Watching the news reports about and responses to the recent collision of a Pandaw River Expeditions boat with a floating bridge on the Ganges was kind of like watching the riverboat version of the proverbial train wreck.
First, Pandaw had the back luck of having the accident happen not only on its first season back in India, but on the week it was hosting British journalist Sue Bryant, who wrote a dramatic dispatch for The Times about how the 187-foot Kindat Pandaw "collided with a pontoon bridge and was dragging it along, threatening to plunge bystanders into the surging Ganges."
In a later dispatch for the Australian outlet, River Cruise Passenger, there as no mention of anyone actually coming close to falling into the water, but her reporting certainly indicated this was much more than a bump on the river.
Pandaw's response was equally startling, with founder Paul Strachan posting a blog that seemed to take great lengths to avoid accepting any responsibility for the incident. Instead, he blamed his Indian partners and a freelance guide for "a complete overreaction. It caused considerable distress for the passengers. For this we can only apologize. What was a relatively minor incident quickly became a drama. We are really sorry that the passengers had this experience."
Strachan also noted that Pandaw's itineraries, which include sailings on remote rivers in Myanmar and Cambodia, are on "extreme rivers" that "are intended to be adventurous. It is what we do."
He said the company is very upfront with warnings about potential groundings and other challenges, challenges that he said offer the excitement that return Pandaw passengers "relish."
I've never been on Pandaw, but its web site certainly promotes it more as a luxury line than an adventure cruise, noting on the page about the life onboard that the "the peace and tranquillity of our passengers is our priority."
Nowhere did I find any warnings about the challenges of sailing extreme and remote waterways, although Strachan said in his blog that such notices are sent to passengers before they sail and that they have the option to cancel.
As for line's return to India this year, Strachan emphasized that the website clearly notes that the ships are operated by an Indian partner, and may not meet the Pandaw standards of service.
"Please Note," the notice on the website reads, "these river expeditions are operated by Indus Expeditions, not Pandaw, and it is understood that the style and standards may be very different from those offered on Pandaw managed cruises. Indus Expeditions make every effort to offer the highest levels of guest care but it should be noted that given the chaotic but often charming way in which India works these are very different from what you will find in South-East Asia!"
Safety, however, is another matter entirely, and I think it's highly unlikely anyone onboard the ship that bears the Pandaw name found the incident particularly "adventurous" or "charming."