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Low Water Levels Disrupt European River Cruises, a Favorite of U.S. Tourists

As the continent faces a severe drought, companies have had to use buses to transport passengers along parts of the Rhine and the Danube, where water levels have become too low for riverboats.

By Jenny Gross

• Aug. 29, 2022

Mark Farmer’s two-week river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest got off to a bad start. For the first four days, there were no luxurious dinners overlooking the Rhine River or views from the top-deck balcony room that he and his wife had booked.

In fact, there was no boat at all. He and the other 150 or so passengers were shuttled around the Netherlands and Germany on buses, queuing up in long lines for bathrooms at highway rest stops and cramming into small restaurants.

“We were not happy,” said Mr. Farmer, a sales manager for a waste and recycling company. He and his wife, who live in Arizona, had booked the August trip, which had cost $18,000 including business-class flights, to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary.

One of Europe’s worst droughts in decades has left the water level of parts of the Rhine and the Danube Rivers too low for ships to pass, paralyzing commerce and causing disruptions for companies that transport goods and commodities like oil and coal. The drought has also affected river cruises, forcing passengers to cope with last-minute changes to their itineraries, long bus rides and missed excursions.

River cruising is a multibillion-dollar industry, with 1.6 million travelers, many of whom were over the age of 55, cruising European rivers in 2018, a number that had nearly doubled from 2013, according to Statista , a provider of market and consumer data. Cruise Lines International Association, a trade group, said the largest group of passengers come from North America.

Nearly 65 percent of European Union territory is currently under some degree of drought warning, according to the European Drought Observatory , which aims to improve drought resilience. Droughts are likely to become more frequent, researchers say, even as hurricanes and other large storms bring flooding to other places around the globe. Climate change from the burning of fossil fuels and other human behavior can play out differently, according to scientists, but the common theme is that extreme weather is becoming more frequent and intense.

Rudi Schreiner, the president and co-owner of AmaWaterways, a river cruise company with a fleet of 26 ships, said that when water levels in the Lower Rhine are too low, cruise passengers are taken on an excursion to a nearby town by bus and then brought back to a spot on the river where water levels are higher. For each day that the cruise itinerary differs from what was scheduled, a passenger receives a voucher for 15 percent off the next seven-night cruise, he said.

Rainfall in Germany last week has provided relief, but the reprieve may be temporary. “The question is how long it will last,” Mr. Schreiner said. AmaWaterways is looking for new technologies to lower the draft of its ships so they can pass through shallower waters. “I don’t see any death of river cruising ,” he said. “I see adjustments.”

Even ships that are able to pass through the Rhine have had to reduce the capacity of their loads, since heavy cargo weighs down ships and causes difficulties in shallow waters.

For Mr. Farmer, the last straw came on day three of his trip, when Viking, the operator, arranged for the guests to stay in a hotel that Mr. Farmer described as subpar, with a man in a building next to the hotel staring into their room when he and his wife walked in.

“That night, my wife and I had had enough. I wanted to go home,” he said. But after two hours on hold with customer service, it became apparent that Viking wouldn’t be giving him a refund. So, he said, he and his wife decided they would change their attitudes. They boarded the ship the next day, and the trip improved significantly.

Viking, which offers trips in Europe, said the circumstances that affected that trip were “highly unusual,” with the Rhine and the Danube Rivers experiencing historically low levels. “We recognized that this was not the experience that our guests expected, which is why we provided all guests with a 15 percent credit toward their next Viking voyage, in the form of a voucher good for one year,” a spokesman said. Customer ratings during the dry period have been “highly satisfactory,” he added.

The company also said in a statement last week that the vast majority of its trips faced no interruptions, even though water levels on the Danube remained unusually low. “Our nautical team is continually monitoring the situation,” the company said. “Guests and their travel advisers will continue to be notified directly by Viking customer relations if we think that their itinerary might be impacted.”

Another passenger on a different Viking cruise this month, Scott Myers, said he and his wife loved their trip, despite viewing one of the most picturesque stretches of the Rhine from a bus.

“It wasn’t as good as if you were sitting on top of the boat as you were floating through, but we were still able to see all the castles,” said Mr. Myers, the director of a county park district in Troy, Ohio. He and his wife were able to spend all but one day of their trip on the cruise they had originally booked. That one day on land involved six or seven hours on a bus, traveling from Cologne, Germany, to Strasbourg, France, with stops, he said.

The pace of climate change has affected other aspects of summer tourism in Europe. With heat waves expected to intensify because of global warming, it is expected that travelers will shift their summer itineraries to destinations further north or on the coasts from destinations like Rome or Tuscany, according to travel agents.

Ellen Bettridge, the president and chief executive of Uniworld, a river cruise company, said that in response to the changing weather in Europe, the company last year expanded into luxury train travel, with itineraries that include both cruise and rail components.

“While we cannot predict future weather changes, we are preparing for it,” she said in a statement. “Our longstanding history and unparalleled relationships within the travel industry have allowed us to be flexible in creating alternate itineraries.” She said most trips had been unaffected, and that the company has had to cancel 7 percent of its cruises.

Lisa Wheeler-Pollington, who had booked a cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest with her husband, said low water levels in the Rhine caused Uniworld to cancel their trip nine days before they were scheduled to depart for Europe.

“My heart just fell,” said Ms. Wheeler-Pollington, a retired real estate worker, who lives in Sarasota, Fla. She and her husband could not reschedule because they had already arranged care for their two Labradors, Cruiser and Scooby-Doo, and contractors were scheduled to do repair work at the house. So Ms. Wheeler-Pollington and her husband accepted a refund and made their way from Amsterdam to Budapest by rail.

