A classic saloon boat or a glass-roofed one for dinner on the Amsterdam canals
The boat decides much of how a dinner cruise feels, from the noise level to whether you get a window. Two of the four cruises here use long glass-roofed boats and two use smaller saloon boats, one of them private.
Two shapes of dinner boat
Amsterdam dinner cruises run on two main kinds of boat. Long, glass-roofed canal boats carry rows of tables under a clear roof, while classic saloon boats are smaller and wood-panelled, and they sit closer to the water.
Of the four cruises here, LOVERS and Stromma use the glass-roofed kind in their listing photos. Aemstelland and Boat Boys sail saloon boats, the first shared with other guests and the second private.
The glass-roofed boats
The LOVERS cruise (~$99) and Stromma's pizza cruise (~$39) both show long boats with rows of tables and big windows. The roof lets you look up at the canal houses from your seat.
Stromma lists a toilet and Wi-Fi on board. Stromma does not accept stag or hen groups. Its seating plan is set before departure, and each booking sits together at its own table, so friends who book separately will not share one.
LOVERS does not guarantee a window table. On a long boat that means some guests sit in the middle, looking past other tables to the water.
Our pick under a glass roof
LOVERS' 2-hour dinner from opposite Centraal Station, four courses with beer and wine poured as you eat. Window seats are not promised on this one.
A big boat has more seats to sell, which helps when you book late for a busy evening. It also means more voices, and one LOVERS reviewer said loud tables drowned out the commentary.
The classic saloon boat
Aemstelland's boat (~$134) is the classic type, with wood panelling, white tablecloths and a window table for every party. It takes at most 20 guests, and one reviewer described it as a 100-year-old boat.
You sit lower, closer to the water, and with fewer guests the room stays quieter than on a long boat. The Viator listing confirms a toilet on board. It boards in front of Zwanenburgwal 20, a 5-minute walk from Nieuwmarkt.
The route is longer too, along the Amstel and past the Magere Brug (the Skinny Bridge). Our menu guide explains how the courses come aboard warm from Le Hollandais.
Boat Boys, a saloon boat to yourselves
Boat Boys (~$432 for the boat) uses covered, heated saloon boats with an open area, fitting up to 12 guests. Couples get a smaller boat for two, according to the GetYourGuide listing.
Of the four listings, only this one mentions an open area where you can step outside. Dress for it on a cold night, as our guide to what to wear explains.
The captain doubles as your guide, and the route passes the Anne Frank House and the Houseboat Museum on the way. There are no stops to get off, and the boat leaves from Oosterdokskade 8, the wooden dock next to the floating Chinese restaurant Sea Palace.
The trade-offs side by side
Neither shape is better in every way. The choice comes down to what you want from the room you eat in, and how many people you want to share it with over two hours.
- Glass-roofed boats seat more people and show more sky, with fixed seating and more noise from other tables
- Saloon boats are quieter and sit lower, with window tables for every party on Aemstelland
- A private saloon boat gives your group the whole room and an open area, priced for the boat
- Fares run from ~$39 on the glass-roofed pizza boat to ~$134 on the shared saloon boat
The route barely separates them. All four pass the Magere Brug, so the boat is about comfort and company rather than sights. The canal ring looks much the same from a long boat as from a small one, only from a different height.
Rain, cold and the roof over your head
All four boats are covered, so rain does not end dinner. Boat Boys states that its saloon boats are heated, and the glass-roofed boats show closed cabins in their listing photos.
A glass roof turns a wet evening into a view of rain running down the panes above the canal houses. On a saloon boat the windows sit at the side, so the view is lower and closer to the water.
On a warm summer evening a glass-roofed cabin can feel close. If fresh air matters to you, the open area on the Boat Boys boats is the only outdoor space these four listings mention.
Wheelchairs and steps
Only Stromma's listings leave the question open. The other three state that their boats are not wheelchair accessible, so check with Stromma directly before you book.
Expect a step down into any canal boat, and low ceilings on the saloon boats. Our boarding guide describes each dock and how to reach it.
Which boat for which evening
For a celebration or a quiet dinner for two, the saloon boat wins, as our guide for couples shows. For a group that wants the room to itself, the private boat makes more sense than four separate fares.
For a lively evening with drinks included, the glass-roofed LOVERS boat is our pick, and the pizza boat is its budget twin. Our timing guide covers when to sail for daylight or for lit bridges.