We absolutely loved the Siem's houseboat.
It is not simply a novelty, you will see how a particular type of community in Amsterdam lives. Siem was a great host, and put in lots of extra effort to make us feel welcome and comfortable.
Funnily enough, we found life on the houseboat every bit as interesting as the city centre.
It is not all that close to the city centre but the area itself is interesting in a completely different way, and it is easy enough to get to the city via public transport.
We'll be booking Siem's houseboat when we return to Amsterdam in the future.