It ended up being the best trip of their lives. “Sometimes the unexpected is a lot more fun than things you’ve planned for a year,” she said.

Mr. Farmer, the sales manager from Arizona, said he wished that he and his wife had been offered a refund. On the second-to-last day of their trip, the cruise had to dock in a town far outside Budapest because of shallow waters in the Danube. Passengers then were back on the bus for a 90-minute drive to the city, he said.

The group toured the city by bus and then drove back to the boat for their final night, before waking up at 3 a.m. to get back on the bus to the Budapest airport for their departing flights.

Mr. Farmer and his wife received a $500 voucher each toward their next Viking cruise, but he said he was not rushing back for another river cruise any time soon. “I literally saw Budapest through a bus window.”

Jenny Gross is a general assignment reporter. Before joining The Times, she covered British politics for the The Wall Street Journal. More about Jenny Gross

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Viking Announces July Return for European River Cruises

All passengers are required to be vaccinated.

Viking is bringing back river cruises to Europe in July.

The cruise line announced the return of select itineraries in Portugal, France and along the Rhine as part of its "Welcome Back" collection of trips, on Wednesday, for vaccinated passengers.

The cruises available are some of Viking's most popular including an eight-day cruise from Amsterdam to Basel, a 10-day voyage from Lisbon to Porto, and multiple journeys in France ranging from 8 to 15 days.

"The response to our initial Welcome Back ocean voyages has been overwhelmingly positive," Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking, said in a press release this week. "It is clear that many people are eager to get back out into the world, and I would like to thank all of our destination partners for their support as we plan our return to service."

Viking's announcement comes immediately after the European Union announced that borders would reopen to vaccinated travelers , including those from the U.S.

Viking has already relaunched some of its ocean itineraries. The cruise line's newest ship, "Viking Venus," was named this week and is currently on its maiden voyage along the coast of England. Other itineraries in Iceland, Bermuda and the Mediterranean will launch in the coming weeks.

The cruise line plans to announce more itineraries in more destinations, "with the goal of announcing further 2021 sailings as soon as possible."

All Viking cruises adhere to new COVID-19 policies , which require all passengers and crew to be fully vaccinated before boarding. Guests will also undergo saliva PCR testing during boarding and "frequent" testing throughout their journeys.

Cailey Rizzo is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure, currently based in Brooklyn. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram , or at caileyrizzo.com .

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Jerusalem extensions for pharaohs & pyramids – as of january 11, 2024.

We continue to closely monitor the situation in Israel and Gaza and have cancelled a select number of Jerusalem extensions for our Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary. All of our departures in Egypt are operating as scheduled. Our top priority is the safety and wellbeing of our guests, crew and partners on the ground; should additional extension cancellations become necessary, impacted guests and their Travel Advisors will be contacted directly by Viking Customer Relations.

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Europe's Drought: Will It End River Cruises?

(CNN) -- Just when you thought it was safe to get back in the pandemic-snarled water, Europe is having another cataclysmic summer. This time, it's not pandemic red tape, but what looks set to be the continent's worst drought in history. Around  63 percent of the land across the EU  and UK had either drought warnings or alerts, according to the EU's European Drought Observatory last week -- and that figure was issued before the  UK declared a drought  in eight out of 14 areas. New alerts are pouring in every day.

While the landscape is tinder-dry, water levels are plummeting. Rivers and lakes are drying up -- and as well that having devastating effects on trade and industry, it's also hitting a sector that was already on its knees thanks to the pandemic: tourism. Worse, experts say that this is a worrying sign of things to come.

Drama on the Rhine

The 766-mile Rhine is one of Europe's most important trade routes, with container ships plying their way around its looping bends.

It's also a classic cruise itinerary. But now some of those waterway dreams seem set to run aground.

On Saturday, the water level at the German town of Kaub -- a critical juncture -- slipped to just 36 centimeters, or 14 inches, according to  official figures . That's devastatingly low -- at 40 centimeters, commercial shipping becomes unprofitable.

None of this is news, says Clare Weeden, principal lecturer in tourism and marketing at the University of Brighton.

"Anybody who operates river cruise boats would have had an understanding of this because of the way the climate has changed in the last 20 years," she says, adding that low levels on the Rhine and Danube have seen incidents of passengers being bussed from one destination to another for the past five or six years. But while the cruise companies may have foreseen this, clients haven't.

"River cruising is becoming much more popular, particularly for active people," she says.

"You dock early, spend all day enjoying a city, then go back to the boat at the end of the day and sail on. It's much quieter [than mass cruising]. But drought and climate change has coincided with the increase in river cruising."

But she warns that, with the climate crisis, Europe's traditional river cruising is "definitely going to suffer" and predicts "the industry is likely to reset as a result."

A booming business -- for now

Helen Prochilo of cruise specialist  Promal Vacations  calls European river cruising "the hottest thing we are selling this year."

A little too hot: Although none of her clients have been affected yet, she says that among her fellow agents, one had a client's cruise canceled this week, and another had their itinerary adjusted. River cruise alterations tend to be very last-minute, because they depend on water levels and rain.

Prochilo says that many river cruise boats are specifically built with flatter hulls to deal with low water levels. If in difficulty, those with swimming pools on board can empty them. Railings, furniture and even the captain's bridge are designed to be lowered, while passing under bridges in high water, adds Rob Clabbers, president of  Q Cruise + Travel , a Virtuoso member agency in Chicago.

Not that that prevents problems. In 2017, Prochilo booked a Rhine sailing herself with Emerald, only to find "very low levels" of water.

