Pandaw cruise policies
Pandaw Policies: Deposits, Final Payment, Cancellation, Gratuities, Dress Code and Age Rules
Every booking rule that affects your wallet or your packing list, on one page: what you pay when you book, when the balance is due, what it costs to cancel, what is already in the fare, what to wear on board and ashore and who can sail. Figures are Pandaw's own, from the booking terms it publishes for every market, and apply to Pandaw's own ships on the Mekong, Irrawaddy, Red River, Ganges, Brahmaputra, Laos and Borneo expeditions.
Deposit
Pandaw takes a percentage deposit rather than a flat amount: 20% of the total booking value, due when the booking is confirmed, and it is nonrefundable from the day you pay it. Special offers can carry a higher nonrefundable deposit, which Pandaw states at the time of booking. Hotels and transfers booked on their own are paid in full at confirmation.
| Cruise length | Deposit |
|---|---|
| Cruise, any length (including cruise and land packages) | 20% of the total booking value, nonrefundable |
| Special offers | A higher nonrefundable deposit may apply; Pandaw advises the amount at booking |
| Standalone land tour booked 62 days or more before it starts | 20% of the tour value, nonrefundable |
| Standalone land tour booked 61 days or fewer before it starts | 100% at confirmation |
| Standalone hotel or transfer | 100% at confirmation |
| Charter of a whole ship | Set by the charter contract, outside these terms |
Good to know
- The deposit is nonrefundable whenever you cancel; Pandaw strongly recommends trip cancellation insurance for that reason.
- Pandaw accepts Visa, Mastercard and American Express for the invoice, plus bank transfer to Pandaw Cruises Ltd, in USD, AUD, EUR or GBP; the paying party covers its own bank charges.
- Port taxes, where a port authority charges them, are added to the invoice on top of the fare, and the terms allow a fuel surcharge.
- A material change after the deposit is paid, such as moving to a different date, can carry a mandatory $150 per person administration fee.
- Pandaw's terms say the payment and cancellation terms for each booking are printed on its invoice; the invoice is the authority if an offer differs from the standard schedule.
Final payment
The balance is due 61 days before departure on every Pandaw cruise, whatever its length. If it has not arrived by then Pandaw cancels the booking and keeps the deposit. Book inside 61 days and the whole fare is due at confirmation.
Standard schedule
| Cruise length | Balance due |
|---|---|
| Cruise, any length | 61 days before departure |
| Standalone land tour | 61 days before the tour starts |
| Standalone hotel or transfer | In full at confirmation |
| Pre- and post-cruise extensions booked with the cruise | With the cruise balance, 61 days before departure |
Good to know
- The balance can be paid online through the Pay Balance button in your Pandaw account, by a card payment link Pandaw emails on request, or by bank transfer.
- The fare covers the cruise program only; flights are not sold with the cruise and are arranged separately.
- Pandaw does not publish a separate holiday or peak-season payment date; the 61-day rule applies to every departure.
Cancellation charges
Pandaw's cruise schedule has two steps: the nonrefundable deposit until 61 days out, then the whole fare. The charge is set by the day Pandaw receives the cancellation in writing at information@pandaw.com. Pre- and post-cruise extensions, standalone hotels, land tours and transfers each have their own schedule, shown below, and charter bookings follow the charter contract.
Cruises on Pandaw's own ships
Every expedition, any length, including the cruise portion of a cruise and land package.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Any length | 61 days or more | The nonrefundable deposit (20% of the booking value, or the higher special-offer deposit) |
| Any length | 60 days or fewer | 100%, no refund |
| Any length | No-show, late arrival or early return | 100%, no refund |
Pre- and post-cruise extensions
Hotels and land arrangements booked with the cruise; the charge is a percentage of the extension, not of the cruise.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos | 61 days or more | $50 per person administration fee |
| Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos | 60 to 45 days | $200 per person |
| Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos | 44 to 30 days | 75% |
| Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos | 29 days or fewer, no-show or early return | 100%, no refund |
| Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand | 93 days or more | 10% or $50 per person, whichever is higher |
| Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand | 92 to 63 days | 30% |
| Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand | 62 to 33 days | 50% |
| Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand | 32 days or fewer, or no-show | 100%, no refund |
| India and Bhutan | 61 days or more | 10% or $50 per person, whichever is higher |
| India and Bhutan | 60 days or fewer, or no-show | 100%, no refund |
| India and Bhutan, December 15 to January 15 and Dev Deepawali in Varanasi | 90 days or fewer | 100%, no refund |
Standalone hotels, land tours and transfers
Arrangements booked through Pandaw without a cruise.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel | Any time | $50 per person administration fee plus any penalty the hotel imposes |
| Land tour | 62 days or more | $50 per person plus any nonrefundable supplier commitments |
| Land tour | 60 to 45 days | $200 per person |
| Land tour | 44 to 30 days | 75% |
| Land tour | 29 days or fewer, or no-show | 100%, no refund |
| Transfer | 15 days or more | Refundable less a 10% administration fee |
| Transfer | 14 days or fewer, or no-show | 100%, no refund |
Good to know
- Cancellations must be in writing to Pandaw, so tell SmartCruiser and we send it the same day; the charge is set by the day Pandaw receives it.
