Lovers Canal Cruises Reviews 2,598

So unorganised company. Customers should wait for about one hour in very cold weather outside, however we bought our tickets 2 days before online. Different time slots were mixed together in line and every thing very chaotic.

We booked on line for the light festival trip and were told to arrive 15 minutes early for our 7.15 trip, which we did there was an enormous queue . There was no real order to figure out if we were in line for the right boat that was setting off at 7.15. So we just we in line with the masses. The queue meandered back and for and took us One hour before we reached the cafe where we could get a drink to take on board . We followed those in from of us, no one checked our tickets and we got on. Despite so many people the boat was not filled. you could view from the side windows but not really clearly the top windows needed to be cleaned to see the view of the light installations from above. So you can't view much. The boat trip we paid for was 1.5 hours we were back at the dock within an hour with no explanation. Probably as there was such a queue of people waiting. The captain was entertaining at least, Really a rip off!

WARNING SCAM!!!! I would give 0 stars if I could. I bought tickets for the Light Tour as a birthday gift for my wife. On-site, everything was very chaotic. We asked 4 team members about our boat and were sent to Pier 2, then to Pier 1, back to Pier 2, and finally boarded the wrong boat at Pier 1. No one checked our tickets to ensure we were in the right place.

During the ride, we realized this was not the tour we had paid significantly MORE for. In the end, we spent an hour on a city tour in the dark where we could barely see anything—let alone any light installations. When we addressed the mistake, we were told to handle the refund ourselves and contact the online ticket vendor.

In short, Lovers Cruises didn’t take responsibility for the issue, leaving us to solve the problem on our own. That’s what they call service? No help, no understanding. NEVER AGAIN! In the end, we saw nothing, got no money back, and were left with nothing but frustration. Save your money for something worthwhile in Amsterdam—aside from Lovers Cruises, the city is fantastic. I hope my review spares other guests the same misery.

Awful experience. In July 2024 I booked six people on the Lovers Evening Dinner Canal Cruise schedule for Saturday November 30th. Total cost approx £420, through Viator. This was to be the highlight of our group visit to Amsterdam.
On the afternoon of Friday 29th November (the day before the scheduled dinner cruise) I received an email saying "Your tour operator had to cancel your booking." No reason was given. No apology was given, the word "sorry" did NOT appear in the email. No alternative cruise or date was offered. Our group was desperately disappointed. So my advice is DONT USE LOVERS CANAL CRUISES. There are other companies available, select one of those instead.

We ordered our tickets from Headout and I went there 4 hours earlier, showed our tickets and asked where we need to be and if there is anything else I need to do. They told me "nothing, just come 20 minutes in advance". Then we come again 20 minutes in advance as recommended and we are told that we paid for kids pizzas which is not written in the offer in headout. We were requested to pay 35 euros more and we were told that we were ordered margarita pizzas even though that neither me of my boyfriend eats that pizza.

About the experience: The pizza wasn't good it was almost tasteless, we weren't told that the drinks are free so we and a lot of the people on the boat didn't drink much, the "guide" was so muffled that it was almost 100% inaudible we understood only partial words / subjects. The waiters were acting more like bottle girls then actual restaurant waiters. At the end he said something in the effect that if you are not happy with the service you can just get high and relax which even though it was a joke it was super disrespectful because for example I am pregnant and there we also 3-5 kids on the boat.

Overall, it was super bad experience do not give them your money...

We recently had the most amazing experience of a 4 course canal river cruise woth Canal Lovers Cruises in it was truly a magical evening. From time of arrival, through boarding to when we finished, everything was executed with grace and professionalism leaving us with unforgettable memories.
The cruise began with a warm welcome from the friendly staff, who ensured that all guests were comfortable and well taken care of. As we set sail, the charming surroundings of the canal took my breath away. The scenery was simply stunning, with beautiful bridges, quaint buildings and many historical sites lining the waterway.
The first course was served shortly after departure we had the exquisite smoked salmon with roast potato salad, followed by green pea soup with asparagus (left us wanting more) and of course the bread rolls and be a celiac wasnt a problem to this amazing crew. Each bite was bursting with flavor and perfectly complemented by the picturesque views outside. The attentive waitstaff made sure our glasses were always filled with refreshing drinks as we enjoyed the first course, we were very partial to the rose.
As we continued our journey, the main course was served. It was a gastronomic delight, with a variety of options to cater to all tastes, we weren't disappointed with our choice of baked cod., it was cooked to perfection, with the freshest ingredients and exquisite presentation. The accompanying sides were equally delectable, making it a truly satisfying meal.
As the sun began to set, the atmosphere on the cruise took on relaxed feel. The final course, a delectable dessert of tiramisu of Dutch "stroopwafels" to which the staff organised a slightly different delicious gluten free version and it was the perfect ending to a wonderful evening. It was the sweetest way to end the night and left me wanting more.
Throughout the cruise, the staff was incredibly accommodating and went above and beyond to make sure everyone had a memorable experience, the catering staff should be highly commended nothing is a bother. The live commentary added to the ambiance and created a lovely background for conversation and relaxation.
Overall, the 4 course canal river cruise was a truly extraordinary experience. The food, the service, and the atmosphere all surpassed my expectations and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a unique and unforgettable dining experience. We really wish to thank you for a truly magical evening.