"The ship emptied the pool to lighten the load and we could actually feel the ship tapping the bottom of the river," she says.

"We never saw the captain after the first night. He stayed on the bridge to ensure the ship was carefully handled."

Others weren't so lucky. Prochilo says that they floated past another cruise line offloading their passengers onto buses.

"The ship build and experience of the captains is very important when the weather is like this," she says. And she's not taking any chances -- watching the water levels drop on the Rhine over the past month has made her advise would-be bookers to wait till next year.

"I'm also advising them to cruise earlier in the season as the river levels don't seem to be a problem if traveling in May or June versus July or August," she says.

For those who've already booked, she makes regular calls to the river cruise lines checking the conditions.

Those conditions are pretty devastating -- levels are "exceptionally low" in some areas, German officials  told CNN  on Friday.

In fact, Weeden believes that Rhine cruises "will be a thing of the past" before too long.

So what will happen this year? CLIA, which represents cruise operators, says:

"River cruise operators ... are monitoring the situation and responding appropriately in liaison with the relevant authorities.

"The safety of guests and crew will be central to any decisions relating to itineraries. Where any changes are planned, operators are working hard to minimize any disruption."

River cruise specialist  Riviera Travel  said in a statement: "We have seen minimal disruption so far as we have put measures in place, such as ship swaps and minor itinerary changes, to ensure guests can still make the most of their cruises." A ship might leave a destination a couple of hours early, for example.

Viking Cruises' website  states that "low water levels will affect select river itineraries." Impacted travelers will be contacted by the cruise line.

To mitigate issues, Viking runs sister ships sailing the same itinerary, but in opposite directions. If there's a problem on one side of the river, guests can transfer to the other ship.

Clabbers says that "many lines" do this. "If low (or high) water prevents passage at a certain point, the line simply moves the downstream sailing passengers (and their luggage) to the upstream ship and vice versa. The ships turn back to their point of origin with their 'new' passengers who simply continue their journey without too much interruption."

And if all else fails, they use the boat as a hotel, and bus travelers to their destinations each day. It may not be as romantic, but it's effective.

"The distances traveled by river cruise are not very long, so sometimes passengers will even get to see more as buses travel faster," says Clabbers, from personal experience.

"On a Uniworld cruise a few years ago, high water kept the ship in Vienna for three days, and the company did a fantastic job in setting up additional tours that showed us sights that were not included in our original schedule."

Got a Rhine cruise booked for this year? Don't cancel, he says -- you may be penalized. Just try to go with the flow. But if you haven't yet booked, and want to travel this year, he suggests looking at alternatives like the Seine or the Douro.

No river unscathed

Not that they're much better. The picture is bleak for all Europe's rivers.

In France, some parts of the famous Loire river have  dried up almost completely . Some  canals have also been closed . "I think canals are a no-go," says Weeden, about the future.

In the UK, the source of the Thames has  moved five miles downriver  for the first time in history.

And of course there's the Danube. The situation on Europe's other prime tourism river is looking blue, too.  Emergency dredging  is currently taking place on the lower river, in Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria.

Although there are "no problems" on the Austrian stretch, authorities told CNN last Friday, the situation in Hungary -- perhaps the most famous part of the Danube -- is more concerning.

The drought is already devastating for trade -- an average 1,600-tonne vessel can now only navigate the river without any cargo, according to the Hungary Tourist Board. So far, the situation for tourist boats is holding out. The  Mahart Passnave Passenger Shipping Ltd. , which runs river cruises, is still operating all the way along the Danube, although some stations are closed north of Budapest. Between Szentendre and Visegràd, around 15 miles north of the capital, the river takes a major loop. "Some stations [there] have been closed for about a month, as ships cannot moor due to the low water level," says a representative of the Hungary Tourist Board.

But not all companies are managing to navigate the river -- and not all of those are having as good an experience of bussing as Clabbers did.

"I had travelers whose ship couldn't make it to Budapest -- they had to board their ship in Komarno" -- about an hour away in Slovakia -- says tour guide  Julia Kravianszky .

"Travelers flew to Budapest, from where they were taken to Komarno by bus, and they were bussed back to Budapest the next day for their city tour, only to return to the ship by bus after the tour."

Things are already looking different in Budapest, perhaps the most beautiful city along the river.

"The Danube is visibly lower at the moment, it's been really low for two or three weeks now," says Kravianszky.

"Margaret Island looks bigger, because all the rocks at the bottom of the river are visible now. Some parts of the old Margaret Bridge destroyed in World War II are visible now, too."

But don't cancel your trip just yet. The river still "looks large and majestic -- it doesn't really give the image of a dried-up river," she says. For now, it's the locals who can tell the difference.

In Italy, the Po is unnavigable in parts.

'If it's like this next year, I'll retire'

And then there's Italy, where the Po River is at historic lows, and has close to disappeared in places. It's disastrous news for the entire country -- and has also put an end to tourism on parts of the river this summer.

For the past 20 years,  Stefano Barborini  has rented boats and taken visitors out on his stretch of the Po, near Parma. This year, he hasn't been able to manage even a single outing.

"I've been on the Po for 40 years, and this has never happened before," he says. "We've had droughts before, but this low -- never. There's been erosion of the bottom so the river has actually got deeper. Usually it's navigable year-round."

This year, he says, "It started very early -- there was no rain and everything dried up."

His small boats usually dart all over the river, and up close to the beaches, to see things -- Barborini usually points out medieval remains, and has found things like buffalo bones and even mammoth teeth, he says, while out on excursions.

