When my friends asked if I had a good Christmas, I didn’t know how to answer. We spent our time on a river cruise, where all the food and drink we could consume was included, and we made friends with other passengers who wanted to escape the usual turkey tour, relatives and TV reruns. What is not love?
But here’s the thing. We had to cross the Main Danube Canal and the River Main with River Princess. Instead we spent a week anchored in the canal with views of a recycling plant on the outskirts of Nuremberg. It’s not as bad as it seems. The factory was across the canal and everything was quiet for the first few days as it was closed for Christmas.
We had just set sail when the captain gave us the news that we could not sail anywhere because of the high waters on the Main. By the time Uniworld became aware of the extent of the problem, it was too late to advise passengers, mostly from the US and a handful of Australians, all of whom were already in Europe, that the ship should remain anchored for the duration.
And this was a really big problem. The Main River was completely blocked, all passenger ships and cargo ships were stranded.
The ship’s director put on a brave face at this. He decided that no matter what, we would still see all the places on the itinerary, but would get there by bus. But it was important; We were expecting a cruise.
Bus journeys meant early starts (I wasn’t the only one groaning as we set off at 8.30am on Christmas Day); By midweek, most of us gave up as bus rides became longer. On Christmas Day it was 40 minutes round trip to Bamberg, but on the third day it was 90 minutes round trip to Würzburg. And we had to race around the towns because the bus ride filled up sightseeing time.
We received an update on December 27th. The river was still impassable, but Uniworld had decided to pull some rabbits out of hats. For those who couldn’t face the two-hour round-trip bus ride to Wertheim, a tour was organized to the bunker below Nuremberg where the Nazis hid priceless works of art. We jumped on it and it was perfect with two excellent guides.
On the penultimate day, they offered a new excursion or a short cruise to Regensburg (a beautiful town in the opposite direction of where we needed to go) as an alternative to the three-hour round-trip bus ride and city tour to Frankfurt. We were going along the canal towards Roth, where we would pick up those visiting Regensburg and return to Nuremberg.
Many opted to stay on board and it was amazing to see the excitement of new friends from Tasmania who had never done a river cruise before to move on, go over the locks and learn how they worked.
My only hope is that they give it another chance. It wasn’t the holiday we were expecting but despite all the problems, after spending two of every Christmas bar (blame quarantines) on a river cruise since 2012, I can’t think of a better place.
You want to know if I had a great Christmas? I certainly did.
If you’re worried your trip will be affected by water levels, here are a few things you need to know.
Does high water happen often?
The flood we experienced was very severe; When we visited Würzburg we saw how bad things were. The Viking and Scenic river ships were also stranded here, and the lock the ships used to bypass the weir was completely submerged. However, outages due to high water are not uncommon.
In extreme cases, a few companies can solve the problem by switching passengers between ships (which is what happened on Viking), but most of the time water levels usually result in only a few changes in ports.
For example, on a Rhine River cruise in 2012, we were supposed to be in Strasbourg on Christmas Day, but the river was too high to pass under the bridges close to the city, so we took a bus there from Mannheim. Our ship was already returning from Strasbourg, so there was only a disruption that day.
What is the best time to avoid high water?
This can happen at any time, but spring is always a gamble because rivers can be hit by the double whammy of Alpine melting snow and rain. There was a lot of snow in Europe in early December, and this, combined with heavy rain before Christmas, caused the banks of the River Main to burst.
Is lack of water also a problem?
Yes, but unlike floods the situation can change within a few hours. One summer, an overnight storm meant that the crossing of the Rhine, which had been impossible just a few hours before due to low water, suddenly resumed.
Reducing water levels are more likely during the summer months, but this has been known to happen around Christmas. Most companies avoid the Elbe River in Germany altogether because they regularly run out of water, summer or winter.
Are any rivers unaffected by high water?
Water levels in the Douro in northern Portugal are regulated by five locks, so flooding is not a problem. The Rhône and Saône rivers in France are not immune to high water, but this is very rare.
The canals are laid out so that the Dutch and Belgian waterways are a safe bet. Most trips here are made in the spring, when the tulips are in bloom. There’s a lot more to do than just enjoy the flowers, though, which is why several companies like Viva Cruises and Avalon Waterways sail there during the summer months, too.
CroisiEurope and European Waterways offer barge holidays on canals in France and Germany. These ships are a good bet. Because they are so small and can only carry eight to 24 passengers, they can visit more remote locations.
Can I claim compensation if I do not sail?
River cruise companies will refund money (or offer an alternative cruise) if they have to cancel your holiday. They will also offer a refund or compensation if they cannot provide a “significant part” of your holiday or have to make a “significant change” to the booking.
Unfortunately, changes as a result of water levels, including taking buses everywhere instead of cruising, are not considered “significant”.
Uniworld said it made every effort to keep itineraries as advertised but reserved the right to make changes and modifications as necessary to ensure the safety of guests and ships.
A representative told Telegraph Travel: “Every possible effort will be made to alert guests to any known changes before boarding.” “Otherwise, all guests will be notified of changes on board. Any changes to itineraries, including the addition of extensive motor coach tours, to impact the execution of the intended itinerary operation will not result in eligibility for a refund.”
Can I request anything?
Not according to the fine print. However, if you are not satisfied, there is no harm in contacting the company. The best ones know that goodwill goes a long way in retaining customers.