The Bayerische Seenschifffahrt on Tegernsee starts as soon as the beer gardens open.
Depending on the incidence values, this could still work in May.
Tegernsee - 250 passengers each fit on the two large passenger ships on Tegernsee - when the weather is nice, all seats are often occupied.
This year it could be more airy on deck: Due to the corona, Stephan Herbst, operations manager of Tegernseer Seenschifffahrt, only wants to award every second place.
However, the 50 percent occupancy rate is still a long way off - the traditional start of regular services at Easter has been postponed.
Now there are first glimmers of hope.
While the excursion steamers on Lake Starnberg and Ammersee are expected to start the new season on Monday, it will take a little longer on Lake Tegernsee.
Herbst explains: "Because the incidence value in our country is still over 100 and outdoor catering has to wait, our start is also being postponed."
Shipping Tegernsee: Late start of the season due to Corona - hope to start operations before Pentecost
It has been agreed with the Free State of Bavaria to release the lines in time for the opening of the beer garden. "A voluntary regulation," emphasizes the operations manager. As part of the local public transport network, the ships would have been allowed to sail earlier. “But we don't want to provoke infections.” During the corona pandemic, Lake Starnberg was the destination of thousands of day trippers - to the annoyance of many residents. Michael Grießer, managing director of Bayerische Seenschifffahrt GmbH, also says: "A company at this time would have been irresponsible." However, he considers the parallel opening to the catering trade to be sensible: "People are better distributed." It would probably have looked different at Easter - a time when there were hardly any alternative leisure options.
Herbst is now hoping for a start shortly before the Whitsun holidays.
Whether that works depends on the incidence.
If this is below the threshold value of 100 for five days, the district office can decide to open the outdoor catering on the sixth day.
On the seventh day at Tegernsee it could not only be “cheers”, but also “cast off”.
Bayerische Seenschifffahrt joins the beer garden opening - employees at Tegernsee prepared
Until then, the operations manager and his 17 colleagues in the driver service will take care of the preparations.
“We practiced the safety-relevant maneuvers as early as the beginning of April.” Whether man overboard, setting anchor, extinguishing fire, operating ships with the emergency control device - Herbst sees his crew well prepared.
"Even if the emergency will hopefully never occur."
It is already becoming apparent that the demand at the start of the season will be very high.
"Almost every day customers call us who want to know when it will finally start," says the Tegernsee operations manager.
He is happy to now be able to give these people a perspective.
Only inquiries about wedding or company celebrations on the ships - so-called charter trips - have to be rejected at the moment.
"That doesn't work yet because of the contact restrictions."
Nevertheless, he is confident that he will be able to get off to a full start again this year.
"After a long time with many restrictions, everyone is looking forward to it - employees and passengers." Najd Boshi, captain on the Tegernsee, is particularly looking forward to the start - she has had a hard winter behind her.
(nap)