Amsterdam cruise port

Amsterdam port cruise – easy route to Amsterdam

Amsterdam cruise port is a major hub for entry into the beautiful city of Amsterdam. This makes it a very popular cruising destination. It stands to reason then that visitors flock to the city when on an ocean cruise or one of the multitude of river cruises. Amsterdam has well over 750,000 visitors in peak season through cruises alone.

The only downside is that Amsterdam has so much to see and do that a one-day trip rarely allows you enough time to discover all of its charms. However, Amsterdam is a compact city, easy to get around by walking, canal, bike or using the metro, buses or trams. So if one day is all you have, you’ll surprise yourself with just how much you can see and do in Amsterdam.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links to companies and services we trust. If you purchase something after clicking any link, then we will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you (policy page).

cruise port of Amsterdam

There are two areas you can dock when visiting Amsterdam on an ocean cruise ship.

Passenger Terminal Amsterdam

The Eastern Docklands development is a new development and is just a 10 minute walk or short tram ride from Centraal Station. The Passenger Terminal Amsterdam (PTA) is situated close to the start of this Docklands development. Large ships are able to dock here and with easy access to the public transport system of Amsterdam, you will be exploring the city very quickly.

As with most cruises, vendors will emerge at the terminal but there is far more to see, do and buy in the city. There is a welcome market where you can buy transport cards and tickets for attractions. There are lockers and you can hire bikes or segways. If you make your way to Centraal Station, you can also buy tickets for public transport, as well as the I Amsterdam City Card that includes free public transport and entry to popular attractions, as well as discounts on other places of interest.

You can also walk into the centre of town and pay as you go on public transport. Details of how the public transport tickets work in Amsterdam.

For airport transfer just head to Centraal Station and take the train direct to Schiphol Airport. This will take 15-20 minutes.

IJmuiden Felison Cruise Terminal

The second area your ocean cruise liner may dock is called IJmuiden Felison Cruise Terminal, this area is located in front of the locks and is much further away from Amsterdam. There is also Felison Terminal just to add to the confusion. Many cruise companies chose to stop in IJmuiden as it is cheaper than going all the way into Amsterdam. This means it is vital for you to know where your cruise ship will stop to help plan your visit to Amsterdam.

If Amsterdam is on your itiniary then you need to check if it says IJmuiden or Amsterdam. If it says Amsterdam you’ll be getting off at the PTA terminal, if IJmuiden you’ll be alighting at Felison cruise terminal or Felison terminal.

Ijmuiden is also used as the arrival point of the Newcastle ferry to Amsterdam, which you can find details of in our Ferry to Holland from UK page.

Amsterdam is around 33km from IJmuiden and a roughly 30 minutes drive away. You can catch the No.82 bus from the cruise terminal into Amsterdam. If you decide on a taxi it will cost around €80. You can also catch bus 75 or 82 to the city of Haarlem. Look out for the Amsterdam Sloterdijk stop where you can get off and transfer to the train for the centre of Amsterdam.

For airport transfers, again take the 82 bus, get off at Amsterdam Sloterdijk and then take the train to Schiphol Airport.

Tourist passes in Amsterdam

It is worth noting that these types of cards now are not quite as flexible as they once were in terms of entry to attractions. Most attractions are still operating timed entry tickets, so you may need to book in advance. Picking up a card on the day itself and hoping to get into something as popular as the Rijksmuseum may leave you disappointed.

It is likely better and cheaper to buy your ticket online in advance and then pre-book your entry tickets to the museums or attractions you most want to see. You can buy your tickets directly with the museum or use the links on our pages, you can also buy the IAmsterdam City card in advance and pre-book your time slots online. Use our link to buy your IAmsterdam City Card now.

River cruise to Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a very popular stop for European river cruises. Over 2000 river ships stop at Amsterdam as part of their itiniary. Amsterdam has won ‘cruise destination of the year’ multiple times.

Amsterdam is close to Schiphol Airport which means it serves very well as drop-off and pick up points for the Black Sea Cruises and Rhine-Main-Danube Canal to Budapest routes.

The Port of Amsterdam

The Port of Amsterdam is one of the largest river cruise ports in western Europe. The river cruise berths are located close to the city centre which means you can be exploring the beautiful city in a matter of minutes. Some of the most popular attractions are close by too, so if you have time constraints you can still see some amazing sights and have great experiences in Amsterdam.

Some river cruise ships will use the PTA (Passenger Terminal Amsterdam), the main port for ocean cruise vessels. There are also several docks for river cruise vessels in the Port of Amsterdam and close by region. Most will dock on the De Ruyterkade which is just behind Centraal Station. Depending on which pier it docks at you’ll have a 5-10 minute walk to Centraal Station.

Passenger Terminal

The passenger terminal is located next to Centraal Station which is the main transport hub for Amsterdam. From the terminal you can walk to Centraal Station in around 5-10 minutes, pick up maps and tickets and catch a metro, bus or tram and be exploring Amsterdam. As Amsterdam is a compact city you could easily walk into the historic centre from Centraal Station too.

Most visitors will be either getting off their ship, spending some time in Amsterdam and then getting back on again (transit call) or starting/ending their holiday in Amsterdam (turn arounds).

For check-in procedures visit Passenger Terminal Amsterdam.

Looking for a river cruise featuring Amsterdam?

TUI offer an adults only river cruise featuring Amsterdam. With everything included, it is a great way to travel and explore the area. For more information visit TUI River Cruises.

Day tourist tax for river and sea cruise passengers

In January 2019 a day tourist tax for transit sea and river cruise passengers was created by the City of Amsterdam. With the increasing popularity of river and sea cruise visits to Amsterdam, the tax was implemented to help deal with the influx of day trippers to the city (Amsterdam day trippers tax).

The tax only applies to passengers who are on a stopover. If the passenger starts or ends their cruise at Amsterdam the tax does not apply. In 2024 the tax cost is €14 per passenger. Most cruise companies will just include this tax within their booking costs, but when you see it, you’ll know what it is for.

Some sea cruise companies with thousands of passengers viewed this increase per passenger as too much and moved their stop to the Port of Rotterdam.

Most river cruises actually depart from Amsterdam, so the tax will not affect them as much.

Amsterdam Tourist Tax

If you decide to stay in Amsterdam before or after your cruise for a few nights then you’ll also experience the Amsterdam Tourist Tax. In 2024, this is charged at 12.5% on accommodation overnight stays (exc VAT).

Find out more about the Amsterdam Tourist Tax.

Where to stay in Amsterdam

If you are not a transit passenger and are starting or ending your cruise in Amsterdam there are a plethora of places to stay.

Amsterdam is broken up into neightbourhoods or areas each with it’s own intrinsic attractions. We have a page on the Areas of Amsterdam to help you find the best place to stay.

If you like staying in a well-known chain hotel, perhaps as a member or because of previous good experiences then we also have a page focussing on popular chain hotels in Amsterdam.

Finally, we love luxury and if you do too and want to start or end your sea or river cruise holiday in style, we have reviewed some of the best luxury hotels in Amsterdam.