Pandaw River Cruises recently announced it will be extensively refitting the two vessels that helped launch the company’s pioneering river cruises along the Mekong River from Saigon to Angkor.
Constructed in 2003, the RV Mekong Pandaw and RV Tonle Pandaw will be given an extensive overhaul before re-entering service along the Mekong in October of this year.
Of particular note is the fact that this refit will see a reduction in the number of staterooms, down to 26 from 30. This will allow Pandaw to not only boast one of the highest passenger-to-space ratios in the cruise industry, but also let the line add an enlarged spa, gymnasium, art gallery and library on the ship’s Lower Deck.
“There can be no tapestry of river life as fascinating and varied as the River Mekong. Indeed there can be no more striking a cultural contrast as that between the bustling Vietnam delta and the tranquility of Cambodia,” says Pandaw founder Paul Strachan. “We have been pioneering the Mekong River since 2003 and with the full refit of our two colonial style ships we will not only continue to deliver, but improve the Pandaw cruise experience which we are famous for.”
Both vessels will be fitted with new air conditioning systems, while existing staterooms will receive new bathrooms and even French windows leading out to the expansive promenade deck where applicable.
Pandaw was founded in 1995 as the successor to the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company, which was one of the largest steamship lines in the world during the 1920s and 1930s. After the onset of World War II, the entire fleet was purposely scuttled in order to prevent invading Japanese forces from utilizing the line’s vessels to transit the Mekong.
In 1998, founder Paul Strachan purchased an ex-steamship originally built along the Clyde in Scotland. She was named the Pandaw, and the company has been expanding both its fleet and itinerary offerings ever since.
More information on Pandaw River Cruises can be found by viewing our complete company overview here on River Cruise Advisor.
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