We spoke with mother and daughter Helen and Nina Visser and the very experienced Lovers skipper Rob. Helen and Nina have enjoyed several editions of the Amsterdam Light Festival in recent years: they will definitely opt for a tour of Lovers Canal Cruises. This eleventh edition of the light spectacle will not change that either. We analyze Helen and Nina what makes Lovers so special.

Book with discount code AMSTELVEENZ

The best tour

Helen: ‘The classic canal cruise of Lovers is probably the best canal cruise of the Amsterdam Light Festival and if you ask me about the most enjoyable way to experience the festival. We have always had good experiences with Lovers. We know what to expect and we are very satisfied with it.’ According to Helen and Nina, the festival gets better every year and they look forward to it again. ‘Anyway, it’s great fun that my daughter and I always do this together, as a winter tradition. The beautiful Amsterdam canals never get boring and the artworks change every year!’, says Helen.

Continues to amaze

Rob, one of Lovers’ highly experienced skippers, is also enthusiastic about the enchanting light festival on the canals. He sees how the festival is carefully built up every year. ‘It is already an honor to sail through beautiful Amsterdam, but the Amsterdam Light Festival adds another layer. The art is different every year and never ceases to amaze,’ says Rob. ‘The classic canal cruise of Lovers* is probably the best canal cruise of the Amsterdam Light Festival. But if the weather permits, we also sail with our semi-open boats. ‘You take the most beautiful photos from these boats,’ says Rob. Nina can wholeheartedly agree: ‘My iPhone memory is always completely full of photos after an Amsterdam Light Festival trip,’ she laughs.

25% discount for readers of AmstelveenZ

Readers of AmstelveenZ receive a 25% discount on a classic Lovers cruise during the enchanting Amsterdam Light Festival. This cruise is known as the best cruise of the spectacular light festival and can be booked via Lovers.nl/amstelveenz with the discount code: AMSTELVEENZ

Don’t miss anything

It is also a pleasant feeling that the skippers of Lovers have extensive experience, including sailing in the dark: ‘Look, I know the canals with my eyes closed, but you have to watch out for the other boats,’ says Rob. ‘Not everyone has a sinking experience, and some pleasure craft are more reckless, especially in the evening when the weather is bad. But yes, good experienced skippers don’t suffer from that,’ he laughs. The skippers also know that the passengers do not miss anything from the festival.

‘IT’S A MUSEUM
AND TOUR IN ONE’
Experience expert Helen Visser

Rob: ‘I always have the microphone within reach and I tell the passengers what to look at. I will of course let you know where we are going, but also what is happening in my boat. If you sail with me, you won’t miss a thing! And if you want to know everything about the illustrations, an audio guide is also available.’

Good atmosphere

It is not for nothing that passengers are very positive about Lovers’ tours. Helen: ‘The boats are comfortable. Even if you don’t sit next to the window, you have a beautiful view of the canals. Nina also liked that it is never too busy. The boats are full, but everyone just has their own place. ‘Especially the cozy atmosphere on board is experienced by Nina and Helen as a victory and the skippers played an important role in this.

LOL

‘Amsterdam from the water, of course you can’t ruin much about that, but you also have to make it fun yourself!,’ says Rob. I always have a chat with the passengers. Almost everyone outside the boat had a smile on their face. I often make jokes, I like that and so do the passengers. That way you also have a lot of fun for yourself.’

Helen fully appreciates it: ‘The skippers are always friendly and funny. They personally tell stories while sailing and really forget about the guests. It really makes it so much fun!’ Rob also assumes that Lovers – an indication of the weather conditions – always sails: ‘Myself and my colleagues always do our best to give the guests the best possible experience and if the weather is bad, this is still indispensable. It’s an outing after all. We always sail out and we make sure that the passengers are always dry. We have open, but also semi-open boats, where the guests can shelter if it rains.’

More than worth it

Helen also says that she thinks the price of the cruise for a special evening is completely worth it: ‘You don’t get such a price-quality ratio with anyone else. You are on the water for more than an hour and you always see special art passing by. It is a museum and a cruise in one. The boarding location is also ideal, close to Central Station. And you can also start or end your evening in the Lovers Café located at the boarding location. ‘With a cup of tea or coffee, or with satay and fries!’, says Nina. What grade did Helen and Nina give Lovers’ classic canal cruise* during the Amsterdam Light Festival? Nina answers wittily: ‘If it wasn’t 10 we wouldn’t come back so often!’

25% discount for readers of AmstelveenZ

*Readers of AmstelveenZ receive a 25% discount on a classic Lovers cruise during the enchanting Amsterdam Light Festival. This cruise is known as the best cruise of the spectacular light festival and can be booked via Lovers.nl/amstelveenz with the discount code: AMSTELVEENZ

Photo: Lovers Canal Cruises / Amsterdam Light Festival

This is a partner contribution