The "Kölntourist Personenschifffahrt am Dom GmbH" (hereinafter: "KT") warmly welcomes you on and along the Rhine!

In the interest of your own safety and the smoothest possible operation, we ask you to observe the following terms and conditions, which apply to all charter trips.

1.) Validity of these conditions 

KT offers a wide variety of boat trips and differentiates between scheduled, themed, day and panoramic, charter and adventure trips. 

Please note that for adventure, scheduled, themed, day and panoramic tours, only the provisions of the General Terms and Conditions "Adventure Tours", the General Terms and Conditions "Scheduled, Themed, Day and Panoramic Tours" or the following General Terms and Conditions "Charter Tours" apply. 

Furthermore, these are laid out on board our ships.

With the conclusion of the contract according to section 3 as well as with the boarding of the ship you accept these terms and conditions as well as the house rules displayed on board as a binding part of the service contract concluded between you and KT.

The domiciliary rights are exercised by the owner, the skipper(s) and other representatives of KT.

2. ) Subject of the service, minimum rental period and restrictions

A charter trip exists if KT rents a ship to you for an event planned by you for the agreed rental period, taking into account the minimum rental period according to section 15. Kölntourist Personenschifffahrt am Dom GmbH (hereinafter: "KT") transports you for a fee and makes the passenger compartments of a ship available to you for general use for the duration of the event for yourself and your intended guests. 

Here it is clarified that at so-called "party events", i.e. events with music and dancing, the "party" is only permitted on the open decks; the salon of the ship can only be used for the consumption of food and drinks. The installation of sound boxes is not allowed in the salon.

Should the use of security be necessary or desired for public party events, the organizer must provide this himself. 

Our obligation to perform includes your transportation and that of your guests, as well as catering for the duration of the trip, if applicable, in accordance with the contract concluded under Section 3.

Bringing food and drinks and consuming them on board our ships is not allowed. 

Gastronomic services are only part of the subject matter of the contract if expressly agreed.  

KT is entitled to use third parties for the fulfillment of the subject matter of the contract.

3.) Conclusion of contract

You can make inquiries for charter trips both by telephone, in writing, in text form or online to us. We will make you an offer in text form according to this request, which you can only accept in text form within the binding period stated in the offer. If this period expires, we are no longer bound to the submitted offer. 

The contract is concluded by your acceptance of this offer in text form within the commitment period subject to the availability and fulfillment of the subject matter of the contract or contrary operational reasons. 

We will then prepare a new offer for you regarding any desired changes in the offer, which again must be accepted in text form within the binding period.

Requests for changes or additions on your part after the conclusion of the contract can only be considered within 14 days after the conclusion of the contract. 

We will then provide you with a corresponding offer for any desired changes that may entail additional effort and/or costs, which in turn must be accepted in text form within the binding period specified therein.

However, the changes will only become part of the contract if they are confirmed by KT in text form.

4) Payment & Default

a.) Charter

The fee for the charter trip is due for payment without deduction within 14 days after receipt of the invoice. If the date of the charter trip is within this payment period, the payment must be credited to the account of KT at the latest 1 week before the start of the trip. 

If you do not pay the invoice despite the due date, KT is entitled to charge flat-rate reminder costs of 5,- Euro per reminder in addition to the legal consequences of default.

If you again fail to perform despite a reminder, KT shall be entitled to a separate right of withdrawal to be exercised in text form. 

In case of withdrawal, KT is entitled to claim damages in the amount of the contract price.

You as the customer have to pay the fee agreed upon for the charter trip and all other services (e.g. catering) also used by your event participants to KT. 

b.) Gastronomic services

KT is entitled to demand advance payments for the agreed gastronomic services, even if these are provided by third parties. 

Costs that depend on consumption will be announced to you immediately after the end of the event. Should any complaints be made, this can only be done immediately after notification on board, after which complaints are excluded. 

We will then issue an invoice to you, which is due for payment within 14 days after receipt of the invoice.

If you do not pay the invoice despite the due date, KT is entitled to charge flat-rate reminder costs of 5,- Euro per reminder in addition to the legal consequences of default.

5.) Price adjustments

If the conclusion of the contract is longer than 4 months before the execution of the contract, KT is entitled to adjust the contractually agreed price accordingly in the event of a general increase in the price for such services in the meantime. 

The adjustment is limited to an increase of max. 5% of the originally agreed price. This upper limit increases by a further 6% (i.e. to a maximum of 10%) if the contract was concluded more than 1 year before the contract was executed. In the event of a change in the statutory value added tax in the meantime, KT is also entitled to make an adjustment. 

6) Withdrawal of the customer

A withdrawal on your part from the contract concluded with KT requires text form and is possible free of charge up to 90 days before the agreed day of travel. 

In the event of a later cancellation on your part, KT is entitled to demand a cancellation fee. 

This amounts in case of withdrawal before the start of the service:


up to 60th day 10%
from 59th to 31st day 50%
from 30th to 15th day 70%
from 14th day or no-show 90%
The deduction of saved expenses is taken into account. 