He normally rents boats to fishermen but, he asks, "Where would they go to fish?" Anyone using a boat in the Po needs to be extremely experienced right now -- even professional fishermen are not able to navigate, he says.

Barborini has 30-odd excursions lined up for September. By then, he hopes that the water levels will be higher. Even then, it could be difficult to load and unload passengers, as they'll have to navigate steep walks on and off the boat.

"If it's the same next year, I'll retire," he says.

Dried-up lakes

It's not just rivers. Italy's largest lake, Garda, is  nearing its lowest ever levels , adding a stretch of land around the peninsula of Sirmione, which famously ends with some impressive Roman ruins -- or did, until now.

And parts of Lake Tisza, Hungary's largest artificial lake, are no longer accessible by boat, according to Kravianszky. "In Abadki [a popular rental spot] the water level is 50 centimeters [20 inches] lower than the minimum required," she says.

"They stopped renting out boats, and many owners were forced to remove their boats from the water. The Tisza lake cross-swimming event scheduled for the 13th of August was canceled."

Tisza borders the Hortobágy National Park, a landscape of plains and wetlands, that has UNESCO World Heritage status. Animals have been brought here to graze for around 2,000 years.

"It's one of [Hungary's] defining characteristics... it's heartbreaking to see how it slowly dries up, how the birds have started avoiding the area or nesting less around the National Park," says Kravianszky.

From drought to flash floods

The other side of drought is flash flooding -- something that has hit the US in the past few weeks, with Yellowstone suffering a  once-in-500-years incident  in June, and  two people being killed  in Las Vegas last week.

Barborini says that he's worried for the Po this fall. "Two years ago the water levels were high in January and February, because when the snow fell on the Alps it immediately warmed and came down in levels that weren't normal," he says.

"The climate has changed a lot in the past five or six years."

An uncertain future

"Travel has a front row seat as climate change unfolds in the destinations we visit and, if this becomes a standard summer, it will massively impact our industry. Unless urgent action is taken on climate change, the reality is that extreme weather is going to have an impact on the destinations and communities we visit."

That's the opinion of Susanne Etti, environmental impact manager at  Intrepid Travel , who calls this summer "a wake-up call for the entire sector." She's not alone.

"The places where we can ski have shrunk -- the same will be true for river cruising in 20 years. There won't even be (environmentally damaging) snow cannons to help out," says Justin Francis, CEO of  Responsible Travel .

Weeden thinks that as Rhine tourism dries up, river cruising companies will look elsewhere. "Ships are mobile, companies are not loyal to destinations. They will move and find new areas for river cruises beyond the traditional European ones," she says. They'll also look beyond rivers. Market leader Viking, she says has been "heavily investing in ocean cruising these past few years."

This year, she says, has shown us that "climate change isn't just about heat, but also about water.

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Will the drought in Europe affect your river cruise vacation?

Experts are saying that the current drought in Europe could be the worst in 500 years, with water levels dropping, especially along the Rhine River. If have a river cruise planned for the end of the summer or the fall, should you be concerned?

Not at all, according to Rudi Schreiner, president and co-founder AmaWaterways — as long as you're willing to be a little bit flexible.

Here's what you need to know about water levels on Europe rivers and what to expect if you're booked on a river cruise or considering booking one.

For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

Cargo ships have it worse because of draft

The dire news you're reading about low water levels in Europe now, especially along the Rhine River, mostly concerns the cargo shipping industry in Europe.

"The Rhine River is the main artery for German and Swiss transportation and also French," said Schreiner. If water levels are low, cargo ships cannot carry their normal loads of freight.

That's because the weight of the cargo such vessels carry affects their draft (the distance between the ship's bottom and the water line). A weighted-down ship sinks lower in the water and therefore needs more distance from the water line to the river bottom to sail safely without scraping the riverbed.

If ships have to lighten their loads to cross shallow water, fewer goods can be transported at once. Companies will need more ships to carry the same amount of cargo, increasing transportation costs — all of which have a negative impact on the European economy.

Schreiner says that the last time Europe experienced extremely low water levels, in 2018, the economic impact was around 5.4 million euros ($5.4 million). You can see why people are worried.

However, the same problems do not affect river cruise ships.

"Our ships have a very low draft…about five feet," he explained. "We also carry about 500 tons of water, that is ballast and fresh water for the guests."

In the case of low water, the crew can dump the ballast water and reduce the freshwater to 60 tons (two days' worth), and just refill as needed. The low draft and the adjustability of the ballast allow the ships to navigate through sections of the river where the water levels are not very deep.

Low water is only a problem at critical junctions, not along the entire river

Another point that travelers should understand is that when the news reports low water levels, it's not that an entire river has dried up and is impassable.

"There are critical points, like the one on the Rhine River, right in the Rhine Gorge," Schreiner explained. "There is rock on the bottom; there's also this little house in the middle of the river. The area is protected and that's where you have the low water issues. You could tear down the house and build a dam there, but that is not what is going to happen."

Where the European rivers have locks and dams to control water levels, ships can still sail problem-free. Another section of river that can be negatively affected by low water levels is the Danube, past the last lock in Slovakia heading downriver toward Hungary. If water levels fall, riverboats can have trouble sailing all the way to Budapest.

Because these problem spots are well known, river cruise lines can find ways to mitigate the issues with savvy itinerary planning.

Related: Best river cruises in Europe

River cruise lines plan itineraries with water levels in mind

The river cruise lines will tell you that low water levels are rare, and that few sailings are altered due to water levels – but the truth is the risk is always present. Any time there's a heat wave in Europe, especially if coupled with lighter-than-average spring snow melt or rainfall, you can end up with low water in certain parts of Europe.

