Pandaw · All Pandaw ships · Pandaw K class, ten-cabin Kerala backwaters ship, 20 guests

Kerala Pandaw: ship guide

Pandaw’s second Kerala backwaters ship, launching December 2026 with cruises from Kochi.

Best for: Travelers who want Pandaw’s Kerala backwaters cruise on the newest ship in the fleet, including the spring 2028 departures that only Kerala Pandaw offers. Sails from Kochi in 2026 and 2027.

See every Kerala Pandaw sailing Deck plans Pandaw policies

20guests at double occupancy

2decks

2026entered service

10staterooms

About Kerala Pandaw

Kerala Pandaw is a ten-stateroom river ship under construction for Pandaw’s Kerala backwaters program, announced as launching in December 2026 and the line’s fifth ship in India. A sister to the November 2025 Kochi Pandaw, she keeps the classic Pandaw brass-and-teak styling and wrap-around promenade decks on a hull sized for the lagoons and canals between Kochi, Kumarakom and Alleppey. Her first published guest sailings begin in February 2027.

Four upper-deck and six main-deck staterooms of about 170 square feet each carry a panoramic French window, individually controlled air conditioning, a Nespresso machine, a complimentary minibar, imported linens with a duvet and two pillow types, and multi-configuration plugs. Public rooms follow the fleet pattern: an open-air lounge and bar on the upper deck, an al fresco bistro dining room led by a local master chef, a guest relations deck and a library, all for just 20 guests.

Kerala Pandaw will share The Kerala Backwaters itinerary with Kochi Pandaw, a seven-night round trip from Panangad Jetty in Kochi. Her published 2027 departures run February and March, then October 2027 through May 2028, extending Pandaw’s Kerala season later into the spring than Kochi Pandaw sails. Fort Kochi, Vaikom temple, Kumarakom, Alleppey, the Mannarashala snake temple and a pottery village are on the route, with Pandaw’s India drinks package included.

Pandaw’s newest ship, announced for December 2026 with first guest sailings in February 2027
Ten staterooms for 20 guests, four on the upper deck and six on the main deck, each about 170 square feet
Seven-night Kerala Backwaters round trip from Kochi; the only Pandaw Kerala ship sailing into April and May 2028
Fort Kochi, Vaikom Mahadeva Temple, Kumarakom, Alleppey, Thottapally Beach and the Mannarashala Snake Temple
Kathakali, Mohiniattam and Kalari Payattu performances during the cruise
Shikara boat rides through the canals and hands-on pottery with artisans at Vadayar
India complimentary drinks package included: local beers, spirits, mixers, soft drinks and house wines at lunch and dinner
All excursions, entrance fees, English-speaking guides and crew gratuities included

Staterooms and suites

Main Deck Stateroom

Six staterooms of about 170 square feet on the main deck, finished in teak and brass with a panoramic French window onto the wrap-around promenade, individually controlled air conditioning, premium mattresses with imported linens, duvet and a choice of two pillow types, a Nespresso machine, a complimentary minibar, glass bottled water, expedition flasks, spa-branded amenities, an electric safe, multi-configuration plugs, a hair dryer, kimonos, slippers and yoga mats; evening canapes, nightly turndown and 24-hour laundry service (laundry is charged) are standard.

Upper Deck Stateroom

Four staterooms with the same 170-square-foot layout and fittings on the upper deck, beside the open-air lounge and bar and with the higher view over Vembanad Lake and the canals.

Kerala Pandaw deck plans

Deck by deck, straight from our booking engine: the plan, the stateroom categories on that deck and the public rooms. Pick a deck.

Upper Deck

Bar/Dining Room, Suites/Staterooms.

Plans are the cruise line’s current drawings as supplied to our booking engine. Layouts change with refurbishments; your SmartCruiser advisor confirms the exact stateroom when you book.

Dining on Kerala Pandaw

Dining RoomIncluded

Al fresco bistro-style dining with air-conditioned seating, where a local master chef leads an international team through personalized meal service, theme and gala dinners and daily lean-and-light options.

Upper Deck Lounge and BarIncluded

Open-air lounge and bar for the welcome cocktail, evening performances and the farewell reception.

Hospitality BarIncluded

Local mineral water, jugged coffee, teas and tisanes available at any hour at no charge.

