Ship swaps and missed stops: How river cruise lines are dealing with low water levels

Heatwaves across Europe have reduced water levels in some of the continent’s most prominent rivers, which has restricted where cruise ships can visit.

Levels were close to their lowest on the Danube River around Budapest earlier this month and have hit the lowest levels since 1996 in Romania.

Other European rivers such as the Rhine are facing similar issues. The Rhine’s depth dropped to 53 centimetres near Frankfurt last week.

This makes it harder for cruise ships to dock. Brands such as Uniworld, Viking and TravelMarvel have had to change embarkation points, and cancel or reroute sailings, as a result.

Cruise Critic executive editor Chris Gray Faust was among passengers affected by low water levels on Uniworld’s SS Emilie river cruise on the Danube earlier this month.

She told The Independent: “With the drought and high temperatures in Europe the past few weeks, I knew that it was likely that my cruise, slated to sail from Vienna to Nuremberg, would have some issues.”

The low water on the Danube in Germany meant the ship couldn’t go any further than Vilshofen so passengers missed three stops, Deggendorf, Regensburg and Nuremberg, the disembarkation point.

Instead, the ship added a stop in Linz and offered Bavarian Forest and Regensburg excursions as bus tours from Vilshofen.

Any excursion that turned into a full day trip came with €30 (£25) towards lunch, as usually passengers would be able to return to the ship to eat.

Ms Gray Faust told The Independent: “I chose to do both bus trips. I’ll admit, while one bus trip is doable, multiple bus trips – one day after another – is not ideal. But there were no alternative onboard activities added.”

Passengers who were due to fly home from Nuremberg disembarked the ship a day early. They were put up in a nice hotel and given €50 (£42) each for dinner. Airport transfers were arranged the next day.

She said: “Generally, other passengers reacted to the changes on our itinerary in a positive way. They would have preferred the trip to go as planned, but most felt Uniworld handled it well. The itinerary before us, from Belgrade to Vienna, had even more changes, and I understood that people were quite unhappy about that one, which required more bus time.”

Ms Gray Faust adds that this isn’t just a summer problem. She said: “Water levels in Budapest have been sitting within inches of the 2018 record low this year, and other lines – Viking, Avalon, AmaWaterways, Scenic, Tauck – have all been managing similar disruptions on the same stretch of river.

“It's worth knowing that low water in summer, and high water in spring, are both realistic possibilities on these rivers, regardless of which line you sail.”

Uniworld said in a statement: "River conditions can change throughout the season, and Uniworld's teams work in close coordination with local authorities and regional partners. With more than 50 years of experience operating on Europe's waterways, Uniworld remains focused on adapting as needed while delivering the exceptional service, immersive excursions and seamless travel experiences guests expect."

With temperatures set to remain high in August, there could be more disruption to come.

Emma Guse, a river cruise specialist with travel agent Travelmation, says she currently has clients on the Danube who were unable to embark on their cruise in Budapest as planned but instead had to board the ship at a different port, approximately 60 miles away.

She told The Independent: "Bus transportation was then required the following day for excursions in the city. This is unfortunate as sailing into and docking in the heart of these grand cities is an important part of the experience.”

“Moving into August, I do have clients whose itineraries may be impacted by river levels, but this is why it is crucial to set expectations and encourage a flexible spirit, which is always important in travel.”

Read more: The best river cruises around the world

How cruise lines are responding to low water levels

Cruise lines are used to navigating different water levels but the prolonged heatwave has created extra challenges this summer.

Chris Pitchford, founder of the World of Cruising research site, told The Independent: “This year is certainly worse than usual. Cancellations have so far been kept to a minimum, and cruise lines have reacted with itinerary and ship changes to keep disruption to a minimum.

“Budapest – a main starting point for Danube cruises – is currently a problem area, with ships struggling to dock in the city.

“In some cases, guests have been told that their cruises will start at a nearby port where water levels are higher or that they will begin their trips with a hotel stay in Budapest before being transferred to their ship by coach.”

A Uniworld statement to The Independent said adjustments may include itinerary modifications or alternative travel arrangements to help passengers continue with their route.

The cruise line highlighted that sailings in France, Italy and Portugal are operating as scheduled.

Another way that cruise lines tackle changing water levels is through ship swaps.

Cruise lines such as Viking and Riviera Travel position ships across different stretches of affected rivers to ensure passengers can complete their journeys.

In June, guests on Viking’s Rhine Getaway from Amsterdam to Basel had to swap ships due to low water levels. This involved a 24-hour stay on the ship in Koblenz before a five-hour bus to Strasbourg to embark on another river ship.

A spokesperson for Viking said its captains monitor water levels and implement operational adjustments as needed, adding: “Viking strategically deploys sister ships on the same itineraries in opposite directions.

“When river conditions require it, Viking may implement a ship swap, allowing guests and their luggage to transfer to their exact same stateroom on an identical sister ship positioned on the other side of the affected section of river. This approach helps preserve itineraries and reduce disruptions to the guest experience.”

Cancelling a cruise is always a last resort, said Riviera Travel.

A statement said: “To give our on board teams and guests extra support, members of our head office team are also flying out to join sailings where needed.

“We are keeping guests updated daily, and thanks to the extraordinary dedication of our teams on the water and our guests’ fantastic spirit of adventure, feedback from those currently travelling remains overwhelmingly positive.”

Passengers should keep an eye on changes to their cruise before and during the sailing.

Paul Melinis, a managing director at Travelmarvel, highlights that river cruise itineraries are always subject to navigational conditions.

He said it is important to choose an experienced brand that can cope with changes, adding: “Extreme weather is something the industry has always had to manage and, with hotter summers becoming more frequent, being prepared and able to adapt quickly is more important than ever.

“The best advice I could share with anyone due to travel is to stay in close contact with their river cruise operator or travel agent.”

What are your rights if a river cruise is disrupted?

A cruise line will typically offer refunds or credit to rebook if a sailing is cancelled.

However, changes during the sailing may be covered by the booking’s terms and conditions, meaning itinerary changes will not necessarily be claimable against.

Taking out travel insurance that includes cruise cover can be useful in this situation as it may cover you for prepaid activities that you can no longer attend or if you miss a flight due to a delay.

Some cruise travel insurance policies may even let you pay for extras such as insufficient or excessive water levels.

Jacqueline Mondelli, chief marketing officer for insurance platform Squaremouth, said: “There are key differences in the level of protection offered by the cruise line you have booked with, standard travel insurance policies and a cruise insurance plan. A cruise insurance plan offers the most protection in this case, as it covers factors such as insufficient water levels.”

Read more: The best European river cruises