The cruise lines plan their itineraries to mitigate this risk.

One thing Amawaterways and many other river lines do is run two ships simultaneously on the same one-way itinerary, with one ship starting at one end and the other on the opposite end.

Schreiner gives an example of two identical sister ships, AmaLucia and AmaSiena, that both sail the Rhine.

"We have one ship starting in Amsterdam and one ship starting in Basel…If they cannot pass Kaub [the critically low water point on the Rhine], then [the passengers] all disembark on either side," he explained. "They disembark in the morning, they go on the shore excursion, and they come back on the other side on the sister ship. In the same cabin. Their luggage has been moved over automatically so by the time they arrive on the ship they have their luggage, and then they sail on the other ship back to the destination."

Other than the hassle of packing up in the middle of the cruise, travelers still get the full Rhine experience they paid for.

If the water issues are closer to the beginning or end of an itinerary, cruisers may have to spend a few days in hotels or bussing to destinations rather than sailing there. In some cases, an itinerary may be adjusted with certain destinations dropped and new ones added. Only in very rare circumstances are the sailings canceled outright.

"We will not cancel any cruises," said Shreiner. Instead, in the most extreme cases, AmaWaterways will create a new itinerary.

Not every river cruise line takes the same stance.

"We've canceled one cruise on the Danube and have made a few mostly minor alterations to a small handful of cruises on the Rhine," a Tauck spokesman told TPG when asked about this year's cruises. "Like other river cruise lines, we've dealt successfully with low-water situations in the past, and we have a variety of strategies that we can deploy as necessary. Unlike other river cruise lines, however, we're very fortunate that we also operate numerous land tours throughout the region, so we have a fantastic network of local supplier-partners that we can leverage as necessary should alternate arrangements become necessary."

The situation changes day by day

Water levels are unpredictable and can vary day by day, depending on what the weather brings.

"We've been cruising since March with no issues" until August, said Schreiner. "We have a very good rain forecast for this Thursday/Friday, and fairly heavy rains coming, so [the situation] might change."

However, as everyone knows, predicting the weather is not an exact science. This is why most lines are not offering flexible cancellation policies or waiving penalties for canceling a river cruise because they're worried their itinerary will get disrupted due to low water levels.

"If you want to cancel a cruise right now in October because of low water, I will tell you, 'Sorry, we don't know if there's low water in October,'" said Schreiner. "You don't know a week or 10 days in advance what will happen with the water levels. They can go up, they can go down, rain can come in."

Ships might be able to pass through a tricky spot, like Kaub, today but not tomorrow, or can't this week but can next week. Some years, low water levels caused disruptions as early as June and some years as late as October. Just as with ocean sailings, there's always a risk that weather and river/sea conditions can impact that itinerary, and cruisers must accept that itineraries cannot be set in stone.

If you book a river cruise, you acknowledge that you might not get the exact itinerary you signed up for.

Related: Booking your first river cruise? Here's what you need to know.

You will be reimbursed

Most river cruise lines do not allow guests to cancel pre-cruise without penalty except for in the most extreme circumstances. However, you won't be entirely out of luck if your itinerary changes once you arrive at your ship.

For every day that is altered, AmaWaterways guests will get 50% of the daily rate they paid as a future cruise credit. If the whole itinerary is changed, you'll get to sail the new itinerary and receive a 100% future cruise credit to book another cruise. Tauck says it deals with compensation on a case-by-case basis.

Should your cruise be canceled, the cruise line will also offer compensation. "While we may have to make changes to some of our itineraries and have had to cancel a few voyages, impacted guests and travel partners have and will receive transparent updates and the opportunity to re-book onto another sailing," shared Ellen Bettridge, president and CEO of Uniworld, in an email to TPG.

This is not the end of river cruising

A recent CNN article proclaimed that summer droughts like the current one, plus global warming, could signal a death knell for river cruises in the near future. Schreiner does not hold with that assertion because river cruise lines simply adjust their schedules year after year for optimal weather conditions.

"Look at the Mekong — you don't cruise in May, June, July and August because it's too hot. You don't cruise in Egypt in June/July because it's too hot. In Europe, we don't cruise in January, February and into early March because it's too cold," he explained. "Maybe 10 years from now we cruise the Danube and Rhine in January/February/March and we stop in the summertime because August is too hot and there are low water areas."

"We don't know what the future will bring," he continued. "But it's clear that river cruising is not going away anytime soon."

Bottom line

This year's summer drought in Europe could affect your upcoming river cruise, but it's highly unlikely your cruise will be canceled outright.

At best, you'll do a ship swap mid-cruise, a slight inconvenience that will allow you to follow your planned itinerary. Or, you might have a few port stops changed out for new ones, or spend more time than you prefer in busses or hotels, possibly with shorter visits to destinations that now require longer bus rides.

You will, however, still get a vacation in Europe, even if it's not the one you expected.

Schreiner's advice is simple: Just go. "You will be cruising, you will be enjoying," he said. "You might see some cities you might not have expected to see and you might miss some you wanted to see. In the end, you will have a fantastic vacation and you will get a future cruise credit according to what you miss."

He added: "It's better than canceling and sitting at home and not doing anything."

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Viking cancels ocean and river cruises through May 31

The premium travel company Viking Cruises announced it had cancelled scheduled departures through to May 31, 2021, noting that impacted clients and their travel advisors had been notified directly by the customer relations team of the company. The cancellations affect both Viking's OCEAN and RIVER fleets.

Viking claims to be the first passenger shipping company to temporarily suspend operations of its ocean and river cruises on March 11, 2020, when the health crisis began.

