Viking European River Cruises issues with current water levels !!

ols

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Any body on current above river cruises or any body traveling on one soon?
We are due to travel Budapest to Amsterdam this month and notice just starting to appear in the news dramatic reports on water levels, meaning bus trips, boat changes and missed excursions.
Any insight from AFF'ers would be greatly appreciated.
 
Not on a river cruise myself, but passed a few on the day trip Twin City Liner rivercat between Vienna and Bratislava today. The Danube river banks were very visibly low. Saw some Viking shore excursion groups leaving Vienna, but didn't see whether they were heading towards a ship or a coach... Fingers crossed for smooth sailing for your trip

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We are on an Emerald cruise on the same route at the end of September. Watching rainfall predictions closely which do have a few glimmers of hope. Even though we took the additional cancellation package, we are in the phase where it is a 100% loss if we cancel. We have accepted the fact that the cruise might not turn out to be as much of a cruise as our initial expectations encompassed but we’ll do our best to make the best of the situation.
 
Any body on current above river cruises or any body traveling on one soon?
We are due to travel Budapest to Amsterdam this month and notice just starting to appear in the news dramatic reports on water levels, meaning bus trips, boat changes and missed excursions.
Any insight from AFF'ers would be greatly appreciated.
The weather reports aren't being alarmist. I know, first time ever. The beds are exposed and water levels insignificant.

Some are reporting being on the ship and being bussed everywhere. Others are reporting being put into hotels that aren't air conditioned. Remember it's hot. High '30s and into 40. Resources are completely stretched catering for everyone. Budapest is on reduced power because the nuclear plant is reduced because there's no water. Parliament House lights are off at nighttime.

Who are you with? If the river levels stay as is, then you won't be cruising much at all. Whichever cruise line it is, then do your research on Moore Vs Scenic and then if any enquiries to them are not to your satisfaction then start discussing this court case. Not to sue them of course, but this case in the High Court here sets the precedent for situations exactly like this for our consumer protection legislation. Some lines are offering full refunds, transfer of cruise at no cost, or a voucher for a future cruise. Or simply go ahead with the understanding that it will be very different. Choice is good. But not all cruise lines are giving choice.

You should also search Facebook groups for River Cruising because current travellers are quoting what the reality is and not what the cruise line may be telling you. This is one I use. It's Viking but it's all relevant. It's run by a TA and she has a habit of deleting reality but some of it is still there.


How do I know about all of this? Our river cruise was flooded. A few years ago. It's one of my pet peeves. And I have a cruise like yours booked for July next year 😂. I never learn. But I'm not so invested in any of the ports and the ones I want to do are pre and post cruise anyway.

Duh. Just read your headline. Viking. Okaay. I'll post a couple of other links then. You will need to know exactly what you want to do and call them and ask to speak to management.

Search for: Viking Danube Waltz on FB, Viking River Cruises Danube 2026-27. And so on. These seem to be hiding their link.

Without exception people are reporting that the staff and crew onboard are busting themselves to do everything they can to help people enjoy their cruise. So that's a huge plus.
 
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We did the same Amsterdam to Budapest cruise with Viking this time last year. We were the first boat to make it all the way through, due to low water levels. We did stay in one place an extra night as we couldn't move further along, but then the rain somewhere else upstream made it through so we were able to keep going. Viking managed this really well, as at the next stop they organised coaches for anyone who wanted to go back the way and see the stop we had midded due to the delay.
Viking has enough boats going up and down that route that if a section isn't passable, you pack your bags in the morning and go off on your excursion, and are returned to the next boat up or down the way to the exact same cabin, as all the boats are identical.
A Facebook group that my wife has been following indicates it's currently being done by coach and hotel, and the mood is split between it-is-was-it-is and it's-a-disgrace. You're seeing things out of one window at 50Kms/hr instead gently cruising past, whicg is not what you signed up for. Might be worth checking if you have a natural disaster provision in your travel insurance?
 
We are booked on Scenic Rhine Highlights, Basel to Amsterdam on 16 Sept. I have been scouring FB for information as Scenic is not putting out anything but generic information until two weeks before your cruise when apparently you receive information. We will be in Poland by then. It does appear from FB that Scenic are providing for you to continue with your trip (boat/bus) with some incentive for future cruise, or a refund. I'm hoping that's the case for our trip if the river is too low. Not keen on a bus trip but each to their own.
 
There was a 'readers letter' in Travel Section of The West Australian on Saturday. They were currently on a Danube cruise and as others have said plenty of busing and vessel changes. She had been on two 5 hour bus trips due to the river height problem. To make matters worse she said she had booked a cruise because she hated bus trips.
 
There was a 'readers letter' in Travel Section of The West Australian on Saturday. They were currently on a Danube cruise and as others have said plenty of busing and vessel changes. She had been on two 5 hour bus trips due to the river height problem. To make matters worse she said she had booked a cruise because she hated bus trips.
And bus trips would be 1/4 cost of cruise ships.
These guys returned two weeks ago. Worth a watch.
Ben and David on Uniworld
And more on YouTube.
River review
 
I have a friend booked on an Emerald river cruise in about 10 days. They have been offered alternate arrangements, mainly bus hotel ect. They do also have a plan B of hiring a car and doing their won thing. For others on Emerald, they have been offered to do the trip, with hotels etc. and get a 25% discount or a credit to do another river cruise within the next 12 months. They were offering a full refund a few weeks ago but that has changed for all river cruise lines.

There is no sailing out of Budapest at all, as the river is way too low.

Viking I have heard have not offered much alternate other than the hotel/bus route, maybe a night or two on a boat, but does not sail anywhere and is often moored in an industrial area. Viking are not really contacting travellers until a few days out from cruise date.

I have also heard that Australia and the UK have better compensation rules, the US not so much.

That Scenic court case changed a lot of the terms and conditions for all future river cruises, so that they have really tightened the recourse.
 
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Thank you. Enough info there to rule out ever doing a river cruise. definitely not disability friendly.
Yes. I think a few felt like that after watching it. We are booked for next year. When they work, they are fabulous. But never on Uniworld. Their boats look ghastly. All I can think of was dusty fusty furnishings. And yes, mobility is also an issue.

I'm not invested in the ports but really hope we have better luck. Cruising on rivers is fabulous. But fraught with difficulty.
 
Danube datapoint: out of morbid curiosity I went to have a look at the state of Vienna cruise port this evening. Not much to see really, but counted 12 shiplengths, 2 ships deep along the terminal. All lines; Viking, amawaterways, viva, croisieurope, Scenic. Nobody is spared. No one was moving.

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On the flipside, beautiful sunset, 32 degrees and a light breeze. As Ben and David said in that video, there are worse places to be stuck!

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