TUI River Cruise Passengers Say Dream Holiday Became Coach Trip

Passengers who paid thousands of pounds for European river cruises with TUI say their holidays turned into lengthy coach journeys after low water levels forced major changes to their itineraries.

Several passengers have told the BBC they believe they should receive money back after spending much of their holidays travelling by road rather than experiencing the river cruise they had booked.

TUI apologised to affected customers and said unusually low water levels on the Danube meant some sections of the planned cruises could not operate.

The company said it arranged alternative transport, hotels and amended itineraries so customers could still visit destinations included in their holidays.

However, passengers who spoke to the BBC said the changes fundamentally altered the experience they had paid for.

'It wasn't a river cruise'

Richard Pearson, from Lincolnshire, paid £3,300 for a week-long holiday with his partner, beginning on 21 September.

After arriving in Budapest, passengers were told that their vessel, Isla, was in Vienna and could not reach them.

They were instead taken to a hotel before travelling by coach for around four hours the following day to reach the ship.

Richard said the vessel then sailed overnight to Krems, meaning passengers could not enjoy the scenery.

During the following days, the ship remained in Krems while passengers were taken by coach on excursions to destinations between around 45 minutes and two hours away.

The return journey towards Vienna also took place in darkness.

Richard estimated that he and his partner spent 14 to 15 hours on coaches, in addition to time spent waiting for transport.

He said the ship's food and staff were excellent but described the overall holiday as "a little bit of sailing, a floating hotel with coach transfers."

He is now seeking a partial refund from TUI.

'We feel as though we've been had'

Sue Crosby and her husband paid £3,700 for their cruise, which began on 14 September and was intended to form part of her 70th birthday celebrations.

They were warned before travelling that low water levels would mean changes to the itinerary, including coach journeys.

The couple did not want the amended holiday and asked for a refund.

They were told that a refund was not available and decided to travel anyway.

Sue said she felt they had been badly let down by the way the situation was handled.

She said there were only two half-days of sailing during the holiday where passengers could properly experience the river cruise.

Her complaint was not about the weather or river conditions themselves.

Instead, she said it was about "the drastic change of itinerary" and the decision not to offer a full refund.

Another group decided not to travel

David Mallon was due to travel with a group of five others on 21 September.

After receiving the revised itinerary, the group decided the holiday was so different from what they had originally booked that they did not want to go.

David described the proposed holiday as "a glorified coach trip" rather than a river cruise.

One member of the group was also supposed to avoid long periods of sitting, including lengthy coach journeys, for health reasons.

Without a refund being offered, the group booked a last-minute holiday to Kos instead.

David said they did not blame TUI for the low water levels.

His complaint was about how the consequences were handled.

He has submitted a complaint and said he would consider taking the matter to the small claims court if necessary.

Why were the cruises changed?

TUI said extreme heat across Europe during the summer contributed to low water levels on the Danube.

The company said it reviewed each sailing individually with its nautical partners.

For the affected 14 and 21 September departures, customers were sent revised itineraries before travelling.

Where the ship could not sail certain sections of the river, TUI said it arranged coach transfers, hotel accommodation and other travel arrangements.

The company said these changes allowed passengers to continue visiting destinations including Budapest, Vienna and Bratislava.

TUI says customers travelled under booking conditions

TUI said it had carefully reviewed the amended arrangements and that customers continued their holidays under its standard booking conditions.

The company apologised that some passengers did not receive the river cruise experience they had expected.

A TUI spokesperson said the company understood that the changes meant some customers did not get the experience they had anticipated.

However, the company has not offered the affected passengers the refunds they are seeking.

The bigger consumer question

The dispute raises a wider question for anyone booking a specialist holiday.

A river cruise is not simply a way of travelling between destinations.

For many passengers, the experience of sailing along the river is a central part of what they are paying for.

When circumstances outside a travel company's control make that impossible, alternative transport may allow passengers to continue their holiday — but it can also fundamentally change what they have purchased.

That is the issue at the heart of the complaints from the passengers who spoke to the BBC.

They accept that TUI cannot control the water level of the Danube.

What they are questioning is whether a holiday involving hours of coach travel still represents the same experience they paid thousands of pounds to receive.

What happens next?

The affected passengers are continuing to pursue complaints and potential refund claims.

TUI maintains that it provided amended holidays in accordance with its booking conditions and that customers were still able to visit the key destinations included in their itineraries.

The company has nevertheless acknowledged that some passengers did not receive the river cruise experience they expected.

For the customers involved, the argument now is not about whether the Danube was too low.

It is about what compensation, if any, should be available when a river cruise becomes largely a coach-based holiday.