TUI River Cruise passengers report heat and broken toilets

Dozens of holidaymakers have spoken out about their distressing experiences with TUI River Cruises after spending thousands of pounds on European river journeys, only to encounter severe facility failures on board, most notably broken air conditioning and malfunctioning plumbing systems.

Earlier this year, passengers aboard the Skyla, operated by TUI, contacted BBC Your Voice after becoming stranded in Budapest during a severe heatwave with little to no functioning air conditioning. Following initial reports, more travelers stepped forward to report identical issues on both the Skyla and its sister ship, the Isla, criticizing TUI's customer service and

describing the offered refunds as completely inadequate.

Andy Peach and his wife booked a seven-day voyage on the Skyla in June, traveling through Budapest, Vienna, and Linz. Instead of proper air conditioning, Peach noted that large blowers were deployed on the ship, merely expelling hot air. Temperatures inside the vessel steadily climbed throughout the trip, leaving him exhausted, and by the end of the week, the cabin air conditioning units broke down entirely.

"But it was the way they dealt with that. It was their communication and poor maintenance of the ships, and you can't put it down to anything else other than that."

Tony Harper

On the second-to-last day of the itinerary, passengers were transferred to hotels which Peach described as being extremely basic. He and his spouse had paid nearly £4,000 for the holiday, yet they were offered a mere £300 refund with a strict 72-hour deadline to accept it.