Pandaw & Heritage Line Cruises in Mekong - How Much Different?

by Seni World Aug 22, 2023

When looking at famous Cruise Line operating on Mekong River, people cannot help but wonder the difference between them. The most common question is how to choose between Pandaw & Heritage Line. Is there any decisive factor that helps you choose the most suitable ship in the upcoming trip? Check out our list of main differences between them in this list.

1. Rooms and Cabins

Pandaw and Heritage are all professional cruise operators in the Mekong and aim to bring the most enjoyable experience. You can expect all rooms are clean, well-equipped with modern amenities. Heritage usually follows traditional style from different Asia countries such as Vietnam, India when it comes to cabin’s design and decoration. Pandaw cruises, on the other hand, has a little more variety than Heritage as there are ships built based on a design from early 20th to 21st century. But this hardly matters our choices in choosing cruises.

Cabin on Pandaw Cruise

The most important difference (for many people) is the size of the cabin. Cabins on Pandaw ships usually range from 14 square meters to about 16 square meters. While they are sufficient enough for a room on a river cruise, it is no match to the suite on Heritage Line. The smallest cabins on Heritage cruises are around 24 square meters, much bigger than a standard one on Pandaw.

Cabin on Jayavarman

So in the end, go for Heritage Line if you want a large room.

2. Itinerary

In terms of itinerary, it is either “absolutely no different” or “a huge distinct. The Heritage Line offers cruise between Saigon - Siem Riep, Siem Riep – Phnom Penh and Saigon - Phnom Penh, and Pandaw cruises do the same. Although they offer several different stops and attractions, you will still have a great insight into the beauty in Laos.

Passengers Disembark from The Jahan

However, Pandaw Line provides many more options on Mekong River, such as a trip to China and Laos on RV Champa Pandaw Cruise or simply a cruise in only one country like RV Laos Pandaw. Moreover, Pandaw Line has a lot of cruises offering departure dates suitable for guests’ itinerary.

RV Laos Pandaw

Overall, consider Pandaw Line if you have a tight and specific schedule or particular destinations.

3. Prices and Special Offer

Prices are a decisive factor for many tourists in deciding what cruise to travel. A few hundred dollars can cause you to miss out some “hidden gems” in a local market or several activities on the way (many activities are not included in the price). So which cruise line offers a “cheaper” price than the other? Pandaw (there are no set amount of money in this post). Most of the time, Heritage cruises’ prices are 1 or 2 hundreds dollars higher than Pandaw Cruises’ counterpart. Note that even though Pandaw will be a better choice for a budget cruise, sometimes Heritage will have a cheaper price on a specific itinerary.

Sundeck on The Jahan

But the price is also be affected by special deal/offer on the cruise. For Pandaw cruises, there is often special offer for Single Traveler, which reduce the price in each cabin for a fixed amount. For instance, a double cabin may cost 500$/person for 2 people and 750$/person if there is only 1. Pandaw will offer 250$ off for a single traveler in a few days. Otherwise, Heritage Line does not have a deal for single passengers, but the company may offer 20-30% off for a few days.

No recommendation from us here, decide whatever suit your budget the most.