- A no-show, a late arrival and leaving the ship early all count as a cancellation on the day of departure: 100% charge.
- Changing the date or making another material change after the deposit is paid can cost a mandatory $150 per person administration fee, and a special-offer deposit is kept if the offer no longer applies.
- Refunds go back to the original payment method, or to SmartCruiser when we made the payment for you, and we pass them straight on.
- If Pandaw cancels a departure because fewer than five cabins are sold it gives 30 days' notice and offers an alternative; decline it and the down payment is refunded, and any cancellation fee you paid earlier on that departure is refunded in full on request. Force majeure cancellations (unrest, epidemics, fuel supply, river conditions) bring an alternative date or a future cruise credit rather than a refund.
- River levels can change the route or the ship at short notice; Pandaw offers an alternative itinerary and, if you end up in a cheaper cabin, refunds the difference. No refund is due for an itinerary change itself.
- Pandaw requires every passenger to hold insurance covering medical expenses and repatriation; trip cancellation cover is strongly recommended on top because the deposit is never refunded.
Gratuities
Gratuities to the ship's crew are included in the cruise price on every Pandaw-owned ship, so nothing is added to your onboard account and no daily amount is recommended. Tips for the people you meet ashore are not included and are entirely at your discretion.
| Stateroom | Daily gratuity |
|---|---|
| Ship's crew (deck, dining, housekeeping, purser) | Included in the fare; nothing added on board |
| Local guides, bus drivers, boat operators and cyclo drivers ashore | Not included; at your discretion, and Pandaw publishes no suggested amount |
Good to know
- Drinks are the main onboard extra outside India: everything except local mineral water, jugged coffee, teas and tisanes is charged, with a complimentary signature cocktail each evening. On the Ganges, Hooghly and Brahmaputra expeditions local beers, house spirits, mixers and soft drinks are served free of charge.
- A prepaid Free Flow package (unlimited soft drinks, house spirits, mixers, beers and local mineral water; the wine version adds house wine at lunch and dinner) is sold per night in U.S. dollars for Southeast Asia sailings, or you pay for drinks on consumption at the end of the cruise.
- Onboard bills are settled in U.S. dollars (Indian rupees or U.S. dollars in India) in cash or by Visa or Mastercard with a 4% card fee; American Express and travelers checks are not accepted on board.
- Laundry and the Mekong ships' spa treatments are the other onboard charges; Wi-Fi on deck and in the saloon is free.
Dress code
No formal nights on any Pandaw ship. Pandaw describes the atmosphere as refined, understated elegance where the dress code stays casual and practical; nobody dresses for dinner, and the only firm rules are for temples and monasteries ashore.
On board, day and evening
Casual and practical: lightweight, breathable cotton or linen for the tropical heat, with a light jacket or shawl for cool early mornings on the Ganges and Brahmaputra in winter. No formal evening wear is expected.
Shore excursions
Modest and comfortable: Pandaw asks for shorts and skirts that reach below the knee, sturdy walking shoes for steep riverbanks and uneven paths, a wide-brimmed hat, sunscreen and insect repellent.
Temples, pagodas and monasteries
Shoulders and knees covered, hats off, and shoes off at the door; in Myanmar socks come off too. A scarf or shawl is useful at the Varanasi ghats and other sacred sites.
Dress Your Best nights
| Cruise length | Formal nights |
|---|---|
| Any length | 0 |
House rules
- Shoes and hats are removed before entering a pagoda, temple or private home; in Myanmar socks are removed as well.
- Shoulders and knees must be covered at monasteries and spiritual sites on every itinerary.
- Smoking is not permitted in cabins or any indoor area; it is allowed only in designated outdoor areas, and Pandaw asks smokers to mind anyone downwind.
- The ships have steep stairs, no elevators or stair lifts and no wheelchair access, and riverbanks can be steep and slippery, so pack shoes you can climb in.
