Description
Club Cabana @ Veronica schip is the bar, café and event space inside the Veronicaschip, the former Radio Veronica pirate radio ship moored at NDSM-Pier 1 in Amsterdam Noord. The NDSM wharf’s venue directory still lists it as Club Cabana, but the ship’s current operator trades as Het Veronica Schip. It runs a café-restaurant from Wednesday to Sunday and hosts ticketed club nights under the name Club Veronica.
If you’re searching for Club Cabana, you’re looking for the same ship. Plan your visit around the café-restaurant’s opening hours and the events agenda. The official site doesn’t advertise a fixed weekly club night.
| Name in use | Het Veronica Schip (listed by NDSM as Club Cabana – Veronicaschip) |
|---|---|
| Address | NDSM-Pier 1, 1033 RG Amsterdam (Amsterdam Noord) |
| Café-restaurant hours | Wed–Thu 10:00–22:00, Fri–Sat 10:00–23:00, Sun 10:00–22:00; closed Mon–Tue. The kitchen closes 30 minutes before closing time. |
| Food | Mediterranean tapas, mezze, charcoal-grill dishes and a lunch menu |
| Club nights | Individual ticketed events run by outside promoters, sold as Club Veronica |
| Getting there | Free GVB ferry F4 from behind Amsterdam Centraal to NDSM, about 14–15 minutes |
| Contact | +31 6 34141215 · [email protected] |
Hours and contact details come from the official Het Veronica Schip website. Hours can change on event days, so call ahead if you’re coming as a group.
Earlier descriptions of Club Cabana, including the one still on the NDSM site, talk about a tropical theme, sangria, cocktails and “80’s Countdown” café disco nights. None of these appear in the ship’s current programme, so check the official events page rather than expecting a regular disco night.
Key Features
A real pirate radio ship
The ship’s history is the main reason to visit. It was built in 1949 as an Iceland trawler, about 49 metres long, and was later renamed Norderney. In 1964 the Verweij brothers, who ran the offshore station Radio Veronica, bought it to replace their worn-out transmitter ship, the Borkum Riff. From 1964 until 31 August 1974, the Norderney broadcast pop music from international waters off Scheveningen, because commercial radio was illegal on land in the Netherlands at the time. It left the North Sea when the Dutch anti-pirate radio law took effect.
After moorings in several Dutch and Belgian ports, the ship arrived at the NDSM wharf in November 2013. Radio Veronica went back on board for a week of live broadcasts in February 2023. The large VERONICA lettering on the hull, copied from the Borkum Riff, makes it easy to spot from the pier.
Four spaces, from café to club hold
According to the operator, the ship has four areas: the upper deck (Bovendek), the middle deck (Tussendek), the hold (De Buik) and a floating terrace looking out over the IJ. Together they fit 20 to 700 guests. Club nights take place in De Buik, which sits below the waterline and has a permanent light and sound rig, a DJ booth and room for about 200 people.
Food by chef Tanercan
The café-restaurant serves Mediterranean tapas, mezze and dishes from the charcoal grill, cooked by chef Tanercan’s team. The operator points out that the late critic Johannes van Dam once gave his cooking a 9.5, and that Het Parool named his Flammkuchen the best in Amsterdam in 2017. You can walk in without booking, but the venue says a phone call is the quickest way to reserve a table.
Club nights vary by promoter
Outside promoters run the club nights, so the music changes from one event to the next. Recent and upcoming listings include:
- 1999, a house and club classics night (Friday 27 March 2026, 20:00–01:00, with early-bird tickets at €15)
- Organic, melodic and progressive house parties listed by the Amsterdam Party Guide
- Amsterdam Dance Event showcases, such as RKP’s ADE 2026 showcase
- An 80s–90s Turkish party on New Year’s Eve
The promoter sells tickets and publishes the line-up, set times and door policy, so read the individual event page before you go.
Best Time to Visit
Choose your time depending on what you want from the visit:
- For the ship and a meal, go Wednesday to Sunday while the café-restaurant is open. Daytime and early evening are good for seeing the IJ from the terrace.
- For a night out, pick a specific event from the agenda. Nights listed by promoters have ranged from 20:00–01:00 to past 04:00.
- In October, check for Amsterdam Dance Event showcases, as the ship has been an ADE venue.
- For a combined trip, come in the afternoon and explore the NDSM wharf before eating on board.
If there’s an event on, the café-restaurant may keep different hours. Call +31 6 34141215 before making a special trip, especially with a group.
How to Get There
The Veronicaschip is at NDSM-Pier 1, on the western side of Amsterdam Noord, across the IJ from the city centre.
- By ferry: take the free GVB ferry F4 (NDSM-werfveer) from the ferry terminal behind Amsterdam Centraal to NDSM. The crossing takes about 14–15 minutes. From the NDSM landing, walk along the pier to the ship.
- From the west of the centre: ferry F7 runs between Pontsteiger and NDSM.
- By bus: take bus 391 from Amsterdam Centraal to the Klaprozenweg stop, then walk about 8 minutes.
- By bike: the venue has bike parking.
- By car or taxi: there’s parking at the NDSM wharf. A taxi from Centraal takes around 12 minutes, depending on traffic.
Late at night, the F4 is the main thing to plan around. It doesn’t run all night. Local guides list the last departures at around 02:05 from Sunday to Thursday and 03:22 on Friday and Saturday, and they report that the F5 night ferry via Pontsteiger has been suspended. Check the City of Amsterdam ferry overview and the GVB timetable on the day. If your event ends after the last ferry, book a taxi in advance.
You might see a ferry from Azartplein recommended as a shortcut to NDSM. It won’t get you there: the F1 from Azartplein crosses to Zamenhofstraat in eastern Noord.
Tips for Visiting
- Search for “Het Veronica Schip” or “Veronicaschip”. Many listings no longer use the Club Cabana name.
- Buy club tickets through the promoter’s link on the official events page. Some nights sell a limited number of early-bird tickets before the regular price applies.
- Check the event page for age limits, dress expectations and payment options. These are set per event, not by one house policy.
- Call ahead for groups. The café-restaurant takes walk-ins, but event days can change the schedule.
- Look at the last ferry time before you go, and have a backup plan for getting home.
- Pair your visit with the rest of the NDSM wharf and other spots in Amsterdam Noord.
- If you want to host your own event, the operator hires out the spaces for 20 to 700 guests, with catering by the kitchen.
Frequently asked questions
Is Club Cabana @ Veronica schip still open?
The ship is open, but it now trades as Het Veronica Schip. It runs a café-restaurant from Wednesday to Sunday and ticketed Club Veronica events, although the NDSM venue directory still uses the Club Cabana name.
Where is the Veronica ship in Amsterdam?
It is moored at NDSM-Pier 1, 1033 RG Amsterdam, at the NDSM wharf in Amsterdam Noord. The free F4 ferry from behind Amsterdam Centraal takes about 14–15 minutes.
Do I need a ticket or reservation?
You do not need a reservation for the café-restaurant, but calling ahead is the quickest way to book a table. Club nights are ticketed, and tickets are sold by each event’s promoter.
Does the NDSM ferry run all night?
No. Local guides list the last F4 departures at around 02:05 from Sunday to Thursday and 03:22 on Friday and Saturday. Check the GVB timetable on the day and arrange a taxi if your event finishes later.
