Lovers Canal Cruises Amsterdam — Attraction in Amsterdam

The tour itself was fine. The review is to express my frustration and anger about the disrespectful way the captain treated me.

We wanted to do a Canal Cruise during Amsterdam Sail. We specifically decided against touring around the Sail. But once we started the captain suddenly decided he wants to drive us through the Sail instead of the Canals.

So he did a "vote" to let people choose where to go. Half of the passengers didn't even realise what was happening as they were listening to the Audio Guide. It was clear that the captain wanted to drive through Sail - so he just decided this got the most votes.

As much as I appreciate the thought and can acknowledge that he wanted to show us something special: There is nothing to vote here. We booked a Canal Cruise with a Company called "Canal Cruises" so we expect to see the canals. We were in Amsterdam only for one afternoon and as interesting as the Sail might be, we chose this tour specifically to see the city, not the ships. There where literally dozens of other boats taking people who want to see the Sail through the ships. So I went up to ask him if we'd really skip all of the canals - which he confirmed. My mother was terribly disappointed so I insisted on seeing the canals and pointed out that we had payed for this. He went on to lecture me about how we're "living in a democracy".

If it would have been a short detour to see some of the ships and we'd skipped a canal - okay I can live with that and appreciate the extra effort. But showing us no canal at all despite selling us tickets for it? That's not acceptable.

He finally agreed to take us through the canals not without calling me out over the microphone apparently expecting people to start a riot against me. I can tell you there where no complaints at all and the people around us were also really happy to do the tour they came for.

In the end he greeted me off with an extremly rude "happy you got your will?" and blamed me for apperently ruining everyone's experience. Listen: It's not about getting my will. It's about giving your passengers the experience they chose and treating them with respect. If you can't do this it's just unprofessional.

In total it was a very unpleasant experience, better choose a...

Tourist trap! Save your money and time. Extremely rude staff, poorly organised and an utter lack of customer service.

This company seems focused on money, with no regard for guest comfort.

We reached at boarding point Pier 3 at 1:50 PM for a boat ride scheduled at 2PM. There was partially filled boat with passengers. The operator asked to accommodate group of 41 in the boat which had only 20-22 seats so tour leader did not agreed to board the partial group. The request was made by tour leader to provide a boat to accommodate all 41 members which was denied by Lovers cruise manager saying that Kesari group denied to board available boat hence boat can not be allocated again. The Lovers cruise staff was very rude and non-cooperative and asked the group to leave the boarding point and book tickets again for separate service. Finally boat ride was canceled which was completely unprofessional on the part of Lovers cruise company. Tour leader Suhas tried every option to get another boat allocated to group but was insulted by Lovers staff. Staff also argued with Kesari group members which was completely unprofessional. I request Kesari to cancel contract of Lovers canal cruise to avoid repeating this sad experience. We’re a group of forty, so we politely asked the staff at the dock if we could wait for the next boat to ensure we could sit together. However, the woman at the dock rudely told us, “We can’t please everyone,” and essentially ultimatum: get on this boat or leave. Her attitude was appalling. as we all couldn't be accomodated together,we kept on requesting so that we all could sit together. They asked us to leave inspite of having reservations,didn't arrange for another cruise.So our cruise was canceled.

My advice: skip this company entirely and opt for smaller boat cruises instead. The service on smaller boats is far friendlier, the experience is better organized, and the views are significantly more enjoyable. Don’t let an incompetent company ruin your family trip.

22nd May 2025 I have already mailed to the authorities,but don't see any action...

Tourist trap! Save your money and time. Extremely rude staff, poorly organised and an utter lack of customer service.

This company seems solely focused on making money, with no regard for guest comfort. The disrespectful behavior of the dock staff only reinforced this impression.

When we arrived, there was a long queue outside, but no one was managing it. As a result, people were cutting in line, creating a chaotic situation. After a lengthy wait, we finally reached the boarding stage, only to find most of the seats were already taken.

We’re a family of four, so we politely asked the staff at the dock if we could wait for the next boat to ensure we could sit together. However, the woman at the dock rudely told us, “We can’t please everyone,” and essentially felt like an ultimatum: get on this boat or leave. Her attitude was appalling, especially considering that customers like us are the reason she has a job. She could definitely use a lesson in customer service and basic humility.

At that point, we were too tired to argue, so we boarded. On the boat, there was no staff ensuring that seating was organized. Passengers were blocking entire rows with their bags to prevent others from sitting next to them, leaving us to argue for seats. Ultimately, all four of us ended up sitting separately, next to strangers, and none of us got good seats.

To make matters worse, only a small portion of the seats actually offer decent views, as most are far from the windows. And even the windows were dirty on the outside, making it hard to see anything clearly (you can see this in my photos).

My advice: skip this company entirely and opt for smaller boat cruises instead. The service on smaller boats is far friendlier, the experience is better organized, and the views are significantly more enjoyable. Don’t let an incompetent company ruin your family trip!

The cruise is so not worth it that I’m writing this review while...