Cruising to Exponential Growth: Spotlight on Rainer Abicht

At almost 100 years old, cruise company Rainer Abicht’s fleet is no stranger to Hamburg’s historic harbor.

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Managing director Roman Abicht discusses growing the family business and bringing it up to date. 

Rainer Abicht’s story 

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Sailing a century-old company into the future in Hamburg.

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Rainer Abicht Elbreederei has been navigating Hamburg’s waterways for almost 100 years. The family business’ cruises around Hamburg’s harbor and Speicherstadt, the world’s largest warehouse district and a UNESCO World Heritage site, top the to-do lists of most visitors to the city. With the largest fleet of boats in the German city, the company has garnered exponential growth through a balance of experience and innovation. 

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Managing director Roman Abicht is passionate about continuing the company’s positive results long into the future. “Ten years ago, we weren’t selling tickets online; you bought them all here. Now, everything is online, and there’s a completely different approach needed to sell an experience online,” he said about the shift. 

While success isn’t always guaranteed — trial and error have become part of the product development cycle — Roman has found an approach that works for Rainer Abicht.

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He continues to expand its experience offer, enhance its tours, and solidify its status as a must-do in Hamburg. Here, Roman discusses the company’s impressive growth, how he keeps the company relevant, and the recipe for success when working with OTAs.

How did Rainer Abicht begin?

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"We started as a shipping company on the Elbe in 1926, and the family business is now in its third generation. Our first passenger ship launched in 1993.

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Today, we focus on two main tours: one to the container harbor and the other through the historic Speicherstadt. We also host themed events like party cruises, dinner cruises, and even a heavy metal cruise. Our fleet is 31 ships, from small traditional barges for 40–50 people to our Louisiana-style paddle steamer for 500.

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You joined GetYourGuide in 2014. What was the reason for working with an OTA?

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"Our managing director at the time came from Berlin and knew GetYourGuide from his previous job. We signed up with them because he saw the growth potential. I took over that relationship in 2019, and GetYourGuide has become our biggest partner, making up around 75 percent of our partner sales. The growth has been exponential.”

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Why do you think your partnership with GetYourGuide has worked so well?

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"The biggest advantage is managing everything by myself — pricing, schedules, capacities — all in one system. We have a strong relationship, but the autonomy is crucial. Our API connects flawlessly with GetYourGuide, which simplifies management again.

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Before, I’d have to check three or four channels to avoid overbooking my tours. If I’m not busy three or four hours a day checking capacities and stuff like that, and the system does it all by itself, I can use the time to create new products or develop existing products to another level.

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How do you ensure you rank highly and attract new customers?

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"It’s our responsibility to stay competitive. Rankings depend on pricing, reviews, and visual appeal. Better photos, better description, better price: better sales. GetYourGuide’s photographer told us that while older customers want to see details, younger customers want to see the emotion in the content. So we balanced them when showing the experiences we offer, which significantly boosted our sales."

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What about your tours create good reviews, and how do you encourage people to leave reviews?

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"We have great captains with engaging live commentary on our tours. And an attractive fleet. With real restrooms, not those claustrophobic airplane types you get on some boats. We ensure everything is top-notch, from commentary to cleanliness.

Every cruise has QR codes to prompt customers to share their experiences. It says something like, ‘If you like us, rate us. If not, recommend us to your mother-in-law.’

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We had an app that wasn’t great, so we developed a new multilingual app last year. It enhances the tour experience and makes it accessible to non-German speakers, which was necessary as our international customer numbers rose sharply. Everyone can use the Rainer Abicht app for free, even if you take another company’s tour."

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How do you develop new products and evolve existing experiences?

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"We’ve added unique tours through the years. Ideas often come from our team or even from casual conversations. For example, the heavy metal tour started as a suggestion from our babysitter’s boyfriend, who is in a band. It’s a bit of trial and error. We test new products, tweak them based on performance, and collaborate with GetYourGuide to create the right marketing pushes."

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Is trial and error essential when developing new products?

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“My advice to anyone is to focus on your main product first. If your main product doesn’t work, you can do whatever you want, but you won’t succeed. When it does, you have a good backbone to build other products around, but your focus always needs to be on your main product.”

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What’s been the most memorable tour?

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"One day, a police officer came to me and demanded a private tour immediately for some guests from the Arab world. I think they were diplomats. He pushed me slightly back into my little office, showed me his badge, and I could see his gun. He told me they needed a private tour for two hours right now.

I started to work out the price, but before I could finish, he pulled a bunch of €500 bills from his jacket and said, ‘Is that enough?’ I said, ‘I think so.’ They set off; the bill was settled. I think it was €1,400. Everything was great. Then, the captain returned after two hours and said, ‘Roman, this was the craziest tour. I had to shut off my mobile phone. The kids wanted to steer the ship. I did everything they wanted. And they give me a €1,000 tip.’ So, yeah, that’s pretty memorable.”

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Key takeaways

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• From 2019 to 2023, Rainer Abicht’s revenue with GetYourGuide increased by 373 percent. Around 75 percent of its OTA-based sales are through GetYourGuide.
• The company has two core products on which it focuses and constantly optimizes. It trialed and evolved additional products over time, like themed cruises.
• Rainer Abicht fueled its online success with competitive pricing, updated content, and positive reviews. The company is proactive in ensuring high rankings through these factors.
• API integration created an automated booking system that prevents overbooking. Managing director Roman Abicht credited the “flawless” system for freeing time to develop new products. 
• The company strengthened its position as Hamburg’s largest cruise operator, from 27 vessels in 2019 to 31 in 2024. It introduced 250-capacity boats with flat, retractable roofs designed to navigate Hamburg’s port and bridges.