Virgin Voyages: French Daze & Ibiza Nights Itinerary

Pre- & post-cruise stays:

Before this cruise we stayed three nights in Barcelona. This gave us enough time to shake off the jet lag and explore everything Barcelona has to offer. During this time we were able to visit the famous Sagrada Família, the Gaudi house Casa Batlló, Park Güell, Mercat de la Boqueria and a few of the local shopping areas. We also had traditional Catalonian pastries, the famous churros & chocolate, plenty of tapas and squeezed in dinner at a Michelin-star restaurant ‘Mont Bar’.

Image 1: Visiting the one of the Gaudi houses, Casa Batlló ; Image 2: Inside the Sagrada Família in Barcelona

Essentials to bring:

Make sure to pack plenty of bathing suits, cover ups, light jacket and a pair of good walking shoes. There is so much to see at each port, and chances are you will be walking a lot.

Don’t forget to pack a red outfit for Scarlet Night on board and a cute pair of pajamas for the PJ party.

I really liked having a portable phone charger with me too - this is great so you can recharge when you're off the ship.

Image 1: Shopping in Cannes ; Image 2: Celebrity handprints in Cannes

The ship:

Each Virgin Lady ship offers over 20 eateries with menus that are curated by Michelin-star chefs, along with group fitness classes, WiFi, award-winning entertainment and all essential beverages. There is also 24-hour room service available with ShipEats.

Onboard you’ll find a casino, spa and multiple lounges each with their own vibe. If you are looking to do some shopping, head down to High Street. There is even a salon, barbers and tattoo shop on board.

Entertainment and activities:

Image 1: Ibiza ; Image 2: Palma de Mallorca

The Happenings Cast hosts various events, workshops, shows and activities across the ship. The Virgin Voyages App provides sailors with a breakdown of all of the ship's events each day. Virgin’s shows are not your average cruise-line entertainment either.

Port calls:

Marseille (Provence)

For Marseille I would recommend booking an excursion to explore the Calanques. This area offers some of the most beautiful views in the Mediterranean. The high cliffs, pebble beaches, and pristine water are breathtaking. You can kayak or tour the area by boat, it makes for a beautiful day on the water.

If you plan on staying in town, take advantage of the French shopping. France offers some of the best skincare, cosmetics, fragrances, and shopping around the world. Outside of the city lie the famous lavender fields, another popular destination.

Image 1: Horchata ice cream at Ca’n Joan de S’Aigo ; Image 2: Bites at The Dock onboard

Cannes

Cannes is a resort town on the French Riviera. The town is filled with luxury shopping destinations, sandy beaches, and boutique restaurants. We spent our day exploring the town, indulging in the luxury shopping along Boulevard de la Croisette, and even stopped for some macaroons at La Duree.

Famous for hosting the International Film Festival, you can stop and see the red carpet at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès. Along the building, they have the handprints of many of the actors and directors who have attended the Cannes Film Festival.

Palma De Mallorca

Palma is the capital of the Spanish island of Mallorca. Adorned with beautiful Palm trees, Palma is truly breathtaking. The picturesque city is extremely walkable and has so much to see. Entering the city you are greeted with the massive Catedral, Basilica de Santa Maria de Mallorca. Around the cathedral, you will have beautiful views of the coast. From the downtown city center to the medieval streets, each corner of the city had something to offer.

While in town, do not miss Can Joan de s’Aigo. Owned by a small Mallorcan family, they have some of the most authentic homemade pastries, sweets and coffee. Our favorite find was the horchata ice cream - made the Mallorcan way with almonds, yum!

Ibiza

Ibiza is a small Spanish island in the Mediterranean. Only a short bus ride from the port is a chic boho walkable shopping area, overlooked by the Castle of Ibiza. In town you’ll find plenty of tapas restaurants, bars and local shopping. It’s also well known for its nightlife scene - Virgin offers trips to two of the famous nightclubs, Hï Ibiza & Ushuaïa.

While in town, be sure to pick up some Ibizian salt, ‘Sal de Ibiza’, sourced from the salt marshes of Ibiza. It is a purse seal salt, meaning it comes from natural evaporated seawater. You can even take a trip to visit the Ses Salines Natural Park to see the Ibiza Salt Flats. The Parque Natural de Ses Salines is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

I highly recommend trying Virgin Voyages on your next cruise. This was my first cruise ever and I loved how effortless it felt. Virgin made sure I felt like a rockstar throughout my voyage. If you are interested in sailing with Virgin please reach out, I would be happy to help you with your cruise.

For this specific cruise, I would recommend traveling during the summer months or early fall. This is one of the best times to enjoy everything the Mediterranean has to offer.

If you are considering traveling in a large group, Virgin is happy to have you on board. They have made group bookings seamless to ensure that you and your group won’t have to worry about a thing.

Virgin has also recently started offering the option to tie the knot on board. They have a few different wedding packages to choose from and can be added to any itinerary.

For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our Cruises page.