Difficult times for the ship companies

As a result of the further tightened Corona protection measures, the cruising season on Lake Zug and Lake Aegeri has now been closed.

The start of the 2020 season was prepared with great enthusiasm on the two lakes in canton Zug. The ships were spruced up, the crews were already in the starting blocks and the new event and gastronomy partner, Edelweiss Catering, was preparing for its first summer season on Lake Zug. The 2020 season started well with Sunday brunch cruises, according to the press release of the two shipping companies. With the lockdown, however, the long-awaited start of the scheduled cruises was delayed: The ships were not allowed to sail until the 8^th of June, ironically in a month that had a lot of rain, following an exceptionally sunny spring. Despite this bumpy start, many customers came on board and enjoyed the beautiful Zug lakes. A particularly positive trend was noted towards the end of the summer, with increasing frequencies.

Successful offer despite the difficult situation
According to the press release, guests were pleasantly surprised by the creativity of the new gastronomy partner on Lake Zug. The "Sunset Barbecue", "Beer & Dine" and the "Sushi Ship" (with Swiss fish) adventure cruises were particularly popular. Edelweiss Catering specialises in a regional cuisine that can be experienced, among other offers, in the "Gourmet Tour Lake Zug", which offers specialities from the communities around Lake Zug.

The Lake Aegeri shipping company (pictured) suffered a sharp drop in passenger numbers during the season that has now ended early, as did the Zugersee Schifffahrt company on Lake Zug.

The small but fine cruise on Lake Aegeri soon gained momentum after the subdued start. This was certainly due to the fact that the local population also appreciated taking a short break on the lake. Unfortunately, the music cruises could not take place this year, but the culinary evening cruises, such as the ‘Wild Wild West’ or the game speciality festival ‘Waidmannsheil’ were all the more popular.

Premature season end due to tightened protection measures
The special cruises on both lakes from October to December were also well booked, whereby the Fondue or Dinner-Crimi cruises would have been ideal for Christmas dinners and company parties. The tightened protection measures from the end of October, with a limit of 50 persons per cruise and a maximum of 4 people at a table, have make an economic operate impossible, however. As a result, the two shipping companies have regrettably decided to close the season early.

Overall, the two shipping companies have had mixed results. Due to the extraordinary season, the frequency numbers can hardly be compared with previous years. With 45,991 guests on the course trips, for example, the Lake Zug shipping company recorded a decrease of 51.1% compared to the previous year (a total of 94,008 guests in 2019).

The Lake Aegeri cruise company (Aegerisee Schifffahrt)  was able to welcome a total of 11,199 people on the scheduled cruises trips, which is 40.3 % less than in the previous year (2019 total: 18,753 guests). The crews of the ships showed an extraordinary commitment and a high degree of flexibility. Protection concepts were created and implemented within a short time, in order to offer guests a safe and enjoyable ride on the lakes at all times.