Choosing a new ship may be the answer.

While your cruise line can't be expected to make the waters rise or recede on demand, new ships are being designed specifically to deal with lower water levels. CroisiEurope’s MS Elbe Princesse (which cruises the Elbe River year-round) and MS Loire Princesse (the only cruise vessel to cover France’s Loire Valley) can navigate water as shallow as three feet deep thanks to lightweight frames and paddle-wheel propulsion systems.