In a letter to customers, Viking Cruises said:

“In March 2020, when we suspended operations at the start of the pandemic, we did not expect that now, nearly a year later, our operations would still be suspended. “But, there is hope on the horizon. Given that COVID-19 vaccines are now being distributed around the world, we are optimistic.”

The company is offering affected clients a refund or a 125%, fully-transferable Future Cruise Voucher to use on future voyages.

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Updates on Current Sailings

Jerusalem extensions for pharaohs & pyramids – as of january 11, 2024.

We continue to closely monitor the situation in Israel and Gaza and have cancelled a select number of Jerusalem extensions for our Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary. All of our departures in Egypt are operating as scheduled. Our top priority is the safety and wellbeing of our guests, crew and partners on the ground; should additional extension cancellations become necessary, impacted guests and their Travel Advisors will be contacted directly by Viking Customer Relations.

For Further Assistance

If you have any questions or need further information please contact your Travel Agent if you booked through one, or Reservations at (AU) 138 747 (NZ) 0800 447 913 or email [email protected] , Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm. Please note, if you booked through a Travel Agent, you should contact them directly.

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Seriously Low Water Levels Are Disrupting European River Cruises

As rivers dry up during one of the worst droughts in recent european history, river cruise passengers should be prepared for last-minute itinerary changes..

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Europe is in the midst of one of its worst droughts in recent history—how will that affect summer cruising?

Photo by Shutterstock/Travelpixs

Earlier this month, I sailed on my first-ever river cruise along the Rhine, with an itinerary that had stops in the Netherlands, France, Germany, and Switzerland. I was looking forward to exploring the many museums of Amsterdam and wandering through the vineyard villages of Alsace. But as we embarked on our journey in the Netherlands one thing became a constant during the cruise: a thick white waterline along the embankment that followed the river all the way from Germany to Switzerland. It served as a grim reminder of where the water once was, and where it is now—depressingly low.

To ensure that we could continue without running aground, our ship sailed along slowly and carefully, since parts of the Rhine are notoriously challenging to navigate because of treacherous hidden rocks, especially with so little water. While I was still able to do and see the things I had hoped to along the way, ultimately, the entire cruise itinerary ended up being affected, and we had much less time than usual in ports due to the slower pace. My Rhine River sailing with AmaWaterways was one among many river cruises this summer feeling the effects of climate change that have led to extreme drought conditions and shockingly low water levels this summer in Europe.

Across the continent, a historic heat wave and an increasingly unstable Gulf stream —which usually brings wet weather and rain to Europe—have meant that many inland waterways have effectively been drying up, affecting both cruising and trade vessels. Serbian, Romanian, and Bulgarian authorities overseeing the Danube, one of the largest and most important cruising arteries in Europe, have already started conducting emergency dredging (the removal of sediments and debris) of that river to keep vessels moving. Italy’s longest river, the Po, is also struggling and has completely disappeared in some areas as northern Italy experiences one of the worst dry spells it’s seen in 70 years.

The Upper Middle Rhine Valley is famous for its scenic vineyard views and villages. It’s also known for being treacherous to navigate.

Photo by Shutterstock/Kanuman

The Rhine, which regularly sees cargo ships carrying wheat, petrol, steel, and coal traveling up and down the river, has also been seriously affected, with water levels dipping below 16 inches in some key navigational areas. Experts warn that the river could reach critically low levels that might affect trade and cruising in mere days, potentially halting it completely. And the European Commission’s Joint Research Center warned this week that drought conditions will worsen over the coming days. During normal weather conditions on the Rhine, about 2,100 gallons of water flow through any one point per second—the flow rate is now down to zero gallons in some places, according to the Associated Press .

Though European river cruising remains in full swing this season, passengers with upcoming sailings should be prepared for possible last-minute changes to itineraries and bookings—as well as cancellations if the situation continues to worsen and ships simply cannot sail for a time—since ships rely on real-time river conditions. During times of drought, being bused between ports in trouble spots is not uncommon, nor is doing what is referred to as a “ship swap,” when passengers on two separate vessels that cannot sail any further due to low water levels will disembark, get bused to another ship, and swap ships owned by the same river cruise line so that they can continue with their itinerary.

During my trip, passengers aboard the new AmaLucia still had a wonderful time and we managed to hit all the stops on our itinerary, but at a slower pace. However, be prepared for shorter excursion times and potential ship swaps. Since low water levels are a greater concern during late summer, consider booking a cruise in the spring or early summer months to be safe.

Associated Press contributed reporting.

What’s Next for River Cruising?

R iver cruising has become more popular than ever before, and with its rise in popularity and demand come some new developments in the river cruising world. 

From Botswana and Egypt to Colombia and the mighty Mississippi, river cruising is expanding rapidly across major rivers across the globe, thanks in large part to more adventurous, well-traveled travelers and well-known river cruise brands like AmaWaterways, Viking River Cruises and Avalon Waterways. 

There are three new developments happening in the world of river cruising: new rivers and destinations diversifying a subset of the cruise industry that Europe generally dominates; an increased focus on themed or specialty river cruises, from classical music cruises to literary-themed cruises; and an interest in longer cruises or pre- and post-cruise stays that enhance a traveler’s overall trip. 

Christen Sellier, Travel Advisor for Travel Concierge Services LLC, a Dream Vacations affiliate who books primarily river cruises with AmaWaterways and Avalon Waterways, predicts the same things: “I foresee continued rapid growth and increased interest in river cruising. I also foresee cruise brands targeting and marketing to a wider demographic.”

