LOVERS Canal Cruises

An Amsterdam canal cruise company with its own fleet

LOVERS Canal Cruises runs its own boats on the canals of Amsterdam, Netherlands, and everything on its site is built around that one city. The About page says the company was established in the 1950s (the homepage banner reads "Canal Cruises since 1956") and has "turned into the biggest and most professional provider of canal cruises in Amsterdam", which is its own description. Its regular boats leave from 4 locations: Central Station, the Rijksmuseum, Leidseplein and the Anne Frank House. The company says its fleet of 45 boats was substantially upgraded in 2016 with new interiors, new audio, heating and Wi-Fi, and that 80% of the fleet is electric, with the aim of reaching 100% in 2026. Alongside its own cruises it sells combination tickets with partners, including hop-on hop-off buses, museums and a Keukenhof day trip, so part of the menu is resold rather than run on its boats.

Everyday canal cruises

The flagship is the Classic One Hour Amsterdam Canal Cruise, 60 minutes with an audio guide in 19 languages, sold from all 4 departure points with free cancellation, according to the product card. The site calls it "The best canal cruise in Amsterdam" and shows 298054 bookings against it. The 1 hour Amsterdam Evening Canal Cruise follows the same format after dark, promising "the twinkling lights of Amsterdam from the water", and shows 189267 bookings.

The Lovely Cruises line is the smaller-boat option. The Luxury Open Boat Cruise and the Luxury Open Boat Tour with Drinks both run 60 minutes, and the cards say guests "join a small group on an open boat" with a local guide, on "small, luxurious, fully electric boats", heading for "the smallest and hidden canals of Amsterdam". The version with drinks includes them in the ticket. The site does not say how many people make up a small group.

The menu counts 11 city canal cruises, 5 evening cruises and 3 hop-on hop-off products. Hop on Hop off Boat Amsterdam is sold as a 24 to 48 hour ticket with an audio guide, and a boat and bus version adds a visit to House of Gassan.

Food, drink and seasonal cruises

The site lists 7 dinner cruises. The Amsterdam Dinner Cruise runs 2 hours with a four course meal on board and a choice of meat, fish or vegetarian menus. The New York Pizza Cruise, made with New York Pizza, runs 75 minutes with 7 types of pizza including a vegan one, plus drinks and dessert. The Amsterdam Wine & Cheese Cruise lasts 90 minutes, and the Pancake Cruise on the IJ River runs 75 minutes with all-you-can-eat pancakes and, the card says, "an enormous ball pit for kids".

Seasonal products change through the year. During Pride the company runs a 6-hour boat party on the Canal Parade route with unlimited beer, wine and soft drinks. For the Amsterdam Light Festival it sells dedicated cruises, and its FAQ says the festival runs from 27 November 2025 until 18 January 2026, with about 25 light artworks along one route through the center that a cruise passes in about 75 to 100 minutes. The festival audio guide is in English and Dutch, and holders of an IAmsterdam card can switch a regular cruise for a festival cruise at a LOVERS shop for a €10 supplement. Keukenhof combinations run in spring, including a 6.5-hour day trip by bus with an audio guide on the gardens and bulb-growing region, then a one-hour canal cruise; those cards carry an "Official partner" label.

On board and on the day

All LOVERS boats are heated, the FAQ says, and the covered boats have large windows on all sides. After booking, the FAQ explains, an order confirmation arrives first and a second email with the tickets a few minutes later. Departure points for festival and special cruises depend on the product, and the FAQ points to the product page or the address on the ticket.

On accessibility the wording is precise: boats are "accessible to disabled people when they can stand and walk up and down a couple of steps to get in and out of the boat unassisted." A wheelchair or stroller cannot be taken on board but can be left on the quayside, where the company says it is not responsible for belongings.

Booking, groups and support

Tickets are sold online, and the product cards show discount tags such as -23% on the classic cruise and "Online only deal" labels. On refunds, the FAQ says customers who booked directly should check the product page for that booking's cancellation policy, and those who bought through a reseller such as Get Your Guide or Groupon must contact the reseller. The footer also offers a Self Rebook tool and a Group Bookings page.

Groups get their own section: group activities in Amsterdam, private boat rental and school trips. The About page mentions group promotions and discounts and special tours around events such as SAIL Amsterdam. The contact block offers a chat marked "Available 24/7" and says written messages get a reply within 5 working days, and the site shows a 4.5 average rating from Google and Tripadvisor.

What stays unclear, and who it suits

The discount tags do not say what they are measured against, so the checkout price is the one that counts. The cancellation window is not written on the FAQ, only the free cancellation label on the classic and evening cruises. Age rules and child fares are not stated on the product cards or in the FAQ, and the maximum size of a Lovely Cruises small group is never given. Guide languages on the open boats are not listed, unlike the 19-language audio guide on the covered boats.

LOVERS suits a first visit to Amsterdam where the aim is a straightforward canal cruise from a central departure point, in a heated boat with commentary in many languages. The food cruises, the Light Festival season and the Pride party give repeat visitors a reason to come back. Travelers who use a wheelchair should read the boarding rule above before booking, since the boats need a few steps taken unassisted.