Porto, Portugal, as seen from the Douro River. Photo \u00a9 2014 Aaron Saunders<\/p><\/div>\n
Chances are good that your Douro river cruise will proceed exactly as expected – but there are some things that are good to know about these water-related events, and what to do should one arise.<\/p>\n
History isn\u2019t a good indicator of high or low water<\/b>. Just because one year was affected by abnormally-heavy rainfall doesn\u2019t mean the following one will be identical. Don\u2019t let people (or past reviews) put you off unnecessarily.<\/p>\n
What happens if high\/low water levels affect my sailing<\/b>? River cruise lines will typically attempt to keep your itinerary as operational as possible. Generally, when high\/low water levels hit the Douro, three options are available to cruise lines:<\/p>\n\n- Continue the affected itinerary by having guests \u2018swap ships\u2019 \u2013 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. On the Douro, this option is really only open to companies like CroisiEurope and Viking River Cruises that operate more than one vessel in the region.<\/li>\n
- If things are bad enough (like during the once-in-a-century flooding that occurred along the Danube in 2013), your river cruise might turn into a bus trip as the cruise line attempts to do its best to hit all the major sights and attractions along the way. This usually involves putting guests up in hotels \u2013 on the cruise line\u2019s dime \u2013 and arranging for coach transportation and guides that weren\u2019t originally needed. It\u2019s a huge logistical nightmare, and one that is guaranteed to displease some. We can sympathize; after all, if we liked coach tours, we\u2019d call our site Bus Tour Advisor<\/i>. On the plus side: you\u2019re still in Europe, and can still enjoy nearly all the fantastic things you would have on the river cruise, at no additional cost to you.<\/li>\n
- Outright cancellation. This is the rarest option, exercised when no other alternatives are available.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Other Factors<\/b><\/h2>\n
One of the less-mentioned issues facing Douro river cruises is fire. Massive wildfires swept through the region during the summer of 2017, with columns of smoke choking skies and water bombers roaring overhead in an attempt to control the blaze. All this while temperatures soared past 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit). While the 2017 season was abnormally large, hot and dry summers create all the necessary conditions for potentially devastating wildfires.<\/p>\n
Going With the Flow<\/b><\/h2>\nScenic Azure on the Douro. Photo courtesy of Scenic.<\/p><\/div>\n
It sounds cheesy, but the best thing you can do should the unexpected arise is to go with the flow. Getting angry, yelling at staff or threatening the cruise line rarely fails to accomplish much, as the issue is almost entire out of their control. Consider this, too: this could have been one of several sailings that the crew has had to deal with so far this season. Unlike you, they don\u2019t get to leave – instead, they\u2019re treated to greeting busloads of unhappy guests week after week. Try to put yourself in their shoes as much as possible.<\/p>\n
We speak from experience. While we haven\u2019t been delayed or inconvenienced on the Douro (other than one very wet, damp mid-March sailing), but we have experienced both high and low water events on all stretches of the Danube, the Rhine, the Main, and even the Mekong, which was swollen to an unbelievable height during a cruise a few years back that resulted in messy disembarkations at every port of call.<\/p>\n
These events are inconvenient, but it is important to remember that they aren\u2019t all that likely to happen, and certainly not all the time. It\u2019s a bit like experiencing a flight delay at the airport: you can fly dozens of times successfully, but the one that was horrifically delayed or cancelled is the one that sticks out in most people\u2019s minds.<\/p>\n
The fact of the matter remains that the vast majority of Douro river cruises will be completed without a hitch. So don\u2019t stress about the \u2018what-if\u2019s; be excited about your amazing journey through the vineyards and history of Portugal. And remember: a nice glass of wine is never out of reach on this journey.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Whether a river has high or low water levels is something you\u2019re unlikely to consider when planning your river cruise. Unlike ocean cruises, river cruises operate in the margins. The depth of water underneath the keel, or bottom, of your ship can be less than a foot in many instances. Low bridges, power lines, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":27077,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[278,216,459,595,232,670,23],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33343"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33343"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33343\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27077"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33343"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}