However, you are free to prove that the above claim did not arise or did not arise in the amount claimed.

7.) Resignation of KT

If, after signing the contract, KT becomes aware of circumstances that make the customer's creditworthiness appear doubtful, KT is entitled to withdraw from the contract or to provide the agreed services only against advance payment and provision of security. Doubts about the creditworthiness of the customer exist in particular if insolvency proceedings have been opened against the customer's assets or if an application for the opening of insolvency proceedings has been filed. 

Furthermore, there is doubt about the customer's creditworthiness even if there are payment arrears from other contractual relationships of the customer with KT. 

A right of withdrawal also exists if KT becomes aware that events are booked under misleading and falsified information.

KT also has the right to withdraw from the contract if agreed advance payments (cf. item 4) have not been paid on time and/or the charter price and any additional services have not been paid by the due date without further reminder.

The non-feasibility of the subject matter of the contract due to changed legal provisions also entitles KT to withdraw from the contract.

8) Liability of KT; Organizer's liability

The legal relations between KT and the customer are subject to the law of the Federal Republic of Germany. 

KT is liable without limitation for damages caused intentionally or by gross negligence, for intentional or negligent injury to life, body and health.

For damages caused by negligence, KT is only liable in case of breach of an obligation that is essential for the proper fulfillment of the contract and on whose fulfillment you may regularly rely. In this case, the liability of KT is limited to max. 1000 € per damage case, but in any case to the contract-typical foreseeable damage.

For damage or loss of jewelry, money or other (valuable) objects, the liability of KT is limited to gross negligence and intent. 

In addition, you bear the risk of deterioration or destruction or loss of all items brought by you.

You are obliged to report all damages from which claims against KT could be derived to the responsible persons on board immediately after their discovery, at the latest by the time you leave the ship. 

Insofar as liability of KT for damages not based on injury to life, body or health is not excluded for slight negligence, such claims shall become statute-barred within one year, beginning with the end of the year in which the claim arose and the creditor became aware of the circumstances giving rise to the claim and the person of the debtor or could have become aware without gross negligence.

Organizers are obliged to prove the existence of an organizer's liability before the start of the event.

9) Delay, Cancellation, Abandonment of Charter Voyages, Ship Replacement

There may be delays in departure and arrival times and changes in the berths due to shipping traffic or official reasons. Claims for delay or damages cannot be asserted against KT as a result.

In case of impossibility of performance by KT due to changed legal regulations, in cases of force majeure (technical failures, fog, ice, high or low water, averages, closure of shipping lanes, official travel or event bans during pandemics, etc.) KT is released from the performance. 

However, within the scope of its right of rectification, KT is entitled to provide a comparable ship instead for the agreed duration, if necessary also at the next most suitable landing place. 

Further claims against KT, e.g. claims for damages (travel costs, accommodation, etc.) are excluded in the event of the provision of equivalent substitutes, the provision of partial services, the interruption or cancellation of the trip. 

If the trip with the contractually agreed ship cannot be started, for whatever reason, and no replacement can be procured, KT offers the agreed service as a lying event (i.e. without a trip). If you accept this offer, the contractually agreed obligations shall remain in force. In this case KT grants you a discount of 50% on the agreed service price.

You can refuse to hold the event as a lying event. 

In this case, the services you have already paid for will be refunded by KT. However, this does not apply to services aimed at the production of food and beverages. The obligation to pay for services already produced remains unaffected, regardless of the actual acceptance of the goods. 

You can have the goods delivered to another place at your own expense. 

For the use of equipment, which may be provided by KT for the transport of the goods, a rental fee is owed according to a separate agreement.

10.) Warranty 

In the case of legal transactions with a consumer, i.e. a natural person who concludes the legal transaction for purposes which can predominantly be attributed neither to his commercial nor to his independent professional activity, the statutory provisions shall apply to any warranty claims due to defects of title and/or quality, unless otherwise stipulated in these General Terms and Conditions.

11.) GEMA, official requirements, public law regulations

As the event organizer, you are obligated to obtain all official permits and approvals in a timely manner and at your own expense. As the organizer, you are also responsible for ensuring that the event does not violate any requirements and regulations under public law. 

The organizer also undertakes to comply with the applicable regulations on immission control and the applicable limit values. Special limit values are specified in particular for horizontal events. The limit values can be viewed at KT. The organizer is liable for all consequences of non-compliance. 

The organizer must also ensure that music and dancing on board are registered with GEMA in good time before departure. 

You must bear the costs incurred for the registration. 

KT accepts no liability whatsoever for breaches of the above obligations towards third parties or public bodies and indemnifies KT against such breaches.

12.) Transportation of vehicles, luggage and other items

Unless otherwise agreed, animals, motorcycles and vehicles and bulky goods are excluded from carriage. 

The on-board staff shall decide on the carriage of passengers on a case-by-case basis at their reasonable discretion. Baby carriages and wheelchairs for the sick are carried on board free of charge, provided that there are accommodations for them on board. 

Please inform us about the need to bring strollers and/or wheelchairs about it when booking.

13.) Travel regulations; renewal fee

There may be minor delays in departure and arrival times and changes in berths for shipping traffic reasons. 

