Amazon River Boat Sets Sail in Wake of Bandit Attack

aqua expeditions, amazon river, pirates

It appears that the Gulf of Aden is not the only place where cruise ships are being targeted by pirates. Aqua Expeditions' luxury river cruise boat, M/V Aqua, was boarded by armed bandits in the Amazon River on Sunday.

A statement from Aqua Expeditions CEO Francesco Gall-Zugaro confirms that all passengers and crew involved in the incident were unharmed and that all guests have since continued on their planned trips within Peru. The Aqua is currently cruising the Amazon with a full passenger count and, according to Gall-Zugaro, a variety of measures have been implemented to assist in preventing future random incidents of this nature, including the discreet stationing of security personnel on board.

The six swashbucklers apparently boarded the Aqua ship, which provides $5,000-per-person cruises, and stole money and valuables from passengers. Peruvian news agencies are reporting Wednesday that those responsible for the unprecedented robberies aboard the m/v Aqua have been captured.

The 21 crew members and 24 passengers onboard the ship, including six Americans, were on a seven-night cruise. The Aqua sails three-, four- and seven-night expeditions year-round. The M/V Aqua has already set sail since the incident, with 20 passengers and 21 crew members.

"We must stress that this was an isolated and random act and is completely uncommon in the area," said Gall-Zugaro. "We are hopeful that the speedy apprehension of those responsible will draw this episode to a close."

Visit www.aquaexpeditions.com.