“We will probably see more brands launching their own versions of U by Uniworld to attract Millennials and Gen Z clients,” she continued. “I also predict more partnering with railroads and offering pre- and post-package trips. Special Interest cruise itineraries will become more abundant and in demand.”

New Rivers & Destinations

Perhaps the buzziest news surrounding river cruising lately has been the addition of new river cruise itineraries in completely new destinations — most notably, AmaWaterways’ new Rio Magdalena cruises in Colombia , debuting in 2024. 

But many cruise lines have been expanding into other destinations, too. Besides the Rio Magdalena, AmaWaterways recently expanded into the Chobe River in south-central Africa. Many, including Viking, Uniworld and Avalon , are also debuting or have already debuted new ships along the Douro River in Portugal and the Nile River in Egypt.Viking River Cruises, meanwhile, has also begun offering river cruises in the Mississippi River , while Uniworld is the first to offer cruises along the Peruvian Ucayali and Marañón rivers. 

It seems like the main driver for these new itineraries are well-seasoned travelers who’ve likely already cruised along Europe’s popular waterways and are looking for something more adventurous. 

“While most first-time river cruisers are drawn to the Danube and Rhine rivers visiting iconic cities like Budapest, Vienna, Amsterdam and Cologne, we have a large following of repeat guests that are always looking to us to take them to a new destination further afield,” said Rudi Schreiner, Co-Founder and President of AmaWaterways.

“Our unique sailings along the Mekong, Magdalena, Chobe and Nile rivers give guests an unparalleled opportunity to discover these off-the-beaten-path destinations with extraordinary culture, traditions and beauty, while simultaneously taking comfort in the luxurious amenities and customer care from start to finish that AmaWaterways is known for,” he continued.

River cruising in these destinations offers something that many other travel styles beyond traditional touring cannot provide: they often grant travelers access to in-depth explorations and guided tours of a destination’s culture, wildlife and historical wonders that traditional traveling might make more difficult. 

It’s likely there will be more rivers receiving their first river cruise ships and passengers in the future as the demand for more river cruising in different destinations expands. 

Specialty Cruises that Support Niche Interests

Some river cruise lines, such as Avalon and Uniworld, offer a wide variety of special interest and themed cruises ranging from itineraries focusing upon photography to LGBTQ+ oriented cruises, Jewish history cruises and multi-generational cruises. 

Some of the most notable include Avalon Waterways’ popular Storyteller Series cruises, which offer cruises hosted by storytellers such as Graham McTavish and Diana Gabaldon, giving cruisers an opportunity to meet and indulge in their love for their favorite books or TV series while also enjoying all the benefits of a European river cruise.Viking and AmaWaterways have also followed suit with a small selection of specialty cruises, such as wine-themed, foodie or classical music-centric cruises. 

“We are excited that our brand of destination-focused, active river cruising with a strong culinary presence continues to appeal to a more diverse group of travelers of all ages and backgrounds,” said Schreiner. 

“Younger travelers, groups of friends and extended families are turning to river cruising as a stress-free and convenient means to visit multiple countries and immerse themselves in distinct cultures while personalizing their experiences onboard and onshore,” he continued. “We also anticipate increased demand for themed cruises, like our Celebration of Wine, Soulful Epicurean Experiences and Latin Touch cruises.”

With travelers more interested in personalized travel experiences than ever before, including among the luxury traveler segment, and with the demographics among river cruisers changing following the pandemic, river cruise lines are responding with more special interest cruises, a selection which we anticipate will grow even larger. 

“I would say the favorite feature that clients rave about is the variety of shore excursions offered for every fitness level and point of interest,” said Sellier. “It definitely feels more personalized, which of course contributes to that enriching, elevated experience.” 

A Stronger Demand for Pre- and Post-Cruise Stays 

Popular especially in Europe are Viking River Cruises’ and AmaWaterways’ individual pre- and post-cruise stays, which are often specially curated for an itinerary in a selection of popular cities. 

One of these stays is typically two to three nights long and includes transportation, accommodation and included excursions which can round out a traveler’s stay in Europe.Viking River Cruises’ Executive Vice President of Marketing, Richard Marnell, identifies a growth in demand for these types of add-ons, as well as for longer voyages. 

“As our guests have returned to post-pandemic international travel, we have seen many of them increasingly interested in spending more time with us,” said Marnell. “Our 15-day voyages, such as the Grand European Tour and France’s Finest, remain very popular, and about 45 percent of our guests also add one of our Pre or Post land extensions before or after their voyage.”

So…What’s Next for the World of River Cruising? 

Chances are, we’ll see quite a few exciting new developments in the river cruise world in years to come. More specialty and themed cruises, as well as new offerings along other major rivers of the world, will likely entice both seasoned river cruisers and younger, more adventurous travelers, while expanded pre- and post-cruise offerings will encourage travelers to spend more time enjoying a river cruise line’s offering while off the ship. 

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Viking Health & Safety Program

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As the leading small ship cruise line, Viking takes you closer to the heart of the places you want to visit. For more than 23 years, we have always had the highest standards for health and cleanliness, and our new protocol enhancements make Viking even safer. Developed in coordination with an international team of scientific and medical advisors, the Viking Health & Safety Program is one of the most well-researched and comprehensive COVID-19 prevention and mitigation plans in the travel industry.

• Frequent quick and easy non-invasive saliva PCR tests for all guests and crew, processed in full-scale Viking-dedicated laboratories
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On December 8, 2020, Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen introduced the new Viking Health & Safety Program and discussed the research that has informed the basis for our protocol enhancements.

