When all is said and done, there is no way to accurately predict whether your river cruise will be affected by low-water or high-water levels for river cruises in Europe. But in general, high water occurs in the spring while low water occurs in heat of the summer, usually August. The summer of 2018 saw record low water levels for river cruises in Europe on the Danube. However, contrary to the conventional wisdom, I saw record lows on the Rhine in November of 2015. While high or low water can impact your river cruise, in 50+ river cruises, I’ve never experienced a major disruption because of high water or low water. I should add that I did not river cruise in the summer of 2018. In the comments below, some readers say their dream vacations were disappointing because of low water levels for river cruises in Europe. Others had their trips scuttled altogether because the river cruise companies could not operate due to high or low water levels for river cruises in Europe. My hope is that this page will serve as a useful forum for sharing information about the conditions on the rivers and how the cruise companies are handling adverse water levels for river cruises in Europe.– Ralph Grizzle
Whether a river has high or low water levels is something you’re unlikely to consider when planning your river cruise – until it happens to you.
Unlike ocean cruising, river cruising is all about narrow margins. Low bridges make the air draft of a ship – how much of it sticks out of the water – critically important. Most river cruise ships have collapsible upper deck railings, removable furniture, and even navigation bridges that lower completely into the floor.
Being aware of water levels for river cruises in Europe can greatly enhance your travel experience.
Understanding water levels for river cruises in Europe is vital for ensuring a smooth and enjoyable journey.
Monitoring water levels for river cruises in Europe is essential for a trouble-free adventure.
What’s under the keel – or hull – of your river cruise ship also makes a difference. In some cases, there can be less than a foot of water under the keel. River cruise ships have incredibly shallow drafts to begin with, and river cruise operators construct their ships as efficiently as possible. They’re the high-performance sports cars of the cruising world.
Understanding Water Levels for River Cruises in Europe
Understanding the significance of water levels for river cruises in Europe can help travelers make informed decisions.
Unfortunately, low water and high water conditions can exist – and they can throw a real wrench into an otherwise flawless cruise.
For current updates from river cruisers currently on the rivers (or from those who have returned recently) be sure to see the comments at the bottom of this post.
In fact, keeping an eye on water levels for river cruises in Europe could save your trip.
The Rhine is perhaps the most dependable river when it comes to being able to continue navigation due to low water. I felt the boat scraping the bottom of the Rhine in Rudesheim in November of 2015, but we made it past. See Is AmaWaterways The Champion Of Low Water?
Water levels are unpredictable. In many cases, the cruise line may only find out on your actual sailing, or a few days beforehand, that a particular stretch of water isn’t navigable.
See related article: Low Water Levels Continue To Affect River Cruises; Plus Why This Happens In The First Place
Water levels aren’t uniform. That is to say, if there’s low water on the Danube, the entire Danube isn’t affected. In 2014, water levels were too low for many ships to pass between the German cities of Passau and Regensburg. In past years, the stretch heading across the Austria-Hungary border has been problematic.
History isn’t a good indicator of high or low water. In June of 2013, Passau was hit by the worst flooding – and the highest water levels – since the Middle Ages. In 2018, the Danube was so low that many cruise ships terminated their journeys in Passau.
What happens if high/low water levels affect my sailing? River cruise lines will typically attempt to keep your itinerary as operational as possible. Generally, when high/low water levels hit, three options are available to cruise lines:
- Continue the affected itinerary by having guests ‘swap ships’ – typically, being bussed from one town to the next, where you will embark a sister-ship or similar vessel to continue the rest of your journey. Read about our ship swap on Viking.
- Complete the itinerary as far as possible aboard your ship, and then transition to hotels (on the company’s expense) to complete the remainder of your itinerary.
- Outright cancellation. This is the rarest option, exercised when no other options are available.
I’m not sure if I should cancel my river cruise because of high/low water levels. What do I do?
