Water Levels In Europe Impacting River Cruising

Water levels on Europe's rivers can make or break a river cruise, and the tricky part is they can go wrong in either direction. Too high, and ships can't clear the bridges or squeeze through the locks, forcing authorities to shut down entire stretches of waterway. Too low, and the riverbed itself becomes the problem. Either way, the itinerary you booked isn't always the itinerary you sail.

So what happens when rivers like the Rhine and Danube don't cooperate? Cruise lines prefer to pivot before they cancel. Sometimes that means a motorcoach transfer past the unnavigable stretch; other times it means moving passengers to a different ship entirely. Neither option is ideal, but that's the reality of sailing through the heart of Europe instead of flying over it.

With clients sailing in less than a week, I knows not every cruise line handles low water the same way. AmaWaterways has done a phenomenal job communicating with me and reworking my clients’ itinerary so that every day still includes stops with minimal motor coach time. Additionally, they will experience a ship swap so that they can spend every night onboard. By being flexible, the experience they will have may not be the original one but it is still going to be an amazing one.

When some lines cancel a departure, others, like AmaWaterways will simply reroute you when possible. Letting your travel advisor know your preferences ahead of time helps us match you with the right river cruise line from the start.

If you're traveling in summer, pick your river wisely. Douro Valley and Bordeaux saw no low-water cancellations. The Seine in Paris stayed navigable too, because winter-reserved water was released from upstream reservoirs to keep levels up.

Let's build your river cruise around a line equipped to handle whatever the water does, with a plan B already in place if it doesn't cooperate.