KD (Köln Düsseldorfer) returns to river cruising

[notamermaid]

This was a big piece of news on the German river cruising market in late 2023. I find it quite exciting. While this is specific to the German river cruising market at first glance - and it is - there is an interesting story behind this.

 

I start at the beginning and with the company itself. Köln-Düsseldorfer Deutsche Rheinschifffahrt GmbH Köln is an old company that has been operating ships on the Rhine since 1825 and 1836, respectively, as two companies that later operated together and then finally merged in the 20th century. It was scheduled sailings and day trips as well as excursions. From 1960 till 1995 the company offered river cruises. Then major changes happened and the river cruising  part of operations was separated from day trips and events. This is where it gets even more complicated legally. Basically, in January 2000, the river cruising arm went to Viking River Cruises. In 2018 a lawsuit of KD AG against Viking was ruled in favour of Viking. It is not clear to me from the literature if this was the final blow for KD river cruises* but it has come across as if KD will never operate river cruises* again. In 2012, an article in a German tourism newspaper suggested that KD had won a lawsuit against Viking: https://www.touristik-aktuell.de/nachrichten/kreuzfahrten/news/datum/2012/06/20/kd-darf-wieder-kreuzfahrten-anbieten/

and would operate river cruises again. It has not always been plain sailing [excuse pun] for the company in the last twenty years or so. Last year the CEO left (amicably) and a lady called Nina Luig is now responsible for the strategies for the future of the company. Interview in German: https://www.k-d.com/de/magazin/artikel/kdmomente

 

As the title implies, KD is finally back in business. Well, it is not a sudden return and not a full return either. But we will have a look at that later.

 

*river cruises that include an overnight stay in a cabin, as opposed to the often used "river cruises" term for daytime sailings in the Rhine Gorge for example.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

While the law suit was lost against Viking and must have made a change to how KD could operate river cruises under their brand, it was according to KD not the end of river cruising as such. So, from this article, the matter sounds different. Here is the article with the relevant info

https://www.presseportal.de/pm/15204/5412925

, which I have sent through google translate:

"Until the end of the 90s, KD itself was a successful provider of river cruises with its own hotel ships. The KD is even considered the inventor of river cruises and built the first cabin ship ever, MS Europa, in 1960. Due to a realignment of the group, this branch was sold in 2000. KD has been active in the hotel ship* business again since 2018. "The event cruises, for example, are ideal as a team event for companies that want to offer their employees and customers something special. Clubs can also go on tour with the KD and celebrate together and make new plans," explains Marion Trapp, KD sales manager for the company Hotel ships* area."

 

So the "inventor of river cruising" has been in the business again since 2018 - on a small scale - and from the article we see that the Swiss Crystal and the Oscar Wilde were used in 2023 on a larger scale for a combination of party event (the company's strong suit) and weekend river cruise (a kind of city trip I suppose).

 

Both ships mentioned are owned by Scylla in Switzerland, so were a charter for KD.

 

Now, in 2024, KD is even more serious about using large river cruise ships for events, that is to say one. And that is were my excitement kicks in. I mean I am pleased to see the company on a somewhat larger scale return to what they allegedly "invented".

 

*hotel ship, the German original is Hotelschiff. There is from an operating point of view a difference between Hotelschiff and Flusskreuzfahrtschiff. The former is stationary on water with cabins, the latter is moving on a river with cabins. It is not clear if KD is making the correct distinction here. We sometimes see both terms used for the same thing, i.e. a proper river cruise.

 

notamermaid

 

[steamboats]

I already wanted to add that KD invented river crusing... But you found it.

 

KD announced the return but never started with regular cruises. Anyway they started with a company managing the hotel department. So although they don´t operated a ship under their brand they are back in river cruising serving as a hotel management operator.

 

steamboats

[notamermaid]

Thank you for adding that. Hotel management operator. Not sure, but I think it helps to clarify why Ms Luig has stated that they will not return to river cruises "fully/on a big scale" (my interpretation of the German interview). However, the most recent - big - news is that they have gone from chartering ships to owning a ship. I will get to that shortly.

 

notamermaid

 

Edited January 11 by notamermaid
grammar

[Canal archive]

Very interesting they seem to have noticed a niche, will they follow it up?

[notamermaid]

2 hours ago, Canal archive said:

Very interesting they seem to have noticed a niche, will they follow it up?

It is an ever-growing niche. KD has been busy with that events section for decades now, but on the Rhine the "have fun on a ship (especially with wine and music)" clientele has always been there😉. Other small companies do it on a smaller scale, only day trips. The relatively new thing is not the hotel ship business - which I will get to again - but really only the combination of proper party event with weekend cruise and a bit of culture thrown in. Other river cruise companies in Germany offer this as well, all are on older river cruise ships that do not give you the luxury most overseas visitors are looking for, but are kept in perfectly sound and renovated states for those that want good food, fun and a bed to sleep.

 

notamermaid