Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1516046
L I F E O N T H E R I V E R S THE RIVER CRUISE EXPERIENCE IS A JOURNEY LIKE NO OTHER. Our elegant ships will gently carry you into some of the most incredible cities and picturesque towns, where you'll explore the food, landscapes, history and culture of these captivating regions. RIVER LOCKS River locks are an engineering marvel used since the 14th century in Europe. They are designed to allow vessels to overcome the height differences of rivers, enabling them to navigate the length of a river seamlessly. You will experience lock navigation on many European rivers, the Mississippi and the Nile. Europe has some of the highest locks in the world, with some up to 25 metres high. Some itineraries will only transit a few locks, while others will pass through up to 77 locks over 15 days. As your ship approaches a lock, the forward door opens, allowing the ship to enter the lock compartment with the door closing behind. The lock compartment is then filled with water or emptied of water as your ship raises or lowers to the new river level height. The far door then opens, allowing your ship to continue on its way. The locks are carefully scheduled and each vessel will have an appointed time. Your captain will expertly navigate your ship through these locks, sometimes with only centimetres to spare on each side. Lock transit is a fascinating experience, and your captain will invite you to the sundeck for some lock transits to experience this remarkable engineering marvel up close. HIGH AND LOW WATER LEVELS From time to time, the rivers can experience unusually high or low water levels making navigation through locks or under bridges difficult. Viking has two key advantages to handling water level disruptions. First, we own and operate our ships. We have a Switzerland-based nautical team and a network of local partners and authorities that focus on monitoring and adapting to current water levels so that you experience the least possible disruption. V I K I N G LO N G S H I P I N O N E O F T H E M A N Y R I V E R LO C K S B U DA P ES T, H U N G A RY 40 For more details and videos, visit viking.com