Travelers who spent thousands of pounds on Tui river cruises have expressed significant frustration after their holidays were altered to include hours of bus transport rather than sailing. Several passengers believe they are entitled to financial compensation for the disruption, though Tui has thus far refused to offer any refunds.
Richard Pearson, a traveler from Lincolnshire who began his week-long holiday on 21 September, described the experience as a disappointment. Upon arriving in Budapest, passengers were informed their ship, the Isla, was stuck in Vienna. Instead of boarding the vessel, they were placed in a hotel described by Pearson as mediocre. The following day required a four-hour coach trip just to reach the ship.
Once on board, the vessel sailed mostly at night, leaving little time for guests to enjoy the scenery. During the day, the ship remained docked in Krems while passengers were transported via bus to various locations between 45 minutes and two hours away. According to Pearson, the only daytime sailing was a short round trip that began early in the morning. He estimated that he spent roughly 14 to 15 hours of his trip on a coach, leading him to characterize the vacation as a floating hotel with coach transfers rather than a true cruise. Plus time wasted waiting for coaches”, he worked out that “we spent 14 to 15 hours of that holiday on a coach trip. The schedule changed further, even during the trip.
Pearson, who spent £3,300 on the package, has filed a formal complaint. He noted that while the staff and food were excellent, the experience failed to meet his expectations for relaxation. He is now seeking a partial refund and has indicated he may pursue the matter in small claims court if necessary. He is now contacting Tui to complain and request some of their £3,300 back.
Sue Crosby, whose cruise started on 14 September to coincide with her 70th birthday, shared similar grievances. Despite receiving a revised itinerary several days before departure that detailed the shift to coach travel due to low Danube water levels, she felt misled. Having paid £3,700, Crosby requested a refund before leaving but was denied. She noted that only two half-days were actually spent sailing, calling the reliance on daily bus tours unacceptable. [But] the main thing for us was it wasn’t relaxing. Having spent £3,700 on the cruise, asked for a refund, the couple didn’t want to do this and. However, her complaint is “about the drastic change of itinerary… and the fact we weren’t able to get a full refund”.
Another group, including David Mallon, decided not to travel at all after reviewing the revised plan for their 21 September trip. Citing the health needs of one member who could not endure long periods of sitting on a bus, the group found the itinerary was effectively a glorified coach trip. They chose to book a last-minute alternative holiday in Kos and are now seeking a refund, with Mallon prepared to take legal action. They travelled “reluctantly”, but after being told no refund was possible.
In response to the complaints, a Tui spokesperson explained that extreme summer heat caused low water levels on the Danube, impacting operators throughout the region. The company stated that passengers on the 14 and 21 September departures were notified of itinerary changes before they traveled. Tui emphasized that while they arranged for buses and hotel stays to ensure guests could still visit locations like Budapest, Vienna, and Bratislava, they apologized that some customers did not receive the specific river cruise experience they had anticipated.
The company maintains that because passengers continued their holidays under the amended plans, the trips were conducted in accordance with their standard booking conditions. Previous complaints regarding conditions on board Tui’s river fleet have also surfaced alongside these reports.
