The first pleasure cruise in the history of the Amsterdam canals took place in 1621 when Queen Elisabeth Stuart of Bohemia was welcomed into the city in a parade of festively decorated admiralty sloops, with thousands of Amsterdammers cheering on bridges and canal-sides. Treating visiting royals and other VIP’s to a cruise on our canals became a tradition that lives on till today. From Winston Churchill to the Beatles and Nelson Mandela, almost all our famous guests have made their acquaintance with the city from the deck of a canal cruise boat. Rondvaart – Canal Cruises