Low water, high stakes: European river cruises face disruptions
Low water levels on some European waterways are in some cases leaving travel agents in this country high and dry.
Plunging water levels on a number of rivers have led to disruptions to planned river cruises on several European waterways, in turn creating headaches for travel agents who had clients booked on them. The water levels dropped to historic lows in Germany and the Netherlands. At Kaub in Germany, the depth fell to just 10 inches. As a result, river cruise companies had to significantly adjust or cancel itineraries.
While the water levels fell, other parts of Europe grappled with extreme heat this summer.
“It hasn’t affected me personally. But I know a few advisors who have had several cancellations and commission recalls. That was a lot of work for nothing for these advisors. Very sad,” says Ontario-based Travello Travel Group agent Sheila Aue.
Pat Probert of Toronto’s Bob Family Travel at TravelOnly agency notes many cruises on the Rhine and Danube — both popular river cruise waterways — have been affected by what he calls “most severe critical water levels due to a drought from the heat wave in Europe. This year we are having to monitor all river cruises as they are creating a number of changes and offers from cruise lines.”
Probert himself recently went on an AmaWaterways cruise for a Presidents Club trip and had to depart from Amsterdam, rather than Nuremberg.
“Although it was a different location and river the transfer and changes went well,” he reports. “AmaWaterways offered multiple options, including cancelling or changing with generous future credits and some costs for flight changes. Every cruise line is different in what they offer and most are only making the decision one week before which is causing agents to act quickly before flights and hotels sell out or go up in price. Some clients are incurring higher hotel costs if they are going in early or staying late and some are finding lower prices last minute.”
Ethel Hansen Davey of Uniglobe Enterprise Travel in Toronto says she doesn’t have any clients facing river cruise disruptions at this time but adds that people are aware of the issue.
“Certainly it’s a question I get when clients are considering European river cruises in July and August because the global warming effect on Europe has been very evident in the last few years,” she says. “I always recommend that clients consider spring or fall for these itineraries to try to avoid the boat switching necessary with low water levels.”
Meanwhile, Probert says the possibility of disrupted river cruises underscores the importance of travel agents, labelling it a “must for clients nowadays. We have clients travelling in September and we have already prepared them for what is to come so we can be ready when we get the seven-days notice.”
