Peter Deilmann Cruises

The shipping company Peter Deilmann GmbH (until 2010 Peter Deilmann Reederei GmbH & Co. KG ) is a German shipping company based in Neustadt in Holstein and a subsidiary of the holding company Aurelius AG. You currently bereedert through a subsidiary, a ship, which is known from the ZDF television series The Love Boat Germany.

Following the insolvency of Peter Deilmann Reederei GmbH & Co. KG in 2009, with up to ten ocean and river cruise ships recently generated a turnover of around 50 million euros and 50,000 passengers transported, Ltd. was after the founding of the Peter Deilmann shipping company to included the shipping activity again 1 January 2010. In October 2010, the new shipping company acquired a majority of the German industrial holding company Aurelius AG, which sold its stake to a minority share in early 2013 to the Callista private equity.

• 2.1 Currently powered ships
• 2.2 Former ships

History

1972-2003

Peter Deilmann began in 1968 cargo ships to operate. Four years later, in 1972, he founded the well-known branded Peter Deilmann Reederei become and worked until his death in November 2003 in this.

Originally, up to ten cargo ships for the cruise on the seven seas. With so-called butter rides Deilmann began to enter the passenger shipping. After being separated from the cargo ships and four passenger ships, the Aurora Borealis, the northern shaft, the north breeze and the Nordschau, had bought the company established a ferry service from Neustadt an Bornholm, which was operated by the Northern Lights. The north shaft and the Nordschau also resulted from Neustadt in Holstein by Day trips and promoted in the 1970s, each year more than 250,000 passengers.

The first cruises were undertaken in the early years of the shipping company with the northern breeze of Neustadt. At that time, were targets such as the GDR, Poland and Greenland on the course of the ship.

In 1979 Deilmann expanded its activities in the passenger shipping industry and commissioned the building of the first own cruise ship, the Berlin, at HDW in Kiel in order. In the same year Deilmann bought the Regina Maris, a cruise ship for 276 passengers and thus offered worldwide cruises. The ship was then registered in Singapore.

After the completion of Berlin in 1980 Deilmann offered luxury cruises under the motto " German cruise tradition " until now a registered trademark and motto of the shipping company. The concept worked and Deilmanns ships sailed with good utilization.

In 1983, the company's Regina Maris sold again, and the first river cruise ship of the company, the Danube Princess was purchased in order river cruises on the Danube from Passau and deliver to.

1986, Berlin has been extended by 20 meters and the passenger capacity rose to 420 passengers. That same year, the ship of the filming location for the popular ZDF television series was " The Love Boat ".

In 1991, the Princess of Prussia was stationed as a second river cruise ship of the company on the Elbe, where they made ​​numerous cruises until 2002. Following the success of the shipping company decided in 1992 to build the sister ship Princesse de Provence to offer with their cruises on the Rhone and Saone rivers. In 1993, the one offering the Dresden on the Elbe and the Mozart was extended to the Danube. In the same year, also joined the Princess of Prussia her shipping area of the Rhine.

With the construction of large sailing ship Lili Marleen in 1994 Deilmann broke new ground for his company. On the global cruises the sailing experience should apply to the 50 passengers are in a casual atmosphere without evening dress and without rigid route in the foreground.

With the opening of sales offices in the U.S., the shipping company conquered from 1995 into new markets. In 1996 the acquisition of the company River and Ocean Cruises Ltd.. from England to distribute the trips in the UK. Since then, all brochures and catalogs the company also will appear in English. In addition, the cruise line announced the construction of a new ocean-going vessel in order. On 6 December 1996 start of combustion was at HDW in Kiel for Germany, was christened on 4 May 1998 in Kiel by former German President Richard von Weizsäcker and shortly after taking up her first world tour.

In 1997, the Deilmann Reederei - owned with annually more than 30,000 cruise passengers to the market leaders. This position they wanted to expand with the purchase of Königstein on, which was used after extensive renovations from the spring of 1998, on the rivers Elbe, Oder, Havel and Moldova.

