“Like a Sweat Box”: 146 Cruise Passengers Sent Home Early After AC Breakdown

An AC failure in the middle of an intense heat wave in Europe has forced TUI River Cruises to cancel a Danube sailing. 146 passengers who had just boarded the ship that day were then sent to hotels before being flown home.

There’s never really an ideal time for the air conditioning to quit working. But when you first get on your river ship in Europe in the middle of a historic heat wave and it feels more like a sauna than a break from the heat… well, that’s not something you exactly plan for.

That is exactly what happened to over 100 passengers who flew to Budapest, expecting a 7-day “East Danube Delights” sailing aboard the 16-year-old river ship TUI Skyla.

But instead of a relaxing European getaway, they stepped into what some passengers actually did call “a sauna”.

With temperatures outside reaching over 39°C (roughly 102°F), the ship’s climate control system just couldn’t keep up.

Even though passengers had already boarded the ship and some had even unpacked their suitcases after they were told the AC was being worked on, they had to pack it back up and leave the ship early.

The cruise was officially cancelled, and the guests were sent to a hotel.

“Definitely not going on our cruise”

May Taylor, a passenger booked on the sailing, shared the drama in a TUI River Cruises Facebook group:

“Arrived in Budapest yesterday to go on TUI Skyla for 7 days. Advised by Cruise Director she has just found out that morning the air conditioning was broken but they were working on it. At 3pm we were advised our rooms were ready and some passengers unpacked. By 5pm we were off the boat with all our luggage to stay in hotel for the night – £30 voucher for dinner and drinks… It is around 39 degrees so it will be extremely hot on board… looks like we are definitely not going on our cruise.”

After spending the night in local hotels, guests were told they could return to the un-air-conditioned ship for lunch, while a meeting was scheduled for 5:00 PM to “let us know our destiny.”

Shortly after, Taylor updated the group with the final verdict: the cruise was officially canceled.

For their part, TUI River Cruises mentioned the historic weather as the main culprit behind the breakdown. In an official corporate statement, the cruise line said:

“We’re aware of a technical issue affecting the air conditioning on TUI Skyla following the extreme heat in Budapest, and we’re very sorry for the disruption this has caused to our customers’ holidays. The ship remains in Budapest, where specialist engineers are continuing to work to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”

Passengers were moved back to hotels while waiting for emergency flights home.

TUI provided a full refund, £100 per person in future cruise vouchers, and a £30 per person, per night allowance for dinner and drinks.

But for most on board, the compensation didn’t cover the frustration. And some mentioned that the ship had struggled with the same issues before.

Ongoing AC Issues This Summer

Past passengers with TUI began to comment on the Facebook post and they shared that TUI’s air conditioning systems have been fighting a losing battle against the European summer.

According to some guests, these cooling issues have been popping up across other Danube vessels, including Skyla, Isla, and Maya.

One passenger, Valerie Walker, said that AC issues had caused problems on her sailing just the week prior:

“I was on Skyla last week with no A/C in public areas and total failure in cabins on Sunday. We were moved to Ibis hotel for one night which was not at all nice. Both cruise directors Andre and Sophie were helping with the move so to be told they only just found out is false.”

Another cruiser reported that the ship was relying on temporary portable cooling units earlier in the season, probably to help compensate for the ship’s AC not being able to keep up with the unbearable heat hitting Europe right now.

“We were on Skyla at the end of May and there was air conditioning issues along with dangerous cabin water issues. We were told by the cruise director that the issues had only just happened and the portable air con units (that were not fit for purpose) were brought on the day we embarked..” the passenger stated.

When a ship’s AC struggles in normal weather, it’s annoying. When it happens in a 100-degree heat wave, it’s more of a safety issue.

Joan Craven took to Facebook to say what the conditions felt like inside:

“The ship is like a sweat box. TUI management should try spending a few hours on it.”

Bottom Line

River cruising during a peak European summer always comes with risks. Usually, you’re worrying about low water levels forcing you onto a tour bus (which actually happened to me once during a river cruise with Viking).

But keeping older river ships cool during an extended heat wave is a whole different beast.

Mechanical breakdowns happen to every cruise line. However, when a ship’s cooling system has been struggling for weeks, letting 146 passengers fly all the way to Budapest just to turn them right back around is understandably a frustrating experience.

I’m sure I wouldn’t be a happy camper myself. But this heatwave has been stronger and gone on longer than most expected. Even with the AC working 100% as it should, it might not be as comfortable as you would like in that cabin when it’s well over 100 degrees outside.

For any summer cruises in these hot zones, make sure you pack some portable fans, but above all, pack some patience.  You’re probably going to need it.