Is an Aqua Expeditions river cruise worth it?
By Richard Jasinski·Updated 10 November 2026
No verdict of ours: the facts Aqua Expeditions publishes on its own website, read 10 November 2026, topic by topic, each with a link to the page it came from.
Is an Aqua Expeditions river cruise worth it?
It depends on what you want. Aqua Expeditions carries 40 guests on Aqua Mekong and 32 on Aria Amazon; on the Amazon its rates include all meals, non-alcoholic drinks and small-group excursions with expert guides. It publishes no river fare tied to a sailing date on the pages read.
What is Aqua Expeditions?
Aqua Expeditions runs small-ship expeditions and was founded in 2007 by Francesco Galli Zugaro; on rivers it sails the Peruvian Amazon and the Mekong between Cambodia and Vietnam. Source
Which ships does Aqua Expeditions sail?
Aqua Expeditions sails Aqua Mekong on the Mekong (launched October 2014) and two ships in the Peruvian Amazon: the 20-suite Aqua Nera (joined in 2021) and the 16-suite Aria Amazon (debut in 2011). Source
How many guests are on board?
Aqua Expeditions carries 40 guests with 40 crew in 20 suites on Aqua Mekong and 32 guests with 26 crew in 16 suites on Aria Amazon; Aqua Nera has 20 suites. Source
Which rivers does Aqua Expeditions sail?
Aqua Expeditions sails the Mekong between Cambodia and Vietnam all year, with itineraries departing from Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap; it also sails the Peruvian Amazon in the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve. Source
How large are the cabins?
Aqua Expeditions: On Aqua Mekong its Design Suites measure 322 square feet (30 sqm); of the 10 on the second deck, four have a balcony and six do not. It gives no suite sizes for Aqua Nera or Aria Amazon. Source
What does the fare include?
Aqua Expeditions: On the Amazon its rates include all meals, non-alcoholic drinks, design suite accommodation, small-group excursions with expert guides, the entrance fee to the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve, high-speed satellite internet and laundry service; on the Mekong the only additional expenses are airfare, cocktails, boutique purchases, spa and gratuities. Source
Are shore excursions included?
Aqua Expeditions includes small-group excursions with expert guides in its Amazon rates; all its excursions run in groups of no more than 12, with naturalist guides on private skiffs. Source
How much is the deposit?
Aqua Expeditions asks a deposit of US$1,000 per person to confirm bookings made 91 days or more before departure, with the final balance due 90 days before departure; private charters pay 20% of the gross charter hire at signing and 30% at 180 days before departure; charter deposits are non-refundable. Source
What happens if you cancel?
Aqua Expeditions refunds the deposit less a US $500 service charge per person for cancellations 121 days or more before departure; from 120 to 91 days all deposits are non-refundable and at 90 days or less full payment is the cancellation penalty. Departure dates can be changed without penalty at least 181 days before departure. Source
What happens if the water is too high or too low?
Aqua Expeditions offers complimentary flight extensions to Siem Reap when its Mekong vessels are seasonally unable to travel up the Tonle Sap Lake due to low water levels; if a voyage is cancelled or curtailed and no substitute vessel is provided, it offers credit towards a future voyage or a pro rata refund per cruise night not used. Source
When is Aqua Expeditions not the fit?
The limit below is published by Aqua Expeditions on its own website.
- Aqua Expeditions: not the fit if you may need to cancel late: from 120 to 91 days before departure all deposits are non-refundable and at 90 days or less full payment is applied as the cancellation penalty. Source
What do reviews say?
Its figures per platform, read 10 November 2026, each from a listing under the line's own name; a whole-company profile is marked. Figures are never added together.
- Aqua Expeditions: Google: 4.8 out of 5 from 11 reviews. Read 10 November 2026.
Aqua Expeditions at a glance
Its card, as on every Uncompromised Travel river cruise page: what it sells, why to choose it, what to ask for and the limits it publishes.
Aqua Expeditions
- Best for
- Small-ship Mekong and Amazon expeditions
- What it sells
- Runs small-ship expeditions for 16 to 40 guests, with river ships on the Mekong (Aqua Mekong) and the Peruvian Amazon (Aqua Nera and Aria Amazon).
- Why choose them
- Founded in 2007 by Francesco Galli Zugaro, it runs excursions in groups of no more than 12. Google: 4.8 out of 5 from 11 reviews. Read 10 November 2026.
- Ask for
- Ask for a high-water departure, mid-August to November, when Aqua Mekong sails between Ho Chi Minh and Siem Reap.
- Not the fit if
- you want to sail to Siem Reap from December to mid-August: low water keeps the ship between Ho Chi Minh and Phnom Penh, with a complimentary flight to Siem Reap instead.
- Website
- aquaexpeditions.com
Is an Aqua Expeditions river cruise worth it?: the questions people ask
How many guests are on board with Aqua Expeditions?
Aqua Expeditions carries 40 guests with 40 crew in 20 suites on Aqua Mekong and 32 guests with 26 crew in 16 suites on Aria Amazon; Aqua Nera has 20 suites.
What does the fare include with Aqua Expeditions?
Aqua Expeditions: On the Amazon its rates include all meals, non-alcoholic drinks, design suite accommodation, small-group excursions with expert guides, the entrance fee to the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve, high-speed satellite internet and laundry service; on the Mekong the only additional expenses are airfare, cocktails, boutique purchases, spa and gratuities.
Are excursions included with Aqua Expeditions?
Aqua Expeditions includes small-group excursions with expert guides in its Amazon rates; all its excursions run in groups of no more than 12, with naturalist guides on private skiffs.
What is the cancellation policy with Aqua Expeditions?
Aqua Expeditions refunds the deposit less a US $500 service charge per person for cancellations 121 days or more before departure; from 120 to 91 days all deposits are non-refundable and at 90 days or less full payment is the cancellation penalty. Departure dates can be changed without penalty at least 181 days before departure.
How much is the deposit with Aqua Expeditions?
Aqua Expeditions asks a deposit of US$1,000 per person to confirm bookings made 91 days or more before departure, with the final balance due 90 days before departure; private charters pay 20% of the gross charter hire at signing and 30% at 180 days before departure; charter deposits are non-refundable.
What happens if the water is too low with Aqua Expeditions?
Aqua Expeditions offers complimentary flight extensions to Siem Reap when its Mekong vessels are seasonally unable to travel up the Tonle Sap Lake due to low water levels; if a voyage is cancelled or curtailed and no substitute vessel is provided, it offers credit towards a future voyage or a pro rata refund per cruise night not used.
How do I compare prices like for like?
Ask for a written quote for the same dates, the same river and the same cabin type, with every inclusion listed: excursions, drinks, gratuities, wifi, flights, transfers and hotel nights. The price lines above give what each line publishes and on what basis.
Can I book directly?
Yes. Each card links the line's own website; ask for a written quote that lists what the fare includes.
Where can I check these facts myself?
Every line on this page links the page of the line's own website it was read from, read 10 November 2026.
Is any company on this page paying to be here?
No. No company on this page is a partner of Uncompromised Travel; none paid to be on it.
Read next
Built to answer the question in the main heading. What is shown: what the line published on its own website, read on 10 November 2026, with links to the pages read. Google and Trustpilot figures are shown where the listing carries the line's own name, from the Uncompromised Travel river cruise lines table. No score and no verdict. No company on this page is a partner of Uncompromised Travel. How this site earns · How we work.