Finding a home for a very large group to stay together for New Year's Eve was not an easy task! Thankfully for us we found Grietje's ship, the Boreas, located in the north east of Amsterdam city centre (during the winter months).
HOST
Grietje explained the area to us and what was nearby and was very quick in replying and advising both before and after booking to stay on her boat.
The boat has two separate living quarters, one for the host and another for the guests. Because of the living arrangements we only saw Grietje and her partner on arrival, departure and a couple of times during our stay. They were both very friendly and helpful on all occasions and offered their knowledge should we need it but didn't intrude at all. It was lovely to stay in a place with such nice owners.
LOCATION
The ship was moored in a quiet canal with easy access to public transport and was only a short walk to local shops and restaurants, a 10 minute bus journey to the city centre, or a manageable walk of about 25 minutes.
The location for us was perfect for New Year’s Eve as we had an amazing panorama of firework displays.
Good restaurants and bars were within a short walk with all tourist attractions a short bus journey or walk away.
LIVING SPACE
Not regular "sea-goers" we expected cramped or compromised living! We were wrong and pleasantly surprised at the spacious lounge / dining area and a kitchen stocked with more than enough crockery and cooking equipment to suit any level of cooking for a full ship.
BEDROOMS
The bedrooms comprised of either 2 or 4 bunk rooms. All were very comfortable and provided a very good nights sleep, towels were supplied for all of us, wash basin (with drinking water) and power outlets in all cabins.
We were only 1 or 2 people in each cabin so were able to “spread out” a bit with our belongings - if the cabins were full then it would be a little cosier but there appeared to be ample storage space under bed and in the living area.
THE BOAT
The boat was a joy to stay on, for this static holiday, but would love to experience it during it’s more active time of year too when out on the water sailing. The pictures on the boat (and a couple on here) show how the boat can be experienced as part of a sailing and more active holiday too.
Anyone wanting a unique New Years Eve or Christmas in Amsterdam I would highly recommend looking to stay on the ship Boreas.