In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Sea cruise ships dock at the Passenger Terminal Amsterdam (PTA), Piet Heinkade 27, a 15-minute walk from Amsterdam Centraal. Tram 26 runs from outside Centraal and passes the terminal, a taxi from Centraal costs at most €15, and the terminal’s lockers are €4 or €6 for 24 hours, in coins only. Some ships dock at IJmuiden instead, 60 to 75 minutes from Centraal by bus and train. The city caps sea cruise calls at 100 a year from 2026, shore power is compulsory from 1 January 2027, and its new coalition says it will close the terminal. Or book a tour: the small-group city tourad is from £15.79 and takes 2 hours (GetYourGuide, 1 October 2026).
Which terminal your ship uses
Your boarding card names the terminal.
| Terminal | Where | To the centre |
|---|---|---|
| Passenger Terminal Amsterdam (PTA) | Piet Heinkade 27, on the south bank of the IJ, east of Centraal | A 15-minute walk to Centraal; tram 26 |
| Felison Cruise Terminal, IJmuiden | Cruiseboulevard 10, by the beach at IJmuiden aan Zee, on the coast | Roughly 60 to 75 minutes by bus and train |
The PTA’s operator, Cruise Port Amsterdam, says its terminal is a stroll from the old centre: within 20 minutes on foot you are on the Dam, and after 25 minutes on the Damrak (cruiseportamsterdam.com, 1 October 2026). IJmuiden also has a smaller Felison Terminal, by the DFDS ferry terminal, which very few cruise ships use (cruiseportijmuiden.com, 1 October 2026).
From the Passenger Terminal Amsterdam
A 15-minute walk to Centraal · tram 26 · taxi at most €15 from Centraal
The tourist board and the operator both give the walk from Centraal as 15 minutes (I amsterdam, 9 May 2025). The operator’s directions from Centraal: leave by the north exit, turn right and follow the waterside; the terminal is on your left after the bridge (cruiseportamsterdam.com, 1 October 2026).
- Walk. Fifteen minutes to Centraal, 20 to the Dam, 25 to the Damrak. Reception in the terminal gives out a city map.
- Tram 26. The IJtram leaves from outside Centraal and passes the terminal often: take the first stop. Pay by contactless card or phone; Amsterdam public transport has the fares, and GVB Max never charges more than €10.50 a day. The tram map changed on 29 March 2026, so check the GVB planner.
- Taxi. Taxis wait in front of Centraal on the city-centre side, and the operator puts a ride to the terminal at no more than €15.
- Bike. Amsterbike is a two-minute walk from the terminal, for rental and guided tours.
- Lockers. On the Main Deck next to the toilets: €6 for a large locker (35 × 62 × 85 cm) and €4 for a small one (35 × 45 × 85 cm), per 24 hours, with €1 and €2 coins only (cruiseportamsterdam.com, 1 October 2026).
- Food. There is no restaurant in the terminal. A few cafés and restaurants are nearby, some closed at weekends; where to eat in Amsterdam has the places to book in the centre.
- Excursions. Tours & Tickets runs a counter in the terminal for organised excursions.
From IJmuiden
60 to 75 minutes by public transport · taxi €125 to €150 · direct bus with a ticket
IJmuiden has no railway station. Cruise Port IJmuiden, the terminal’s operator, lists the ways to Amsterdam (cruiseportijmuiden.com, 1 October 2026):
- Public transport. On many calls a day pass is sold at the Transportation Desk inside the Felison Cruise Terminal. A bus takes you to Amsterdam Sloterdijk station, then a train, metro, tram or city bus to the centre: roughly 60 to 75 minutes to Centraal and 45 to 60 to Haarlem, with extra buses on busy days. The route is bus 382 from Sloterdijk to the stop Badweg, then a stairway over the dike (cruiseportijmuiden.com, 1 October 2026). Check 9292.nl on the day.
- Direct transfer bus. Sold at the terminal only with a ticket for the hop-on hop-off bus, a canal cruise or both, to De Ruijterkade Oost, near Centraal, 20 minutes’ walk from the centre: €40 with a 1-hour canal cruise, €42 with the hop-on hop-off bus, €49 with the bus and the boat.
- Taxi. A ride from the terminal to downtown Amsterdam often costs €125 to €150, says the operator, who advises going by the meter. Uber and Bolt are cheaper but rise on busy cruise days, and pre-booked taxis may not enter the pier.
- Organised excursions. The operator recommends the ship’s excursions for popular sights such as the Van Gogh Museum, since entry is guaranteed and the ship usually waits for passengers who are delayed.
A round trip from IJmuiden takes two to two and a half hours of the day, so for a port day of about ten hours pick one or two stops. Amsterdam in one day has a plan for a short stay.
A day in port
The operator’s calendar shows calls of about ten hours: Viking Vela on 1 October 2026 from 8:00 to 18:00, Hanseatic Nature on 9 October from 9:30 to 19:00 and MSC Euribia on 13 October from 7:00 to 17:00 (cruiseportamsterdam.com, 1 October 2026). Book before you sail, and check the closing days.
- Rijksmuseum. €25, free for ages 18 and under, with a booked start time for everyone. Open every day, 9:00 to 17:00 (rijksmuseum.nl).
