River cruise lines, passengers and advisors have occasionally been vexed by Europe’s hot, dry summer, which has led to low water levels on some rivers that kept some ships from sailing their published itineraries. So what should advisors and river-bound passengers know about how lines monitor the rivers and come up with solutions? 

In this episode, river cruise editor Brinley Hineman and host Rebecca Tobin have a candid conversation with Jeremy Palmer, the president of tour company Tauck, which operates more than a dozen river ships in Europe, on how it has handled the season. Response teams, on-the-ground relationships, communication strategies and more – it’s a conversation that every river-selling advisor should listen in on.

This episode was recorded Oct. 6 and has been edited for length and clarity.

Episode sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by Oceania Cruises https://www.oceaniacruises.com

Related links:

Climate change: Tourism's hot topic https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/Climate-change-Tourisms-hot-topic

Low water, high stakes: River lines take a hit to satisfy guests https://www.travelweekly.com/River-Cruising/River-cruise-lines-swallow-costs-to-move-guests

Low river waters in Europe are challenging river cruise lines and advisors https://www.travelweekly.com/River-Cruising/Low-river-levels-in-Europe-challenging-lines-and-advisors

Tauck's river cruise page https://www.tauck.com/tours-and-cruises/european-river-cruises