Unless you have travel insurance that covers cancellation, do not cancel your river cruise over high/low water. Wait for the cruise line to either pull the plug or offer alternatives. If your sailing commences in a few weeks, cancelling your sailing will result in you losing all monies paid. If you wait for the cruise line to pull the plug, offers typically include the ability to switch to another sailing at no cost; the offer to complete your cruise as scheduled at a discount or rebate; or the offer to cancel with minimal or no penalties. Of course, such offers are determined by the cruise line, but typically favor the guest.
Curious as to what the current conditions on the rivers of Europe are? A reader has provided us with a map showing the water levels on rivers in Germany. From reader “Sabine” see this link: https://www.wetteronline.de/pegelstaende?gid=HES
We have found the Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde (BFG) to be helpful. The organization published maps like the one below and forecasts. Find BFG’s 14-day water levels forecasts here and the six-week forecasts here.
It’s advisable to check the latest updates regarding water levels for river cruises in Europe before you travel.
To see what our readers had to say about how their trips were impacted by low water levels, click here.
Additionally, understanding how different seasons affect water levels for river cruises in Europe will enhance your planning.
In summary, staying informed about water levels for river cruises in Europe is crucial for a rewarding travel experience.
Carol Ann – you are most welcome for any update I can give. I wish you a very fun and very safe trip
I think he told you a fib.
On Avalon Artistry II and we were Just informed tonight before dinner that we will have to disembark at Regensburg on Tuesday, September 24th, due to low water levels on the Danube and be bussed to hotels in Vienna and Budapest for the last 3 nights of our river cruise. At least we made it this far and are only missing 3 days of our cruise!
Kristine you may be lucky…looks like there is rain in the forecast early next week for Nuremberg, Regensburg and Passau…but too late for us. I am no expert in water levels but I think I recall someone posting earlier that they were told it can change significantly (like several metres) in 24 hours. Regardless we are having a wonderful time and Viking treats you very well so I hope you enjoy your trip as well!
We did the Crystal Mahler from Budapest to Amsterdam finishIng on the 9th. Made it through Pfelling then by inches. Just checked Vesselfinder.com. The Mahler just turns around and does the reverse trip every 17 days. It is headed back now and has been in Straubing for 4 days. Should be in Vienna by now. Crystal has no boats to swap with, so I am assuming they are busing folks to Melk, Vienna and Budapest also. It needs to be in Budapest by Thursday to pick up its next set of passengers and head north again. We got stuck in same situation on their Debussy last October going down the Rhine. We were able to divert down the Mosel at Koblenz, and it was still a wonderful trip. They do a great job in difficult situations, but this is not the trip you dreamed of.
We are on Avalon cruise from Nuremberg to Budapest right now (September 22, 2019) and can’t get past Regensburg because low water levels. We’ll be bussed to Vienna and Budapest. Quite disappointed because ship is very nice. Supposed to rain on Monday, so may have enough water for your parents. Good luck!
We are departing Amsterdam on the same trip on Sunday, Sept. 29. Is there hope of improvement in the water level? How quickly does it change? Any insights are welcome! We are so looking forward to our trip. Hope that you are having a good time!
We are currently on Viking’s Grand European cruise aboard the Skirnir. We left Amsterdam on September 16th due to arrive in Budapest on September 30th and we will be doing a ship swap to the Modi when we get to Nuremberg on Monday. Apparently the water levels are too low between Passau and Nuremberg (ships can’t get to Regensburg). They will bus us from Nuremberg to Passau after our Nuremberg excursion on Monday. Then they will bus us Tuesday from Passau to the excursion in Regensburg, so we will be overnight in Passau for two nights. Viking usually does an excellent job handling ship swaps so not worried at all. After all, water levels are completely out of their control!
Hi there, thanks for the info, we’re on the Viking cruise Budapest to Nuremberg next week, see that rain is in the forecast…hope it will be enough! See in thes posts that it doesn’t look too promising … can only hope it will work out 🙁 .
Any new updates???
Thanks for the update.
Thanks for the update.
Tito – we left Budapest and are in Passau right now. We cannot go farther because the water level is too low. We’re going to be bused to Regensberg tomorrow. Your parents trip won’t be canceled- they’ll be bused too.