India Complimentary Drinks PackageIncluded

Included free for all guests on Kerala sailings: local beers, spirits, mixers and soft drinks throughout the cruise, plus select house wines at lunch and dinner, subject to availability; the cabin minibar is also complimentary.

Private DiningSpecialty

A pre-bookable private dinner on deck, priced as an add-on.

Entertainment and activities

Open upper deck and wrap-around promenades for the lagoons, canals and coconut groves of the backwaters
Kathakali dance performance at Kumarakom and a Mohiniattam performance at Kavalam
Kalari Payattu martial-art demonstration at Thottapally Beach
Shikara boat rides through the narrow canals at Nattakam and Vadayar
All excursions included: Kerala Folklore Museum, Fort Kochi, Vaikom temple, the 1885 Munroe Lighthouse, St. Mary’s Jacobite Syrian Church and the Mannarashala Snake Temple
Hands-on pottery with local artisans in the rural pottery hub at Vadayar
Library of classic and contemporary titles on board
No spa on board; Pandaw offers massage only on its Lower Mekong ships

Families and who it suits

Pandaw does not accept children under 8 because the open decks have no safety netting and the rail gaps are wide; children 8 to 17 are welcome with their own berth. There is no kids program.

Best for: Travelers who want Pandaw’s Kerala backwaters cruise on the newest ship in the fleet, including the spring 2028 departures that only Kerala Pandaw offers.

Sails from: Kochi · Regions: Kerala backwaters (India)

Kerala Pandaw questions we answer every day

When does Kerala Pandaw start sailing?

Pandaw lists Kerala Pandaw as launching in December 2026, with her first published guest departures on The Kerala Backwaters on 14 February 2027. Because she is a new build, dates and details can shift; her published schedule then runs through March 2027 and from October 2027 through May 2028. She is Pandaw’s fifth ship in India and the second built for Kerala after Kochi Pandaw.

How big is Kerala Pandaw?

Kerala Pandaw is a two-deck river ship with ten staterooms for 20 guests, four on the upper deck and six on the main deck. Pandaw has not yet published her length, beam, draft or tonnage; she is described as a ten-cabin ship specially designed for the backwaters of Kerala, keeping the classic Pandaw cabin and wrap-around promenade decks.

Where does Kerala Pandaw sail?

The Kerala Backwaters, a seven-night round trip from Panangad Jetty in Kochi following Vembanad Lake and the canals to Kumarakom, Kainakary, Kavalam, Alleppey and Vadayar, with Fort Kochi on embarkation day. Her 2027-2028 season is longer than Kochi Pandaw’s, with departures roughly every eight days from October 2027 right through late May 2028.

What are the cabins like on Kerala Pandaw?

All ten staterooms are about 170 square feet in teak and brass with a panoramic French window, individually controlled air conditioning, a Nespresso machine, a complimentary minibar, premium mattresses with imported linens, a duvet and two pillow types, a safe, multi-configuration plugs, hair dryer, kimonos, slippers and yoga mats. The four upper-deck staterooms sit beside the open-air lounge and bar and are the first to sell.

What is included in the fare on Kerala Pandaw?

All meals, every listed excursion with entrance fees, English-speaking guides, crew gratuities, transfers between the Kochi meeting point and the ship, local mineral water, jugged coffee, teas and tisanes, the cabin minibar and Pandaw’s India complimentary drinks package of local beers, spirits, mixers, soft drinks and house wines with lunch and dinner. Flights, visas, laundry and tips for local guides and drivers are extra.

Kerala Pandaw or Kochi Pandaw?

They are sister ships with the same ten-stateroom layout, the same itinerary and the same inclusions, so choose by date. Kochi Pandaw, launched in November 2025, carries the October to March departures in 2026-2027. Kerala Pandaw begins in February 2027 and is the ship for late-season sailings in April and May 2028, when Kochi Pandaw is not scheduled.

Facts checked against Pandaw: RV Kerala Pandaw, Pandaw: The Kerala Backwaters expedition, Pandaw: Kerala Backwaters cruise dates, Pandaw: India river cruises on October 14, 2026. Ship details change with refurbishments; your SmartCruiser advisor confirms the current layout when you book.

Live from the cruise line

Every Kerala Pandaw sailing, priced all-in

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Every Kerala Pandaw sailing

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Prices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. Onboard credit shown on a sailing is per stateroom and applies to the lowest category offered unless stated otherwise.