Tui River Cruises to invest in air conditioning as complaints mount up

Tui River Cruises has said it is investing in its air conditioning systems across its European river cruise fleet this winter, following widespread reports of problems this summer.

 

The BBC said dozens of people have accused the company of “operating vessels with faulty facilities including persistently broken air conditioning”.

 

Complaints have been shared widely on Facebook groups, with passengers also unhappy about problems with showers and toilets on Skyla and sister vessel Isla.

 

A Tui River Cruises spokesperson said: “We want to apologise to customers whose river cruise holidays fell short of the standards we aim to deliver and understand the disappointment this may have caused.

 

“During a number of sailings on both Tui Isla and Tui Skyla, we experienced various unexpected technical issues affecting air conditioning systems, alongside separate operational challenges caused by exceptionally low water levels on the Danube.

 

“These challenges coincided with prolonged periods of extreme heat across parts of Europe, which placed additional pressure on onboard cooling systems and river cruise operations.  

 

 “These issues impacted some customers’ river cruise holidays and where disruption occurred, our teams worked hard to minimise the impact through a range of measures.

 

“Throughout this period, our engineering teams and specialist contractors carried out extensive investigations, repairs and maintenance work.

 

“This included a range of interventions and temporary measures to support onboard comfort while longer-term solutions were implemented.”

 

The spokesperson added: “We understand the disappointment and frustration caused to affected customers. Our focus throughout was on supporting those impacted, keeping them updated and offering compensation in line with the level of disruption experienced.

 

“Tui River Cruises is investing in its onboard air conditioning systems across the European river cruise fleet this winter, including significant upgrades and replacements designed to further improve reliability and customer comfort.”

 

In a BBC article about the “holiday hell”, passengers describe stifling conditions as well as problems with plumbing after paying thousands of pounds for European cruises, including on the Danube River.

 

Andy Peach and his wife said there were “big blowers” instead of air conditioning on Skyla in June, travelling through Budapest, Vienna and Linz.

 

It turned out to be “the worst Tui holiday we’ve ever been on”, he told the BBC.

 

He and his wife had paid nearly £4,000 for the holiday but they were offered only £300 as a refund and given 72 hours to accept it.

 

Meanwhile, complaints about Isla go back even further.

 

Wendy Charnley and her husband Rob cruised on Isla in April 2025 departing from Amsterdam and described it as like “being in a tropical house at a zoo” with no sign of air conditioning.