Berlin has been superseded by Germany as a TV dreamboat 1999, which thus probably the most famous German cruise ship was. With the purchase of the ships Katharina von Bora and Cézanne, the shipping company expanded its fleet further.

A severe blow suffered by the company on 25 July 2000 as the Concordeflug AF4590 crashed on the way to New York shortly after takeoff in Paris. This flight was a charter flight to the Peter Deilmann shipping company; most of the 110 victims were on their way to a Caribbean cruise of Germany. In 2000, the Germany as German ambassador for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, and was traveling during the games in September as " German ship" in the harbor. In addition to some remaining passengers on board the Germany acted before for all athletes and coaches of the German team as a floating hotel.

In 2001, the company's Casanova, another river cruise ship bought in order to offer cruises to the Venetian lagoon. This had Deilmann much of the Western European rivers in his schedule. Other new buildings on the European rivers were the Frédéric Chopin in 2002 and Heidelberg 2004.

After the death of the founder Peter Deilmann in November 2003, his two daughters Gisa and Hedda Deilmann jointly acquired the management of the shipping company.

2003 to mid-2009

In 2004, the company sold the tall ship Lili Marleen, as it had planned Peter Deilmann. The Berlin, the second ocean-going ship, went to 25 years at sea in the same year a farewell round and should be replaced in 2005 by a new building. The new sister ship to Germany should also be built in the style of the 1920s and are used for 700 passengers in the UK and U.S. markets. It never came, the plans have since been in the drawer and have been repeatedly postponed.

In 2006, Germany was named the global ambassador for the Football World Cup held in June. On this occasion, a light installation Blue Goal was installed on deck 10. The Jubilee Year of Germany in 2008 was celebrated with a gala travel of the ship.

In early March 2009, the shipping company due to a slump in orders two of its river cruise ships, the Dresden and the King Stone, for the 2009 season out of service after the passenger numbers of river cruise division were dropped within a year by 45 percent. This was caused by shipping information an absence of British and American travelers as a result of the deterioration in the exchange rate of pound and the dollar against the euro. Previously, in 2008, the cruise line had the river cruise ships Princesse de Provence and Königstein sold and zurückgechartert.

Shortly before the bankruptcy petition moved the Peter Deilmann Reederei GmbH & Co. KG in June 2009 its headquarters to Cuxhaven.

Insolvency and Neufirmierung

In June 2009, placed beside the shipping company and several companies of the division river cruises petition the bankruptcy court Cuxhaven. The season should be served to the end. Deilmann employed in this division 250 employees. The company attributed the bankruptcy petition with the fact that short-term loans made ​​due and applications had been " a negative decision on liquidity support from banks and policy." By order of 25 June 2009 of the Bankruptcy Court Cuxhaven ( Az: 12 IN 123/ 09 ) was placed on the assets of Peter Deilmann Reederei GmbH & Co KG, the provisional administration. The temporary insolvency lawyer Edgar Grönda from Bremen was ordered. By a further decision of September 1, 2009, under the same acts, the insolvency court Cuxhaven opened the insolvency proceedings over the assets of Peter Deilmann Reederei GmbH & CO. KG and the Deilmann River shipping companies. The previously provisionally appointed lawyer Edgar Grönda was confirmed as liquidator. In the summer of 2009, the company said 75 workers in Neustadt from the termination, 45 were able to stay in business.

Beginning of October 2009 allowed the prosecutor Lübeck search the Deilmann business premises in New Town as well as several river cruise ships and ensure documents. It justified this with the suspicion of tax evasion and the withholding of pay. According to the prosecution were on river cruise ships employed by a temporary employment agency Czech been used, which did not have appropriate authorization from the Federal Employment Agency.

In November 2009, the sale of seven of the nine river cruise ships to a Swiss group of companies was announced, the purchase price was not known. In 2009 a turnover of 50 million euros.

The Peter Deilmann Reederei GmbH & Co. KG was continued by the liquidator.

