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Travel advisors with clients booked on upcoming river cruises are biting their nails because the Danube River is reporting near-record low water levels, amid a heat wave and drought in Europe.
Last week, Reuters reported data from Hungary’s Water Authority indicating that on July 16 in Budapest, the Danube had fallen to within 3.15 inches of its record low, set in 2018. On Monday, various outlets reported that in Romania, the Danube had fallen to its lowest levels since 1996. The Rhine River is also experiencing historic lows.
That’s bad news for river cruises.
“At present, the reduced seasonal rainfall has resulted in lower water levels that are currently impacting navigation on stretches of the upper Danube, between Regensburg and Passau, as well as on sections of the Rhine and Main rivers,” according to a statement from Scenic Group, parent company for Scenic and Emerald Cruises. “The situation remains difficult to accurately predict and is subject to rainfall entering the river catchment areas to improve the flow.”
“As with any river cruise line operating on Europe's natural waterways, some of our sailings have been affected by low water levels in certain sections of the Rhine and Danube,” Jon Burrows, COO of AmaWaterways, told LTA.
A travel alert on Avalon Waterways’ website states that due to the low water levels, the cruise line was canceling several departures of its “Danube Dreams” and “Danube from Romania to Germany” itineraries. Scenic has had to cancel select itineraries, as well. Viking is alerting guests about possible itinerary disruptions and alternative docking locations, as it reacts to the changing water level situation.
Many ships are currently unable to reach Budapest, a major turnaround port for Danube River cruises and an itinerary highlight. Cruise lines are bussing guests to and from ships to begin or conclude their journeys, occasionally putting up guests in a hotel when ships are delayed.
To handle impassable stretches of river mid-itinerary, many cruise lines with large fleets, such as AmaWaterways, Scenic, and Viking, implement ship swaps.
“We schedule sister ships on opposite rotations along both the Rhine and Danube, allowing us, when needed, to swap guests between virtually identical ships with the same layout, amenities and onboard experience,” said Burrows.
The line can bus guests around the low-water areas, and they can finish their itinerary by river. However, in some cases, cruise lines have been forced to cancel itineraries or finish itineraries with bus rides and hotel stays.
Advisors have been pleased with how cruise lines have been handling the low-water situations; after all, low water levels are a common summer occurrence and cruise lines plan for possible disruptions.
“In my experience, my two main cruise lines (Viking & Ama) handle the disruption pretty well. Viking's ‘ship-swap’ approach is ideal and even a selling point,” said Barbara Henkel, owner of Henkel Travel Services, an independent agent of CADENCE. “The cruise lines may not be responsible for the disruption but still are accountable for making a bad situation worse or manageable. A good operator will usually offer some future cruise credit as a goodwill gesture which can result in a new booking and a loyal customer.”
Eric Goldring, owner of Goldring Travel, praised Riverside Luxury Cruises’ handling of his only client impacted by low water levels.
“Riverside organized bus transfers from two designated spots,” he said. “But since my clients had already purchased a pre-cruise private tour, Riverside arranged for a private car transfer from their hotel to the ship and a private muster orientation when they boarded.”
Ship crew are doing everything they can to make guests more comfortable amid the heat and disruptions.
“Guests are always welcomed back onboard with cold drinks after excursions, and on particularly hot days, you might see an impromptu ice cream party or other refreshing treats waiting for them,” said Burrows.
Advisors can help set client expectations, preparing them for possible ship swaps or itinerary changes, while messaging that they will still have the chance to experience interesting destinations, even if not the way they anticipated.
“The bottom line is that nobody is ever happy finishing their cruise on a bus,” said Henkel, but it’s better than having a vacation canceled outright.
In Case You Missed It…
New Ships and Launches
- Carnival has named the first ship in its new Ace Class; Carnival Destiny will debut in summer 2029 and sail to Carnival’s exclusive destinations in the Caribbean, Bahamas, and Mexico.
- Riviera Travel’s new river cruise ship, Riviera Resplendence, embarked on its maiden voyage July 4 on the Rhine.
- Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas, its latest Icon Class ship, debuted in the Mediterranean, where it will sail until repositioning to Fort Lauderdale in November for Caribbean itineraries.
- Uniworld will debut three new ships on the Danube, Rhine, and Mekong rivers in 2028.
Onboard Updates
- Holland America revealed that Zuiderdam will be its second ship to be refurbished during its Evolution program, with the transformation set for 2028.
- Celebrity Reflection will relaunch with 13 new public spaces in March 2027 after a major refurbishment.
- Crystal will offer four onboard wellness retreats in 2027, focused on nutrition, physical activity, mental health, and longevity.
- Silversea and PerryGolf have teamed up to offer curated golf programs on select cruises.
- Cunard’s Queen Victoria will exit dry dock this fall with a reimagined Queens Room, updated Queens Grill and Princess Grill suites, eight new Britannia staterooms, and a new Pavilion Wellness Cafe.
Itinerary Roundup
- Royal Caribbean extended its cancellation of calls at Labadee, its private beach destination in Haiti, through June 2027.
- Silversea has unveiled its 2028-2029 voyages, including Silver Nova’s first season in Northern Europe, the line’s most extensive collection of Mediterranean Expedition cruises, and a 60-day Grand Mediterranean Voyage.
- Ponant announced a new Caribbean cruise itinerary for 2028, focused on the region’s hidden gems, including a call in the new port of Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic.
- Scenic revealed its new 2028-2029 itineraries, including Scenic Ikon’s inaugural sailings and Scenic Eclipse II’s return to Australia's Kimberley region, New Zealand, Asia, and the South Pacific.
- Atlas Ocean Voyages will offer six Antarctica fly-cruises during the 2027-2028 season with opportunities to fly over the Drake Passage one or both ways.
On Sale Now
- Viking has announced two new Danube and Rhine river cruise itineraries that will include tickets to Oberammergau’s once-a-decade Passion Play in 2030.
- Uniworld Boutique River Cruises is offering complimentary pre- or post-cruise hotel stays on select 2027 sailings through August 31.
- Seabourn is offering up to 15 percent off cruises and reduced deposits on select cruise itineraries through early 2029; the sale ends September 22.
For the Advisor
- Hilton and Explora Journeys expand partnership with opportunities to earn and redeem Hilton Honors points for cruises and receive cruise perks in line with Hilton loyalty status.
- Riviera Travel named Hunter Swindle as its vice president of sales, North America.
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