Heidi Sarna is the co-founder of QuirkyCruise.com, a guide to small-ship cruising.
It’s no secret water levels fluctuate on European rivers, including the Danube and Rhine, causing last-minute itinerary changes in some cases.
But on some rivers the low-water problem is chronic. As I now know firsthand, the Elbe, which flows from the Giant Mountains in the Czech Republic through Germany to the North Sea, is one of those rivers, especially in its narrow upper and middle sections.
Because of the Elbe’s frequent low water levels that often make it unsafe for river cruise ships, some major cruise lines, such as AmaWaterways and Uniworld, avoid the Elbe altogether.
An exception: Viking, which offers a 9-night “Elegant Elbe” cruise-tour combining 5 nights on the river (from Děčín in the Czech Republic to Wittenberg, Germany) with land-based bus touring and 2 hotel nights apiece in Prague and Berlin.
The cruise uses two identical 98-passenger ships, Beyla and Astrild, both built in 2015 with shallow 3-foot drafts to suit the Elbe.
One of the chief selling points of the trip as advertised is the chance to visit several historic eastern German cities, including Dresden, Meissen, Wittenberg, and Potsdam, along with the region’s impressive roster of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The day before we departed for Prague to take the voyage, however, Viking emailed with the news that the Elbe was at “unusually low water levels … limiting the amount of sailing possible,” requiring a midcruise “ship swap” and more bus travel than originally planned.
Ugh.
As the ship’s second captain joked at the welcome reception, “I am the captain of nothing since we are not going anywhere.”
As a matter of fact, our cruise manager, Matt, later said that Viking had been unable to cruise on the Elbe for months.
Shouldn’t Viking have given passengers more advance warning about that—say, at the time of booking? The high probability of a cruise not being able to, you know, cruise seems like an important consideration for potential customers to keep in mind.
(According to our Viking Astrild captain, April and May offer the best chances of having water levels high enough to actually cruise.)
As it happened, we didn’t board the ship in Děčín as planned. Instead, we boarded a bus in Prague and rode farther downriver to Bad Schandau, a spa town where the Viking Beyla was docked. That 3-hour drive involved a stop at the Bastei rock formations in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, where a stone bridge at the top of 1,000-foot-high rock towers affords stunning views over the river.
The next morning was our only time actually cruising the Elbe—for a total of 5 hours across 5 days—between Bad Schandau and Dresden. Under sunny skies, a few of us braved the wind to admire castles and mansions along the shores.
By lunchtime we had reached Dresden, where the ship stayed docked for 2 nights, serving as a stationary hotel.
For the second half of the trip, we took a 2-hour bus ride to the outskirts of Wittenberg to board the twin ship, Viking Astrild, staying in identical cabins as before. The ship never sailed; all excursions were by bus.
So why choose an Elbe river cruise if you’ll likely not cruise?
History buffs and anyone with an interest in Germany or Prussia will appreciate learning about medieval Europe, the Protestant Reformation, and beautiful architecture centuries in the making. Each day offered excellent 3- to 4-hour walking tours led by local guides.
In Prague, our engaging guide took us across the 14th-century Charles Bridge, through the baroque Church of St. Nicholas, and to the medieval Astronomical Clock in the cobblestone Old Town Square.
Dresden, a walkable city of parks and grand architecture, was decimated in World War II but later beautifully rebuilt, with notable structures such as the domed Frauenkirche and the Zwinger palace complex exhibiting the gilded treasures of King Augustus the Strong.
From Dresden, an optional 20-mile scenic e-bike tour (€149/$172 per person) takes you into the countryside along both sides of the river, stopping at a medieval church and a Baroque palace.
In Wittenberg, the tour centers on the church where Martin Luther sparked the Protestant Reformation in 1517. Other trip highlights: Potsdam’s ornate royal palaces and gardens and a city tour in Berlin covering landmarks from Checkpoint Charlie to the Brandenburg Gate.
Food and wine on the ship
Overall, food on board the ships is fine but not memorable. Breakfasts stand out for the made-to-order omelet station, pretzel rolls, and generous array of fruits and nuts. My husband’s gluten- and dairy-free diet was graciously accommodated.
House wines and beer at mealtime are included in the cruise fare. Drinks in the lounge before or after dinner cost extra unless you spring for the unlimited drinks package.
Cabins and public areas
Viking’s understated Scandinavian décor focuses on earth tones, mid-century modern lines, and natural textures such as wooden shingles in the restaurant, lending public areas and cabins a simple elegance.
Our Category B Veranda cabin was compact but well-designed, with ample drawers and closets with plenty of hangers. A slim balcony has space for two chairs and a table.
The main lounge and dining room feel spacious, with help from natural light and no bulky banquettes or low ceilings. The open top deck is vast, encompassing lots of seating, a putting green, and a shuffleboard court.
There is no pool, hot tub, gym, or spa on board, nor are there bicycles to borrow. Rival lines like AmaWaterways and Uniworld usually have those perks, besting Viking in the bells-and-whistles category.
Final word
If you’re okay with the very strong likelihood that your Elegant Elbe cruise-tour will in fact be an Elegant Elbe bus-tour, then I recommend the experience. (On our trip, I’d say half the passengers were fine with more bus rides and less cruising time; others seemed annoyed and disappointed.)
Still, while it’s true that river levels are unpredictable, Viking should be more transparent on its website and in marketing materials about the possibility of not getting to spend much time on the water. Travelers deserve an honest picture of the Elbe’s frequent low-water issues so customers can book with full awareness that little or no actual cruising may occur.
Fares for Viking's 9-night Elegant Elbe cruise-tour packages start at $3,549 per person, including daily guided excursions and onboard meals with wine and beer at lunch and dinner.
Viking’s Elbe cruises run from March to early July and again from September to November.