General Terms and Conditions of Carriage of the VL Bodenseeschifffahrt GmbH & Co KG, Reichsstrasse 3, 6900 Bregenz

The "the general terms and conditions of carriage listed below " are valid for all of the Vorarlberg Lines Bodenseeschifffahrt GmbH & Co (now referred to in short as VL BS) services provided, in particular transport services.

The conditions apply to the cruises (special trips). The provisions of the Lake Constance collective (Bodensee-Personentarif - BP) apply for the scheduled sailings.

If a charter contract is agreed for the carriage of passengers, the following conditions apply in this case only insofar as they do not contradict the conditions of the charter contract.

The VL BS accepts responsibility for conveying persons or animals on its passenger ships in the framework of the following Conditions of Carriage.

There is in principle no strict obligation to carry passengers through the VL BS.

Passengers and other persons on board have to follow the instructions of the captain and to abide by the instructions on notices on display on the ship.

The transport of people and / or animals may be refused without any claims for damages being valid, if

- sailings are cancelled due to force majeure, adverse weather conditions, low or high water levels, technical defects, or other major reasons

- the carriage of persons/animals contradicts legislation

- the instructions of the staff or the conditions of carriage of VL BS are disregarded.

By reservations, the agreed fare should be paid in cash in advance or transferred in advance into the VL BS bank account using the details given by the VL BS.

The VL BS reserves the right, in case of unforeseen increases in costs (such as new or higher taxes, new regulations and, in particular, increases in fuel prices since the date of publication of brochures) to make any relevant price adjustment.

All orders, whether by fax, by phone or by e-mail are legally binding. Tickets purchased that are to be shipped using postal services can be paid for in cash, via ATM, by credit card, PayPal or by bank transfer. 

To send ticketsabroad a shipping fee of € 6.10 will be charged.

To send vouchers abroad a shipping fee of € 8.20 will be charged.

Cruise- and money vouchers are valid for 24 months from the date of purchase. Cash refunds on vouchers are not possible.

The voucher is only valid after payment.

If there are price increases within the voucher’s validity period, any price difference that arises must be paid.

In the event of withdrawal from the contract by the customer, the following cancellation conditions apply:
from booking 12%, for online bookings 14% or minimum fee € 15.60,-- gross, from 10 or less days before the start of the trip, 100% of the price must be paid, for group bookings of 20 or more people from 31 days before the start of the trip. The refund will always be made to the original method of payment (credit card, bank transfer, etc.).

Cancellations must be made in writing (fax, email, registered letter). The effective date of withdrawal from a contract is the date of arrival of the cancellation at the BS VL.

Tickets for the trips "Krimidinner von Zimt & Zyankali", "Dinner Musical von The Musical Sound" cannot be cancelled. If there are multiple dates of the event, it is possible to rebook on the same trip with a new date in the same calendar year, but a rebooking fee will be payable see 6.3. Rebooking

Tickets purchased from third parties, such as "Bregenzer Festspiele Tickets" will not be exchanged or returned. Changes to the cast and programme do not entitle the holder to return or exchange tickets (see GTC Bregenz Festival).

The following conditions apply to all rebookings: up to 10 days before the trip € 19.20 gross, € 21.60 gross processing fee for online bookings. From 10 days before the trip, no rebooking is possible.

For group bookings of 20 or more people, from 31 days before departure. The refund will always be made to the original method of payment (credit card, bank transfer, etc.).

The VL BS is responsible for its staff in accordance with statutory provisions. The VL BS is only liable for damages if there is a case for gross negligence (intent and gross negligence). For slight negligence, any liability is excluded.

The VL BS is not liable for damage or injury caused by disregard for rules or by failure to follow the instructions of the staff, through personal negligence of the person concerned, by force majeure or by external persons.

Any injury to people and damage to property must be reported to the captain immediately. Any subsequent reports of damage or injury will not be accepted and no compensation will be paid.

Any claims of any kind made by customers expire after six months. The limitation period begins with the day on which the trip was conducted.

The catering services on the ships and in the harbour restaurant in Bregenz are run by an independent company under its own responsibility. Any liability of VL BS for the services of this company and its staff is excluded.

