LOVERS Canal Cruises is a premier provider of canal cruise experiences in Amsterdam, operating since 1956. The company offers a diverse range of cruises, including classic one-hour tours, evening excursions, and themed events such as the Amsterdam Light Festival cruise. With a focus on customer satisfaction, LOVERS Canal Cruises provides audio guides available in 19 languages, enabling guests to learn about the city's rich history and landmarks while enjoying scenic views from the water. Targeting both tourists and locals, LOVERS Canal Cruises caters to a wide audience seeking a unique way to explore Amsterdam's iconic canals. The company also offers various combi deals that allow customers to combine their canal cruise with other activities at discounted rates. With multiple departure locations and a commitment to exceptional service, LOVERS Canal Cruises is dedicated to providing memorable experiences for all visitors to Amsterdam.
Lovers Canal Cruises receives a mixed reception from customers, with many expressing dissatisfaction regarding staff attitude and organization. Reviewers frequently mention rude interactions with staff, particularly at ticket counters, which detracts from the overall experience.
Additionally, numerous complaints highlight issues with overcrowded boats, long wait times, and a lack of clarity regarding ticketing and boarding procedures. Despite these negatives, some customers appreciate the opportunity to see Amsterdam's beautiful canals and learn about the city's history during the cruise. The ease of booking and the scenic views are noted as positives, but they are overshadowed by the frustrations related to service and logistics. Overall, the sentiment leans negative, with many suggesting potential customers reconsider their options.
Summary generated with AI from recent reviews
Each source counts by its number of reviews. Only reviews written by people are scored.
| Source | Rating | Reviews | Weight | 6-mo | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Trustpilot Imported Trustpilot reviews | 3.4 | 1,000 | 100% | +0.8 | ● Low |
Monthly average rating from reviews written by people · latest review Jul 2025.
| Month | Average | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 24 | 1.0 | 3 |
| Sep 24 | 3.0 | 1 |
| Oct 24 | — | 0 |
| Nov 24 | 5.0 | 1 |
| Dec 24 | 2.2 | 5 |
| Jan 25 | 1.2 | 9 |
| Feb 25 | — | 0 |
| Mar 25 | 1.0 | 2 |
| Apr 25 | 1.3 | 4 |
| May 25 | 2.7 | 3 |
| Jun 25 | 1.0 | 1 |
| Jul 25 | 1.0 | 1 |
Share of positive (4–5★) and negative (1–2★) reviews mentioning each topic · based on the 500 most recent reviews.
“Makkelijke site, goed duidelijk”
“I would not recommend this company to anyone expecting even the most basic level of customer service and respect”
Same method for every company: overall rating, legitimacy checks, the average rating of reviews mentioning each area and the 6-month trend · Travel & Tourism.
| Company | Overall | Legit | Website & app | Service | Booking | Trend | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 3.4 out of 5 (fair) | 100 out of 100 | 3.1 out of 5 (fair) | 2.5 out of 5 (poor) | 2.5 out of 5 (poor) | −11% | 1,000 |
| 4.9 out of 5 (good) | 100 out of 100 | 4.2 out of 5 (good) | 5.0 out of 5 (good) | — | — | 1,109 | |
| 4.2 out of 5 (good) | 100 out of 100 | 3.5 out of 5 (good) | 4.2 out of 5 (good) | 3.5 out of 5 (good) | — | 1,083 | |
| 4.6 out of 5 (good) | 100 out of 100 | — | 4.5 out of 5 (good) | 4.5 out of 5 (good) | — | 1,069 | |
| 4.8 out of 5 (good) | 100 out of 100 | 5.0 out of 5 (good) | 4.9 out of 5 (good) | 4.9 out of 5 (good) | — | 1,050 |
Bottom line: Lovers Canal Cruises is #5 of 5 on overall rating in this group. On service, Evolution Travel scores higher (5.0 vs 2.5).
500 reviews of Lovers Canal Cruises. Filter by what matters to you.
Over a year ago
Forced to give a one star, faced a very rude staff who talked rude to us while using the pay n use toilet in the cofee shop .Why would we jump line to to save a couple of euros when we can buy 3 cruis... See more
Over a year ago
I am so glad we got to see the most beautiful canals of Amsterdam from the water. You get to see and learn about the architecture and the history of the city. Our captain was fun and friendly, making... See more
Over a year ago
We pre-booked a 2.00pm Lovers cruise which we intended to board on the canal in front of the Rijks Museum. The season is spring/summer. The temperature was about 20deg. On arrival, we were informed... See more
Anyone can write a CrowdTrust review. People who write reviews have ownership to edit or delete them at any time, and they'll be displayed as long as an account is active.
Polarized pattern: few middle ratings. 38% of recent reviews are 4–5★ and 53% are 1–2★.
