Cruise passengers in certain locations have had their vacations disrupted due to record-low water levels on high-traffic rivers in Europe — stranding vessels and switching up itineraries.The continent has experienced "above-average temperatures with an extensive and prolonged heatwave" in the first half of July, with drought conditions still persisting, according to the European Drought Observatory (EDO)'s website.The EDO's latest map shows drought stretching across much of central and western Europe, with the most severe "alert" conditions concentrated in parts of France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Romania and the Balkans.BELOVED CRUISE SPOT WILL BE OFF LIMITS THROUGH 2027 AS SAFETY CONCERNS LINGERThe drought has impacted two of Europe's major river routes: the Danube and the Rhine.Hungary's Paks Nuclear Power Plant reported on July 27 that the Danube's lowest water level at Paks — minus 42 inches — broke all previous records.Drought conditions across parts of central and western Europe are affecting river cruise routes along the Danube and Rhine.(Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images)Meanwhile, images of the Rhine show exposed sandbars and dried-up riverbanks as ships traveled through a shrunken waterway.Several river cruise operators, including Avalon Waterways and AmaWaterways, have warned that low water levels on parts of both rivers may affect itineraries.HAUNTING NEW IMAGES REVEAL THE FINAL SHIP WHERE EXPLORER SIR ERNEST SHACKLETON DIEDThe Danube, Europe's second-longest river, flows from Germany's Black Forest to the Black Sea, passing through or along the borders of 10 countries, including Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania.The Rhine originates in the Swiss Alps and flows to the North Sea.
The river goes through or along the borders of Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, France and the Netherlands.Record-low water levels on major European rivers are disrupting river cruises, forcing itinerary changes for tra...