Europe Have Reduced Water Levels in Major Rivers, Forcing Cruise Lines to Change Embarkation Points and Cancel or Reroute Sailings

The Danube around Budapest hit near-record lows this month, while Romania saw its lowest levels since 1996. The Rhine dropped to 53 centimetres near Frankfurt last week. Uniworld, Viking, and TravelMarvel have been affected. Cruise Critic executive editor Chris Gray Faust was on Uniworld's SS Emilie from Vienna to Nuremberg when the ship couldn't pass Vilshofen, missing stops in Deggendorf, Regensburg, and Nuremberg.

The ship added Linz and offered bus tours, with €30 (£25) toward lunch for full-day excursions. Passengers flying home from Nuremberg disembarked a day early, receiving a hotel stay and €50 (£42) for dinner. Gray Faust noted other lines like Avalon, AmaWaterways, Scenic, and Tauck faced similar disruptions, and low water in summer and high water in spring are realistic possibilities.

Uniworld said its teams work with local authorities and regional partners, adapting as needed. Emma Guse of Travelmation has clients who boarded 60 miles from Budapest and needed bus transport for excursions. Chris Pitchford of World of Cruising said this year is worse than usual, with Budapest a problem area and some cruises starting at nearby ports or with hotel stays. I knew that it was likely that my cruise, slated to sail from Vienna to Nuremberg, would have some issues.