Aqua Expeditions said the Aqua, its Amazon river cruise ship, was boarded Sunday by six armed bandits who robbed passengers of money and valuables.
There were 24 passengers, including six Americans, and 21 crew members onboard at the time of the incident. According to Lima, Peru-based Aqua Expeditions, nobody was hurt and the incident lasted less than one hour.
The ship, which runs three-, four- and seven-day river cruises along the Peruvian Amazon, was scheduled to return Monday to the port of Nauta, where passengers were to disembark and transfer to Iquitos, the capital of Peru’s Amazon region.
Aqua Expeditions said it is offering a refund to all passengers and is handling all their travel arrangements. The company is also offering the affected passengers a free cruise at a future date of their choice.
Peru Minister of Tourism Martin Perez said the government has launched an investigation into the incident.
"My first priority is to ensure that safety measures are immediately set in place to ensure this cannot ever happen again," Perez said in a statement.
The 24-passenger Aqua, one of the most luxurious cruise ships on the Peruvian Amazon, entered service in early 2008 and runs river cruises through the Amazon River Basin year-round. The 130-foot-long ship has 12 suites, including four master suites.
