Too much rain turned my holiday into a cruise to nowhere
I struggled to know how to respond when friends asked if I had had a nice Christmas. We spent it on a river ship, with all the food and drink we could consume included in the price, and buddied up with fellow passengers also intent on escaping the usual round of turkey, relatives and television repeats. What’s not to love?
But here’s the rub. We were supposed to be cruising the Main-Danube Canal and Main River aboard the River Princess. Instead, we spent a week moored on the canal on the outskirts of Nuremberg with a view of a recycling plant. It’s not as bad as it sounds. The plant was across the canal and for the first few days it was closed for Christmas so all was quiet.
We had only just embarked when the captain broke the news that we wouldn’t be able to sail anywhere because of high water in the Main. By the time Uniworld was aware of the scale of the problem, it was already too late to advise passengers – mostly from the United States plus a handful of Australians, all already in Europe – that the ship would have to remain moored for the duration.
And it was a really big problem. The Main River had closed completely, halting all cruise ships and cargo vessels in their tracks.
The cruise director put a brave face on it. No matter, he decided, we would still see all the places on the itinerary but get to them by coach instead. But it did matter – we were expecting a cruise.
Coach trips meant early starts (I was not the only one moaning at an 8.30am departure on Christmas Day); by mid-week many of us gave up as the coach rides became even longer. It was a bearable 40 minutes each way to Bamberg on Christmas Day, but Wurzburg, on day three, was 90 minutes each way. And with the coach ride eating into excursion time, we had to race around the towns.
On Dec 27, we received an update. The river was still impassable but Uniworld had decided to pull some rabbits out of hats. A tour of a bunker below Nuremberg where the Nazis stashed priceless art was organised for those who couldn’t face a two-hour each way coach to Wertheim. We leapt at it and it was excellent, with two brilliant guides.
On the penultimate day, as an alternative to a three-hour each way coach ride to Frankfurt and city tour, they offered a new excursion to Regensburg (a lovely town in the opposite direction of where we should have been heading) or a short cruise along the canal to Roth, where we’d pick up those who’d toured Regensburg and sail back to Nuremberg.
Many opted to stay on board and it was terrific to see new pals from Tasmania who had never done a river cruise excited to be moving, transiting locks and learning how they worked.
My only hope is that they’ll give it another go. It was not the holiday we expected but despite all the problems, after spending every Christmas bar two (blame lockdowns) since 2012 on a river ship, I can’t imagine a better place to be.
You want to know if I had a great Christmas? You bet I did.
If you’re worried about your cruise being impacted by water levels, here are a few things to know.
Does high water happen often?
The flooding we experienced was extreme – we saw just how bad things were when we visited Wurzburg. Here, Viking and Scenic river ships were also stuck and the lock that vessels use to bypass a weir was completely under water. However, disruption due to high water is not an unusual occurrence.
In extreme situations, a few companies can get around the problem by swapping passengers between vessels (this is what happened with Viking), but more often than not water levels usually result in just a few changes to the ports.
For example, on a Rhine cruise in 2012, we should have been in Strasbourg for Christmas day but the river was too high to get under the bridges close to the city so we were coached there from Mannheim instead. Our vessel was turning around in Strasbourg anyway so only that day was disrupted .
What’s the best time to avoid high water?
It can happen at any time but spring is always a gamble as rivers can be hit by the double whammy of melting snow in the Alps and rain. Europe had a lot of snow in early December and that, combined with heavy rain before Christmas, caused the Main to burst its banks.
Is low water also an issue?
Yes, but unlike floods the situation can change in a matter of hours. One summer, an overnight storm meant that a transit through the Rhine Gorge that had been impossible just a few hours prior due to low water was suddenly back on.
Low water is more likely in summer but it’s been known to happen at Christmas. Most companies avoid the Elbe River in Germany altogether because it regularly runs out of water, whether summer or winter.
Are any rivers immune from high water?
Water levels on the Douro in northern Portugal are regulated by five locks so flooding is not an issue. The Rhône and Saône in France are not immune to high water but it is very rare.
Canals are regulated so the Dutch and Belgian waterways are a safe bet. Most cruises there operate in spring, when the tulips are in bloom. Yet there’s a lot more to enjoy than flowers so a few companies, such as Viva Cruises and Avalon Waterways, sail there in summer as well.
CroisiEurope and European Waterways offer barge holidays on canals across France and Germany. These vessels are a good bet. As they are so small, holding just eight to 24 passengers, they can visit more out-of-the-way places.
Can I claim compensation if I don’t sail?
River cruise lines will refund money (or offer an alternative cruise) if they have to cancel your holiday. They will also either offer a refund or compensation if they are unable to provide a “significant proportion” of your holiday or have to make a “significant change” to what was booked.
Unfortunately changes as a result of water levels, including being coached everywhere rather than cruising, are not considered “significant”.
Uniworld said it makes every effort to keep itineraries as advertised, but reserves the right to make changes and substitutions as necessary to ensure the safety of guests and the vessels.
“Every possible effort will be made to alert guests in advance of boarding of any known changes,” a representative told Telegraph Travel. “Otherwise, all guests will be informed onboard of amendments. Any changes to itineraries, including the addition of extensive motorcoach touring to affect delivery of the intended itinerary operation, will not result in eligibility for a refund.”
Can I claim anything?
Not according to the small print. However, there is no harm in contacting the company if you are not satisfied. The best ones know goodwill goes a long way to retaining customers.
