Low Rhine water prompts Riverside itinerary changes
A September river cruise route was revised shortly before departure as drought made sections of the Rhine unnavigable.
A September Rhine itinerary was completely changed one week before the traveler’s scheduled flight from Vancouver to Amsterdam. The disruption was attributed to a summer drought that pushed Rhine water levels to record lows and left some sections of the river unnavigable.
The revised route dropped planned calls at Dusseldorf, Rudesheim and Nuremberg, replacing them with Brussels, Vlissingen and Rotterdam. The trip was aboard Riverside Debussy, a 55-suite ship with capacity for 110 passengers.
Riverside Luxury Cruises hotel director Ilija Marojevic said European river cruise operators are contending with drought-related rerouting, rebooking and rescheduling. He said Riverside’s supplier relationships, organizational flexibility and direct communication with its owners help the company respond to changing conditions.
Marojevic added that the company must prepare for more summers with similar disruptions. He suggested that Dutch and Belgian waterways, which were described as less vulnerable to drought, could become more common on regular river cruise itineraries.
Week-long Rhine cruises with Riverside Luxury Cruises were listed as starting at approximately $9,000 per person.