Passengers who booked European river cruises with Tui have expressed dissatisfaction after their itineraries were altered to include extensive coach trips instead of river cruising. Richard Pearson, a passenger whose holiday began on September 21, reported that upon arrival in Budapest, he and others were informed that their vessel, Isla, was in Vienna and could not reach them. Instead, they were accommodated in a hotel and faced a four-hour coach journey to the ship. Pearson noted that they spent approximately 14 to 15 hours on coach trips during the holiday, which he felt detracted from the river cruise experience. He is seeking a refund of part of the £3,300 he paid.
Sue Crosby, whose trip started on September 14, also experienced significant changes to her itinerary. She stated that a revised itinerary was sent shortly before departure, indicating multiple coach trips due to low water levels on the Danube. Crosby expressed frustration over the lack of a full refund and the limited river cruising time, stating that there were only two half days of sailing.
David Mallon and his group chose not to proceed with their trip after reviewing the revised itinerary, which they felt was not a cruise but rather a coach trip. They booked a last-minute holiday to Kos instead and plan to seek a refund from Tui.
In response to the complaints, a Tui spokesperson stated that low water levels on the Danube were caused by extreme heat across Europe and that they arranged coach transfers and hotel stays to minimize disruption. They acknowledged that while customers were able to visit key destinations, some did not receive the river cruise experience they expected.