No money back on adjustments for European river cruises

Dear Traveler:

My neighbors just came back from a European river cruise. They had to take a bus instead of the boat to a lot of the cities on the tour because the Danube River was so low the boat could not navigate it. Do they have the right to a refund? — Scraping Bottom

Dear Bottom: No. This summer and fall, drought has meant extremely low water levels on some European rivers, especially the Danube and Elbe. River cruise lines have canceled some cruises outright, but mostly they have made clunky adjustments to keep the trips going. That means busing passengers several hours to some attractions or forcing travelers to get off one ship and re-board another further downstream.

Considering that a couple typically spends about $10,000 on a river cruise, plus airfare, you can imagine such changes don’t sit well with travelers.

However, cruise contracts specify that companies can make itinerary adjustments as needed. That means no refunds. (Viking’s rules explicitly say “itineraries are subject to change and may need to be altered or cancelled specifically because of water levels.”)

River cruising has boomed in recent years. So if you are spending the big money to take a river cruise, I’d advise “cancel for any reason” trip insurance. That way if changes are made that you don’t like, you can disembark the trip before you leave home.

Dear Traveler: I am going to Turkey for a few days before boarding a cruise. How do I get a tourist visa for Turkey? Should I use an expeditor? — Istanbul Bound

Dear Istanbul:  You might want to use an expeditor (a company that helps travelers obtain travel documents) if you need a visa for nations with complex travel requirements like China or Russia.

Luckily, many nations, including Turkey, now offer online e-visas (also called Electronic Travel Authority documents) for tourists.  For Turkey, go to https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/, fill out the short online application, pay the $20 and print out your visa.  You will be all set.

To find out if other destinations offer e-visas,  visit www.travel.state.gov, choose a nation, then  click the “entry, exit and visa requirements” tab.

Contact Detroit Free Press Travel Writer Ellen Creager: 313-222-6498 or ecreager@freepress.com.