The VL BS is not liable for delays, cancelled sailings and the resulting consequences, including any resulting costs. The VL BS is also not obliged to wait for the late arrival of other public transport vehicles.

The fares, discounts and travel times can be found in the brochures available at the Port of Bregenz or deposited online.

Passengers must be equipped with a valid ticket. VL BS reserves the right to refuse carriage if no valid ticket is available. This must be carried with you during the entire cruise.
 
In the event of loss of the ticket, there is no entitlement to transport.
 
Tickets are sold at:
 

• the sales office "Welle" at the port of Bregenz, the administration of the VL BS or on board the ships
• Online ticketing www.vorarlberg-lines.a

On board all ships smoking is prohibited indoors. The passengers have to comply with the ship’s current regulations (*). The instructions of the ship's crew on board should be strictly followed.

Passengers agree to the use of photographs of themselves and the associated use in the form of photo, television and video recordings by VL Bodenseeschifffahrt GmbH & Co KG or by authorised third parties. If you have any questions, please contact our customer service.

Instructions given by the port and ship staff must be obeyed when boarding and disembarking from the ship.

Entry by passengers of the landing stages, pontoons and ships is only permitted when the signal is given by ship staff.

- Children under 6 years without an accompanying person (companion at least 15 years of age)

- Persons who do not follow the prescribed regulations and do not follow the instructions of the captain or his representatives. If grounds for ejection from the ship only occur when the ship is under way, the passenger will have to leave the ship at the request of the captain at the next port of call.

- Passengers who have not paid or who have no valid ticket, and any individuals for reasons such as drunkenness, inappropriate behaviour, etc.

In case of accidents, calls for help, government regulations or other circumstances it may lead to changes in the routes or to shortened journeys. In these cases, no refund of fares is provided, any claims are excluded.

In case of unfavorable meteorological conditions, natural disasters, riots, strikes, state. Due to measures, technical problems, etc., the trip may be changed or cancelled. In these cases, no refund of the fare is provided, any claims are excluded

If the minimum number of participants for a round, premium or event trip is not reached, it can be cancelled by VL BS.

The VL BS respects your privacy. Our company collects and uses your personal information only in accordance with the statutory regulations. Our goal is to ensure maximum security and confidentiality for you.

The VL BS collects and uses your information only for certain purposes, specified by the VL BS.

The VL BS collects and uses your personal information to the extent necessary to process and complete your orders, including any related services.

As part of our customer relationship, we can send you general information by post or information about similar services by email.

You can revoke the use of your email and / or postal address for such advertising at any time.

Your personal data may only be passed on to business partners of VL BS who provide services to us, such as on board catering, internal departments or tourist information offices. Additional recipients of your data can be state institutions, as far as legal obligations require from VL BS.

Besides the VL BS collects and uses your data if you agree to its use for the following purposes:

- preparation of offers for products

- inquiries and comments about our website

- editing your feedback in surveys

- for special offers and competitions

If possible, a replacement service will be offered. If this is not used, services that have already been paid for can be reimbursed free of charge.

Austrian law applies. The responsible subject-matter jurisdiction is that of the place of business of the VL BS.

Druck- und Satzfehler vorbehalten!

Date: Dezember 2024

VL BS transports people with disabilities or reduced mobility. Carriage may be refused if it contradicts the applicable safety regulations or is not possible for technical reasons. Persons with disabilities or reduced mobility have the right to free assistance in the port (on the way to the ship, boarding, etc.) as well as assistance in checking in, receiving and transporting baggage and at security checks. 

VL BS also transports the necessary medical equipment and mobility aids, including electric wheelchairs, as well as recognised assistance dogs, subject to national regulations. As far as possible, VL BS will orient itself to the needs of people with disabilities or limited mobility when allocating seats.
If they are supported by an accompanying person, an adjacent person will be placed next to them as far as possible. 

 Upon request, the person will be allowed to provide the necessary assistance in the port and in boarding and disembarking.

Registration for the required assistance must be made at least 48 hours in advance and a timely arrival before the departure time. If you do not register, VL BS will provide the best possible support.

VL BS is liable for damage to or loss of wheelchairs or other mobility aids by its employees. If feasible, a temporary replacement will be provided.