The Rhine-Main-Danube Canal

Nuremberg sits on a canal - a canal known as the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal, the construction of which was completed in 1992. The Main River ("Main" rhymes with "Rhine") is a tributary of the Rhine, and the canal connects the Main River to the Danube River. The Rhine-Main-Danube Canal completes a navigable waterway that goes all the way from the North Sea to the Black Sea (2,200 miles).

The Rhine-Main-Danube Canal

In at least two spots along this canal, it becomes an aqueduct, carrying the water (and our ship) over/above the road below! As we crossed over one road, the cars driving beneath us honked their horns, and our captain blew the ship's whistle in friendly response.

We float on the canal/aquaduct which passes over a highway below.

On this canal we passed through two of the deepest locks of our journey - about 100 feet deep! 

These videos (part 1 and part 2) will take you all the way into the lock. I had to split it into two files because of the size. To watch both of them takes about six or seven minutes. Our cruise director, Alex, can be heard explaining the process.

That evening we were given the news that, because of low water levels between Regensburg and Passau, not only our ship, but all of the passenger ships of our size, would not be able to pass through. We had been given a heads-up the day before, that this was a strong possibility. Did this mean our river cruise was OVER? Thankfully, no.

The Scenic Ruby had a sister ship, the Scenic Crystal, in Passau, waiting to come our direction. The solution was to bus us from Regensburg to Passau, and bus the Scenic Crystal's passengers from Passau to Regensburg. Tomorrow we would switch ships, keeping our very same cabin numbers. The Scenic crew would haul all of our luggage from one ship to the other and deliver it to our new cabins. This would happen while we were joyfully touring Regensburg tomorrow afternoon. It was really a very minor hiccup for us (although a BIG hiccup for the two crews), and would allow all of the Scenic passengers to continue their river cruises. The bonus, for us, was that our new cabin was a bit larger, had more storage space and a larger bathroom!

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