Despite the industry's successful restart, the pandemic has claimed another cruise line
Add riverboat operator Pandaw to the list of cruise companies that are shutting down for good due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Southeast Asia cruise specialist, which operated 17 vessels on rivers in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar as well as India, has posted a notice on its website and social media pages saying it's out of business.
"Pandaw regrets to announce that due to the continuing COVID-19 impact on international leisure travel, the closure of its destinations in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and India, and the critical political situation in Myanmar, the company has no alternative but to cease its river cruise operations," the company said in the notice.
Pandaw cited a "lack of financial liquidity and failure to find additional funding in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis."
Founded in 1995, Pandaw was one of the great pioneers of Southeast Asia river cruises. It was the first company to offer multinight river voyages in Myanmar on both the Irrawaddy and Chindwin rivers, and it was one of the biggest operators of river cruises on the Mekong River in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
In addition to operating riverboats in Southeast Asia under the Pandaw name, the company operated vessels in the region at times for such well-known river cruise brands as Avalon Waterways and Viking.
Pandaw was known for lovely, hand-crafted brass-and-teak vessels built by local craftspeople that mimicked the look of Colonial-era riverboats in Southeast Asia. The vessels -- all intimate in size -- were purposely built with ultra-shallow drafts that allowed them to travel to remote parts of the region that bigger river cruise vessels couldn't reach.
Each of the ships typically carried between 30 and 50 passengers.
The family-owned company was founded by Paul Strachan, a Scottish historian with a love of Myanmar. He started the business by rebuilding an original Scotland-built steamer that had operated on Myanmar's Irrawaddy River. The steamer had once sailed for the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company, an iconic, Scottish-founded riverboat company that operated in Myanmar with hundreds of vessels from 1865 through World War II.
"This is a very sad moment for me, my family, our crews and clients. It marks the end of an era for all of us after [25] years of real adventure," Strachan said in a statement posted on the company's website. "We are truly sorry to disappoint our regular passengers who were so looking forward to making a trip after the lifting of travel restrictions."
Strachan added that he also was "heartbroken for our [300] plus crew members and shoreside personnel who have stood by Pandaw and were hoping to get going again next year".
In its notice of shutting down, Pandaw said that forward bookings for a restart in 2022 remained strong. But it said the company "lacks the funding to continue layup operations of their [17] ships for another year, and then undergo essential refurbishment to prepare for renewed operations, the timing of which is highly uncertain," even if sailings could resume by the 2022/2023 winter season.
Related: Small sailing ship company is latest cruise brand to shut down
Pandaw said it had tried to find new investors or other forms of finance to carry it through the pandemic without success.
At least seven other cruise operators — four in Europe, two in North America and one in India — have announced over the past 18 months that they're going out of business or filing for the equivalent of bankruptcy due to financial troubles related to the coronavirus outbreak. Like Pandaw, most were small cruise companies. But the list includes Cruise & Maritime Voyages, which had been the second-largest cruise brand in the U.K.
While cruising has resumed in large parts of North America and Europe in recent months, it remains mostly shut down in a wide swath of Asia due to concerns about COVID-19.
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.