Lovers Dinner Cruise Menu in Amsterdam: Plated Menu and Unlimited Drinks

Tours & Tickets

Dinner Cruise with 4-Course Menu

★ 4.4 (1,849) · from $100

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Prices and timetables checked 2026-10-17. Affiliate note: the booking button is a GetYourGuide link and I earn a commission on bookings.

The Lovers dinner cruise menu belongs to a two-hour canal sail from the centre of Amsterdam with a meat, fish or vegetarian menu and unlimited beer, wine and soft drinks, from $100 per person (€88.9).

The detail that changes the decision is the booking module. The listing says one booking can hold only one menu choice, so a table of four with two meat eaters, a fish eater and a vegetarian needs separate bookings made under the same name, and no window table is promised even then. Decide the split before you pay.

This is the sit-down option in my Amsterdam dinner cruise comparison, and part of my Amsterdam boat tours guide. If you are new to the site, the Harbour Advisor home page lists every city I cover.

What is the Lovers dinner cruise menu and what do you see?

It is a plated, four-course evening on a canal boat with a running sightseeing loop through the old centre. The listing names the IJ, the canal belt, the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, NEMO, the Anne Frank House, the Heineken Experience and Amsterdam Centraal.

198.2 ha is the core area of the Seventeenth-Century Canal Ring, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on 31 July 2010.

• Canal belt: the 17th-century ring that gives the evening its backdrop.
• Museum quarter: the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum are passed from the water near dessert time.
• Harbour side: the IJ and NEMO frame the start and end of the loop.
• Music and commentary: reviewers mention background music and a funny skipper.

Nobody disembarks, and the evening is paced around the courses rather than around landmarks, so the museums arrive as scenery between plates. A table by the window therefore changes the experience more than any other detail, and I would arrive on time to see where you are seated. For a cheaper meal on board, the Stromma pizza cruise serves pizza for $39.

Where does the Lovers dinner cruise leave from?

Check-in is inside the LOVERS café at Prins Hendrikkade 25, opposite Amsterdam Centraal, with your mobile voucher, 15 minutes before departure. LOVERS café on Google Maps marks the café, and Amsterdam Centraal on Google Maps marks the station a short walk away.

The description says the cruise departs from Centraal Station, and the meeting point says LOVERS café. These are the same neighbourhood, so I treat the café as the check-in and the dock beside the station as the boarding point, and I would still read the voucher on the day.

What is the route, stop by stop?

The boat leaves the station side, loops past the IJ, then runs through the canal belt towards the museum quarter and returns along the harbour. The listing marks dinner at the canal belt and dessert near the Rijksmuseum.

The listing gives no minute-by-minute schedule, so I cannot tell you when each course lands. Reviewers describe an unhurried pace with frequent drink checks, and one says nobody felt rushed. Two hours for four courses plus sightseeing is a sensible ratio: roughly 30 minutes per course if the kitchen runs evenly, which is my arithmetic and not an operator figure.

How long is it and when does it sail?

The cruise lasts two hours and the listing does not state a departure time, so read the sailing for your date in the booking calendar. Add the 15-minute check-in and plan about two and a half hours in total.

Sunset times come from the sunrise-sunset.org API for the 15th of each month in 2026, with daylight saving applied. One reviewer mentions a striking sunset closing the sail, so a slot close to those times gives the best light.

What is on board and what is included?

You get a canal cruise, a four-course menu with your choice of meat, fish or vegetarian, and unlimited beer, wine and soft drinks. Window tables depend on availability and are not promised.

All three menus share a pea soup topped with grilled asparagus and end with tiramisu made with stroopwafels. Children aged 3 and under travel free if they do not take their own seat; pets are not allowed, except assistance dogs.

The inclusion list sits next to normal exclusions on the marketplace page, so I checked it against the description: the description pairs the courses with wine and soft drinks, so I treat the drinks as included.

How does it compare with other Amsterdam dinner cruises?

The Lovers dinner cruise menu is the middle choice between the $39 pizza boat and the $135 high-end dinner, and it is the only one of the three with drinks included. The table uses prices and ratings checked on 2026-10-17.

The high-end three-course cruise adds a welcome Prosecco and a private window table, but drinks cost extra. The pizza dinner cruise is the casual alternative for groups.

Is the Lovers dinner cruise menu worth it?

Yes, the Lovers dinner cruise menu suits a couple or small group that wants a plated meal and open drinks in one price, and less so diners who judge a restaurant on its kitchen. At $50 per hour it is above the city median, and 1,849 reviews average 4.4.

The trade-off is time: you are seated for two hours and cannot leave early. Sub-scores are guide 4.5, transportation 4.6 and value 4.2, so value is the weakest mark. My pick for an anniversary is this cruise. My pick for a big, noisy group is the pizza boat.

When is the best time to take the Lovers dinner cruise?

The best months are April to September for long light and open decks, and December for lit bridges. In the dark months, the saloon seats keep you warm, and the canals are lit all year.

Climate figures are 2025 monthly values from the Open-Meteo archive API. The weather service KNMI posts the forecast, and Amsterdam logged 9.5 million guests in 2025 per Statistics Netherlands (CBS), so reserve weekend slots early.

What do passengers say?

The pattern is praise for the skipper and service, and a split verdict on the food. GetYourGuide’s summary says staff are friendly and attentive, and some travellers want hotter main courses.

• Service: the most repeated theme; staff check on drinks often.
• Food: reviewers range from “delicious” to “fairly simple”; hot main courses are the specific request.
• Skipper: several describe him as funny and knowledgeable.
• Languages: one reviewer asked for explanations in more languages.

The visible sample is positive-only, so the complaints come from the summary and sub-scores.

Who should skip the Lovers dinner cruise?

Skip the Lovers dinner cruise menu if you use a wheelchair, bring a pet, or need a guaranteed window table. The listing marks wheelchair users and pets as not suitable.

• Wheelchair users: the listing lists them as unsuitable.
• Budget diners: see the dinner cruise page or the $16 bar cruise.
• Mixed menus: only one menu per booking, so split bookings under one name.

The listing does not state a child age limit beyond free travel for under-3s, so ask the operator before bringing school-age children.

How do you book the Lovers dinner cruise?

Choose the date and menu on GetYourGuide, then check in at the LOVERS café 15 minutes before departure.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: Listing data from GetYourGuide (checked 2026-10-17); canal belt from UNESCO World Heritage Centre; accommodation figure from Statistics Netherlands (CBS); climate from Open-Meteo; sunset from sunrise-sunset.org; exchange rate from Frankfurter; holidays from Nager.Date. The operator timetable was not available, so departure times are left to the booking calendar.