Starboard Private Booze Cruise: One Hour on a Covered Boat for Up to 12

Starboard Boats

Private Canal Booze Cruise with Unlimited Drinks

★ 4.8 (22) · from $606

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Prices and timetables checked 2026-10-17. This page contains affiliate links; I earn a commission if you book.

The Starboard private booze cruise is a one-hour private canal trip for a group of up to 12 people, priced at $606 for the whole boat, with an open bar of beer, wine and soda, a skipper and a host. It leaves from Amstel 178, a four-minute walk from Rembrandtplein.

The detail that most changes the decision is the clock. The listing says one hour, but its own stop list adds up to 75 minutes, and a 2023 reviewer put it at a little under 60 minutes, adding that earlier reviewers had flagged the same thing.

Price per person only makes sense if the group is close to full. I'd plan for 55 to 60 minutes of sailing, not 75. For other private boats, see the private boat tours in Amsterdam guide, the party boats list or the whole Amsterdam boat tours hub; the Harbor Advisor home page lists every city.

What is the Starboard private booze cruise and what do you get?

You get a private covered boat for up to 12 people for about an hour, with a skipper, a host and unlimited beer, wine and soda poured on board.

Starboard Boats runs the cruise, and nobody else boards: the group is yours. That is the real difference from the same operator's shared booze cruise, which sells seats by the head. The table separates what is in the $606 from what the listing leaves open.

A note on the page address: the listing URL ends in "silent disco private party cruise", but the title, description and include list never mention a silent disco, headphones or a DJ. I treat it as a plain private booze cruise and would ask the operator before counting on any disco kit.

Where does the Starboard private booze cruise leave from?

The cruise leaves from Amstel 178, a short walk from Rembrandtplein, and a host in a blue Starboard shirt helps you board.

The meeting-point field reads like a script for the dock: look for a crew member in a blue Starboard shirt. The listing's Google Maps pin is at 52.36673, 4.89932, and I used it for the walking times below. There is no pier name or berth number, so use the pin and the shirt.

• Start and finish: Amstel 178 - Amstel 178 on Google Maps.
• Listing pin: the coordinates behind "Open in Google Maps" - Boarding pin on Google Maps.

From Central Station, 26 minutes on foot is a long way with a group in party mood, so most people will take a tram or metro towards Rembrandtplein or Waterlooplein. I could not retrieve a 2026 GVB fare from an official page in this run, so I give none; check gvb.nl on the day.

What is the route, stop by stop?

The route is a loop of six named sights that starts and ends at Amstel 178, with the listing giving minutes per leg.

The six legs add up to 75 minutes, 15 more than the headline hour. The listing tells you the itinerary is for reference and subject to change. That, plus a 2023 reviewer's remark that the trip ran a little under an hour, makes me trust the headline duration, not the segment total.

NEMO is about 1.2 km from the dock as the crow flies (coordinates from my places data), and the listing adds the two big canals on top. Six sights in about an hour looks tight, so I'd ask your host which sights the boat really reaches and ask for a priority list when you board.

How long is it and when does it sail?

It is billed as 1 hour, and the listing publishes no departure times, so you pick a slot in the booking calendar and the operator confirms it.

Because you book the whole boat, timing is your choice rather than a fixed schedule. The sampled reviews are dated across March, April, June, August, September, October and January, so the boat has sailed outside summer, but the listing states no season. Ask Starboard Boats which slots exist in your month.

Evening groups should watch the sunset column in the weather table below. In mid-October the sun sets at 18:48 and by 15 November at 16:50, so a 19:00 sailing starts after sunset from mid-October.

What is on board and how many can come?

The boat is covered, seats up to 12 guests and carries a bar, a skipper and a host, but the listing gives no size, toilet or heating details.

• Capacity: up to 12 guests, which matches the city's 2026 boating limit quoted below. Ask whether the host counts toward it.
• Cover: the listing says covered, but a 2023 4-star reviewer said the cover was not what the listing promised. Ask whether the roof is fixed or canvas.
• Drinks: unlimited beer, wine and soda. One reviewer said the beers could be cooler at the start.
• Music: the listing does not mention a sound system. The city bans amplified music audible 10 m away only on King's Day, per its rules page, so ask about a speaker on other days.
• Accessibility: the listing marks the cruise wheelchair accessible; ask about the boarding step.
• ID: bring a passport, ID card or driving licence, as the listing requests.

