The Honest Truth About High and Low Water in Europe
Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert
Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist
It has been all over the news about the heatwave and low water on most of Europe’s Rivers this summer of 2026.
There is no doubt the harsh weather and lack of rain have caused historically low water levels. According to Reuters, the water levels fell to their lowest point since 1996 on the Danube near Romania. The BBC has reported that the Rhine is at its lowest point since 2018 at some spots.
One of the most troublesome spots is in the Rhine George near Kaub, where the water level has fallen to 25 cm (9.843 inches). Here is a picture of this chokepoint and it becomes obvious why a toll castle was built here, as this have always been a low water point and has a shallow sand bar which supports the toll station castle.
This is the toll station near Kaub. It is built on a sand bar and a known low water point.
The two most popular sailing routes for European River cruisers are on the Rhine and the Danube, and they have the most disruptions. The Siene, the Bordeaux Estuary, the Rhone and Saône and Douro do not have any low water situations which have caused sailing problems yet. We currently have clients on the Siene and 2 weeks ago had a client on the Bordeaux Estuary and so far no sailing restrictions.
The most important fact about this situation is that only certain stretches of the river system have these low water spots which do not allow full passage on the entire river itinerary planned route, meaning some sailing is still possible.
The other factor is that rivers conditions change from one day to the next, so each situation and low water point creates different solutions to continue with a cruise.
River cruise companies usually do not offer refunds for most disrupted cruises. This is clearly stated in each line’s terms and conditions and the contracts, yet most lines do offer some compensation depending upon the extent of the disruption, usually by future cruise credits with the company line.
The next point is crucial—safety is paramount, so sometimes Mother Nature denies us the perfect cruise. How the companies react is the subject of this blog post.
The Effects on River Cruising
First, there have been itinerary changes. This means river cruise companies have implemented emergency protocols. Some changes include new port stops, longer stays in navigable docking locations and altered routes. Also, embarkation and debarkation points often have to be changed to avoid dangerous stretches of the river.
Second, the low water levels have caused cancelations, ship swaps, missed ports and bus (coach) tours. To help overcome some of these situations to key ports stops that are currently unreachable, some forward thinking lines have arranged hotels at no extra cost and continued excursions. They have even provided money to help defray the loss of meals. We experienced this first-hand several years ago and wound up getting a great experience in the Grand Market in Budpest eating next to local shoppers.
Since there are fewer ports available on some routes, increased rafting (riverships tied up next to each other) will likely increase.
3 AmaWatrways ships rafted. Photo Anne Schrader
For many, these disruptions could significantly interrupt their no-hassle vacation, swapping a wonderful cruise for an extended bus ride.
What the River Cruise Lines Are Doing to Handle this Situation
This is a fluid situation and policies may change, so realize this is our best current information, but only the river cruise companies have the current information and policy decisions. I have also read about some compensation levels, but the information is not totally reliable, so I am not including in this blog.
AmaWaterways. The AmaWaterways policy is to not cancel a cruise but make every effort to find the best solution in the altered route. AmaWaterways ships have the lowest draft of all ships sailing in Europe, so this allows them to sail when others can’t navigate the shallow water levels. They use sister-ship swaps. They adapt, not cancel.
By far it is the most innovative line. Once, upon learning about a dam release of water on the Danube, they timed increased the water from the buoys, to surf a ship to a better port location.
My favorite story is shifting folks to smaller ships to sail the Rhine Gorge castle area, turning a missed sailing opportunity into an amazing experience.
All I can say is How cool is that!
Avalon. Avalon has cancelled some cruises. They also use modified routes, some ship swaps and bus tours.
Emerald and Scenic. Offers a money refund for severe delays and cancellations. These payouts are limited. Minor delays (under 24 hours) are not compensated. As with other lines, swaps, changed routes and motor coach tours are also used.
Riverside. Riverside alters travel times, adjusting, modifying or omitting an excursion. They also could curtail part of the cruise and alternate transportation like motor coaches are used. Fluctuating water levels are beyond their control, as a result, there are no automatic refunds unless the entire cruise is cancelled by the line.
Tauck. They do not have a standard refund policy and handle each sailing on a case-by-case basis, for either a future cruise credit or a refund after the cruise concludes.
Uniworld. They will cancel a cruise if the luxury standards cannot be maintained. They use itinerary adjustments, ship swaps and motor coach transfers.
Viking. Their policy may modify, withdraw or cancel a tour at any time and will not be liable for any loss. 186 passengers had to be evacuated from the Viking Ullur which ran aground on the Danube in August 2026. In June 2026, they moved guests on a 5-hour bus ride from Koblentz to Strasbourg. They do offer some future cruise credits for some cruises.
Our Final Thoughts
Low water levels are a big concern but should not define river cruising. There is no one perfect solution to this—each sailing must be assessed individually. The situation will not last forever, but temporary inconveniences are going to happen at times during these low water situations.
Do some lines balance safety with a protecting the guest experience better than others?. The answer is yes. That is why we are so important to you as your advocate.
You could also consider travel protection as a way to mitigate a potential money loss. Some lines offer travel disruption policies (some include low water protection) in the partnership with a cruise company; some offer a travel waiver which allows you to cancel for any reason up to 31 days with a cruise credit valid for 2 years in the future; and some travel policies offer cancel for any reason (CFAR) policies, where there are money refunds between 50% to 75%, as long as you met the timeline and notification policies. It is beyond the scope of this blog to cover all these items and that is where we can guide you to an option which may protect your costly investment.
One final word here—the cruise manager and crew did not create these sailing conditions, and often they have to work extra hard to make your cruise a better experience. Do not take it out on them, show some understanding and adjust. They hate that you are having a less than perfect experience and will do anything in their power to make it better. Show some class!
We hope you find this blog interesting and meaningful to you. The better we can connect with you, the better we can serve you. Please reach out to us with news of your life, any travel dreams even if you are not quite ready to travel and, of course, a trip you want us to plan.
We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise specialists, and Europe destination experts. We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe. We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you. We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.
When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip. You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience. And, you want someone who can help you with the decision-making process. We think we have all these qualities.
Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you! We will provide you with high quality, expertly planned travel. Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@visitdd.com . We want to help you: Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations! Your journey begins here!
ANNE has earned a degree from the University of Houston in Hotel and Restaurant Management. Serving as the President of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC, since 2016, she is uniquely experienced professional travel advisor with over 30 years’ experience in the travel industry. Among her numerous certifications, she is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) by the Travel Institute, considered the gold standard in travel agent certification and she is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), as well Luxury Cruise Specialist also from CLIA. Having traveled often to Europe since 1989, she has expanded on her certification as a Destination Specialist in Western Europe (DS) with extensive first-hand experience in luxury vacations. She holds numerous other specialty designations from individual vendors. An expert photographer, she delights in capturing the true essence of destinations to share with all.
HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 55 years. He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). His last major certificate is a Verified Travel Advisor (VTA) certificate earned from the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA). This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years. He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees. His other Certifications:
AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
CLIA Riverview Certificate
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Riverside Luxury Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Brit Agent
