Rhine River
Viking River Fleet
Twin-ship mirror swaps active between Koblenz/Braubach and Rüdesheim. Guests transfer across 45-minute corridor by coach.
Boutique & Single-Ship Lines
Vessels docked as stationary hotels. Daily excursions converted into multi-hour autobahn bus journeys.
Kaubkm 546.2
Middle Rhine Gorge (Lorelei), Germany
Koblenzkm 591.5
Lower Gorge / Moselle Junction, Germany
Bingenkm 528.4
Upper Gorge / Rüdesheim, Germany
Mainzkm 498.3
Upper Middle Rhine, Germany
Köln (Cologne)km 688
Lower Rhine (Cathedral Port), Germany
Duisburg-Ruhrortkm 780.8
Lower Rhine / Dutch Gateway, Germany
Danube River
Viking River Fleet
Longships running on minimum potable water reserves to shave hull draft over Bavarian gravel banks.
Boutique & Single-Ship Lines
AmaWaterways' AmaMagna continues transit (double-wide 5.2 ft draft exception); standard 38-ft hulls on high alert.
Pfellingkm 2305.5
Straubing–Vilshofen (Undammed Sector), Germany
Hofkirchenkm 2256.9
Lower Bavarian Danube, Germany
Schwabelweis (Regensburg)km 2376.5
Regensburg Upper Danube, Germany
Passau (Ilzstadt)km 2225.2
Passau Three-Rivers Junction, Germany
Your Rights Under EU Directive 2015/2302
If a cruise line replaces your sailing with a stationary floating hotel and coach bus tours, European consumer law classifies this as a significant alteration of contract. If notified before departure, you are legally entitled to cancel for a 100% full cash refund within 14 days.
10-Day Pre-Trip Monitoring Protocol
Check Kaub & Pfelling Gauges
Track readings 10, 7, and 3 days before flying. Readings below 40 cm at Kaub or 220 cm at Pfelling mean ship swaps or bus tours.
Demand Written Cruise Line Status
Ask your travel advisor or cruise line 7 days out whether your vessel will transit under its own power.
Verify Insurance Low-Water Riders
Standard travel policies exclude river drought; ensure you have a River Cruise Disruption rider or CFAR policy.
In-Depth River Disruption Guides
When the Danube Runs Dry: The Bavaria Bottleneck
Forensic guide to the Straubing-Vilshofen sector, Pfelling gauge, AmaMagna hull engineering, and passenger refund rights.
Rhine Deep DiveThe Rhine River Drought & Cruise Impact
Deep dive into the Kaub rocky bottleneck, Lorelei gorge restrictions, and Viking Longship mirror swaps.
Frequently Asked Questions About River Levels
Does a 22 cm gauge reading mean the river is only 22 cm deep?
No. River gauges measure water height above an arbitrary historical datum point (Pegelnullpunkt), not the riverbed. At Kaub, a 22 cm reading equals an actual dredged fairway channel depth of approximately 1.30 to 1.35 meters.
At what gauge level does a river cruise stop sailing?
On the Rhine, modern 135-meter longships face disruption when Kaub drops below 40 cm, with hard limits near 30–35 cm. On the Danube, the critical threshold at Pfelling is 220 cm.
Can I cancel and get a full refund if my cruise is turned into a bus tour?
Yes. Under EU Directive 2015/2302 (Package Travel Regulations), substituting a river cruise with bus tours constitutes a significant alteration of the core contract, granting passengers the right to a 100% full cash refund if notified before departure.
Why can AmaWaterways' AmaMagna sail when other ships stop?
AmaMagna is double-wide (72 feet wide vs standard 38 feet). Spreading its weight over twice the surface area allows it to draw only 5.2 feet (1.6 m) of draft, navigating shallow Bavarian gravel beds when narrower ships would scrape bottom.