More Mediterranean

See more of Europe by sea: The Mediterranean laps at sandy beaches under brilliant sunshine, washing ashore at the continent’s legendary cities and charming towns. The azure waters that connect Gaudí’s whimsical Barcelona architecture to the ancient marble buildings of Athens also bring together the discos of Ibiza with the opulence of Cannes.

With dozens of itineraries leaving from Barcelona, Portsmouth, and Athens, Virgin Voyages hits all the hot spots and hidden gems of Europe’s Mediterranean shoreline, with island-hopping odysseys around Greece and sun-soaked stops in Marseille, Cannes, Mallorca, and Ibiza.  Whether cruising up the Croatian coast, indulging in Italian feasts, or sipping sangria while watching Spanish sunsets, Sailors can enjoy Virgin Voyages’ adults-only environment, late-stays or overnights, and epic on-board entertainment.

Virgin Voyages’ seven- to eleven-night Mediterranean itineraries from Barcelona and Athens nearly all feature overnights, allowing Sailors to have true, immersive experiences at every port of call, whether they plan to wake up early for coffee in Corsica or stay out late in Ibiza – and still enjoy every part of the onboard experience, such as the Redemption Spa, winner of “Best Onboard Wellness Program” at the TravelAge West 2024 WAVE Awards.

A Deeper Dive

The sparkling shores of Spain and the glamorous islands of Greece make an ideal jumping off point for taking a deeper dive into the Mediterranean’s many-splendored seas. Virgin Voyages’ 11-night itineraries from Athens bring Sailors to the iconic architecture of Istanbul. The overnight stay in aptly named “City of Desire” leaves plenty of time to explore both sides of the Bosphorus Strait, the Egyptian obelisks and Hagia Sophia that represent Istanbul’s history, and the Michelin-starred gastronomical paradise of its present.  Running only a handful of times, these 11-night voyages aboard the award-winning Resilient Lady continue on to Turkey’s treasures at Ephesus, Europe’s most complete classical metropolis, before stopping at the ancient isles of Greece to see the splendid sunsets of Santorini and archeological wonders of Crete.

The 10-night Starry Nights in Greece & Croatia undersells the scenery-packed sojourn through the Balkans, which also includes stops in Montenegro’s Bay of Kotor and in Bodrum, home of Turkey’s gothic-style fortress. Sailors stay late in Dubrovnik to see the city walls lit up at night and enjoy an overnight in Mykonos to soak up every last ray of island sun and eat every bite of feta.

From Spain, a longer voyage sails south from Barcelona to Málaga, through the Strait of Gibraltar to Cádiz, and then on to Morocco. Sailors can explore the medinas, mosques, and meat pies of the White City, Casablanca. After spending the day and evening in Africa, the ship returns via Valencia and Ibiza, where it spends the night – so nobody needs to worry about missing curfew.

The Modern Med to Ancient Aegean itinerary spends 11 nights connecting the dots of Europe’s most beautiful sandy shores and storied cities as it makes its way from Barcelona to Greece. This island-extravaganza stops on Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Malta, Santorini, Crete, and Mykonos before pulling into Athens.

Paint the Sea Red

Everywhere they go, Virgin Voyages brings its own color to itineraries, with Scarlet Lady and Resilient Lady keeping the good times flowing and floating in the Mediterranean and Europe. Each ship features 20-some eateries with menus designed by a Michelin-starred chef for delicious dining. And more than 80 percent of the cabins on the gorgeous lady ships feature Sea Terraces, with their signature red hammock.

Designed specifically for the 18-and-up audience by Tom Dixon and Concrete Amsterdam, these sanctuaries at sea show off state-of-the-art technology, sustainability, and signature Virgin Voyages fun – like Shake for Champagne, allowing Sailors to use the Virgin Voyages Sailor App to request Champagne anywhere on-board with a simple shake of their phone.

Wifi, gratuities, food, soda and water, fitness classes, and the amazing on-board entertainment are all packed into every rate. Because luxury is always included on Virgin Voyages, Sailors can focus on how to fit in basking on the beach with seeing spectacular sites instead of balancing a budget.

From the Sponsor:

With exclusively adult, superyacht-inspired lady ships featuring signature red hammocks on every balcony (exclusive to our brand!) and a focus on offering nothing less than exceptional service, our unique vision has been defying Sailors expectations since we first hit the water. And now that we’ve become the first brand to sweep the entire large ship category for the 2023 Cruise Critic Cruisers’ Choice Awards, as well as take home Condé Nast Traveler’s Best New Cruises in the World and Travel + Leisure’s #1 Best Mega Ship. Our elevated and epic itineraries are curated with adults in mind and create a place where the only youthful energy comes from Sailor’s inner-child running free. And while a lot of travel companies like to trick you with (extra) low prices in their headlines — nickel and diming Sailors later — every voyage provides over $1,000 of value which includes access to all the premium dining at our 20+ eateries with menus curated by Michelin star chefs, group fitness classes, WiFi, gratuities, award-winning entertainment, and a soda and drinks package. First Mates enjoy our Brilliant For You benefits, including 16% commission on voyage fares, plus 10% on bookables, bar tabs, and no NCFs. For more information or to sign up to be a Virgin Voyages First Mate, travel advisors can visit www.FirstMates.com.