Low water levels on the Rhine and Danube rivers continue to affect the river cruise industry, with autumn cruises in full swing and Christmas market cruises approaching. The industry has battled low water since July, and Cleveland Research Company says levels are “still extremely low” with little hope of improvement until at least November. Both rivers serve as major corridors for tourism, linking historic cities and scenic regions, and when depth falls below safe limits, navigation can become hazardous.
Travel advisors are monitoring forecasts, but some say they aren’t in panic mode over Christmas market cruises yet. Ann Morin of Your Dream Vacation says autumn typically brings more consistent weather systems to replenish river basins, and she is hopeful this pattern will repeat.
Morin told me she won’t start actively worrying until we hit that three-week mark out from early December departures. If high-pressure blocking patterns persist over Southern Germany and Austria, she will review contingency plans with operators. River cruise lines have shared little publicly about concerns operating this year’s Christmas market cruises.
Amadeus River Cruise and Avalon Waterways say it’s too early to predict December conditions, but they remain hopeful water levels will improve.
Lisa Fitzgerald of Fitzgerald Travel is already worrying about the holiday season, though she agrees it’s too early to sound the alarm. The issue, she says, is whether sustained rainfall will occur across the river systems to make a meaningful difference.
With several weeks before Christmas market cruises begin, Fitzgerald notes that a lot can change. The clock is ticking as the industry inches closer to November, and travel advisors are waiting to see if water levels will improve in time for the holiday cruises.