The cruises compared here
Most canal cruise listings in Amsterdam do not tell you clearly what you will be sitting in. That matters more here than in most cities, because the two kinds of boat give different trips. One is a long, glass-sided vessel with rows of seats and a recorded commentary. The other is a small boat where you sit in the open air at water level with a guide a few metres away.
This comparison uses what the Civitatis listings and the operators' own websites state. Where they disagree, both versions are given.
1What you get on the covered boat
The one-hour cruise run by Lovers Canal Cruises is the covered option. Lovers describes modern boats with individual seats, big windows on all sides that can be opened in warm weather, heating in winter, a toilet and free Wi-Fi. The company says almost all of its boats are now electric.
One warning about the catalogue. The short description on Civitatis promises an "open-top boat tour". Nothing on the operator's page for this cruise supports that, so book it expecting a roof over your head. Lovers does sell a separate open-boat product on its own site, but that is not what this ticket buys.
Commentary is a recorded audio guide. The listing mentions English only, while Lovers lists 19 languages.
2What you get on the open boat
The guided boat ride from Oudezijds Voorburgwal 230 is the open option. An English-speaking guide talks for the full hour, and the listed route covers the Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht plus the Magere Brug on the Amstel.
The rain policy is spelled out in the listing, which is rare. Between October and March, the boat is covered if it rains. Between April and September it is not: umbrellas are provided and you are advised to bring a raincoat. Starboard Boats, the company whose pier the ride leaves from, says it tries to use a boat with a roof when rain is expected but cannot swap boats if bad weather arrives unexpectedly.
There are two practical limits. Starboard says its shared boats have no toilet, so go beforehand. It also says its boats are not wheelchair accessible.
3Price, scores and what they tell you
The covered cruise costs from €13.49 and the open boat from €22.50 without drinks. So the open boat costs about €9 more per person for the same hour.
Reviewers seem to think the extra is justified. The open boat scores 8.4 from 205 reviews, the covered cruise 7.6 from 6,021. The larger sample is the more reliable number, and 7.6 is a decent result for a mass-market cruise, but a gap of almost a full point is not noise. A live guide and fresh air are the two obvious differences between the products.
4Which to book in which situation
Book the covered boat from November to March, on any day with rain in the forecast, with toddlers who will need a toilet, or when your party needs commentary in a language other than English. It is also the one to book if you want to board near the Anne Frank House or the Rijksmuseum, since the open boat leaves from one pier only.
Book the open boat on a dry day between spring and early autumn, especially if photographs matter to you. Glass and window frames get in the way of a camera; an open boat has neither. Add the open bar only if you would have bought drinks anyway.
A group of six or more has a third choice. The private electric boat from Prinsengracht 375 costs from €216 for up to 10 people, though its listing does not say whether the boat has any cover.