A family business with a long tradition

The Mindener Fahrgastschiffahrt was founded in 1954 with relatively old ships on which only round trips were offered. This changed in 1981 with a new owner, who gradually replaced the old ships with new ones and significantly expanded the range of cruises. Over time, the shipping company has also made a name for itself with improved catering services and goods.

Since 1991, our company has been a family-owned limited liability company - which even operated the only paddle steamer in northern Germany from 2001 to 2008. Since 2004, we have been operating as a GmbH & Co KG.

Of course, we are particularly pleased about some events in our long company history: In August 1998, the famous new waterway junction was ceremoniously put into operation by the then Federal Minister of Transport Matthias Wissmann from on board our "Poseidon" and our "Helena" had the honor of making the very first valley lock through the new Weser lock - that was in the summer of 2017.

In 2019, we celebrated our 65th company anniversary - a birthday we are really proud of, as it shows that all the measures we have taken over the decades have been the right ones and that we have always met the tastes of our customers.

What makes our service so special?

We operate scheduled services on the Weser from Vlotho to Stolzenau and on the Mittelland Canal from Bad Essen to Sachsenhagen. In the charter area, we sail to all accessible locations on the Weser and canal. Our trips are so popular because we have the aforementioned waterway junction in Minden - this is where the Mittelland Canal crosses the Weser at a height of around 13 meters. This is always a real experience for our guests, as is the Minden Weser lock with a lifting height of over 13 meters. Thanks to Minden's convenient location on the Weser and Mittelland Canal, we can sail in all four directions - from north to south on the Weser and from west to east on the canal.

A well-coordinated team for the benefit of our guests

Our team on the ships is made up of three skippers, three sailors, boatmen or helmsmen and three people in the catering department. There is also an office worker and two employees in the bistro (in the kitchen and in service) as well as numerous temporary staff.

Annette Kuffel is responsible for managing the catering, who keeps a close eye on the quality and cost of the goods in order to offer our guests the best possible value for money.

Managing Director Michael Schiebe is a third-generation "passenger skipper" - so it seems to be a bit in the genes. He not only steers the fortunes of the entire company, but also occasionally gets behind the wheel himself when the need arises. Our "boss" now has over thirty years of experience in trip planning and therefore has a good feel for what works and what doesn't - even if he is occasionally surprised, as he says.

A great team that gets on well - with a lot of work, but also a lot of fun together. Although most of the employees only have seasonal contracts, around 80 percent have been with the company for at least five years. This is evidence of a good working atmosphere, which ultimately also benefits our guests.

So it's no coincidence that we've also welcomed celebrity guests such as the "Ehrlich Brothers", Heinz Hoenig, Wolfgang Petry and the then Minister President of Lower Saxony, Gerhard Glogowski.

So, when will we see you on board?