MULTIZ321
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BLUEWATER BY SPINNAKER HHI
ROYAL HOLIDAY CLUB RHC (POINTS)
European River Cruises Hit a New Obstacle: Not Enough Water
By Tariro Mzezewa/ Travel/ The New York Times/ nytimes.com
"Months of drought have left water levels on Germany’s Rhine, and rivers like the Danube and the Rhone, river at record lows, making passage difficult for some cruise ships.
A week into a two-week river cruise along the Danube River in August, Erin Needham, her husband, Scott, and her mother-in-law, Linda, found themselves in an odd position: their trip, Ms. Needham’s first to Europe, was being cut short because the water was too shallow for the ship to go on.
Stuck in Vilshofen, Germany, and unable to make it to Passau, the next stop on the itinerary, Ms. Needham was disappointed, but her cruise company, Riviera Cruises, had warned guests that this could happen, so she felt she couldn’t be upset.
After a few days in Vilshofen some passengers opted to take a bus tour planned by Riviera while others decided to get on their flights home a week early. Ms. Needham and her family chose to continue their cruise on another ship, also run by Riviera, along the Rhine river.
“They transferred us to another cruise today with a fancier room AND we get to go to France! Now we are at the Chocolate Museum and our ship is docked in the background. Things are turning around,” Ms. Needham tweeted. (Ms. Needham later told The Times that she couldn’t have been more impressed with how the company handled the situation.).
Ms. Needham’s experience isn’t unique. For the thousands of people who have taken part in river cruises down the Danube, the Rhine, the Rhone and the Elbe this year, low waters have caused challenges and disruptions to travel.
“Sometimes it’s tough to decide if we should cancel before a trip starts,” said Jana Tvedt the vice president of Riviera Travel USA. “You think it’s going to work one way and then two days later it’s totally different.”......"
This stretch of the Rhine passing through Cologne is among the parts of the river experiencing record low water levels.CreditPatrik Stollarz/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Richard
By Tariro Mzezewa/ Travel/ The New York Times/ nytimes.com
"Months of drought have left water levels on Germany’s Rhine, and rivers like the Danube and the Rhone, river at record lows, making passage difficult for some cruise ships.
A week into a two-week river cruise along the Danube River in August, Erin Needham, her husband, Scott, and her mother-in-law, Linda, found themselves in an odd position: their trip, Ms. Needham’s first to Europe, was being cut short because the water was too shallow for the ship to go on.
Stuck in Vilshofen, Germany, and unable to make it to Passau, the next stop on the itinerary, Ms. Needham was disappointed, but her cruise company, Riviera Cruises, had warned guests that this could happen, so she felt she couldn’t be upset.
After a few days in Vilshofen some passengers opted to take a bus tour planned by Riviera while others decided to get on their flights home a week early. Ms. Needham and her family chose to continue their cruise on another ship, also run by Riviera, along the Rhine river.
“They transferred us to another cruise today with a fancier room AND we get to go to France! Now we are at the Chocolate Museum and our ship is docked in the background. Things are turning around,” Ms. Needham tweeted. (Ms. Needham later told The Times that she couldn’t have been more impressed with how the company handled the situation.).
Ms. Needham’s experience isn’t unique. For the thousands of people who have taken part in river cruises down the Danube, the Rhine, the Rhone and the Elbe this year, low waters have caused challenges and disruptions to travel.
“Sometimes it’s tough to decide if we should cancel before a trip starts,” said Jana Tvedt the vice president of Riviera Travel USA. “You think it’s going to work one way and then two days later it’s totally different.”......"
This stretch of the Rhine passing through Cologne is among the parts of the river experiencing record low water levels.CreditPatrik Stollarz/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Richard