We spent thousands on a Tui river cruise but ended up on coach trips

Passengers who had anticipated an enjoyable European river cruise with Tui are expressing their frustration after discovering that their holidays were marred by numerous coach trips instead. Several have approached the BBC to voice their discontent, but have been met with no refund offers. Tui has apologized, attributing the changes to low water levels on the Danube, while emphasizing that customers continued their holiday under the revised itinerary per their standard booking conditions.

This situation echoes previous complaints about the conditions on two of Tui's river vessels. Richard Pearson from Lincolnshire, whose week-long holiday commenced on September 21st, recounted that upon reaching Budapest, he was informed that their ship, Isla, was docked in Vienna, forcing them into a hotel stay that he deemed average.

The following day, they were subjected to a four-hour coach journey to reach the ship, which then sailed overnight, denying them the opportunity to appreciate the surroundings. Subsequently, the vessel remained anchored in Krems for several days, with passengers being bused to day trips situated between 45 minutes and two hours away.

The only time they experienced a scenic sail was during a round trip back to Krems, which began early in the morning. Despite the food and staff on board being excellent, Richard found the overall experience unsatisfactory, particularly due to the extensive time spent on coach trips and the deviation from the expected river cruise.

He calculated that 14 to 15 hours of their holiday were spent on coach trips, plus additional waiting time. Tui's response, citing low water levels as the reason for the itinerary changes, did little to satiate Richard's dissatisfaction. Sue Crosby and her husband, who booked on the Isla on September 14th during her 70th birthday trip, shared a similar experience.

The couple was informed about a revised itinerary via email a few days prior to departure, which prominently featured multiple coach trips due to low water levels on the Danube. Despite their reluctance, they had no choice but to proceed with the amended plan. Upon arrival, they encountered further changes to the schedule. Sue expressed her disappointment in both the handling of the situation and the inability to secure a full refund.

She lamented that the cruise experience they had anticipated was overshadowed by a series of coach transfers, despite the food and people on board being commendable. Similarly, David Mallon and a group of five others had planned to embark on a cruise on September 21st but decided against it after receiving a revised itinerary that starkly contrasted with their initial booking.

One member of the group had specific health concerns that precluded long periods of sitting, such as coach journeys, which further motivated their decision to abandon the cruise and opt for a last-minute trip to Kos instead. David, along with other aggrieved passengers, has lodged a complaint with Tui and threatened legal action if a refund is not forthcoming.

The BBC reached out to Tui River Cruises regarding the passengers' dissatisfaction with the extensive itinerary changes and their denial of refunds. Tui's spokesperson acknowledged that extreme heat in Europe this summer had led to low water levels on the Danube, affecting river cruise operators across the region. They stated that each sailing was reviewed individually with their nautical partners, and customers were provided with revised itineraries before their departure.

Where necessary, coach transfers and hotel stays were arranged to minimize transfer times and enable customers to visit key destinations such as Budapest, Vienna, and Bratislava. While they maintained that customers still had the opportunity to visit these locales, the spokesperson admitted that some passengers did not receive the river cruise experience they had envisioned.