BLS Schifffahrt AG / Interlaken Lake Cruise

What BLS Schifffahrt AG / Interlaken Lake Cruise does

BLS Schifffahrt AG is a privately held Swiss lake cruise and public transport operator, incorporated as an independent subsidiary of BLS AG on January 1, 2022, with headquarters in Thun. The company operates scheduled passenger boat services on Lake Thun (Thunersee) year-round and on Lake Brienz (Brienzersee) seasonally from April through early December, serving tourists, local commuters, group/corporate clients, and gastronomy-focused passengers in the Bernese Oberland region. Its fleet comprises 12 vessels including 3 historic steamships, with a 700-passenger hybrid-propulsion newbuild under construction by Shiptec (Lucerne) scheduled for 2028 commissioning.

Core technology centers on conventional and hybrid passenger vessel propulsion, with new ships designed as low-draft and barrier-free platforms (wheelchair-accessible outer decks and elevator access to 1st class on MS Berner Oberland and MS Stadt Thun). The fleet roadmap targets full battery-electric propulsion by 2050, with vessels designed to function as mobile energy storage units feeding power back to the Swiss grid. Booking and ticketing run on the cariboo-powered webstore (shop.bls-schiff.ch), integrated with SwissPass, Fairtiq, EasyRide, and Twint/Apple Pay/Google Pay/Payyo payment rails; analytics use Piwik PRO and ClickDimensions on Microsoft Dynamics 365.

The business model combines transactional ticket sales (individual and ~30% discounted group fares for 10+ persons), recurring Seepass annual subscriptions (ONE CHF 636, FLEX CHF 1,396), private boat charter, on-board gastronomy operated by partner SV Group, gift vouchers, and voluntary sustainability fund contributions. Distribution leverages BLS AG's integration with the Swiss public transport network, including SBB, SwissPass, and regional tourism partners offering Seepass holders up to 50% discounts. Sustainability positioning includes Swisstainable Level II certification (since 2021), Swiss Climate partnership (since July 2023), and EnAW participation (since 2013).

Name

BLS Schifffahrt AG / Interlaken Lake Cruise

Legal name

BLS Schifffahrt AG

Website

https://bls-schiff.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BLS Schifffahrt AG operates scheduled lake cruise services on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz in Switzerland's Bernese Oberland, serving tourists, locals, and corporate clients with a 12-vessel fleet as a subsidiary of BLS AG.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Passenger Lake Cruise and Ferry Services

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (487210), Water Transportation (483)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400), Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Tourist & Sightseeing Cruise Operators (Day Cruises) (TLAFALAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

River Cruise + Land Tour Packages (Cruisetours) (THAEACAK), Porterage, Meet-and-Greet & Shore Excursion Staging (TLAHAEAJ)

Keywords

• Passenger lake cruises
• Scheduled ferry services
• Boat charter events
• Onboard gastronomy cruises
• Annual lake passes

Headquarters

HQ city

Thun

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Passenger Ticket Sales: Individual and group ticket sales for scheduled lake cruise services on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. Tickets available for 1st and 2nd class travel. Group rates (10+ persons) offer approximately 30% discount with advance reservation.
2. Seepass Annual Subscriptions: Annual lake pass allowing unlimited 1st class travel on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz for one year. Available in ONE (one adult + up to 4 children) and FLEX (one adult + one companion/dog + up to 4 children) variants.
3. Gastronomy and Catering Services: On-board dining services operated by gastro partner SV Group. Table reservations available for scheduled cruises. Special culinary evening cruises (Lounge-Schiff 'OaSee', Burger-Schiff) offered as premium experiences.
4. Boat Charter: Private vessel rental for events, corporate functions, and special occasions. Pricing calculated via price calculator or fixed packages. Summer special charter available for Lake Brienz.
5. Gift Vouchers: Value vouchers and experience packages sold through online shop. Minimum value CHF 20 for vouchers.
6. Sustainability Fund Contributions: Voluntary contributions added to online shop purchases for sustainable projects. Customers can choose to keep or remove the contribution.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

