Third Pandaw cruise after Irrawaddy & Mekong & very disappointing but we were forewarned after many bad reviews. All 19 pax were return custom & we departed in KATHA PANDAW on one engine which precluded us transitting the Farraka lock 11 Dec so we transferred to the KALAW PANDAW 10 Dec to continue. The ship went aground on the afternoon of 14 Dec & remained stranded for 42 1/4 hrs until freed by a tug 16 Dec so nearly two days were lost never to be retrieved. The cruise ended at Putna 18 Dec as the section to Varanasi was not navigable due to lack of water & we completed the trip by road & air. 15 of the 19 pac were sick at various times which suggests standards if food preparation & general cleanliness weren’t “up to scratch”. Shore excursions were very ordinary & the menu was very bland & unimaginative. No alcohol for seven days while transitting Bihar state detracted from the conviviality of the evening meal.