Forced to give a one star, faced a very rude staff who talked rude to us while using the pay n use toilet in the cofee shop .Why would we jump line to to save a couple of euros when we can buy 3 cruise tickets! No wonder the ratings are so poor. That is not 'NORMAL' behaviour while serving customets girl!.
Op dinsdagmiddag 10 juni had ik een nare ervaring bij de ticketbalie van Lovers Canal Cruises bij Amsterdam Centraal. Ik vroeg op een normale en vriendelijke manier of ik recht had op korting met mijn pas. De medewerker van de klantenservice – die ik op dat moment telefonisch sprak – bevestigde dat dit inderdaad het geval was. Tot mijn verbazing weigerden de dames bij de kassa dit te accepteren. Sterker nog: ze vielen de medewerker van de klantenservice verbaal aan, terwijl ik het gesprek via de telefoon volgde. Het was ronduit vijandig en ongemakkelijk om als klant tussen twee interne medewerkers te staan die zo met elkaar omgaan. Ik voelde me totaal niet welkom. Uiteindelijk ben ik zonder tickets vertrokken omdat ik me er ronduit onprettig bij voelde. Dit is niet wat je verwacht van een organisatie die toeristen en bezoekers op een prettige manier wil ontvangen. Een zeer teleurstellende ervaring.
I am so glad we got to see the most beautiful canals of Amsterdam from the water. You get to see and learn about the architecture and the history of the city. Our captain was fun and friendly, making some extra comments on top of the audio guide for a more personal experience.
We pre-booked a 2.00pm Lovers cruise which we intended to board on the canal in front of the Rijks Museum. The season is spring/summer. The temperature was about 20deg. On arrival, we were informed that there was to be no 2.00pm cruise and we would have to wait for the 2.30pm cruise. I asked if a refund could be claimed and was told "No". We boarded the 2.30pm boat and all looked good. It was not a busy day and there were only about 6 other people looking to board. Then we were told to disembark because we were to cruise on another boat with a large group which might spill over to 2 boats. Great (groan), the boat was going to be full. Anyway, about the cruise itself. The boat was covered with a perspex top and solid framework. This was not too hot under the sun, but our position up the front precluded the possibility of taking any decent photos and limited what you could see. Commentary through supplied ear phones was pretty poor and intermittent and often, during an important piece of information about a particular building or landmark, the captain would come on the PA to point out that feature. Listening to both the captain and the ear phone commentary meant that you basically heard neither. I'm sure the captain meant well but we would have been better off if he stayed quiet. Overall, I feel that this cruise was a waste of 35EUR for 2 of us. I would recommend, if you wish to do a canal cruise, choose an open boat with no cover and enjoy the sun and better view.
Leuk een rondvaart in Amsterdam? Wij komen woensdag 7 mei 2025 rond 20.45 aan bij Lovers Amsterdam en willen mee met de rondvaart van 21.00 uur. Online zijn er nog 23 plaatsen beschikbaar. Nee de boot is vol, na de opmerking dat er online nog 23 plekken open staan zegt de man bij de boot dat ze niet weten met welke boot er gevaren wordt. Mijn opmerking dat het om jullie eigen website gaat van Lovers haalt de man zijn schouders op. Blij dat we niet online alvast een kaart hebben gekocht.
Extremely Disappointing and Unprofessional Experience We had a terrible experience with this cruise company. We arrived in plenty of time for the 17:00 cruise we had booked the day before, but due to an unorganized and massive queue of tourists, we missed our scheduled boat through no fault of our own. When we approached the next boat, just minutes later, an employee told us we had to rebook our tickets at the desk upstairs. Once there, the staff member at the desk was rude and dismissive, insisting we had to pay an extra 5 euros to rebook — despite the delay being caused by their poor crowd management. We politely explained the situation, but instead of showing any understanding, she became increasingly unfriendly. She said she would ask her colleague, and when she did, he shockingly referred to us as “stupido” in Dutch — an absolutely unacceptable and insulting comment. This kind of treatment is embarrassing, unprofessional, and completely ruined what should have been a pleasant experience. I would not recommend this company to anyone expecting even the most basic level of customer service and respect. P.S. captain of the boat was nice and funny tho
Took one hour cruise. Audio guide was not working. We had a cruise 5 years ago with a different company where the operator gave us explanatoins of what we were seeing and was very friendly. Will definitely not take any cruises with the larger boats as it is just so impersonal.. The route that the boat took was quite boring as compared to the previous cruise
We asked for and were sold open boat but it clearly wasn’t as it had a roof! When I queried with the man on the boat he was very quick to say I could get my money back if I did not want to do the trip! On the trip, he took us through a bridge where he scraped all the walls as we went through, with no warning! An accident waiting to happen! He clearly went through the wrong part of the bridge!