KT has no influence on this, but will inform you of such changes immediately. 

As a rule, KT will grant you access to the vessel on which the agreed service is to be provided 15 minutes before the start of the service. 

If you are the organizer, you can enter the ship 30 minutes before the guests are allowed to enter, in order to set up music, put up decorations, etc., if necessary. If you need more time for this, this must be contractually regulated in advance as an extension of the charter time.

Decorations and technology (music systems, lighting technology, etc.) may only be installed and set up by you with the prior written agreement and consent of KT. KT is not liable for any damage caused by this.

After the end of the service, you, your guests and third parties included according to the subject of the contract must leave the ship within 15 minutes. 

If you or your guests do not leave the ship on time, you will owe an extension fee of one rental hour for each hour or part thereof.

KT is entitled to expel persons who are heavily intoxicated or under the influence of drugs and to exclude them from participation in the event.

KT is also entitled to carry out bag checks upon entering the guests in order to prevent criminal offenses, if there is an initial suspicion of bringing weapons or illicit substances.

In icy conditions, access to the open decks is not permitted due to the risk of slipping and black ice. 

The burning of pyrotechnic articles as well as open fire is prohibited on the ship. 

Smoking is permitted only on the designated open decks of the ships. 

Bringing live animals is prohibited, unless this has been expressly agreed. There is no right to bring dogs. 

Guide dogs accompanying blind people are always allowed for transportation. 

Credit and debit cards are not accepted on board the ship. 

The instructions of the ship's crew must be followed at all times.

If you, your guests or third parties commissioned by you give reason to believe before or during the execution of the subject matter of the contract that regulatory laws are being violated, KT is entitled to make the further execution of the contract dependent on the assessment of the facts by police forces of order and to take the necessary measures for this purpose. 


Objects found on board are to be handed over to the nautical passenger attendant without being asked and without delay.

Forgotten items will be stored at KT for three months and then handed over to the local lost and found office. The costs of safekeeping are to be borne by you. Until then, the items, if they are transportable, can be sent to the owner by mail by bearing the costs of the customer. 

The supervision of children is the responsibility of parents or accompanying persons. In particular, they must ensure that the safety of the children is not endangered by their behavior on board and on the docks.

14.) Costs for pollution

If, after the end of the contract, KT detects soiling caused by you or your guests that goes beyond the usual and general level (e.g. rice, rose petals at weddings, confetti, etc.), KT is entitled to charge a lump sum of €300 (in other words three hundred euros incl. statutory VAT) for cleaning with immediate payment due. 

However, you reserve the right to remove or avoid high levels of contamination yourself before the end of the contractual relationship. 

15) Minimum rental period, change of charter period



For better planning and utilization of the boats, minimum rental times apply, which are 3 hours in the low season, i.e. from October-April, and 5 hours in the high season, i.e. from May to September. 

If the start or end times of the charter trip are postponed through no fault of KT, KT can charge an appropriate amount for the additional service. 

However, you cannot unilaterally set the charter time change. 

A desired extension of the agreed charter period must be requested in writing no later than 2 weeks after the conclusion of the contract and requires a written contract amendment, subject to operational feasibility. There is no right to an extension. 

Should you wish to extend the charter time beyond the agreed time on the day of the event, the consent of the nautical staff must be obtained for this and an additional fee will be due, which depends on the respective ship used and the type of event. However, the additional hourly fee does not usually exceed 600 euros. 

16.) Physical limitations

KT expressly points out that KT's ships are not handicapped accessible and participation in this case may be arduous or impossible. 

We therefore ask you to inform us of any existing obstructions before you start your journey. 

We will then make every effort to find individual solutions for you.

KT is entitled to exclude a person from carriage due to obvious health impairments at its own discretion.

17.) Image utilization and newsletter

By boarding the ship, you consent to the taking and use of photographs by KT during the respective voyage for the purpose of marketing and press and public relations work by KT. 

By doing so, you expressly grant permission for the publication of image and sound recordings of yourself on social media, as on third-party digital media.

If you wish to object to the making and use of visual and audio recordings of you, you must have declared this to us in text form by the time you board the ship at the latest. 

Furthermore, you agree with your booking until revocation in text form to receive information and offers from KT to your stored e-mail address (newsletter). 

KT points out that your data will not be passed on to third parties unless the execution of the contract requires this. In this respect, we refer to our separate notes on the DSGVO. 

18.) Text form

Amendments, supplements or cancellations of the contractual agreement shall be made in text form. Verbal collateral agreements shall not be valid; deviations therefrom may only be made in text form; this requirement itself may also only be stipulated by both parties in text form.

19) Final provisions and place of jurisdiction

If one of the present provisions is incomplete or defective, a provision shall be chosen in its place which comes as close as possible to what is legally and economically intended. In the event of the invalidity of one of the aforementioned provisions, this shall not result in the overall invalidity of all provisions. The scope of the remaining agreements shall remain unaffected in this respect.

If the customer is not a consumer, the place of jurisdiction shall be Cologne.

Status February 2024