12 + 1 persons is the 2026 limit per boat on Amsterdam's canals: twelve passengers plus the skipper, with no exceptions.

How much does it cost per person?

At a full boat of 12, the Starboard private cruise costs $50.50 per person, or about EUR 44.88; with six guests it climbs to $101.

The listing says the price is per group of up to 12 and that it is a single flat rate with all taxes and fees included. It is not a per-person price, so unused seats cost you.

How does it compare with other private and party boats?

The Starboard private cruise is the priciest per hour of the private boats, but it is also the one that holds 12 people.

Per head at full capacity: $606 for 12 equals $50.50, Rederij Paping's $275 for six equals about $45.83, and Starboard's shared cruise is $21. The private boat therefore costs about 2.4 times the shared seat.

The Paping tour runs up to two hours and is better for sightseeing; Flagship's private cruise is 30 minutes longer, though its listing price label reads per person, so confirm the basis.

Is the Starboard private canal party cruise worth $606?

It is worth it for a full group of 8 to 12 that wants the boat to itself, and poor value for four people or for anyone counting minutes.

A shared Starboard seat costs $21 for an hour on a boat that seats up to 28 per its own listing, so you pay about $29.50 more per head at 12 guests for privacy, a covered boat and a host who works for your group only.

The 2025 and 2026 reviews are warm about the crew, and the listing's sub-scores read 5.0 for guide, 5.0 for transportation and 4.7 for value.

• Worth it for - birthdays, stag and hen groups and team events of 8 to 12 who want the crew to adapt to them.
• Not worth it for - couples and groups under 6; the shared Starboard cruise is $21 each.
• Check first - actual sailing time, roof type and whether spirits can be added.

When is the best time to go, and what is the weather?

The listing says the boat is covered, so any month can work, but June to August gives the warmest days: highs average 20.5 to 22.0 °C against 6.7 °C in January.

October is the wettest of the usable months at 14.6 rain days, so the cover matters then.

Winter bookings face short days: the sun sets at 16:29 on 15 December. Pick afternoon slots in November to February if you want daylight on the canals. The table gives 2025 highs, the 2015 to 2024 averages, rain days and sunset on the 15th of each month.

What do passengers say?

Passengers praise the crew and the drinks, and the one repeated complaint is length: about an hour at most.

• Crew: several reviews call the skipper and host friendly and adaptable, including a group of 10 men who said everything worked.
• Drinks: plentiful and well chilled in 2023; another guest wanted the beers cooler in 2022 and asked for prosecco and 7up in 2025.
• Length: a 2023 reviewer put the trip at a little under 60 minutes and noted that earlier reviews said the same.
• Cover: one 4-star review said the cover was not as advertised.

The sample is positive-only: the 10 reviews I saw are all 4 or 5 stars, sorted by "Recommended". All ten date from 2022 to 2026, and three carry no real text. I read the duration remark as a real pattern and the rest as supportive.

Who should skip the Starboard private booze cruise?

Skip it if your group is under six, you want a guided history tour or you need more than an hour on the water.

• Small groups: take the shared Starboard cruise from $21 each.
• History seekers: a one-hour party boat carries a host, not a full commentary; look at the canal cruises in Amsterdam.
• Longer trips: the Rederij Paping private tour runs up to two hours for $275 per group of up to six.
• English-only limits: the listing offers English only.

How do you book the Starboard private booze cruise?

Choose your date, enter the group size and compare the slots. The Statistics Netherlands release counts 22.3 million international guests at Dutch hotels, campsites and holiday parks in 2025, up 5%. I'd book weekend slots early.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: GetYourGuide listing 404177 (Starboard Boats), checked 2026-10-17; I amsterdam: King's Day 2026 information (12 + 1 boat rule); I amsterdam: King's Day rules and regulations; Statistics Netherlands (CBS), 2025 overnight stays; Frankfurter ECB rates; Open-Meteo archive; sunrise-sunset.org; OSRM foot routing.