Low Danube Water Levels Disrupt Tui Cruises Sailings

Low water levels disrupted Tui Cruises’ Danube River itineraries aboard Isla, leading the company to arrange coach transfers and hotel accommodations for passengers on the Sept. 14 and Sept. 21 sailings.

Richard Pearson said he paid £3,300 ($4,400) for a weeklong trip for himself and his partner. According to Pearson, passengers arriving in Budapest on Sept. 21 were informed that Isla was stuck in Vienna and could not reach them. He estimated that 14 to 15 hours of the vacation were spent traveling by coach, excluding additional time waiting for transportation.

Sue Crosby and her husband, who had paid £3,700 ($4,900), sought a refund after receiving a revised itinerary involving several coach journeys. They proceeded with the trip after being told a refund would not be provided.

Tui Cruises’ A-Z Guide states that when high or low water prevents completion of a river itinerary, the company will seek to cover the route by coach. Under that policy, refunds are not available when the itinerary can be completed that way.

A Tui Cruises spokesperson attributed the low water levels to extreme heat across Europe during the summer. The company said passengers still visited the main destinations on their itineraries, while acknowledging that some did not receive the river-cruise experience they had expected.