Passengers who paid thousands of pounds for European river cruises with Tui have expressed frustration after their itineraries were substantially altered to include extensive coach journeys instead of river sailing, with the company declining to offer refunds.
Multiple travellers have told the BBC they feel misled by the changes, which were attributed to unusually low water levels on the Danube during the summer months. Tui apologised for the disruption but maintained that customers proceeded under its standard booking conditions, which permit itinerary modifications.
The complaints follow earlier reports of technical problems aboard two of Tui's river vessels, Skyla and Isla, which experienced air-conditioning and plumbing failures.
What happened on these cruises?
Richard Pearson from Lincolnshire booked a week-long holiday departing on 21 September. Upon arrival in Budapest, passengers learned their vessel, Isla, was positioned in Vienna and unable to reach them. They were accommodated in a hotel that Pearson describes as "average" for the first night.
The following day involved a four-hour coach transfer to reach the ship. The vessel then sailed overnight to Krems—eliminating any opportunity to view the landscape—and remained there for several days while passengers were bussed on excursions to locations between 45 minutes and two hours away. The return journey to Vienna also occurred during darkness.
The sole daytime "scenic sail" was a round trip to Krems beginning early in the morning. Pearson calculated that he and his partner spent 14 to 15 hours on coach journeys, plus additional time waiting for transport.
Sue Crosby and her husband boarded the same vessel on 14 September, which coincided with her 70th birthday. A revised itinerary was provided several days before departure, explicitly stating that multiple coach excursions would replace river sailing due to low Danube water levels. When the couple requested a refund, Tui declined, and they proceeded reluctantly.
During the trip, the schedule changed again. Crosby noted there were only two half-days when passengers could genuinely experience river cruising. She praised the food and crew but expressed frustration with how the company managed the situation and continued advertising the holidays without disclosing the extent of the changes.
David Mallon and five companions were scheduled to depart on 21 September. Upon receiving the revised itinerary a few days before travel, they concluded the new plan amounted to "a glorified coach trip" rather than a cruise. One group member had health reasons for avoiding prolonged sitting, making the coach-heavy schedule unsuitable. With no refund offered, they booked a last-minute holiday to Kos instead and plan to pursue compensation through small claims court if necessary.
Why are these cruises being disrupted?
Extreme heat across Europe during summer 2026 caused water levels on the Danube to fall significantly, affecting river cruise operators throughout the region. According to a travel-industry report updated on 7 October, low water continues to disrupt Rhine and Danube cruises, with normal operations not expected to resume until mid-October at the earliest.
Tui stated that it reviewed each sailing individually with nautical partners and arranged coach transfers, hotel stays, and adjusted travel plans to allow customers to visit key destinations including Budapest, Vienna, and Bratislava when river sections could not be navigated.
What are passengers saying about compensation?
Pearson is contacting Tui to request a partial refund of his £3,300 holiday cost. He stated that the experience was not relaxing and described it as "a floating hotel with coach transfers" rather than a river cruise. Had a refund been offered initially, he would not have travelled.
Crosby expressed similar sentiment, saying "We feel as though we've been had." Her complaint centres on the drastic itinerary changes and the company's refusal to provide a full refund despite the fundamental alteration to the holiday she had booked.
Mallon emphasised that the group does not blame Tui for the water levels themselves but rather "the way they've handled the consequences of that."
This is not the first instance of passenger dissatisfaction with Tui's river cruises. A separate BBC report on earlier Tui cruise complaints documented cases where one couple who paid nearly £4,000 were offered £300 with 72 hours to accept, while another passenger accepted £140 per person for air-conditioning problems.
What is Tui's response?
In a statement, a Tui River Cruises spokesperson said:
Extreme heat across Europe this summer caused low water levels on the Danube, affecting river cruise operators across the region. We review every sailing individually with our nautical partners. Customers on the Tui Isla departures on 14 and 21 September were sent revised itineraries before travelling. Where the ship couldn't sail sections of the river, we arranged coach transfers, hotel stays and adjusted travel arrangements to minimise transfer times so customers could still visit destinations, including Budapest, Vienna and Bratislava. We reviewed the revised arrangements carefully and customers continued their holiday on the amended itinerary under our standard booking conditions. While customers were still able to visit the key destinations on their itinerary, we're sorry some did not get the river cruise experience they had anticipated.
The company has not offered refunds to any of the affected passengers, citing its standard booking conditions which permit itinerary changes due to circumstances beyond its control.
What happens next?
According to the latest industry report, normal river-cruise operations are not expected to resume until mid-October 2026 at the earliest, meaning further disruptions may affect upcoming departures.
Mallon has indicated he will pursue his refund claim through small claims court if Tui does not respond satisfactorily to his complaint. Meanwhile, Tui has announced plans to upgrade and replace air-conditioning systems across its European fleet over the winter following earlier complaints about cooling and plumbing problems on Skyla and Isla.
Key Facts
- Passengers on Tui Isla departures on 14 and 21 September spent 14–15 hours on coach journeys instead of river sailing due to low Danube water levels
- Tui declined refund requests, citing standard booking conditions that permit itinerary changes for circumstances beyond the company's control
- Affected passengers have described the experience as misleading, with some planning to pursue compensation through small claims court
- Low water disruptions are expected to continue affecting European river cruises until mid-October 2026 at the earliest
- This follows earlier complaints about air-conditioning and plumbing failures on the same vessels
