A private arrangement during the Amsterdam Light Festival gives you the entire boat exclusively for your group, including a professional skipper and crew. That means no strangers on board, your own programme, and the freedom to tailor food, drinks, and timing to your evening. Below we answer the most frequently asked questions about private arrangements during the festival.
What makes a private arrangement different from a shared cruise?
With a private arrangement, the boat is fully reserved for your group. You don’t sail with strangers, there is no fixed group layout, and the programme revolves entirely around your evening. With a shared cruise, you share the boat with other visitors, which is a great option for couples or small groups, but less suitable if you want to celebrate something together or create your own atmosphere.
The difference also lies in flexibility. On a shared cruise, you follow a fixed schedule with set departure times. With a private arrangement, you decide when you depart, where you board, and what happens on board. Want drinks while cruising, a dinner on the water, or simply to enjoy the light artworks along the canals? All of that is possible without having to take other guests into account.
For groups that want to experience something together, that difference is significant. A private boat feels like your own event venue on the water, while a shared cruise feels more like a tourist attraction. Both have their value, but they serve a very different type of visitor.
Which groups benefit most from a private arrangement?
Private arrangements during the Amsterdam Light Festival are most valuable for groups that want to celebrate or organise something together. Think of companies planning a Christmas drinks reception or end-of-year party, teams looking for an original company outing, or families and groups of friends who want to spend a special evening together. The combination of activity, food, and drinks in one location makes it attractive for anyone who doesn’t want to move between different venues.
Companies and business groups benefit especially from a private arrangement, because the boat offers a quiet and private environment for networking, a client dinner, or an informal drinks reception. There are no other guests to interrupt the conversation, and you can tailor the evening entirely to the programme that suits your group.
Larger groups often have few alternatives that keep everyone together. A restaurant rarely has space for thirty or forty people at one table, and a cruise with individual tickets offers no guarantee that you’ll stay together. A private boat solves that problem directly: everyone cruises together, eats together, and experiences the festival together.
For small groups of two to six people, shared cruises are also available, where you travel with other visitors. That is a great choice if you want to see the festival without hiring an entire boat.
What is included in a private cruise during the festival?
A private cruise during the Amsterdam Light Festival always includes: the exclusive boat for your group, a professional skipper and crew. Depending on the chosen arrangement, catering and drinks are added. The boats are covered and heated, equipped with an on-board toilet, and suitable for use in winter.
The route follows the official Amsterdam Light Festival route past approximately twenty light artworks. The exact route may vary due to traffic, weather conditions, or the chosen boarding location, but the skippers know the water and ensure you get to see the finest works.
What else is included depends on the type of arrangement:
- Drinks & Bites Cruise (1.5 hours): luxury snacks on board, suitable for informal drinks receptions and team outings. From €47.50 per person.
- Art & Lights Buffet (2 hours): hot and cold buffet, suitable for company outings and group dinners. From €84.50 per person.
- Italian Buffet Cruise (2 hours): Italian buffet, suitable for festive gatherings. From €89.50 per person.
- Dinner Cruise (2 hours): three-course dinner with a chef on board, suitable for Christmas dinners and business dinners. From €129.50 per person.
- Walking Dinner Cruise (2 hours): multiple small courses, chef on board, free to move around and network. From €132.50 per person.
Please note: in addition to the arrangement price, a festival surcharge and VMR entertainment tax apply. Drinks are offered on post-calculation or via an open bar with fixed packages.
How far in advance do you need to book a private boat for the Amsterdam Light Festival?
For the Amsterdam Light Festival, the rule is: the earlier you book, the better. The festival attracts many visitors each year and demand for private boats is high, especially in December. Popular dates such as weekends in December and the period around Christmas are often fully booked months in advance. Those who start planning in autumn have the most choice in date, boat, and arrangement.
For companies organising a Christmas drinks reception or end-of-year party, it is advisable to start as early as September or October. Not only because of boat availability, but also because you then have more time to properly tailor the programme to the group.
Do you want a specific boat or a fully customised arrangement? Then booking early is even more important, because with a custom private cruise you also choose the catering, the drinks policy, and the boarding location yourself. That requires a bit more coordination, and you want to have that time.
Can a private arrangement be fully customised to the group’s wishes?
Yes, a private arrangement can be fully tailored to your needs. This is especially true for a Custom Private Cruise, where you choose the boat yourself, put together the catering, determine the drinks, and specify the boarding location. There are more than 150 possible boarding locations in Amsterdam, allowing you to start the cruise at a place that is most convenient for the group.
Would you prefer a simpler starting point? Then the fixed private arrangements offer a clear price per person with everything included. That is convenient if you don’t want to spend too long thinking about the details, but still want to organise a complete evening.
Catering can range from drinks and snacks and buffets to a walking dinner or a fully served three-course dinner with a chef on board. Entertainment, a specific boat, or a customised layout are open for discussion with a bespoke arrangement. The boat is always matched to the group size, so it feels cosy regardless of whether you’re sailing with fifteen or a hundred people.
How Rederij De Nederlanden helps with a private arrangement during the Amsterdam Light Festival
We provide private cruises during the Amsterdam Light Festival for groups of all sizes, from an informal team drinks reception to a large Christmas dinner on the water. Here is what we offer:
- Private Cruise Packages: fixed arrangements with a clear price per person, including boat, skipper, crew, and catering. Suitable for groups from 15 people who want to arrange a complete evening quickly and easily.
- Custom Private Cruise: a fully bespoke arrangement, where you choose the boat, catering, drinks, boarding location, and timing yourself. Particularly interesting for larger groups or groups with specific wishes.
- Shared Tickets: for couples and small groups of up to 6 people who want to see the festival on a shared boat, with an English-speaking guide, three departures per day, and a duration of 75 minutes. Book directly online from €32 per person.
- All boats are covered, heated, and equipped with an on-board toilet.
- We sail along the official Amsterdam Light Festival route past approximately twenty light artworks.
- Early booking is strongly recommended due to high demand during the festival period.
Would you like to book a private arrangement for your group during the Amsterdam Light Festival? View the options for groups or contact us for a tailored quote.