Viking Health & Safety Program – Updated October 15, 2021

The information included here should be considered current for all guests. Specific protocols and procedures may evolve over time to adapt to various conditions or travel regulations in the destinations in which we operate. Please continue to check this site for the most up-to-date version of the Viking Health & Safety Program.

Health & Safety FAQ

Does viking require guests to be vaccinated.

Beginning on May 22, 2021 with the official restart of limited operations in the United Kingdom—and remaining in effect at least through at least September 30, 2021—all Viking sailings will be available exclusively for vaccinated guests.

Viking is requiring vaccinations among all guests in accordance with entry rules in many of the destinations that will welcome Viking ships—and as a complement to our new health and safety protocol enhancements, which were designed to protect guests and crew even while the COVID-19 vaccine rollout is still moving forward. Viking’s medical and operations teams will continue to monitor vaccination rates and entry requirements—and will adjust our protocol and policies as needed to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our guests and crew.

How long will the vaccine requirement for guests remain in effect?

Currently, we will require vaccinations among guests for sailings scheduled to depart at least through September 30, 2021. Viking’s medical and operations teams will continue to monitor vaccination rates and entry requirements—and will adjust our protocol and policies as needed to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our guests and crew.

Will I be required to take a COVID-19 test before traveling to a Viking Ship?

Viking does not require our guests to take a COVID-19 test before departing from home. Depending on your dates of travel, Viking may require a PCR test as part of the process of embarking your ship. This quick and easy non-invasive PCR test will be conducted via simple saliva sample in a plastic tube and processed in a full-scale Viking-dedicated laboratory.

However, entry requirements can and do vary by country, so guests should be sure to visit the Viking website and read the Pre-Cruise Requirements found under the Resources tab of their itinerary, in addition to following all guidelines that may be provided by email and/or on MyVikingJourney.com .

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You say guests will be tested frequently during the cruise. What type of COVID-19 test will be conducted and how is the test performed?

Viking will use PCR testing, as this is considered the best type of test to detect the virus. The quick and easy non-invasive PCR test will be conducted by simple saliva sample in a small plastic tube, delivered to guests in their stateroom. After guests provide the saliva sample in the tube, they will package the tube in a provided plastic pouch, and a crew member will collect the sample for processing.

How frequently will guests be tested?

Quick and easy PCR tests will be conducted prior to embarkation and on an ongoing, regular basis throughout an itinerary, dependent on prevalence levels from both our guests’ country of origin and the destinations to which we will sail.

Are crew tested as frequently as guests?

All Viking crew will be tested at the same or higher frequency as our guests.

What happens if a guest tests positive for COVID-19 at embarkation?

Guests with a positive COVID-19 test at embarkation will be given a second test to validate the first. If the second test confirms COVID-19, Viking will arrange for the guest to recover ashore before returning home once their recovery is complete. Upon their return home, Viking Customer Relations will contact the guest and their travel advisor directly regarding any necessary refunding or rescheduling.

What happens if a guest tests positive for COVID-19 while on their Viking cruise?

Guests with a positive COVID-19 test will be isolated on board and then disembarked at the first opportunity for quarantine at an appropriate facility ashore. A second test will be performed to validate the first test. If the second test confirms COVID-19, we will arrange for the guest to recover ashore before returning home once their recovery is complete. Upon their return home, Viking Customer Relations will contact the guest and their travel advisor directly regarding any necessary refunding or rescheduling.

What happens if there are a large number of COVID-19 cases on board my ship?

Viking’s Health & Safety Program is focused on the prevention and mitigation of COVID-19. Our research shows that because Viking will test all guests and crew daily, the risk of a large number of guests or crew falling ill is very low. However, we plan for all scenarios – and we have contingency plans in place should this unlikely scenario arise.

COVID-19 is known to spread through the air. How is the air treated onboard Viking ships?

Our fleet of modern, small ocean and river ships feature independent air handling units, which means each stateroom has “fresh” external air that is not shared with other staterooms or public spaces. Just like in a hospital, we have also designed a solution to implement short-wavelength ultraviolet (or UV-C) lights and new high-density filters that will sanitize the air on our vessels. This solution will ensure that:

• 99.99% of viruses and bacteria in the air are killed.
• We maximize the possible number of air changes.
• We provide a risk-free solution for the crew when cleaning filters, as viruses are killed and not simply trapped in the filters.

How frequently do you sanitize my stateroom?

Every stateroom is cleaned and sanitized daily. In addition, every stateroom goes through a “deep-cleaning” sanitization process between each cruise.

How frequently do you sanitize public spaces such as the restaurants?

Restaurants are sanitized between every service; all other public spaces are fully sanitized at a minimum every 24 hours, with high touchpoints sanitized more frequently every day.

Will I be required to wear a face mask while on board?

Face masks may be required for all guests and crew while moving about the ship, depending on conditions at time of sailing.

Will I be required to wear a face mask when going ashore?

Viking may require guests and staff to wear a face mask while ashore, depending on local requirements.

Will there be social distancing on board?

We have set up all of our public spaces, including restaurants and lounges, for appropriate social distancing.

Is there a difference between what I can expect on a Viking ocean ship and a Viking river ship?

Our Viking Health & Safety Program is the same across our fleet of ocean and river vessels. Viking ocean and river ships, however, differ in size and number of venues. As such, guests traveling on either an ocean or river ship may experience minor day-to-day variations in how we implement our overall program.

Does Viking’s Travel Protection Plan cover COVID-19 costs (e.g., medical treatment, quarantine, repatriation, etc.)?

Yes, our Travel Protection Plan helps protect you from many unforeseen circumstances that may arise before or during your trip, which could include necessary medical, quarantine or repatriation expenses related to COVID-19.

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