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Thu, 20 Aug 2026

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 Stifling heat and broken toilets: TUI River Cruise passengers tell of their holiday hell

Holidaymakers tell the BBC they paid for luxury breaks but faulty air conditioning left them in sweltering heat.
Andy Peach and his wife spent nearly £4,000 for their cruise on the Skyla but had to endure "the worst TUI holiday we've ever been on". The air conditioning was described as not cooling the place down by Peach, with temperatures onboard climbing throughout the week. By the end of the week, Peach said the air conditioning in cabins had broken too. The Skyla's sister ship, Isla, has also experienced issues since last year. Passengers reported problems with toilets and water supply. Wendy Charnley described conditions on board as "like being in a tropical house at a zoo" due to the lack of air conditioning. Some passengers who had complaints about air conditioning were initially offered a 15% refund, which was increased to 40% when their cruise was cut short. TUI apologized to customers where trips fell short of the standards they aim to deliver and said that low river levels on the Danube this year had put systems under pressure. The company added it was investing in its air conditioning systems across its European river cruise fleet this winter, including significant upgrades.