Hostel Lum 'n Abner

Bizarre and cozy
We showed up around 11:30 after the stupid cabby drove us in circles for half an hour, we were graciously accepted with a cold beer and shown our beds. The next morning we had the best breakfast I ate the whole time I was in Europe! Fresh everything and real coffee. Was the most personal, quirky hostel and I would recommend it to anyone who wanted a "person" tour/perspective of Amsterdam!

Should be condemned, is unfit to be a hostel
This place is dirty, disgusting, and the people are just rude. There is no security or flushing toilet. The rooms leak and there is a musty smell that tells you the boat leaks. The location is in an industrial section of amsterdam where no tourist would ever go to visit. The owners are aggressive, rip-off merchants. There are much nicer places to stay in amsterdam -- don't let your accommodation experience in amsterdam be ruined by staying at this dodgy place.

Apocalypse now meets twilight zone
So we got there and had no idea it was a boat. we were met with crazy captain rene who you have to like even though he's mental. Andy is cool as is the karaoke party that happens on the boat almost every night. The ship is scummy but it works, it's perfect if you are in A'dam for an adventure and are willing to embrace the bizarre. There's everything you need (in some way or another), internet, toilets, electricity, beds, showers, breakfast, and you're gonna meet loads of people in about five minutes. I'm in a wheelchair and they made it accessible as possible, and it was fine. Just be prepared for the bare essentials and you'll have an awesome time.

I stayed at the Lum 'n Abner on my weekend trip to Amsterdam this summer. being a woman and traveling on my own, I had some concerns, but ended up feeling wonderfully safe due to the location of this hostel. The female-only dorm was quite calm, secluded, and felt safe. The ferries run very regularly and are fun to take. At the same time, being away from the city made me feel safer and the dock was wonderful (I loved the harbour area). The Greenpeace ship docked across and the theatre festival occurring at the time made the place feel very artsy, alternative, and comfortable. The hostel owners were friendly, outgoing, and accommodating. People would hang out outside the ship and talk, and I quickly met many people. Andy provided great advice on places to see, and was generally as caring and friendly as it gets. He made a point of actually checking on me one evening when I was quite out of it, and entertained me in many a conversation. Breakfast in the morning included many options and allowed me to fill up and save on food for the rest of the day. They run trip such as boat trips to a submarine, which I did not take, but for 5 Euros were apparently a great deal of fun. Now, this is not a luxury accommodation -- there is only one shower and one sink, and it is very much a industrial type boat, so if you want comfort, this is not the place to stay. If you want an unusual experience in a great environment with lovely people, then I can recommend the Lum 'n Abner whole-heartedly!

The 'Slum n' Abner' is a great place to stay if you enjoy feeling like a stow-away. We booked a bed in what was posted as a sixteen-bed dorm and ended up staying on the creaky hull of a crazy man's ship (which contained about thirty-five other beds and a couple sheets hung up as dividers, and one scrungy bathroom/shower). We received one wool army blanket each and less than four hours of sleep due to constant shivering (in July) and incessant clanking! The crazy captain calls for lights out at 10 p.m. -- we were lucky to have brought flashlights. The last boat to cross the canal that takes you to the Slum leaves around 11:30 p.m. so don't plan on having any fun at night, unless you want to risk taking the night-bus, which may or may not drop you off at the right stop.

the captain is an asshole, who needs to be sunk with the submarine. i owe him one big kick up his ass. he's a prick and needs to chill out a bit if you're ten minutes late to book in.

Upon arrival I had not read all the details while booking and didn't know it was an actual ship. I actually was thinking about turning around and finding another place. But we stepped onboard and loved it right away. I couldn't believe how much fun it was. I thought the rocking would make me sick, but you hardly feel anything. If anything at all it rocked me to sleep all six nights we were there. I had the best sleep throughout my month of travels. The captain, Rene, and his first mate Andy, and then lovely Ellen, were the best damn hostel runners I've ever met, making coffee and tea in the morning along with fabulous Amsterdam specialty breads. I loved it. It's a great way to start out your morning. It's away from the busy part of town, but just a short ferry ride away, which is kind of fun actually. :) There's a barbecue every night. Such friendly staff — they helped us find anything we were looking for and told us were to go to get whatever and where to hang out. All in all, this was the best hostel experience for me. I am saving to make it back out there to stay on the Marietta once again sometime soon. Oh Marietta, it was a lovely song that Texan sang. Ha ha.