BLS Schifffahrt AG operates scheduled passenger lake cruise services on Lake Thun (year-round) and Lake Brienz (seasonal, April through early December) in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland. The company sells individual and group tickets, annual Seepass subscriptions, on-board dining (operated by gastro partner SV Group), private vessel charters for events and corporate functions, gift vouchers, and curated experience cruises such as the Lounge-Schiff OaSee, Burger-Schiff Brienzersee, and the annual Flottenparade. Services are integrated with the Swiss public transport network through SwissPass, Swiss Travel Pass, Eurail, Interrail, and digital mobility platforms.

Product overview

BLS Schifffahrt AG operates as a public transport company offering lake cruise services on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland. The core offering consists of scheduled passenger boat services running year-round on Lake Thun and seasonally (April–December) on Lake Brienz, featuring first and second class travel with on-board dining options managed by a gastro partner. The product portfolio includes ticketing via the cariboo-powered webstore with integrations for SwissPass, Fairtiq, EasyRide, and multiple payment providers; the Seepass annual pass (ONE and FLEX variants); private boat charter services; and branded experience cruises such as the Lounge-Schiff OaSee, Burger-Schiff Brienzersee, and annual Fleet Parade. The company also operates a Nachhaltigkeitsfonds (Sustainability Fund) for voluntary customer contributions toward eco-projects. Since January 1, 2022, the company operates as an independent subsidiary of BLS AG, with a fleet of 12 vessels including 3 steamships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lounge-Schiff OaSee: After-work experience on MS Stockhorn with salad buffet and grilled items.
• Burger-Schiff Brienzersee
• Flottenparade
• Seepass

Products and services

• Scheduled Lake Cruise Services (Lake Thun) Year-round scheduled passenger boat services on Lake Thun connecting stations including Thun, Spiez, Interlaken West, and Interlaken Ost, with first and second class travel and free seating. Operates throughout the year including winter months.
• Scheduled Lake Cruise Services (Lake Brienz) Seasonal scheduled passenger boat services on Lake Brienz connecting stations including Brienz, Interlaken Ost, and Giessbach, with first and second class travel. Winter service suspended from December 7.
• Seepass Annual Lake Pass Annual subscription offering unlimited first-class travel on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. Available in ONE variant (1 adult plus up to 4 children) for CHF 636 and FLEX variant (1 adult plus 1 companion/dog plus up to 4 children) for CHF 1,396. Valid for one year from purchase.
• Onboard Boat Catering Services On-board dining services operated by gastro partner SV Group offering meals, breakfast, and apéros with table reservations via online booking tool. Menu includes options for guests with allergies.
• Boat Charter / Vessel Rental Private vessel rental for events, celebrations, and corporate functions on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. Pricing calculated via online price calculator or fixed packages. Custom consultation and ready-made packages available.
• Lounge-Schiff OaSee After-work lounge experience on MS Stockhorn featuring salad buffet and grilled items. Evening cruise format targeting social gatherings and relaxation.
• Burger-Schiff Brienzersee Summer evening cruise on Lake Brienz featuring burger meals and relaxed sailing. Seasonal experience targeting summer tourism.
• Fleet Parade (Flottenparade) Special annual event cruise on Lake Thun celebrating Swiss National Day (August 1st) with unique views of fireworks from the lake. All fleet vessels participate in the parade.
• Gift Vouchers and Experience Cards Digital and physical gift vouchers available for lake cruises with a minimum value of CHF 20. Distributed through the online shop and select partner locations via the e-guma platform.
• New Passenger Vessel for Lake Thun (Under Construction) New passenger vessel under construction by Shiptec Luzern for Lake Thun service. Features hybrid propulsion system, capacity for 700 passengers, 55.8m length, 11.2m width, and low-draft design enabling year-round operations with focus on winter service.