Age rules
Pandaw's one published age rule is a minimum: its ships are not suitable for children under 8 because the colonial-style decks have railings but no safety netting. Children aged 8 to 18 are welcome at reduced fares. Pandaw does not publish a minimum age for traveling without an adult or a drinking age.
Minimum age to sail without a parent or guardian
| Departure | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Every sailing | Not published; Pandaw sells children's fares only for a child sharing with, or traveling with, an adult |
Stateroom assignment
Cabins are twin-bedded with no triples. A child aged 8 to 18 sharing a cabin with one adult pays 50% of the adult fare; two adults with one child take two cabins, the second with no single supplement and the child at 50%; two adults with two children take two cabins with both children at 50%, and larger families are priced on request. A child in a cabin of its own otherwise pays the full fare. On selected school-break departures (spring and Christmas) of the Classic Mekong, the Hooghly and the Brahmaputra, Pandaw's Under 18s Travel Free offer gives one or two children aged 8 to 18 the second cabin free when two adults pay full fare in the first; suites are excluded, port tax is still charged per child, and the offer can be withdrawn at any time.
Infants
| Sailing | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| All sailings | Not carried: the minimum age is 8 |
Drinking age
| Departure or destination | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Every sailing | Pandaw publishes no drinking age; the legal age of the country the ship is in applies, and Pandaw's Free Flow drinks packages are sold to guests 18 and over only |
Good to know
- Pandaw asks elderly passengers to check with their doctor that they are fit for travel, and the purser or captain can refuse to carry anyone who cannot board the ship or climb its stairs unaided. Wheelchairs are not allowed on board.
- Every passenger must be insured for medical expenses and repatriation; medical bills run up on board are settled before you leave the ship.
- The purser and the captain are responsible for passenger safety and comfort, and passengers must accept their decisions and instructions.
- Pandaw publishes no pregnancy policy; ask before booking and expect the medical-fitness rule to apply.
- There is no casino, no children's program and no staged entertainment on board; the ships are small (10 to 30 cabins) and the day is built around excursions, the sun deck and a cocktail hour.
How SmartCruiser handles the fine print for you
- We put your 61-day final payment date on our calendar and remind you before it, so a booking never cancels by accident and loses its deposit.
- Before you commit we check whether the departure carries a special-offer deposit above 20% and tell you exactly what is nonrefundable.
- Pandaw takes cancellations and date changes in writing only, so we handle cancellations, changes and cabin moves with Pandaw directly and tell you the exact charge before you decide.
- Pre- and post-cruise hotels, the Free Flow drinks package, transfers and insurance go on your invoice if you want them, and your Pandaw Members Club standing goes on the reservation when you have sailed with Pandaw before.
- SmartCruiser adds bonus onboard credit on Pandaw sailings where the line allows it, which you do not get booking direct. Ask for it when you call 1-800-444-1560.
Last verified October 14, 2026 against Pandaw's own pages: Booking Terms & Conditions: payment, cancellation, children (last updated August 29, 2025), Pandaw Terms & Conditions: carriage clauses, refunds, insurance (last updated May 28, 2025), Included in your price, Pandaw owned ships, Things we charge for, General information: onboard currency, card fee, smoking, Wi-Fi, etiquette, crew gratuities, Payment methods: currencies and cards accepted, FAQ: minimum age, children's fares, Wi-Fi, paying the balance, Family friendly river cruises: Under 18s Travel Free offer, Free Flow Drinks & Wine Package (over 18s only), What to expect on a Mekong river cruise: dress code, Contact: North America line and registered company. Pandaw publishes one set of Booking Terms & Conditions for every market (last updated August 29, 2025) rather than a separate U.S. contract. All cruises, land tours and hotels are quoted in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated, Pandaw accepts payment in USD, and the onboard currency in Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia is also the U.S. dollar (Indian rupees on the Ganges and Brahmaputra). The booking contract is with Pandaw Cruises Ltd, a United Kingdom company; U.S. guests are served by Pandaw's North America line (1-877-872-6329, represented by Sayang Holidays). Disputes fall under the law of the country the ship is operating in. The Protected Trust Services cover mentioned on Pandaw's UK booking page is a United Kingdom consumer scheme; travel insurance is the protection for a U.S. booking. Policies change; the cruise line's ticket contract and the terms on your booking confirmation govern.
Questions
Pandaw policy FAQ
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Ask a Pandaw specialist
Deposits, deadlines, cancellations and what to pack: one call and it is handled, with SmartCruiser's bonus onboard credit on your booking.