- Van Gogh Museum. €25, timed tickets only, with no door sales.
- Anne Frank House. €16.50, tickets only on annefrank.org, released every Tuesday at 10:00 Dutch time for a visit six weeks later. The museum says commercial tours do not provide access to the house, so a GetYourGuide “Anne Frank” listing is a walk round the area. It closes at 17:00 on 27 April and 4 May (annefrank.org, 1 October 2026).
- A canal cruise. Amsterdam canal cruises compared has the field; the canal cruise from Anne Frank, Rijksmuseum or Centraalad is from £10.67 (4.3 stars from 21,704 reviews, 1 hour), and the saloon boat cruise with optional cheese and winead from £12.00 (4.6 stars from 31,658 reviews).
- On a guide. The small-group city tourad is from £15.79 (4.9 stars from 3,020 reviews, 2 hours), and the bike tourad from £31.18 (4.7 stars from 5,939 reviews, 3 hours).
- A trip out of the city. Haarlem is under 20 minutes by NS train from Centraal, and Rotterdam about 45 minutes, €20.20 each way.
- A busy day. King’s Day on 27 April 2027 closes most shops and stops trams at the edge of the centre; best time to visit Amsterdam has the other dates.
Amsterdam charges a day tourist tax of €15 per cruise passenger in 2026, paid by the cruise operator (Gemeente Amsterdam).
The cap on calls, and the terminal’s future
- 100 calls a year from 2026, down from up to 190, and one sea cruise ship at a time at the quay (NL Times, 21 January 2026; Schuttevaer, 12 November 2025). The Port of Amsterdam says it went back to 100 calls a year from 2026 on its own initiative (Zaanstad Nieuws, 26 January 2026).
- Shore power. The terminal has had a shore-power connection for one sea cruise ship since May 2025. From 1 January 2027 it is compulsory: a sea cruise ship without a certified connection cannot berth (cruiseportamsterdam.com, 1 October 2026).
- Closure. The coalition agreement of PRO Amsterdam and D66, presented in June 2026, says: “We sluiten de PTA in Amsterdam”, we close the PTA and end the possibility of reaching Amsterdam by sea cruise, and talk with the state and the region about alternatives (Coalitieakkoord Amsterdam 2026-2030). It gives no date. The previous city executive named 2035 in January 2026, and the Port of Amsterdam, which wants sea cruises to stay, called that plan a surprise and a disappointment.
Your cruise line says which port your 2027 call uses.
Embarking
- At the terminal. Follow the “Luggage Drop-off” signs in the lobby, with your cases labelled. Porters in yellow cardigans help at the entrance. Check in on the Main Deck, then go through security with your boarding pass. Keep your passport or ID and travel documents out of the suitcase (cruiseportamsterdam.com, 1 October 2026).
- From Schiphol. The operator puts the terminal a 20-minute drive from the airport. By train it is Schiphol to Centraal, then tram 26 or the walk; Schiphol to Amsterdam Centraal has the train, bus 397 and the taxi.
- Drop-off and pick-up. A car may stop briefly outside the main entrance to drop passengers. For pick-up the operator suggests waiting at the meeting point on the corner in front of the terminal, since disembarkation is in phases.
- A night before or after. The operator lists the Mövenpick Hotel Amsterdam City Centre, the DoubleTree by Hilton and the Jakarta Hotel as hotels in the area. The Jakarta Hotel is at Javakade 766 (Hotels.comad); where to stay in Amsterdam compares the areas, and every hotel adds 12.5% tourist tax on the room price before VAT.
For the way into the city on a short stay, see Amsterdam public transport; for the bookings that sell out, what to book before you go in Amsterdam; and for a plan for a longer call, 3 days in Amsterdam.
Common questions
How do I get from the Amsterdam cruise terminal to the city centre?
The Passenger Terminal Amsterdam, at Piet Heinkade 27, is a 15-minute walk from Amsterdam Centraal; its operator puts the Dam within 20 minutes on foot. Tram 26 runs from outside Centraal and passes the terminal, and a taxi from Centraal to the terminal costs at most €15, according to the operator.
Do all cruise ships dock in Amsterdam city?
No. The city terminal takes at most 100 sea cruise calls a year from 2026, one ship at a time, and some ships dock at IJmuiden on the coast instead. The cruise port there puts public transport to Amsterdam Centraal at roughly 60 to 75 minutes and a taxi at €125 to €150, so your boarding card matters.
Is the Amsterdam cruise terminal closing?
The city's coalition agreement of June 2026 says the city will close the Passenger Terminal Amsterdam and end sea cruise access to the city, and gives no date. The previous city executive named 2035 in January 2026. Shore power becomes compulsory for sea cruise ships at the terminal on 1 January 2027.
Can I leave luggage at the Amsterdam cruise terminal?
Yes, in lockers on the Main Deck next to the toilets: €6 for a large locker and €4 for a small one, per 24 hours. They take only €1 and €2 coins, no notes and no cards. There is no restaurant in the terminal.
Can I visit the Anne Frank House from a cruise ship?
Only with a ticket bought in advance on annefrank.org, which releases tickets every Tuesday at 10:00 Dutch time for a visit six weeks later. It sells no tickets at the door, and commercial tour operators cannot book it for you.