If I could give 0 stars I would for this terrible company. We booked a month or so prior to coming for a 6.30pm pizza cruise, we got there before 6pm and went to the check in desk which was empty. After waiting here a few mins and no sign of anyone coming to help us I went to the bar where the staff sounded like they had no idea what a pizza cruise even was but told us to wait in the bar so we did. After around 15 mins of waiting I asked again only to be told the same thing. I then decided after another 5 mins of waiting to walk down the steps to the boats to be told by the member of staff she wasn't sure and got a manager. The manager then told us that the cruise had been changed to 6pm and we would have been emailed No email was ever received and even checked with him there. He went on to say there was nothing he could do and put the blame on us even though we would have made the 6pm time had the staff in the bar known what was going on. He said all we could do was email and we would get a full refund this was captured on audio just incase. We emailed and have just and the service from them has been awful first they sent a screen shot to say they apparently emailed us and the T&C to say if we had wanted to cancel they needed 8 hours notice. When we replied to explain we were cancelling it and had not had this email they said they send they were less than helpful and we would not be geeting any money back and addressed non of the points we raised. They then told us if we wanted to escalate this we had to email another address that is for EU citizens only, when emailing back to say they had not addressed out points and we are not in the EU so cant email that address we got back and email to say 'sorry you don't live in the EU' and that was it. This is shocking and they have left us out of pocket and really put a downer on what was supposed to be a nice trip away. I'd avoid at all cost, better off getting food in one of the many cafes or restaurants and going on the hour cruise for €15 much nicer staff.

Wonderful experience with Lovers canal cruises thanks to André, Myron and Shy 🔥

Cramped and hot. Uncomfortable . It is called "Lovers" but nothing romantic about this tour. You are cramped face to face and side to side inside a hot boat. Windows all fogged up and poor visibility especially at night.

Disappointing tour, couldn't see almost anything due to inside condensation on the windows! The boat should be prepared before the tour! We've seen other big boats on the canals with clear windows, how do they do it? Also, the audio guide is somehow out of sync with the actual interest point!

I bought two tickets online for February 10, 2024, at 16:00. Due to the road condition, I reached the boat's departure point at 15:58. They did not allow me to enter, saying that I had to be at the port 15 minutes before the boat departed. They told me to contact the information desk. The people at the information desk said that we could board the boat at 18:00 but that we would have to pay extra for it.

I wish I could give a minus one, terrible service and very rude workers. Discussing and sexist captain.

Light festival Amsterdam. Good captain/‘driver’ but not 75 minutes and traffic jam on the water. We have the feeling we missed half the lightinstallations. You can just as well do the walk. This is much cheaper too!
And don’t sit backwards. You don’t see a thing…pretty overrated.

We waited a long time in a massive queue which was not monitored at all and people were just pushing in in groups. We did not know if we are actually in the right group as it was already past our boarding time. In the end we set off 15 minutes later than boarding time and the boat was absolutely packed. There was nowhere else to sit than in the first spot which was drenched because of the rain outside. No heating system, water everywhere, my jacket which I was sitting on is absolutely wet, so is my sweater. We have been told that the captain requested a different boat for us but his request has been denied and he apologised profoundly for this. We did not enjoy the lights festival at all, this boat was just not suitable for this kind of weather. Deeply disappointed.

I’m even still on the boat while writing this but this is truly a joke..! 1.The waiting lines are not structured, not divided on time schedules so everyone in line has another time which creates nothing but chaos. The employees are not regulating the line (which are very long) at all. Result: 45 minutes of delay. 2. Once finally on the boat.. you can’t see anything! The windows are all fogged up and they use Christmas decorations that are blocking the views. Really?! Hahaha Conclusion: DO NOT BOOK THIS TRIP FOR AMSTERDAM LIGHT FESTIVAL OR YOU’LL REGRET IT.

In general the cruise was nice but very packed. Would recommend because of cheap price. But sound in headphones was very bad. Couldn’t listen to the history of Amsterdam

Was really looking forward to this and what a disappointment it was. Paid €53 for myself and my partner for the light festival and was barely fascinating at all. Was crammed onto a boat where you couldn’t even see the lights properly. Were allocated the aisle seats and weren’t able to see much. Also the tickets were bought for the 8:30pm sailing, got there for around 8:20pm like advised yet we were standing queuing for 40 minutes and didn’t set off until after 9pm. To top it all off, the headphones I were given didn’t even work. Wouldn’t recommend this trip, ruined what was a really good day.

As a Family of five we took a Amsterdam Light Festival Boat Tour on the 29th December starting at 18:15 and had Dinner plans afterwards. The Tour started 45 minutes late. Standing in the rain outside most of the time without any information about the delay. When the Tour finally started we were forced to go in a full Boat with hardly any seats left so could not sit together. Inside you could not see that much as it was too crowded and window seats where taken. Outside was better but getting pretty cold after a while (and wet). We paid €132,50 for this 'experience' and were very disappointed.

Very fast and easy purchase, for my tickets few minute after placing payment

Not a pleasant experience - we queued up for an hour before the cruise left the dock. Our 2130 cruise left at 2230 and the light festival lights went out at 2300. We asked to have a refund at the beginning and we were assured that the lights would remain on. Thus not worth the eur 26,50. People behind us didn’t have a place to sit and they were told to get off if they couldn’t sit. What a disappointment after standing an hour in the cold. Never again