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.
The boat ride is difficult to enjoy when you sit the opposite direction. More details needed to spot the house we are seeing and the guide describes. More times than not we could not find the building being described by the tour
Boat was too full, unabling to see the light sculptures in a proper way. Also: for that price there should be at least one (hot) drink included. There weren’t any drinks at all. Also, the windows weren’t clean and while Lovers cannot do anything about it, the ALF this year was really unimpressive, not like other years. Hard pass for next year and I won’t recommend it to anyone.
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Polarized pattern: few middle ratings. 38% of recent reviews are 4–5★ and 53% are 1–2★.
Light festival Amsterdam, chaotische organisatie. Alle verschillende gereserveerde tijdsblokken door elkaar heen in lange rijen. Geen info van de chagrijnige medewerkers. Eindelijk mogen de mensen de boot in, tot hij te vol zit en de mensen die te veel zijn er op een lelijke manier weer uit worden gestuurd door de stuurman die pas als laatste zich in de boot laat zien. Geen fijne ervaring.
We booked for 8:30pm and arrived at 8:15pm only to queue for an hour and 15 mins in the freezing cold before getting on a boat at 9:30pm. What was the point in booking a slot at 8:30pm, when it was quite clearly simply a free for all. And TBH the whole excursion didn’t fail to disappoint, the exhibits for the Festival of Light were poor. Over promised, over priced, poorly organised and one to definitely avoid.
We waited for 50 minutes to board the boat even though we had bought our ticket and designated time earlier that day online. Staff weren’t that helpful in apologising for the delay.
Onze cruise zou om 21.30 uur beginnen, maar eindigde een uur buiten in de rij voordat we op de boot konden stappen. Het was koud buiten en het was ongemakkelijk. Ons kind viel tijdens de cruise in slaap omdat het al te laat voor haar was. Ook zijn verschillende exposities van het lichtfestival niet werkten, wat ook erg tegenviel.
Really enjoyed this 1hr trip via canals Amsterdam.. Shame it was foggy but did not spoil anyway. Cosy on board as heated inside.. Would recommend Lovers. John Dublin
The advertisement for the 1 hour Amsterdam Lights cruise was overblown. A number of light installations on the Amstel weren’t mentioned at all and even one, an arch resembling a triumphal arch through which the boat passed,was not pointed out. The audio talks mainly about houses (number such and such) which, in the dark, are very difficult to identify and so the information given is of little use. Much of the information is either widely known or advertises other ‘attractions’. Looking forwards from the front seats the view was restricted by clouded windows which would have benefited greatly from a wiping blade being run across them prior to departure, a 30 second job. Lastly, the staff were pleasant and helpful, it just the routine had become tired and stale and so any need for improvement could not rest on their shoulders.
Goedemiddag. Kaarten kopen via internet ging prima.het was druk. Nog 10 kaarten voor 20.15. En Wij hadden kaarten voor 20.15 . We waren er al om 19.25. Er stond een lange wachtrij al op de weg. Er waren geen medewerkers die dat onder controle hielden. Mensen vroegen aan ons en aan elkaar hebben jullie al kaartjes,is dit echt de wachtrij. Maar ik heb kaartjes voor 19,45 hoe moet dit dan???. Mensen drongen voor,echt een chaos en erg onprettig. Zeker een punt voor jullie om dit veel beter te begeleiden. De boottocht was prima. Niets op aan te merken.
We booked the latest light festival cruise at 21:30 because we‘ll see all the beautiful lights. The cruise delayed 1 hour and we drive at 22:30. Standing outside without informations was so…… And in the end we see only one light!!!! One!! Because 11PM is the end of the lights! We must pay 26,50€ per person for nothing… The stuff was nice.
Ik had per ongeluk een verkeerde datum geboekt. Gelukkig ben ik daar heel snel en goed mee geholpen en heb ik nu de datum die eigenlijk wilde! I’m happy!
The tour was great, prices reasonable, but the organization on site was a mess. Be there very early to prevent last minute running from A to B to C because documentation and signs are a mess...
Lange wachtrij (50 minuten) terwijl we een ticket met een tijdslot hadden. Oude boot met te krappe 6-zitjes waardoor de helft met de rug tegen de vaarrichting zat en minder zag. Slechte ventilatie waardoor de ramen steeds besloegen. Een klant die na het aan komen lopen vreselijk tekeer ging over de wachtrij werd met zijn gezin voorgelaten waarop de mensen die netjes wachtten lieten weten dat ze dat niet akkoord vonden. "Het is zijn keuze" gaf het personeelslid aan. Onacceptabel! Tourist trap - veel te duur voor wat je krijgt. Vreselijk slecht georganiseerd
The advertised Light Festival cruise was bad and boring. Instead of a Festival you get a 75 minute ride that was diluted with some light bulbs every 10-minutes. To make it worse, there was a 30 minutes line to the boat in cold, lasting way after the departure time. The night was ruined. Not recommended for the lovers.
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.
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