On 1 January 2010, the shipping company Peter Deilmann GmbH started its activity, which was founded as an asset management company and had its foundation based in Ganderkesee in the founding company Copia Asset Management GmbH. Later, the office was moved to Neustadt. Managing partners are inside Gisa and Hedda Deilmann. The company employs 45 people at its headquarters in Neustadt in Holstein.

The fire on the Germany 23 May 2010 brought the shipping company again in distress. In addition to the repair costs of an estimated two million euro millions euro to come by canceled cruises. After firing, the Germany lost a court order its status as a " five-star superior" ship, a classification by the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (DEHOGA ). According to press release of the shipping company, these were to a complaint by the competitor Hapag-Lloyd Cruises with Europe also very well known, the action would have been rejected by the Berlin Regional Court ( → Section From September 2010 ").

The construction of the sister ship of Germany has been postponed indefinitely also in 2010. After the takeover by Aurelius AG (see below), the new building, however, was put back into view.

Majority takeover by Aurelius

On 30 August 2010, the acquisition of a majority stake in the shipping company by the listed holding company Aurelius AG became known. The Munich-based industrial holding company took a double-digit million euro amount to the majority Deilmann making it through the subsidiary shipping company MS " Germany " GmbH & Co. KG also the majority owner of the " ZDF dreamboat, MS Germany. '" The company's transfer was justified by the difficult economic situation of the shipping company and the fire damage on the Germany. The takeover had to agree to the antitrust authorities and the banks. The 95 - % stake acquisition was confirmed in September 2010, the twin sisters Gisa and Hedda Deilmann keep so still five percent stake in the former family. As an interim CEO Andreas Demel was used, two industry experts to guide the company in the future in Neustadt. Gisa and Hedda Deilmann take on tasks in public relations and act for Germany as their " ambassadors ". Simultaneously, a modernization of Germany was announced. The two Deilmanns justified their business decision thus, no family have today, " more funding to survive the times of international mergers ".

In early January 2014, the Aurelius AG sold its stake, also based in Munich, Callista private equity. However, they retained a minority stake in the shipping company.

As of September 2010

In early September, 2010, the shipping company in a press release announced that the German Hotel and Restaurant Association ( DEHOGA) award for Germany as a single ship classification maximum " 5 Stars Superior " still not be properly performed. The Europe with their strained by a contestant Hapag Lloyd action against the DEHOGA to take back the classification of Germany, had been rejected by the Regional Court of Berlin. Whether Hapag Lloyd has accepted the dismissal or will lodge an appeal, it is not apparent from the Deilmann release. In another point, the judge of the District Court, however, have decided against the DEHOGA: In your opinion, the criteria for assessment of Rural hotels should not be transferred 1:1 to ships in the future. This is misleading, as some criteria for it did not fit, such as the criterion parking. DEHOGA had announced to appeal against it.

Unlike other shipping company waived since it was founded on letting down their ships under " flags of convenience" ( FOC ), such as under the flag of Panama, Liberia, Honduras and The Bahamas. The Germany is currently (as of 2010 ) is the only ocean-going cruise ship, sailing under the German flag, which, inter alia, comes to the staff, the opposite flags stricter German legislation shall apply. Both this and the superior standard of service bring consequently higher personnel costs. In June 2012, it became known that Germany should go in the future under the flag of Malta .. After the issue was debated publicly for days, the company said, not to flag out the ship. The company carry with it the " emotional atmosphere " account and have decided " in view of the great interest " to continue to allow the vessel to sail under the German flag.

Ships of the company

Currently powered ships

• Germany (to be under a separate subsidiary bereedert )

Former ships

• Berlin (2005 sold)
• Lili Marleen (2004 sold)

• Dresden (currently launched and available for sale )
• Donauprinzessin (2006 sold)
• Königstein (2008 sold)
• Princesse de Provence (2008 sold)
• Casanova (2009 sold)
• Cézanne (2009 sold)
• Frédéric Chopin (2009 sold)
• Heidelberg (2009 sold)
• Katharina von Bora (2009 sold)
• Mozart ( sold in 2009, will go back for 2013 Deilmann on the Danube )