CAROL MATHIAS, THAILAND, THE IRRAWADDY, DEC 2016
Embarkation was so easy...no queues, just boarded and taken care of. The cabin is all in teak as is the ship. Nice toiletries. My only complaint is that the water pressure for the shower is not that strong but plenty of hot water. Note: there is only one plug (European two pin round) so bring an adaptor if you have lots of things to recharge.
The food was excellent and inventive. Do try the Burmese breakfast though you can have eggs and bacon et al too. The hash brown potatoes are excellent! Lunch and dinner were 4 course meals, 3 main course selections: European, Burmese, and vegetarian. Bottled water always available, as much as you want.
Leo, the Pandaw Expedition Manager, was on our ship for half of the cruise. He was typical of the kind care and service that all the cruise staff gave to us. Nothing was too difficult. Endlessly helpful, which for me using a cane, was just perfect. Wifi is available on the Sun Deck. Download time varied according to where we were. While talking about the Sun Deck, I must tell you to try the nuts...excellent!
English is sometimes difficult to understand, but that is part of the fun. Take some warm clothing as it is cool in the morning as you near Mandalay. Have lots of Khat 1000 bills...about 60p. I changed $50 at the airport and still had left over Khat by the end of the cruise. They only accept NEW American dollars. Business is done in dollars, absolutely no need for Pounds.
They went out of their way to make Christmas and New Year’s Eve exciting and pleasurable...with gifts for all. This is a relaxing, easy, cruise. The ship holds a maximum of 48 people, but we had only 31, so lots of room. All the excursions were well organised and interesting. I highly rate this cruise and this cruise line.
