Passengers aboard the Tui Skyla river cruise, stranded for two days in Budapest during a heatwave due to a failed air conditioning system, will be flown home. The ship's operator, Tui River Cruises, has apologized for the disruption and arranged flights for the affected passengers.
Temperatures in Budapest exceeded 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) this week, causing significant discomfort for passengers, including elderly individuals and those with mobility issues. Passengers reported a lack of information regarding the situation and expressed distress over the conditions.
Judith Dunn, 83, who had paid £2,000 for the trip along the Danube River, described the heat on board as "absolutely stifling" and called the experience a "nightmare." Her trip was intended to celebrate her and her late husband's 60th wedding anniversary and her friend's 80th birthday. Passengers arrived in Budapest on Monday lunchtime and were informed of the air conditioning failure shortly after boarding the ship.
Around 7:30 p.m. local time on Monday, passengers were transferred to hotels and were responsible for their own meal arrangements. Passengers learned that the air conditioning had been malfunctioning prior to their arrival, as a previous cruise group had also required hotel accommodation.
While crew members ensured adequate water supply, some passengers remained distressed. The decision was made to cancel the remainder of the cruise after engineers determined that a swift repair was not possible. Tui River Cruises stated that the ship is in Budapest where specialist teams are working to resolve the technical issue. Affected passengers will receive a full refund and a £100 voucher as a gesture of goodwill.