I am trying to get a feel for how those river cruises are going currently as we are on one soon.
Last I heard boats were docked and not moving westbound from Budapest. People ealier this month said they
stayed on the boat there 2-3 nights without it moving, then were transferred by bus to a hotel in Vienna, then transferred from there to a different boat and at some point had enough water to cruise for a few nights at least.
Anyone have any current updates on how it is going now? Avalon Waterways apparently will not contact us until about 7 days before our Embarkation, but we have a layover stop for a few days before that and thus we may need to make some decisions before Avalon makes their decisions.
Thanks for sharing any current info on how those Danube cruises are being handled now.
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Republic of Texas / U.S.A. / Magyarország / Budapest
27375 posts
August 20 there were a few small boats out on the river. I was on one and they had to change from a Pest dock to a Buda dock because of the water level. Twice this week I have been to the river. I only saw two small river taxis working. None of the small tourist boats, meaning the big cruise boats are going anywhere any time soon.
What is interesting is two years ago, about now, the river was at one of its highest levels in history.
Little significant rain is forecast for the Danube watershed over the coming days, keeping water levels exceptionally low following severe summer droughts.
Current Weather and Outlook
Budapest and Middle Basin: Mostly sunny and hot conditions will persist through early September 2026, with daytime highs around 88°F to 92°F (31°C to 33°C) and only a slight chance of light rain or isolated showers by Monday night or mid-week.
Upper and Lower Basins: Minor, localized precipitation is expected in parts of the river basins over the week, which may cause brief, localized variations, but widespread steady rainfall is needed to substantially replenish the river.Impact: Ongoing low water levels continue to affect shipping, tourism, and industrial cooling operations along the river.
You can check current regional monitoring updates via Waterlogged River Cruise Watch. https://rivercruisewatch.com/rain