17, 2022 by notamermaid

[Worksheet]

29 minutes ago, debster818 said:

Anyone know how the water levels are on the Rhine?  Doing Castles on the Rhine with Uniworld September 11, 2022.  We are worried.  Thanks.

We are considering that cruise with Uniworld sometime in September or October this year and are also concerned.  It seems the SS Antoinette has not cruised through or below the Rhine Gorge for quite a few days.  Has Uniworld contacted you?

 

Worksheet

[notamermaid]

19 minutes ago, debster818 said:

We are doing the Rhine - Basel to Amsterdam September 11, 2022.  Very worried.  Our trip has been cancelled twice already due to covid.  Please keep us updated.  Thanks.

@momofthre3 posted this earlier today: "Today we got a call that our August 21 Uniworld cruise was still on. Then several hours later it has officially been cancelled."

 

September 11 is too far away to say anything specific. Even the forecast for the river is too tentative to post it here. We will need to see how things go after this rain. We may end up with a sightly higher level that can be sustained but no one is in doubt that we need to see more than just 36 hours of some rain to get us into September, i.e. get proper cruising back.

 

We will keep looking at the river levels and hopefully more cruisers will be so helpful and post their experiences - thanks to everyone who has returned home or is sailing now   - in the next weeks.

 

Has Uniworld not communicated with you about potential problems yet? it is a bit early so I would not expect them too. Just asking.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

44 minutes ago, travellovervic said:

Yes, we sailed to kinderdijk this morning, and crossed the German border an hour ago, on our way to Koln / Cologne overnight. 

Oh that is good to read. At least they are getting to Cologne still. Fewer ships are sailing the stretch from Cologne to Koblenz now it seems. I was getting a bit worried about docking in Cologne but it is okay then.

 

It is a long drive from Cologne to Mainz or Speyer though. And Cologne to Strasbourg is, well, spending the most scenic parts of the river on a bus. I mean that cuts out Bonn, the Siebengebirge, the Rhine Gorge and almost all the vineyards.

 

notamermaid

 

 

Edited August 17, 2022 by notamermaid

[rizello]

9 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

Oh that is good to read. At least they are getting to Cologne still. Fewer ships are sailing the stretch from Cologne to Koblenz now it seems. I was getting a bit worried about docking in Cologne but it is okay then.

 

It is a long drive from Cologne to Mainz or Speyer though. And Cologne to Strasbourg is, well, spending the most scenic parts of the river on a bus. I mean that cuts out Bonn, the Siebengebirge, the Rhine Gorge and almost all the vineyards.

 

notamermaid

 

 

I am curious why some ships would make it through and some wouldn’t, all leaving at same time.  Someone posted that it depended upon your itinerary.  But if all ships (Viking) were starting from Amsterdam and traveling to Cologne on same day, why wouldn’t all of them sail through or all use hotels/bussing?  Our program director told us corporate headquarters made sailing decisions, not each ship on their own.

[MDPastor]

Thank you for the discussion on this thread, particularly Notamermaid's very helpful reports. We were on the Rhine Getaway (Basel to Amsterdam) last week and it really helped to be prepared for what may come.

We had a wonderful time, and perhaps if we hadn't been mentally prepared for the ship swap it would have been more disruptive. As it was, the cruise was normal from Basel to Strasburg. The night after touring Strasburg (probably our favorite place on the trip, BTW!), we were instructed to have our luggage packed and in the hall at 8:30 the next day. At 9 we boarded buses for Speyer, and after the guided Excursion we had 2:30 to tour on our own. That sounds like a lot but we spent most of it in a delightful beer garden under a shady tree eating lunch and of course drinking beer. Viking gave us 25 Euros apiece (credited on our final bill) for lunch or whatever we wanted to spend it on.

Then we were bused about 2:15 to Braubach, where we boarded the Mani right under Marksburg Castle - a great view from the ship! Our luggage was waiting for us in the "same" room we had on the Eir. That night, we sailed to Koblenz. The next morning we toured the castles in the Rhine Gorge on a smaller boat. We were greeted with coffee and pastry. I understand there were drinks and other food available as well (maybe free?), but we stayed up on the top deck not wanting to miss any of the scenery.

After that it was back to Koblenz and the schedule continued as "normal" - included excursion of Koblenz in the afternoon, then free time until the ship sailed at about midnight. Then on to Cologne - the only hitch was not being able to dock under the Cathedral bridge, but there were every half-hour shuttles to get into town. 

The only thing that was missed was Rudesheim, which is a shame but all things considered not as bad as it could have been. Viking made everything as smooth as possible. (And we got extra champagne - a welcome and farewell toast on both the Eir and the Mani!)

Edited August 17, 2022 by MDPastor