Important Travel Alerts

Important Update:

Low Water Levels on the Danube, Rhine & Main Rivers

Europe continues to experience an extended period of dry weather, with above-average temperatures and limited rainfall across many regions. As a result, water levels on parts of the Danube, Rhine and Main Rivers remain significantly lower than usual and continue to affect river navigation.

Upper Danube sailings

Water levels across several sections of the Danube remain critically low and have not recovered sufficiently to restore normal navigation.

Navigation remains closed between Regensburg and Passau near Pfelling, and between Bratislava / Vienna and Budapest. Conditions between Bratislava and Vienna remain changeable, with some sections recovering and reopening intermittently.

Our nautical and operations teams continue to closely monitor water levels and navigation conditions. Based on current conditions and the limited rainfall forecast over the next two weeks, we do not anticipate a significant improvement in the immediate term.

Conditions later in October remain dependent on rainfall and will continue to be assessed as they evolve.

Lower Danube sailings

In addition to the current low water conditions on the Lower Danube, Hungarian authorities have announced a complete shipping closure at Paks, located between Budapest and Mohacs. The closure is required to support water management works associated with the operational safety of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant.

We are closely monitoring the situation and prioritizing updates to guests due to depart in October on affected Lower Danube sailings.

Rhine sailings

Low water conditions continue to affect sections of the Main and Rhine Rivers, including between Cologne and Koblenz, Rüdesheim and Mainz, and near Mannheim.

Water levels in some areas remain well below those required for normal river operations, with current rainfall insufficient to deliver a meaningful recovery. While conditions can change quickly following rainfall, based on the current forecast we do not anticipate a significant improvement across these areas over the next two weeks.

Some stretches currently remain unsuitable for navigation, and our teams are implementing alternative arrangements where required to maintain the best possible experience for our guests.

What Guests Can Expect

Guests due to join potentially impacted cruises departing up until 31 October 2026 should have received an initial notification.

Approximately five to seven days prior to departure, guests will receive a further update confirming their proposed itinerary and any relevant operational adjustments, if required.

Guests traveling after this period will be contacted as conditions evolve and more information becomes available. While current conditions indicate that some restrictions may continue into later October, river levels remain weather dependent and we will continue to assess each sailing individually.

Where itinerary adjustments are required, Scenic Group, which includes Scenic and Emerald Cruises, is committed to supporting our guests throughout their journey. Depending on the nature and extent of any operational changes, this may include alternative ships, alternative sailing itinerary, hotel accommodation, additional coach transfers, revised touring arrangements, or other measures designed to maintain the quality and value of the experience.

Where a sailing experiences significant disruption, we will review each situation individually and communicate any applicable goodwill gestures or compensation directly to affected guests.

Our priority remains supporting guests and their travel advisors with their upcoming travel plans while navigating these challenging river conditions. We continue to work closely with local authorities, port officials and our nautical teams to provide a safe and enjoyable European experience for our guests.

Middle East Travel Update

We continue to closely monitor the circumstances in the Middle East due to the ongoing conflict. It is important that you consult your travel advisor, the relevant airline policies and official government travel advisories. 
 
Our river and ocean cruises, including the worldwide touring programs, continue to operate as scheduled.

We are actively contacting Guests and Travel Advisors with clients scheduled to depart US & Latin America region in-line with the relevant airline policies, please visit their websites for the most up to date information.
 
The core priority is the safety of guests directly impacted during this time. We strongly encourage all guests scheduled to travel on Emirates, Qatar Airways, or Etihad Airways to closely monitor their flight status, via the relevant airline app or official website. As the situation continues to be very uncertain, guests should review their airline’s disruption policies and travel waivers, which are currently being updated regularly. 
 
Please note when calling our Reservations Team, to listen carefully to the updated prompts provided. We have implemented a dedicated Middle East Travel Team, who are working with Guests & Travel Advisors to reaccommodate their flight arrangements. 
 
For Guests who have booked via their preferred travel agent, we request that you to contact your Travel Advisor as your first point of contact. 
 
On behalf of the management, we greatly appreciate your patience for any delays in responding to your enquiry, as our teams work to support all impacted Guests and Travel Advisors.

Scenic Group Global Cruise Operations - Fuel Availability Update

The Global Operations Team are closely monitoring the ongoing situation in the Middle East and the impact on fuel supply chains.

Based on the current information, we remain in a strong position regarding fuel availability for our fleet of ships. Our fuel is sourced from regions outside of the Middle East region and the key operations are concentrated in areas with reliable supply networks.

We are pleased to confirm that all Scenic and Emerald River and Ocean cruises, will continue to operate as scheduled. Whilst we continue to monitor the situation, we are not planning to implement fuel surcharges for new bookings at this time. However, depending on the duration and impact of the current conflict, we may be required to pass on additional third‑party charges, should they arise.