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Cruise port guideNLAMS

Amsterdam

Amsterdam and Rotterdam are home ports for river cruises on the Rhine and for ocean sailings to Northern Europe and across the Atlantic.

7 things to do2 airport connections27 ships

Your day ashore, at a glance

Find something worth your timePlan the airport transferRead the safety guidance

Peak season: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep

Make the most of your stop

Things to do in Amsterdam

7 recommendations

Choose an easy wander, a local highlight or a bigger day out. Compare practical details before you head ashore.

Getting to your ship

Airport to cruise port

Amsterdam's river moorings and the cruise terminal (PTA) are about 20 km from Schiphol, 15 minutes by train to Centraal plus a short walk or taxi, or 25 minutes by taxi. Rotterdam's terminal is about 45 minutes from Schiphol by train or taxi.

AMS

Amsterdam Schiphol

To Amsterdam · one way

Airport lounges

Verified transfer prices from AMS have not been published yet. Check the transport operator before booking.

RTM

Rotterdam The Hague Airport

To Amsterdam · one way

Airport lounges

Verified transfer prices from RTM have not been published yet. Check the transport operator before booking.

Rental cars: Not needed: trains are fast and frequent, and city parking is scarce.

Book your trip · Kiwitaxi

Arrange your transfer to Amsterdam

Choose your arrival airport and exact cruise terminal, then check a quote for your party. Confirm pickup details, luggage and accessibility with the provider.

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Book your trip · EconomyBookings

Find a rental car for your visit to Amsterdam

Choose your pickup location and dates below. Airport and city offices may require a separate transfer from the cruise terminal. Check opening hours, insurance, deposit and return time before booking.

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Know before you go

Safety ashore

Women travelers

Extra caution advised

Canada recommends heightened caution because of terrorism and warns of tourist-targeted theft, particularly on public transport and around Amsterdam’s busy visitor areas. Keep bags close and plan evening transport. Editorial assessment for women visiting the port, based on country-level advice; no women-specific terminal incident rate has been verified. Local conditions and individual routes may differ.

Reviewed 2026-10-25

LGBTQ+ travelers

Routine precautions

Amsterdam’s official visitor guidance describes a welcoming environment and lists COC and transgender support resources. The Dutch government nevertheless reports anti-LGBTQI+ discrimination and violence. Use normal precautions and seek local support if harassed; Amsterdam guidance is not a safety guarantee for every Dutch neighbourhood. Editorial assessment based on the cited sources; conditions may vary by route, time and individual circumstances.

Reviewed 2026-10-25

Editorial guidance reflects the cited advice and review date. Laws, attitudes and conditions can differ within a destination. No rating guarantees personal safety.

Pick your moment

When to go

  1. Jan: Low season
  2. Feb: Low season
  3. Mar: Low season
  4. Apr: High season
  5. May: High season
  6. Jun: High season
  7. Jul: High season
  8. Aug: High season
  9. Sep: High season
  10. Oct: Shoulder season
  11. Nov: Shoulder season
  12. Dec: Shoulder season
● High season○ Shoulder season◌ Low season

Tulip season in April and May is the busiest for river cruises, followed by summer. Christmas market cruises fill December.

Who else is in port?

Port crowding index

100 is average. 150 means 50% more ship passenger capacity than this port’s observed hourly average over the past 30 days; 50 means half the average.

Checking ships in port…

Estimate for tracked catalog ships, based on published passenger capacity, not actual passengers ashore. Port areas are approximate circles around published port coordinates. Only positions reported within an hour at 1 knot or less are counted; ships at anchor may be included. Missing AIS reports and untracked ships can understate crowding. Quiet observed hours count toward the average; collection outages do not.