John – which cruise line did this to your trip?
Kathy – our ship draws about 5 1/2 feet according to the cruise director. I imagine some ships might have a more shallow draft that would allow them passage with low water levels, perhaps.
We are on Monarch Princess with Gate One.
We are in Passau and can not continue farther. Our starting point was Budapest.
Had clients on the Elbe for Oct 1 embarkation date and received the notice of the low water levels. They chose to cancel and Viking advised they would receive a Full refund including all air (booked w Viking) and insurance costs.
Dennis I find it hard to fathom(haha) that the cruise line would refund money they didn’t receive like flight expenses and insurance costs?! You have insurance to pay those and you never get insurance costs back-I’m puzzled by your comment?
Do you work for them?
Can we please have any update you can give us? Which Scenic river boat are you on?
Kathy M, my parents are also sailing from Nuremberg, destination Budapest. Might be the same ship as yous. They arrive in Prague on 9/25 and sail out of Nuremberg I think 4 days later. They also have not recieved any word on low water levels from Avalon.
Also hoping British airways resolves their strike with the pilots and we don’t have any issues with our flights. We are flying on American outbound, but British airways from Heathrow-Prague and both flights from Berlin to home (Arizona) are on BA.
Hi Walt-
We are still planning on making the trip even if “boatel”. We will definitely miss cruising. We are also doing the Berlin extension at the end. I keep watching the weather in the area and as of now it only is showing some showers in the next few weeks. I’m guessing they will need several days of heavy rain to sail.
We are just completing Nuremberg to Budapest. We left Nuremberg on Sept 13 – Viking Romantic Danube. We had to swap ships because of low water between Regensburg and Passau. we went by bus to our second ship – about 4hours including one rest stop. It put us about 1/2 day behind schedule and we missed 1 morning excursion. Viking did a good job managing the ship swap and got reservations for lunch for everyone. Overall not a big deal.
Wish I could help Paul. I know little about the train. The Douro is wonderful, though.
Hi Barbara,
You are correct. The water levels will not change. We are on the 9/24 Elbe Viking cruise. We also tried to negotiate with Viking to switch to another cruise. Their strategy is to let us know within 2 weeks of our date so we are less likely to cancel. We knew the Elbe ships have not moved since June. We were monitoring ship locations & water levels since then. We are very disappointed they would not be more flexible with us. We just decided to go because our friends are already in France & joining us in Berlin. I have looked at the revised itinerary & the bus trips are minimal & short. We will be on one ship for 2 nights in Wittenberg & then 3 nights on the other ship in Dresden.
Hi Lynda. We also sail from Nuremburg on the 29th. We haven’t received anything from our sailing co. Avalon. Hoping things improve before we embark. Good luck!
Who are you sailing with Gail? Are these only Viking ships that are unable to continue? We sail with Avalon on the 29th. Hoping the water levels increase!!
Too low for our ship to go beyond Passau so we will be bused
We are currently in Linz and have been informed that we will not be able to get farther than Passau due to low water levels
How were the water levels
We received an email from Viking last night indicating possible low water on Danube
We go from Budapest to Nuremberg Sept 26 is departure date from Budapest
Any info appreciated
On the Viking Vili approaching Bamberg. We were informed last night of a ship swap tomorrow on the way to Budapest. Should get another ship at Passau. Time to pack!
Yes.
We are scheduled the Viking Cruise departing Nuremberg on September 29 to Budapest. Have received an email from Viking about plans in case of low water levels. How is the river this week? Thanks.
We are on Travel Marvel Sapphire from Budapest to Amsterdam and stuck in Passau for now. We will miss Regensburg and see Passau instead. Not sure about future plans yet. Not meant to rain for half a week yet :/
Walt, Yes they refunded everything to the penny, trip, flight, insurance.Dennis
Debbie,
I look forward to meeting you…..we are in a group of 6 friends who met on a Viking River Cruise 4 years ago and have cruised together ever since….
