What 5 luxury packages does a dinner cruise in Amsterdam offer?

  • Thomas van Loon
  • 🕐 6 min leestijd

A dinner cruise in Amsterdam offers five popular luxury packages: a drinks cruise with snacks, a walking dinner on board, a three-course dinner, a high tea cruise, and a barbecue on board. Prices generally range from €50 to €130 per person, depending on the package and group size. Below, you’ll find out what each package includes and which one best suits your occasion.

What makes a dinner cruise in Amsterdam different from a regular canal tour?

A dinner cruise in Amsterdam combines a journey through the canals with fully catered food and drinks on board. While a regular canal tour focuses purely on sightseeing, a dinner cruise is all about the experience: great company, good food, and enjoying the water together. The boat is moving, but the food takes center stage.

With a dinner cruise in Amsterdam, the boat is entirely yours. No other guests board, and no individual tickets are sold. That makes it very different from a public canal tour where you’re seated next to strangers. The atmosphere is far more intimate and personal, whether you’re on board with ten people or a hundred.

Being on a boat naturally brings people together. That’s exactly why a dinner cruise works so well for corporate outings, anniversaries, and other group occasions — the setting encourages conversation without any extra effort on your part.

What 5 luxury packages does a dinner cruise in Amsterdam offer?

A dinner cruise in Amsterdam offers five highly sought-after packages, each with its own atmosphere and price range. The best fit depends on the duration, budget, and nature of your event.

  1. Drinks cruise with snacks (€50–60 p.p.): A one-and-a-half to two-hour cruise with drinks and appetizers. Informal, accessible, and perfect as a kick-off to an evening or as a standalone outing. Popular for Friday afternoon drinks and casual team gatherings.
  2. Walking dinner on board (€110–120 p.p.): Guests move freely around the boat while multiple courses are served as small bites. This package lasts around three hours and encourages plenty of movement and conversation. Ideal when you want people to genuinely connect with one another.
  3. Three-course dinner (€120–130 p.p.): A plated set menu served at the table, including a starter, main course, and dessert. Lasts three to four hours and has a formal yet convivial atmosphere. Well suited to business dinners or special occasions such as anniversaries.
  4. High tea cruise (€75–80 p.p.): An afternoon on the water with tea, coffee, and an extensive high tea selection. Lasts approximately two hours. A high tea on the water is popular for staff parties, groups of friends, and daytime anniversary celebrations.
  5. Barbecue on board: Grilling on the water, with a relaxed atmosphere and a wide variety of dishes. This package is seasonal and works best during the summer months. Price on request, depending on group size and preferences.

All packages are completely private: the boat is reserved exclusively for your group. There are no other guests on board, and you set the pace of the evening yourself.

Which package works best for a corporate outing?

For a corporate outing, a walking dinner or drinks cruise works best. A walking dinner encourages movement and spontaneous conversations, while a drinks cruise is informal and easy-going. A three-course dinner is better suited to a formal executive dinner or a gala-style setting.

The choice depends on what you want to achieve. Do you want colleagues to get to know each other better and have real conversations? Then go for a walking dinner. Looking for a relaxed way to wrap up a workday or conference? In that case, a drinks cruise is the most natural choice.

For corporate outings in Amsterdam, a boat is also a practical alternative to a bus, which is prohibited for large groups in much of the city center. On the water, you can transport and entertain your group at the same time — catering included along the way.

How many people can join a dinner cruise in Amsterdam?

A dinner cruise in Amsterdam is available for groups of around ten people up to more than a thousand. On Amsterdam’s canals, a maximum of sixty people per boat applies. For larger groups, multiple boats are combined and travel together.

Outside the canals — on the IJ or heading to destinations such as Volendam or the Zaanse Schans — larger vessels are available that can accommodate up to one hundred and fifty people. This makes a dinner cruise a realistic option for large corporate events and MICE groups as well.

Combining multiple boats works well for groups that want to travel together but don’t all fit on a single vessel. Each boat has its own atmosphere, while the group still moves as one.

What is included in an all-inclusive dinner cruise package?

An all-inclusive dinner cruise package typically covers the boat rental including a skipper, on-board catering (snacks, multiple courses, or a buffet), drinks, and service staff. There is one fixed price per person, so you know exactly what to expect in advance.

Depending on the package chosen, entertainment, a host, or a specific theme may also be included — think live music, a quiz, or a special welcome moment. This varies by package and can be added or adjusted in consultation with us.

What you don’t need to arrange: transportation to the venue (the boat handles that itself), a separate venue hire, or an external caterer. Everything is bundled into one package, making planning significantly easier for anyone organizing a group event without wanting to juggle endless logistics.

How do you book a dinner cruise for a large group in Amsterdam?

The easiest way to book a dinner cruise for a large group is to contact a shipping company directly that specializes in private cruises for groups. Provide your preferred date, the number of guests, and the type of package you have in mind. The earlier you book, the more choice you’ll have in terms of date and vessel type.

Popular periods such as April through June, September and October, and December fill up quickly. If you want to cruise during those months, plan at least six to ten weeks ahead. During the off-season (November, January, and February), availability is generally greater and there is often more room for customization.

When booking, always check whether the company offers exclusively private cruises or also sells individual tickets. On a public cruise, you share the boat with other guests, which significantly limits the atmosphere and the possibilities for customization. A private dinner on the water gives your group the entire boat to yourselves, including the freedom to shape the program exactly as you wish.

How Rederij De Nederlanden helps with a dinner cruise for your group

We exclusively provide private cruises for groups. That means the boat is always reserved entirely for your party, with no other guests on board. Our fleet consists of ten vessels of our own plus partner ships, allowing us to accommodate groups of ten to more than a thousand people.

  • Multiple catering formats: From an informal drinks cruise and walking dinner to a plated three-course dinner or high tea. We tailor the package to your wishes.
  • Completely taken care of: Skipper, host, catering, and drinks are all included in one package. There’s nothing extra for you to arrange.
  • Flexible capacity: Up to sixty people on a single boat on the canals. For larger groups, we combine multiple boats or deploy larger vessels on the IJ or outside Amsterdam.
  • Customization: Every package can be adapted to your program, theme, or budget. No off-the-shelf solution when it doesn’t fit.
  • Extensive sailing area: In addition to Amsterdam’s canals, we also sail on the IJ, the Amstel, and to destinations such as Volendam, the Zaanse Schans, and other locations outside the city.

Want to find out what we can do for your group? Read more about us or request a no-obligation quote. We’d love to help you find the right package.

Related Articles