Set sail

Ships sailing from Amsterdam

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AmaCerto leaving the Bamberg lock, 20234.0 ★AmaWaterwaysAmaCerto2012 · 162 guests · Rhine · DanubeAmaCerto, which entered service in 2012, was the ship that introduced AmaWaterways' 135-meter design with twin-balcony staterooms and more than one restaurant. She carries 162…AmaLucia on the Rhine at Mannheim, 20224.2 ★AmaWaterwaysAmaLucia2021 · 156 guests · RhineAmaLucia is a 135-meter AmaWaterways ship that entered service in 2021, carrying 156 guests in 78 staterooms, many with twin balconies. Her Sun Deck has a pool with a swim-up…AmaPrima at Vilshofen an der Donau, 20134.0 ★AmaWaterwaysAmaPrima2013 · 162 guests · Rhine · DanubeAmaPrima is a 135-meter AmaWaterways ship from 2013 carrying 162 guests in 81 staterooms. All suites and many staterooms have twin balconies and marble bathrooms, and the ship…AmaSerena on the Rhine in Cologne, 20154.0 ★AmaWaterwaysAmaSerena2015 · 162 guests · Rhine · DanubeAmaSerena is a 135-meter AmaWaterways ship from 2015 for 162 guests in 81 twin-balcony staterooms. Her public rooms include a library with a fireplace and a Main Lounge with a…4.2 ★AmaWaterwaysAmaSiena2021 · 156 guests · Rhine · DanubeAmaSiena is a 135-meter AmaWaterways ship christened in 2021, carrying 156 guests in 78 staterooms with twin balconies. Her lounge has floor-to-ceiling windows and bold design…AmaVenita in Amsterdam, 20224.0 ★AmaWaterwaysAmaVenita2014 · 162 guests · Rhine · DanubeAmaVenita is a 135-meter AmaWaterways ship that the line describes as Concerto-class, carrying 162 guests with twin balconies in most staterooms. She has a Main Lounge with…AmaViola in Vienna, 20244.0 ★AmaWaterwaysAmaViola2016 · 156 guests · Rhine · DanubeAmaViola is a 135-meter AmaWaterways ship from 2016 carrying 156 guests in 78 staterooms, most with twin balconies. She has several indoor and outdoor dining spots, a heated Sun…3.7 ★Avalon WaterwaysAvalon Envision2019 · 166 guests · Rhine · DanubeAvalon Envision is a 135-meter Suite Ship christened in Budapest on April 7, 2019, by author Elizabeth Gilbert. She carries 166 guests, most in Panorama Suites with window-facing…Avalon Panorama in Passau, 20143.7 ★Avalon WaterwaysAvalon Panorama2011 · 166 guests · Rhine · DanubeAvalon Panorama, in service since 2011, was the first of Avalon Waterways' Suite Ships, the first with two full decks of Panorama Suites whose floor-to-ceiling windows open…Avalon View at Ilok on the Danube, 20243.8 ★Avalon WaterwaysAvalon View2022 · 166 guests · Rhine · RhôneAvalon View is the newest of Avalon Waterways' 135-meter Suite Ships, entering service in 2022 with 166 guests. Like Avalon Envision she has the FlexDining layout, with a…Avalon Vista in Cologne, 20133.7 ★Avalon WaterwaysAvalon Vista2012 · 166 guests · Rhine · DanubeAvalon Vista is a 135-meter Suite Ship from 2012, one of the first two built after Avalon Panorama, renovated in 2017 and carrying 166 guests. Her Panorama Suites have…3.7 ★Tauckms Grace2016 · 130 guests · Rhinems Grace is a 135-meter Inspiration class riverboat completed in 2016, a sister to ms Joy, and she sails mainly on the Rhine. Like the rest of the class she holds at most 130…ms Inspire at St. Goar on the Rhine, 20163.7 ★Tauckms Inspire2014 · 130 guests · Rhinems Inspire was the first of Tauck's 135-meter Inspiration class riverboats, christened in Basel on April 3, 2014, by four Tauck Cruise Directors serving as godmothers. Her design…ms Treasures on the Danube at Vienna, 20243.7 ★Tauckms Treasures2011 · 98 guests · Rhine · Danubems Treasures is a 110-meter Jewel class riverboat built in 2011 at the Vahali yard in Belgrade, the last of four sister ships designed for Tauck. Since a redesign listed as…S.S. Elisabeth moored in Cologne, Germany, 20254.0 ★Uniworld Boutique River CruisesS.S. Elisabeth2017 · 110 guests · RhineS.S. Elisabeth is a 110-guest river ship, 442.5 feet (135 m) long, built in 2017 as Crystal Mahler for Crystal River Cruises, which collapsed in 2022. Riverside Luxury Cruises…3.8 ★Viking River CruisesViking Egdir2022 · 3,138 GT · 190 guests · Rhine · DanubeViking Egdir, a 190-guest Longship that joined the fleet in 2022, belongs to the large class of sister ships Viking introduced in 2012. Egdir, the namesake, is the watchman of…Viking Einar on the Rhine below Marksburg Castle, 20193.7 ★Viking River CruisesViking Einar2019 · 3,138 GT · 190 guests · RhineOne of Viking's near-identical 135-meter Longships, Viking Einar carries 190 guests and has sailed since 2019. Einar, its namesake, was the late ninth-century Earl of Orkney…4.0 ★Viking River CruisesViking Eldir2026 · 190 guests · Rhine · DanubeViking Eldir is a 190-guest Viking Longship, one of the 135-meter sister ships that make up most of Viking's European river fleet, and it entered service in 2026. Eldir, whose…Viking Gefjon in Cologne, 20153.7 ★Viking River CruisesViking Gefjon2015 · 3,138 GT · 190 guests · Rhine · DanubeOne of Viking's near-identical 135-meter Longships, Viking Gefjon carries 190 guests and has sailed since 2015. Gefjon, the namesake, is the goddess said to have plowed the…Viking Kvasir in Cologne, 20153.7 ★Viking River CruisesViking Kvasir2014 · 3,138 GT · 190 guests · RhineOne of Viking's near-identical 135-meter Longships, Viking Kvasir carries 190 guests and has sailed since 2014. Kvasir, its namesake, is the god of knowledge created when the…Viking Magni in Koblenz, 20133.7 ★Viking River CruisesViking Magni2013 · 3,138 GT · 190 guests · Rhine · DanubeOne of Viking's near-identical 135-meter Longships, Viking Magni carries 190 guests and has sailed since 2013. Magni, its namesake, is a son of Thor and the only god besides his…Viking Mimir on the Main-Danube Canal in Bamberg, 20173.7 ★Viking River CruisesViking Mimir2015 · 3,138 GT · 190 guests · Rhine · DanubeViking Mimir, a 190-guest Longship that joined the fleet in 2015, belongs to the large class of sister ships Viking introduced in 2012. Mimir, its namesake, is the god of wisdom…Viking River CruisesViking Rota2026 · 190 guests · Rhine · DanubeViking Rota is an upcoming 190-guest Viking Longship, a sister of the 135-meter ships that dominate Viking's European fleet. Rota, the namesake, is a rebellious Valkyrie…Viking Sigrun in Cologne, 20263.7 ★Viking River CruisesViking Sigrun2019 · 3,138 GT · 190 guests · RhineViking Sigrun is a four-deck Viking Longship for 190 guests that joined the fleet in 2019. Sigrun, its namesake, is a Valkyrie who led a band of nine and died of grief after her…Viking Tir on the Merwede near Hardinxveld, 20223.7 ★Viking River CruisesViking Tir2019 · 3,138 GT · 190 guests · Rhine · DanubeViking Tir is a 190-guest Viking Longship, one of the 135-meter sister ships that make up most of Viking's European river fleet, and it entered service in 2019. Tir, its…Viking Vali on the Main at Zell am Main, 20223.7 ★Viking River CruisesViking Vali2019 · 3,138 GT · 190 guests · Rhine · DanubeViking Vali, a 190-guest Longship that joined the fleet in 2019, belongs to the large class of sister ships Viking introduced in 2012. Vali, its namesake, is the son of Odin born…Viking Ve in Budapest, 20243.7 ★Viking River CruisesViking Ve2015 · 3,138 GT · 190 guests · Danube · RhineOne of Viking's near-identical 135-meter Longships, Viking Ve carries 190 guests and has sailed since 2015. Ve, its namesake, is one of the three brothers, with Odin and Vili…