Did they refund the cost of the flights as well?
hello – I have just read your review of the Douro cruise – my partner and I are due to sail with Emerald Waterways next August and are starting the trip with three days in Lisbon.
I believe that the operator coach guests who opt to take the extended 3 days in Lisbon but we are keen to travel by train. Do you have any tips or advice about the best way to do this – do we need to book train tickets way in advance, travel time and access at Porto to the dock.
any other feedback about the cruise would be very helpful too.
many thanks
PAul
Hi Pj we will be in Nuremberg tomorrow and after our tour bussed to Passau to get on the Embla. Please tell me it’s going to be repaired and waiting for us. We would have to make a swap now because there’s low water but were just told about the maintence issue with the Embla tonight. Everyone on the boat except for our party thought it was always a low water issue and I didn’t tell them any different. The Aegir has a wonderful crew. Enjoy the rest of your trip.
On the Scenic Pearl. Left Budapest on September 10 enroute to Amsterdam. We went through Passau, Regensberg and Nuremberg (September 14-16). We were the last ones to get through these areas. Viking, Scenic, etc are now in ship swap basis. We are on the way to Wurzberg. There are dark clouds overhead but no rain in the forecast. We were very lucky to escape the ship swap.
Sue Ann J: Please give an update on your reboarding, to the Embla. We are scheduled to board Aegir tomorrow (Wednesday). The Embla had major maint replacing the generator.
Walt – We should be on the same cruise as you. Fingers crossed.
I am scheduled to leave on October 17 for the Berlin extension and called Viking about the water levels. Its their policy to make you wait until the last minute. I would like to reschedule another vacation but they don’t allow this. All this stress when Viking should do the right thing. I don’t believe the water levels will change in the next month. They posted an advisory on the website about the low water levels and still will not allow a change. The beautiful vacation cruising on the Elbe will never happen and Viking knows this. If anyone hears anything on this cruise please let me know.
Have you been notified from Viking yet?
4 of us just returned Sept 16 on Amawaterways Amavida sailing the Douro River in Portugal– Porto to Vega de Terron with transfer to Madrid. Water level was fine & ships are smaller on this river. When I asked, he said on this particular river they have more issues with HIGH water as some of the bridges are very, very low. We witnessed this as we passed on near the end of the trip and it was Sept! I was a bit afraid of hot weather, but we lucked out and after Lisbon, weather was great – no rain even – ( Sailing was Sept 3-10)
We loved this itinerary–a smaller , narrower river than out Rhine Cruise on the AmaKristina and just beautiful steep vineyards almost the entire cruise. Portuguese people on shore are super friendly and good values in this country. We did our own overnight in Lisbon for 3 nights and loved the steep cobblestone streets and day trip to Fatima. Took train from Lisbon to Porto to board ship. We also loved Madrid and did that on our own with train to Barcelona after.
Our 2nd time the 4 of us sailed with AMAwaterways and we really enjoyed the experiences.
If you are looking for a different river- Consider the Douro. .
Hi. We just completed our cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest IT WAS FABULOUS! Water levels were perfect! No water level problems AT ALL
Linda, we are sailing from Budapest to Amsterdam. Arriving Amsterdam on 24th Sept….
Sept 20 2019 sail from Nuremberg to Budapest on Scenic cruise lines was modified on Sept 16 when we arrived in Prague – we were told water is too low between Passau and Nuremberg so ship will stay docked in Passau for 4 days while we do bis trips to Nuremberg, Regensburg and Passau. Hopeful to sail the balance to end in Budapest.
Our itinerary is Budapest to Amsterdam beginning on Sept 25. Danube to Main to Rhine Rivers is the plan. Is this your itinerary?
We are on the Aegir and will be changing to the Embla on Wed the 18th. We know we are transferring for mechanical reasons but we have not been told that by Viking. People we talk to believe it is low water levels. We’re not telling them any different as I know they wouldn’t be happy. I’m sure you will enjoy our crew on Aegir and we also have an awesome cooking staff ! Hope the maintenance on Embla goes well and there are no complications or delays! Hope you have a good final week!