Bodensee-Schiffsbetriebe GmbH

What Bodensee-Schiffsbetriebe GmbH does

Bodensee-Schiffsbetriebe GmbH (BSB), trading under the brands Bodensee-Schifffahrt and BSB, is a German municipal passenger shipping company operating scheduled ferry services, themed cruises, and charter trips on Lake Constance (Bodensee). Founded in 1824 and headquartered at Hafenstraße 6, 78462 Konstanz, Germany, BSB operates the "Weiße Flotte" (White Fleet) — a fleet of passenger vessels connecting ports across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, including Konstanz, Friedrichshafen, Lindau, Bregenz, Überlingen, and Radolfzell. The company is structured as a GmbH under German law and operates under the umbrella of Stadtwerke Konstanz GmbH, the municipal utility of Konstanz, pursuing public-purpose operations under the Municipal Code of Baden-Württemberg (Gemeindeordnung Baden-Württemberg). Management comprises three Geschäftsführer (Managing Directors): Frank Weber, Dr. Norbert Reuter, and Christoph Witte.

BSB's core product is the scheduled passenger ferry service (Kursverkehr), complemented by the cross-border Bodensee-Fähre between Friedrichshafen (Germany) and Romanshorn (Switzerland), an express Wasserbus water bus service, scenic round-trip cruises (Rundfahrten), culinary cruises (Genussfahrten), event cruises (Veranstaltungsfahrten including Bregenzer Festspiele shuttles), and private charter services. The company sells annual passes (SeePass and VSU Saison-Card) and Kombi-Tickets bundling ferry transport with admission to regional attractions such as Insel Mainau, SEA LIFE Konstanz, Pfahlbaumuseum Unteruhldingen, Zeppelin Museum Friedrichshafen, Kunsthaus Bregenz, and Burg Meersburg. Distribution runs through a proprietary webshop at www.bsb.de (accepting PayPal, Klarna, credit card, and immediate bank transfer), physical ticket counters at docks (Landestellen), on-board sales, and a dedicated B2B portal for business customers. Marketing channels include Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Google Ads remarketing, Facebook, Instagram (@diebodenseeschifffahrt), YouTube, email newsletters, and Unbounce landing pages, with GDPR compliance managed via Usercentrics.

Revenue is generated across six streams: scheduled ferry service (Kursverkehr), round-trip tours (Rundfahrten), onboard dining (Bordgastronomie), charter services, combination tickets (Kombi-Tickets), and annual passes (Jahreskarten including SeePass from €79 in 2026 and VSU Saison-Card). Pricing is unit-based for individual and day tickets, subscription-based for annual passes, with group rates from 10+ persons, 50% discounts for children aged 6–15, free travel for children under 6, and free travel for disabled passengers with valid documentation in scheduled service. Customer segments span tourists and day visitors as the primary segment, local residents using ferries for cross-border commute and leisure, organized groups (tour operators, schools, companies), and families. Strategic partnerships include the VSU consortium of Lake Constance shipping operators, an annual partnership with Bregenzer Festspiele GmbH for festival shuttle and cruise-and-dinner experiences, and a network of attraction-based Kombi-Ticket partners. Employee count is reported in the 101–250 range.

Name

Bodensee-Schiffsbetriebe GmbH

Legal name

Bodensee Schiffsbetriebe GmbH

Website

https://bsb.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1824

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Bodensee-Schiffsbetriebe GmbH (BSB) is a German municipal passenger ferry operator running the "Weiße Flotte" on Lake Constance, connecting ports across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland with scheduled services, themed cruises, charters, and attraction-bundling tickets for tourists, residents, groups, and families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Passenger Ferry and Lake Transportation Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Cross-Border & International Passenger Ferries (THAIAJAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Passenger Ro-Ro Ferries (Vehicle + Passenger) (THAIAJAF), Sightseeing & Scenic Boat Tours (Harbor, Sunset, Dolphin/Whale Watching) (THAJAJAA)

Keywords

• Lake passenger transportation
• Scheduled ferry services
• Scenic cruise tours
• Passenger ferry operations
• Event charter cruises

Headquarters

HQ city

Konstanz

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Scheduled Ferry Service (Kursverkehr): Regular passenger ferry service on Lake Constance connecting multiple ports in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Revenue from individual and day tickets.
2. Round Trip Tours (Rundfahrten): Scenic round trip tours on the lake, including themed experiences with dining options.
3. Onboard Dining (Bordgastronomie): Food and beverage service aboard ships during cruises and scheduled routes.
4. Charter Services: Private vessel charter for events, celebrations, and corporate functions.
5. Combination Tickets (Kombi-Tickets): Bundled tickets combining ferry transport with admission to partner attractions including Insel Mainau, museums, and other regional destinations.
6. Annual Passes (Jahreskarten): Season cards and annual passes including VSU Saison-Card, SeePass Ober- und Untersee, and SeePass Untersee offering unlimited travel on lake routes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Bodensee-Schiffsbetriebe GmbH operates passenger ship services, ferry routes, themed cruises, and charter trips on Lake Constance under the "Weiße Flotte" (White Fleet) brand. The company runs scheduled cross-border ferry connections between German, Austrian, and Swiss ports (including Friedrichshafen–Romanshorn ferry), scenic round-trip cruises, culinary and event-themed cruises, water bus express services, and bundled combination tickets with regional attractions. It also offers annual passes, private ship charters, and onboard dining services.

Product overview

Bodensee-Schiffsbetriebe GmbH (BSB) operates the 'Weiße Flotte' (White Fleet) - a fleet of passenger ships providing scheduled and special cruise services on Lake Constance. The offering consists of multiple interconnected products: scheduled ferry services (Kursverkehr), the Bodensee-Fähre ferry between Friedrichshafen and Romanshorn, various cruise categories (Rundfahrten, Genussfahrten, Veranstaltungsfahrten), the Wasserbus water bus service, and annual passes (Jahreskarten/SeePass, Saison-Card). BSB also offers Kombi-Tickets bundling ship transport with entry to regional attractions, on-board dining (Bordgastronomie), charter services for private events, and a Webshop for online ticket purchases. The core product is scheduled passenger transportation, supplemented by leisure and tourism-focused cruise experiences and annual pass programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kursverkehr (Scheduled Ferry Service)

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• VSU (Vereinigung Schifffahrtsunternehmen am Bodensee)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium of Lake Constance shipping companies including BSB, Schweizerische Schifffahrtsgesellschaft Untersee und Rhein AG (URH), Schweizerische Bodensee Schifffahrt (SBS), and Vorarlberg Lines (VLB). Offers joint scheduling and combined annual passes like VSU Saison-Card valid across all member fleets.
• Bregenzer Festspiele GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual partnership for transporting opera festival attendees. BSB offers Festspiel-Kreuzfahrten (festival cruises with dinner) and Festspiel-Shuttle service to the floating stage performances starting July 22, 2026 for Verdi's La traviata.
• Insel MainaucoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCombination ticket partnership offering bundled ferry transport plus island admission. One of the most popular Kombi-Ticket destinations.
• Stadtwerke Konstanz GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent municipal utility company. Shared marketing, newsletter distribution, and corporate services including compliance and HR (via [email protected] for applications).
• Katamaran-Reederei Bodensee GmbH & Co. KGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate shipping company. Newsletter data may be shared for cross-promotional purposes.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BodenseeSchiffsbetriebeGmbH
• Instagraminstagram.com/diebodenseeschifffahrt/?hl=de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bodensee-schiffsbetriebe-gmbh

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Bodensee-Schiffsbetriebe GmbH