Ships that call at Amsterdam

These ships sail regions that regularly include this port; check the itinerary for your sailing.

Related news about Amsterdam

All cruise news
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  2. Viking named 7 new river ships, and every godparent comes from the travel trade, including its No. 1 seller

    At a linked ceremony in Amsterdam, France, Germany and Egypt on Oct. 15, Viking named seven river ships for the Rhine, Main, Danube, Nile and Seine, with travel advisors as godparents.

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  3. Avalon Waterways waives the single supplement on most of Europe. Here is what solo cruisers get for it

    No solo cabins, but a Panorama Suite to yourself at the per-person fare on most European departures. A solo traveler's guide to Avalon Waterways.

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  4. Why Ambassador Cruise Line has become a favorite for solo cruisers from UK ports

    Dozens of single cabins per ship, hosted solo socials and no flight to catch. A look at what traveling alone with Ambassador is really like.

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  5. Solo on the river with AmaWaterways: single staterooms, waived supplements and tables for five

    A river ship with 150 guests is a gentle place to travel alone. AmaWaterways adds single cabins on four ships and a steady stream of solo deals.

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  6. Three Ships, One Harbor: Fred. Olsen's Fleet Fiesta Returns to the Canaries This December

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  7. Victoria passes one million cruise passengers in a season for the first time, with a record 332 calls

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  8. Holland America outlines its 80th Alaska season for 2027

    Six ships, a new eight-day Inside Passage itinerary and expanded Denali accommodation feature in the anniversary season.

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Amsterdam cruise port: activities, safety & transfers