TORONTO — Europe’s recent heat waves are once again wreaking havoc with water levels and river cruise operations.

According to Reuters, water levels on the Danube where the river winds through Romania have reached their lowest levels in 30 years. Water levels on other parts of the Danube as well as the Rhine and Main rivers have also been lower than usual.

The latest update comes as the travel industry monitors alerts from river cruise operators, navigating yet another hot, dry summer on the continent.

More than 380 river cruise ships currently operate on Europe’s waterways, with roughly 60 additional vessels on order, as Maritime-Executive notes.

Avalon says it has a long history of making every effort to keep cruise itineraries intact. “When Mother Nature makes other plans, we work closely with our guests to present alternate experiences and opportunities, so they can determine how they’d like to navigate their next steps and journey,” says the river cruise line.

In recent days Avalon was forced to make select cancellations for Avalon Impression, as the ship was unable make to the embarkation location for several cruises. Several departures for Danube Dreams and Danube from Romania to Germany onboard Avalon Impression were cancelled, including the upcoming WBD/WBDE 0722, 0723.

Scenic Cruises’ alert focused on sections of the upper Danube, including Budapest and areas between Regensburg and Passau near Pfelling. “Conditions are also impacting parts of the Main and Rhine rivers, where some stretches are currently not suitable for navigation,” said Scenic.

“Our local operations teams are closely monitoring conditions and reviewing sailing schedules on an ongoing basis. Where required, we may make operational adjustments to minimize disruption, including transferring guests to a sister ship or amending embarkation and disembarkation locations, while maintaining the overall integrity of the itinerary wherever possible. If any changes are anticipated to an upcoming sailing, affected guests and their travel advisors will be contacted directly as a priority with further information,” said Scenic.

Other river cruise lines including Viking are also making modifications to some itineraries.

AmaWaterways modified a AmaMagna sailing, disembarking guests before Budapest and transferring them by coach, says Maritime-Executive, adding that the stretch of the Danube between Budapest and Vienna has been particularly affected, with some passengers completing portions of their journeys by bus.

Lead image caption: The Danube River winds past Budapest, Hungary