We hadden vandaag een rondvaart door de Amsterdamse grachten. Het was qua route niet de meest interessante tour die je kon hebben. Buiten langs via het IJ en daarna de Herengracht af. De gids dacht dat hij erg lollig was. Hij was uitermate negatief over Amsterdam, de burgemeester, de fietsers, de Nederlanders etc Er kwam geen positief geluid uit. Wie er al een jointje had gerookt (boot zat vol gezinnen met kinderen)? Nou hij wel en wij waren vast allemaal leugenaars. Het was vast lollig bedoeld allemaal maar wat ons betreft onprofessioneel en teleurstellend. Een kwinkslag mag best maar dit was niet ok. Datum van ervaring: 17 april 2025
We were under the impression that this tour was not closed in. It was and so was everyone on the boat. Packed like sardines we had poor audio, very dirty windows and not much fun. Everyone around us, very disappointed and you couldn't even see the top of the beautiful buildings. I do not recommend this tour at all.
1 star given as I would of got off after 5 minutes if I could have done. Loud 80's poor quality sound system blaring out, pizza cold and tasteless. Shared table (luckily with two lovely young girls who equally were really disappointed) Boat so steamed- up nothing could be seen, wiping windows didn't help, guides commentary was inaudible and what we did make out from the din was just lame. Wine or beer was not flowing, we had 3 small glasses max of Luke warm white wine - just don't bother it's cheap for a reason.
Belachelijk! Meer dan een uur in de rij. Chaos, geen structuur en geen organisatie rondom het Lightfestival in Amsterdam. Alle uren door elkaar in de rij. Niets geregeld voor mensen die slecht ter been zijn en geen enkele communicatie over hoe lang de rij nog gaat duren of waar de rij heen gaat. Gevaarlijke situaties rondom kruispunt en verkeer, omdat de rij zo extreem lang was. Verder krappe stoeltjes en korte snoer voor oordopjes als je aan het middenpad zat. Laatste stuk file aan boten en daardoor duurden het erg lang voordat er aangemeerd kon worden. En uiteraard een chagrijnige bestuurder/kapitein mocht niet ontbreken!
Ticket voor lichtfestival. Grote chaos bij het aanschuiven, alle uren door elkaar, mensen van meer dan een uur vroeger dan ons stonden er nog. 400 mensen aanschuiven voor boot tour. Reactie: Het is druk op het kanaal, je zou denken dat ze dit aankunnen en hiermee rekening houden. Er was ook niks te zien, dat ze dit lichtfestival durven te noemen. Veel betaald voor niks
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.
Geboekte tickets om 18.00 maar de boot was vol! Geen passende oplossing kunnen bedenken behalve "u mag de volgende boot als eerste erop.. " Dus in de kou op de kade wachten of helemaal niet was het eigenlijk.. En wij waren die de enige die niet meer op de boot konden! Er werd helemaal niet geteld door het personeel dus ze hadden geen idee hoeveel mensen er aan boord waren..Ze doen maar wat die Lovers, zolang er betaald word blijven ze zo opereren ben ik bang..Dee licht tour op zich was wel aardig, maar in vergelijk met vorige jaren toch echt heel wat minder..
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!
Tour van 17.15uur geboekt...werd aangeraden er om 17uur te zijn.... mochten plusmin om 17.40uur instappen. Stonden al die tijd in de regen met een klein kind. Boot was veel te vol. Konden met z'n 3en niet elkaar zitten. Oordopjes te kort als je aan het gangpad zit. Ramen waren alle beslagen. Dus we zagen bijna niets van de light tour. Eigenlijk is1 ster nog te veel. Sorry
Kaartjes met een tijdslot en dan buiten in de regen drie kwartier in de rij staan. Wat een beschamende chaos. Allemaal mopperende mensen.
Was erg jammer. We hadden ander half uur maar waren in een uur terug. En het inchecken verliep heel rommelig je weet niet waar je moet zijn hoe of wat. Jammer
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.
LOVERS Canal Cruises is a premier provider of canal cruise experiences in Amsterdam, operating since 1956. The company offers a diverse range of cruises, including classic one-hour tours, evening excursions, and themed events such as the Amsterdam Light Festival cruise. With a focus on customer satisfaction, LOVERS Canal Cruises provides audio guides available in 19 languages, enabling guests to learn about the city's rich history and landmarks while enjoying scenic views from the water. Targeting both tourists and locals, LOVERS Canal Cruises caters to a wide audience seeking a unique way to explore Amsterdam's iconic canals. The company also offers various combi deals that allow customers to combine their canal cruise with other activities at discounted rates. With multiple departure locations and a commitment to exceptional service, LOVERS Canal Cruises is dedicated to providing memorable experiences for all visitors to Amsterdam.
This profile hasn't been claimed by the business owner.
