Heavy rains have led to severe flooding across Central Europe, forcing river cruise lines to amend or cancel itineraries until the floodwaters subside. Emergency operations are under way in Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic to deal with record levels of flooding, the BBC reported. Segments of the Main and Danube rivers have been the most affected by the heavy rains, according to river cruise operators. Avalon Waterways over the weekend made the decision to cancel three departures in the region over the next 10 days. Impacted passengers were offered full cruise refunds along with a discount voucher for a future cruise. On current sailings in Central Europe, Avalon has made adjustments such as having passengers transfer from one ship to another to be able to continue sailing, or combining a sailing with hotel stays. Avalon said it is offering passengers compensation depending on the number of cruise days affected. "We continue to monitor the water levels and will make revisions to itineraries as necessary," Patrick Clark, managing director of Avalon, wrote in an email. "If the rain decreases in intensity, then we are hopeful operations can return to normal." As of the weekend, AmaWaterways had not canceled any departures but transferred passengers from one ship to another, as vessels have not been able to pass through the Main-Danube Canal in southern Germany. "In some other areas, we are experiencing delays and we have implemented itinerary changes," noted Ama President Rudi Schreiner. Torrential rains have risen rivers to dangerously high levels. Several cities in the region have been impacted. The Czech capital of Prague is on high alert amid fears that its historic center could flood, the BBC reported.
For more information on booking river cruises in Europe or in the US, contact TheCruiseOutlet.com at 203-288-1884 or email at: info@thecruiseoutlet.com
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