A Vancouver traveller said a summer drought that drove Rhine water levels to record lows led to a cruise itinerary change about a week before flying to Amsterdam.
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A Vancouver-area traveller says a summer drought pushed Rhine water levels to record lows, leaving parts of the river unnavigable and forcing a Europe river cruise itinerary change about a week before they flew from Vancouver to Amsterdam in September.
In the account, the traveller disembarks from the Riverside Debussy in Antwerp, Belgium, and says they realized they were on the Schelde River rather than the Rhine after seeing Dutch street signs and other local details that didn’t match their expectations of stops such as Dusseldorf, Rudesheim and Nuremberg.
The writer says the trip was ultimately adjusted to include Dutch and Belgian cities such as Brussels, Hoorn, Kampen, Vlissingen and Rotterdam, with activities including a traditional canal boat tour and several hours at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where they describe Vermeer’s The Milkmaid (1658) as being visible despite restoration work on Rembrandt’s The Night Watch (1642).
Onboard, the traveller says they were on a 55-suite, 110-passenger-capacity ship and described their room as having floor-to-ceiling windows and a king-sized bed, along with a welcome platter featuring a bottle of Brut plus macarons and chocolates. They also said meals stood out, describing a bakery for bread and pastries, an emphasis on sourcing items like fish, vegetables and cheese from local markets, and a Vintage Room dinner with dishes such as duck breast, scallops and venison filet.
For background on what river cruise operators may face, the writer quotes onboard hotel director Ilija Marojevic saying, “We have excellent suppliers and extra flexibility. Feedback goes directly to our owners. If we need to adapt something, it doesn’t take 20 emails or 50 calls. We must assume there will be more summers like this.” The account also ties the disruption to on-the-ground conditions the writer says they saw during shore stops, including reported September temperatures in Antwerp that were higher than average and a North Sea swimming experience off Vlissingen surrounded by jellyfish.
The writer adds practical pricing details, saying a week-long Rhine cruise with Riverside Luxury Cruises starts at about $9,000 per person and that round-trip KLM airfare from Vancouver to Amsterdam is around $1,300. They also note they travelled as a guest of Riverside Luxury Cruises, and that the company did not review or approve the story prior to publication.
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