The low-water season leaves advisors with new questions on ships, insurance and Ama's sales team

Viking reports that more than half of its European river-cruise days were affected by low water between mid-July and mid-August. That is the clearest measure so far of how far the 2026 drought reached, and it covers the largest operator in the segment. Most guests still kept travelling, but often through re-routed ports, changed embarkation points, ship swaps or motorcoach substitutions.

For advisors, the commercial point is what to tell clients booked for fall and Christmas Markets sailings on the Rhine and Danube. The analysis behind the figures says vessel draft and design affect whether a ship can pass a shallow stretch. Ship-level questions therefore belong in the sales conversation, not only itinerary and price. Trade coverage also shows levels dipping again, so this is a live issue for late-season bookings, not just a summer story. Set expectations on substitutions before clients depart.

A headline from itij.com says low water levels have exposed gaps in river cruise insurance. Only the headline was available to us, so the specifics of those gaps are unconfirmed.

The practical concern is still clear. This season brought changed itineraries, coach substitutions and some cancellations, and policies may treat a changed itinerary differently from a cancelled one. Advisors should check how the policies they sell handle each case and what they cover for low-water disruption specifically. That bears on protection sales and on advisors' own E&O exposure. The drought-lessons piece from River Cruise Advisor also stresses protecting the money clients have invested. Read the coverage wording before the next fall or Christmas Markets sale, and document what was disclosed to the client.

AmaWaterways has appointed Steve Spivak as its first chief commercial officer, effective Sept. 30. Spivak spent 14 years at Tauck, most recently as VP of global sales and customer experience. At Ama he will lead Sales, Global Service & Reservations and Revenue Management, which puts advisor support, pricing and trade partnerships under one executive.

The timing matters. He arrives a little over a month after chief sales officer Alex Pinelo left, which points to a reshaped trade organization. Advisors with strong Ama books should watch for changes to commission, incentives, FAM programs and service after Sept. 30, and ask their Ama contacts who their point of contact will be. Tauck loses a well-known trade-facing executive.