Canals, Rembrandt and a terminal 10 minutes from Centraal Station, if your ship gets it
Amsterdam has the best-placed cruise terminal in Europe: Passenger Terminal Amsterdam sits on the IJ waterfront a 10 to 15 minute walk from Centraal Station, so the canal ring, the Anne Frank House and the Rijksmuseum are a stroll or one tram ride away. The catch is that since 2026 the city caps the terminal at 100 ocean calls a year and one ship a day, so a growing share of sailings, especially the biggest ships, dock instead at the Felison terminal in IJmuiden, 19 miles west at the North Sea locks, with a 35 to 45 minute transfer. SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls at Amsterdam or IJmuiden from every line, priced with taxes and fees included, with the sailings that carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or instant savings at the top.
Three ways to do Amsterdam
Walk the canal ring, line up timed tickets for the big museums, or take the coach to the windmills; the buttons filter the list of sailings below.
Canals and the Jordaan
- From the PTA walk past Centraal into the Nine Streets, the Jordaan and the Westerkerk in 25 minutes
- A one hour canal boat from Centraal or the Rijksmuseum stop, about 16 to 25 euros, is the best orientation in town
- Dam Square, the Royal Palace and a stroopwafel at the Albert Cuyp market in De Pijp
Best for: first-timers, walkers, short calls
Rijksmuseum and Anne Frank
- The Rijksmuseum’s Night Watch and Vermeers, about 25 euros, timed entry, 2 hours; tram 2 or 12 from Centraal
- The Van Gogh Museum next door, about 25 euros, online only, 90 minutes
- Anne Frank House tickets (16.50 euros) go on sale Tuesdays at 10 a.m. for six weeks ahead and sell out in minutes
Best for: art lovers, families, rainy days
Windmills and cheese
- Zaanse Schans, a village of working windmills and clog and cheese makers, 30 minutes north; ship tours from about $80, or the train from Centraal in 20 minutes
- Volendam and Marken on the old Zuiderzee for the fishing-village and wooden-house version
- Keukenhof tulip gardens, mid March to mid May only, 40 minutes south
Best for: families, photographers, repeat visitors
Amsterdam cruises: SmartCruiser picks first
Every cruise that calls at Amsterdam or IJmuiden from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings or bonus onboard credit. Below them, every other sailing that stops here, with full sorting by home port, line, month, length and price.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery cruise that calls at Amsterdam
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Home ports that sail to Amsterdam
Pick a home port and the list above filters to cruises leaving from there; Amsterdam is itself a major turnaround port, and round trips from here appear in the list too.
Things to do in Amsterdam
From the PTA everything below is within a 45 minute walk or one tram ride; from IJmuiden subtract about 2 hours of your day for the transfers and book the big museums before you sail.
Which lines call at Amsterdam?
About 100 calls a year now dock at the PTA and about 70 at IJmuiden, with some big ships moved to Rotterdam; these are the lines Americans sail most.
When to go
Amsterdam has a mild, damp maritime climate with rain spread through the year; the cruise season runs March to November, tulips peak in April, and July and August are the busiest and warmest months.
Amsterdam questions we answer every day
Where do cruise ships dock in Amsterdam and how far is it to the center?
Two very different places. Passenger Terminal Amsterdam (PTA) at Piet Heinkade 27 on the IJ is a 10 to 15 minute walk west to Centraal Station, or one stop on tram 26; it takes ships up to 340 m but only one a day. Since 2026 the city has capped it at 100 ocean calls a year (down from 190) and is debating ending city-center calls by 2035, so many sailings, especially big ships and the ones that cannot get a slot, use the Felison Cruise Terminal in IJmuiden, 19 miles west by the North Sea locks, which takes ships up to 295 m. Your cruise documents say which; sailings marked Amsterdam (IJmuiden) are the latter.
My ship is at IJmuiden. How do I get into Amsterdam?
The cruise line shuttle coach runs to the center for about $45 to $50 per person round trip and takes 35 to 45 minutes each way. On your own, bus 382 stops at Badweg a short walk from the terminal and runs to Amsterdam Sloterdijk station in about 40 minutes (tap a bank card, about 6.50 euros), then a 5 minute train to Centraal; about an hour door to door. A taxi is about 80 to 125 euros each way and taxis are scarce at IJmuiden, so book ahead. With an 8 hour call, budget about 4 to 5 hours in the city.
What currency do I need, and is English spoken?
The Netherlands uses the euro, and Amsterdam is nearly cashless: trams, buses, museums and most cafes take cards only, and GVB transit is tap in and tap out with a bank card (about 3.40 euros an hour, capped at about 10.50 euros a day). English is universal. Amsterdam is on Central European Time, 6 hours ahead of US Eastern, and US phone plans with EU roaming work normally.
Is Amsterdam safe?
Yes for visitors. The State Department lists the Netherlands at Level 2, exercise increased caution, because of a general terrorism risk, not street crime. The practical hazards are bicycles, which do not stop for pedestrians on the red lanes, pickpockets on tram 2 and around Centraal, and the canal edges at night. Stay out of the red-light district’s side alleys after dark and keep phones zipped away.
What is the best excursion, and should I book through the ship?
From the PTA do it yourself: a canal boat plus the Rijksmuseum with pre-booked tickets is the perfect day and the ship cannot improve on it. From IJmuiden, the ship’s Zaanse Schans or Amsterdam highlights tour is worth considering on a short call because the line guarantees your return and the North Sea locks can delay departures; on a long call the shuttle plus your own plan works fine.
Do I need a passport?
Yes. Every Northern Europe cruise requires a valid passport, and we recommend six months of validity past your return date. The Netherlands is in the Schengen zone, where the EU’s new biometric entry and exit checks are being phased in from 2026, so allow a few extra minutes at your first arrival.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on this page includes the cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses, including Amsterdam’s per-passenger cruise tax. Flights, hotels, shore excursions and gratuities are extra.
Talk to an Amsterdam cruise specialist
We know which sailings get the downtown terminal and which dock at IJmuiden, so call us to check availability and book the Northern Europe cruise that gives you the best day in Amsterdam. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.