Plan Now for Smooth Sailing Next Summer

Ladies, gentlemen, and Sailors of all stripes start your calendars: now is the time for planning epic European adventures for 2025—and beyond. Nothing keeps travelers warm on a cold winter night quite like dreams of Greek Isles, sipping sauv blanc in Bordeaux, and spotting celebrities in Sardinia. Since there’s no better way to see more of Europe than by sea, Virgin Voyages brings Sailors to every corner of the continent, from Istanbul’s ancient architecture to Bilbao’s modern art and from Casablanca’s white sand shores to Iceland’s color-streaked skies.

Play, Stay, and Never Hit the Hay

Europe is all about lingering over long meals as the sun sets over the Mediterranean and staying out all night until it rises outside the club the next morning. Virgin Voyages tailors its sailings to make sure Sailors who want to stay out until the wee hours won’t miss the boat on an amazing trip by including late night departures and overnight stops in Europe’s hottest cities. Sailors can hit the star-studded DJ sets in Ibiza, spill out of cocktail bars on the cobblestone streets of Mykonos, and let the sounds of Portuguese Fado give them all the feels late into the Lisbon night without worrying about when to head home.

Nearly every Virgin Voyages sailing features a late stay or an overnight, and the exclusively adults-only, award-winning environment means nobody needs to come back to the ship for their afternoon nap—unless they want to—so Sailors can spend all day seeing the sights and all night being a sight to be seen.

See More by Sea

Sailors boarding Resilient Lady in Barcelona can put their suitcase away until they step off in Athens, five countries and eight nights later. Traveling by ship makes the journey a part of the destination, but it also makes it easy to wave goodbye to the white walls and blue domes of Santorini one night and wake up to a breakfast baklava and browse artisan carpets in Bodrum.

While Virgin Voyages itineraries leave from well-connected cities like Rome, Barcelona, or Reykjavik they continue on to the hidden gems of Europe’s Mediterranean shoreline, such as La Coruña in Galician Spain and the Tuscan port of Marina di Carrara (yes, like the marble).

With four dozen itineraries already available for Europe in 2025 and 2026, it’s high time to book an adventure on the high seas, be it an action-packed island-hopping odyssey around Greece, cruising up the Croatian coast, or a full tour of the Mediterranean’s azure waters, from Gaudí’s whimsical Barcelona buildings to the ancientartifacts of Athens.

Book Now for the Bucket List

Sailing into the path of totality of an eclipse is a once in a lifetime adventure and two of Virgin Voyages lady ships will make the most of the opportunity in 2026. Part of the Marvelous Voyages series, these 12- and 15-night itineraries make for an epic way to experience an eclipse, celebrating the cosmic occurrence with all the proper equipment for ooh-ing, aah-ing, and observing. Special programming includes on-board experts, new moon ceremonies, and starry symphonies. The Marvelous Voyages and all Virgin Voyages trips through 2026 are now available for booking—but will likely fill up faster than a shooting star.

From the Sponsor:

With exclusively adult, superyacht-inspired lady ships featuring signature red hammocks on most balconies (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 for 2023 and most recently again 2024. You read that right, two years in a row! Our elevated and epic itineraries are curated with adults in mind and createa 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.