Amsterdam Canal Cruise with Optional Unlimited Cheese and Drinks (Flagship)

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Itinerary

• Flagship cruises follow the standard Amsterdam inner-city itinerary without any major differences from most other companies.

Meeting Point

• 🗺️ Near Central Station: Stationsplein 26, 1012 TM Amsterdam, Netherlands
• 🗺️ Near Rijksmuseum: Museumbrug 1, 1017 RW Amsterdam, Netherlands
• 🗺️ Near Anna Frank House: Prinsengracht 263, 1016 GV Amsterdam, Netherlands

The Ship

• The boat has a capacity for up to 30–35 passengers. The sides are 25–75% split between semi-permanent wooden sidewalls and a temporary winter cover. The entire roof is also temporary.
• There’s comfortable padded seating with pillows and a mini bar table in the middle where you can access snacks and drinks.

• Winter: The ship isn’t well insulated or heated, and I felt cold during my cruise in November. It was raining, and the water leaked in at certain spots.
• The visibility was not great through the plastic covers due to the darkness and rain. The views were slightly better through the glass windows.
• Summer: The ships become fully open air during the warmer seasons, and this is when this cruise becomes a hundred times better. They may switch up the boats slightly, but you can expect something similar to what you get in winter.

💡 Tip: If you like sightseeing, go during the day rather than at night. Otherwise, if you just want something to eat, drink, and hang out with friends, go during the night.

Food And Drinks

• The drink selection on board includes a variety of beers, wines, spirits, and even prosecco.
• Only Gouda cheese is available during the cruise, in soft and hard variety.

• Attending the cruise doesn't require purchasing the unlimited food or drinks option; you can opt for a regular sightseeing cruise and buy what you need on board.
• Alternatively, if you originally purchased the cheaper option, you can upgrade your ticket on the spot.

Crew

• During the cruise, there was a full crew consisting of a captain and service crew woman.
• The crew made sure we were entertained and well taken care of throughout the journey. I cannot recall the name of the female crew member, but she was extremely accommodating and ensured that we always had food and drinks in our hands. Overall, it was a fairly decent experience.

Live Commentary by Skipper

• Instead of a fixed audio guide, Flagship offers live narration in English on their cruises.
• The narration was both entertaining and informative and the skipper was happy to answer any questions we had during the cruise.
• The cruise had more of an “eat, drink, and get drunk” vibe, and not so much on sightseeing. However, this was heavily influenced by the fact that the weather was dreadful, and couldn’t see anything outside.