Quantifiable outcome

• Fleet of 12 vessels including 3 steamships operating on two lakes
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ShipteccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 August 2025Shiptec Luzern selected to build new passenger vessel for Lake Thun. Vessel will feature hybrid propulsion system, capacity for 700 passengers, 55.8m length. Construction start winter 2027, completion planned for 2028. Represents major fleet investment following cantonal government approval.
• Swiss ClimatecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2023Climate partner providing carbon certificates from local sustainable forestry project in Wattenwil and Blumenstein (BE). Covers 1,016 hectares for 30 years to enhance biodiversity. Charter customers can contribute 1% of charter cost, doubled by BLS.
• SV GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGastronomy partner operating onboard restaurants and catering services on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz vessels. Provides table reservation system and menu offerings for scheduled cruises and special events.
• SwissPass PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of SwissPass partner businesses offering discounts and benefits to Seepass holders. Seepass provides up to 50% discount at participating partners. Partners include various regional tourism businesses.
• BLS AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company of BLS Schifffahrt AG since January 1, 2022. BLS Schifffahrt operates as independent subsidiary within BLS group. Enables integration with Swiss public transport network.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Compagnie Générale de Navigation sur le Lac Léman (CGN): Operates scheduled passenger and tourist cruises on Lake Geneva with a historic paddle-steamer fleet and shore excursion products. Closest Swiss analogue to BLS Schifffahrt in scale, fleet composition (including heritage steamships), public-transport integration and gastronomy/charter offering.
• Bodensee-Schiffsbetriebe GmbH (BSB): Operates passenger car ferries and tourist cruises on Lake Constance with a mixed motor-vessel and historic steamship fleet. Comparable in scheduled passenger + leisure positioning, calendar and seasonal demand patterns, and on-board catering/charter offerings.
• Schifffahrtsgesellschaft des Vierwaldstättersees (SGV): Runs scheduled and tourist cruises on Lake Lucerne with five historic steamships, dining services and event charters. Directly comparable in product mix, Swiss public-transport ticketing integration and reliance on inbound rail-tourist demand.
• Navigazione Lago Maggiore: Operates passenger and tourist cruises on Lake Maggiore straddling Switzerland and Italy with a mixed fleet and on-board catering. Comparable as a cross-border Alpine lake operator combining scheduled public-transport service with leisure cruise products.
• Lake Lucerne Navigation / SGV (alternative name entry): Dual-listed to ensure explicit coverage of the Lake Lucerne cruise operator; overlaps with the SGV entry above and is retained to flag it as a key comparable for fleet age, charter model and Swiss Travel Pass distribution.
• Zürichsee Schifffahrtsgesellschaft (ZSG): Operates passenger and tourist cruises on Lake Zurich with public-transport integration, dining and event services. Highly comparable in Swiss public-transport distribution model, commuter-plus-tourist customer mix and annual subscription products.

Broad incumbents

• Schweizerische Bundesbahnen (SBB): Swiss national rail operator and central node of the Direkte Verkehre public-transport network that distributes BLS Schifffahrt tickets. Adjacent incumbent whose ticketing, pricing and distribution architecture directly governs BLS Schifffahrt's addressable demand.
• PostAuto AG: Swiss federal public-bus operator running complementary regional services into Bernese Oberland tourism hubs. Comparable as a federally integrated public-transport provider feeding tourists into lake-cruise and mountain-excursion itineraries.
• BLS AG: Parent company and Swiss regional public-transport incumbent operating rail, bus and shipping services across the Bernese Oberland. Provides distribution, capital and integration context that shapes BLS Schifffahrt's competitive position and operating model.

Regional players

• Jungfraubahnen Management AG: Operates mountain railways (incl. Jungfraujoch) in the same Interlaken/Bernese Oberland tourism region and is a natural bundling partner for BLS lake cruises. Comparable regional tourism operator whose ticket, package and seasonality dynamics directly interact with BLS Schifffahrt demand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC-KlHgu3son6XhuBMb6xwew
• Facebookfacebook.com/bls.schifffahrt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bls-schifffahrt-ag
• Instagraminstagram.com/bls_schifffahrt

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BLS Schifffahrt AG / Interlaken Lake Cruise