RV Princess Panhwar

RV Princess Panhwar cruise ship is the 29th riverboat in the APT fleet. The vessel currently operates 2-week (14-day) Irrawaddy River cruise itineraries in Burma (Myanmar), departing from homeports Mandalay and Yangon (Rangoon) on southbound and northbound routes. APT’s Princess Panhwar is a premium (5-star) newbuild riverboat, launched in 2016 together with her sistership Samatha.

The cruisetour company Travelmarvel (boat charterer) specializes in value-for-money luxury river cruises in Asia and Europe. The cruise brand is owned by APT River Cruises (Australia) and has grown significantly in recent years. Today, Travelmarvel operates tours and cruises in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, New Zealand, Australia, and Africa. Prices vary depending on the cruisetour itinerary and include meals and drinks, port charges, stateroom accommodation, excursions, live entertainment, Cruise Director services, gratuities, domestic flights, and bus transfers. Also included are various Insider Experiences, allowing travelers to “live like a local” and gain insights into the destinations’ cultures and customs.

All AMAwaterways ships (owned and chartered) are constructed with ISO-classified appliances, fittings, fixtures, and materials. The company is surveyed to exacting standards by Burma’s DMA (Department of Marine Administration, Myanmar).

Cabins

The Princess Panhwar ship has a total of 30 cabins in 6 categories (all suites). All staterooms feature either twin balconies (French plus step-out) or a panoramic/French balcony. Standard cabin amenities include individually controlled air conditioning; a queen-size bed convertible to twins (plush bedding, bedside cabinets with boutique lamps); a sitting area (coffee table and armchairs); a flat-screen HDTV (satellite reception); a mirrored dressing table with chair; a large wardrobe; an electronic safe (in the closet); and a spacious en-suite bathroom (single-sink glass vanity with marble countertop, under-sink storage, WC, separate glass-enclosed shower, slippers, bathrobes, and luxury bath amenities). Bottled water is replenished daily. Each suite offers complimentary Wi-Fi (subject to coverage and generally unavailable in the river’s most remote areas). Complimentary Wi-Fi is also available in selected public areas.

Cabin types/categories (number, location), from highest to lowest:

• Twin Balcony Royal Suite (2x Upper Deck forward, category RS-Royal Suite, size 43 m2 / 455 ft2)
• Twin Balcony Executive Suite (2x Upper Deck aft, category ES-Executive Suite, size 49 m2 / 525 ft2)
• Twin Balcony Suite (14x Upper Deck midship, categories A and B, size 30 m2 / 320 ft2)
• French Balcony Suite and Window Suite (12x Main Deck, categories C and D, size 27 m2 / 290 ft2)

Shipboard facilities and amenities

The Princess Panhwar riverboat features the Mandalay Dining Room Restaurant; the Main Lounge (Kipling, air-conditioned, with floor-to-ceiling windows, located on the Sun Deck); Bar; Observation Deck; Sun Deck (with covered seating and sunbathing areas); swimming pool; Fitness Centre (small gym with free weights, treadmill, and elliptical cross trainer); and Wellness/Spa (offering traditional Asian massages by certified English-speaking staff).

Passengers can enjoy continental breakfast served in-cabin. A cooked breakfast is offered in the Dining Room, along with a 3-course lunch, followed by Afternoon Tea service and a 4-course dinner featuring traditional Asian and international dishes. All meals are complimentary and prepared with fresh, locally sourced produce. Complimentary beverages (local beers and spirits, house wines, and soft drinks) are served at each lunch and dinner in the Mandalay Restaurant. Each afternoon, refreshments and freshly prepared café-style snacks are available in the Kipling Lounge. After dinner, the Lounge hosts traditional Burmese puppet shows and cultural performances (songs and dances).

Passengers can alternatively dine in the intimate 8-seat private/VIP Dining Room and enjoy contemporary Burmese gourmet specialties showcasing a celebrity chef’s signature style. Private dinners can be booked (once per voyage per passenger). Dining is paired with premium wines and is complimentary (no extra charge).

RV Princess Panhwar cruise deals include Internet and Wi-Fi access, all tours and excursions (including bicycle tours), ground/bus transfers, live evening entertainment (crew shows and local performers boarding the ship), daily enrichment lectures (themed on Burmese culture and history and led by local tour guides), food and wine tastings, and 24-hour coffee, tea, water, and snacks.

River Cruise Itineraries

Princess Panhwar cruise itineraries are themed “MAJESTIC BURMA.” The 14-day Irrawaddy itinerary operates southbound (Mandalay to Yangon) and in reverse/northbound (Yangon to Mandalay). The table below shows the southbound itinerary with ports of call in sequence.

14 days, one-way from Mandalay to Yangon

Princess Panhwar’s 17-day “Majestic Burma” cruisetour between Mandalay and Yangon features a visit to the Mahamuni Buddha Temple (covered in sheets of gold leaf), as well as tours to Shwenandaw Monastery and a walking tour of U Bein (the world’s oldest and longest teakwood bridge). A day in Bagan includes visits to Ananda Temple and Schwezigon Pagoda (in Nyaung-U, near Bagan). The 2,500-year-old Shwedagon Pagoda is included during the call in Yangon.

An extended version of the itinerary (17-day “Majestic Burma and Inle Lake” cruisetour package) adds a 3-night stay at a former British hill station in Kalaw. Excursions (boat tours) are available to Inle Lake’s floating gardens and include a stop at Indein Village (Taunggyi) to see hundreds of pagodas. The Shan Cultural Museum and Taunggyi’s local market are also included in the cruisetour.

Note: You can see CruiseMapper’s list of all river cruise ships and riverboats in the “itinerary” section of our River Cruises hub. All companies and their fleets are listed there.