Stifling heat and broken toilets: TUI River Cruise passengers tell of their holiday hell

Passengers on TUI River Cruises have reported experiencing "holiday hell," citing issues such as oppressive heat and malfunctioning toilets, despite paying thousands of pounds for their trips.

Numerous individuals have come forward, accusing TUI River Cruises of operating vessels with defective amenities, including persistently broken air conditioning systems.

Earlier this year, passengers aboard the Skyla, a TUI-operated ship, contacted BBC Your Voice, claiming they were stranded in Budapest during a heatwave with minimal to no air conditioning. Following this report, more customers shared similar experiences on both the Skyla and its sister ship, the Isla. They criticized TUI's customer service and deemed the offered refunds insufficient.

TUI issued an apology to customers whose trips "fell short of the standards we aim to deliver." A spokesperson for TUI stated, "We understand the disappointment and frustration caused to affected customers."

Travelers described sweltering conditions and plumbing problems after spending thousands on European cruises, including those on the Danube River.

Andy Peach and his wife booked a seven-day Skyla trip in June, traversing Budapest, Vienna, and Linz. He described it as "the worst TUI holiday we've ever been on." Peach noted the presence of "big blowers" on board instead of air conditioning, which he said expelled hot air. "One was in the middle of the corridor, blocking the exit," he recalled, adding, "It didn't seem to cool the place down."

As the holiday progressed, onboard temperatures rose, leaving him "exhausted." By the week's end, Peach said the air conditioning in the cabins had also failed. On the second-to-last day, passengers were moved to hotels, which Peach described as "really basic." He and his wife paid nearly £4,000 for the holiday but were offered only a £300 refund, with a 72-hour window to accept it. He asserted, "TUI know there's problems on these boats, but continue to sell them to people as a full luxury cruise."

While Peach was on the Skyla, Joan Craven discovered complaints on social media. She was scheduled for the ship's next sailing from Budapest a few days later and grew concerned. TUI's customer services assured her via email that the air conditioning was functional. However, upon arrival, a holiday representative informed her it was not. Craven told the BBC she felt misled. Some passengers had reported air conditioning and water supply issues on the same vessel in May.

Complaints regarding the Isla date back even further. Wendy Charnley and her husband Rob "pushed the boat out" to celebrate his retirement, booking an Isla cruise in April 2025 departing from Amsterdam. Charnley likened the experience to "being in a tropical house at a zoo," with no discernible air conditioning. "Some areas were really, really hot," she said. "There wasn't really anywhere that you could go that you could cool down."

A couple of months later, Kevin Darvill boarded the ship in Frankfurt. He immediately noticed the toilet in the reception area was out of order. Portable fans and air conditioning units were also visible. Darvill described the ship as becoming "really hot" with "no respite." "It was intolerable because there was literally no air circulation," he stated. "The worst places were the restaurants." He struggled to sleep, and his shower alternated between freezing cold and "scalding hot." He said passengers were initially offered a 15% refund for the air conditioning problems, which increased to 40% when the cruise was cut short on the penultimate day. However, he believes the holiday should not have proceeded at all. "Had I known that the air conditioning wasn't working, having gone on river cruises before, I wouldn't have gone," he said.

Problems with the Isla have persisted this year. John Welsh, who boarded in June, reported out-of-order toilets and air conditioning issues. "The whole ship was a sweat box," he said, with some passengers in windowless cabins resorting to sleeping on the ship's roof. Welsh noted that staff were "soaking to the skin with sweat working in the restaurant," and he also had to change his sweat-soaked clothes after dining there. He felt "fobbed off" when he complained to the cruise director. He accepted TUI's offer of a £140 per person refund for the air conditioning problems but stated he would never travel with the company again.

By July, low river levels due to the heatwave significantly impacted European cruises. Tony Harper was informed a few days before his trip began on July 20 that some coach travel would replace sailing. However, issues with the ship itself were also prominent. "The common area smelt of sewage, there was water dripping through the ceiling and there were public toilets out of action for the whole voyage," he reported. He also noted ineffective portable air conditioning units onboard. Harper commented, "You can't hold it against them for the low river, that's just nature. But it was the way they dealt with that. It was their communication and poor maintenance of the ships, and you can't put it down to anything else other than that. It's indefensible, really."

TUI River Cruises acknowledged experiencing "unexpected technical issues affecting air conditioning systems" as well as other challenges caused by low water levels on the Danube. The company stated that extreme heat across parts of Europe had put systems under pressure, and extensive repairs and maintenance work, including temporary measures, had been undertaken. TUI added that it is investing in its air conditioning systems across its European river cruise fleet this winter, including significant upgrades.