8 Cities, 2 Continents, 10 Days

Our Mediterranean Cruise on Virgin Voyages

We never imagined we'd be cruise people.

For years the idea of a cruise felt like something that wasn't quite our style — too packaged, too predictable, too tied to someone else’s schedule with no room for spontaneity. Then we tried Virgin Voyages for the first time in January 2024 on a 5-day Caribbean sailing out of Miami, and we came home converts. The ship was stylish, the food was sensational, (so much for those New Year Resolution diets!) and the crew was exceptional. The whole experience felt nothing like the cruises we'd imagined in our heads.

So, when we started thinking about our next big adventure, an email for Virgin Voyages' Mediterranean itinerary popped up in our inbox, and we didn't hesitate for a second!

The Itinerary: A Sampler Plate of Europe and Beyond

This was a first time offering of a 10-day sailing aboard Scarlet Lady with stops in Barcelona, Malaga, Cadiz, Valencia, Mallorca, and Ibiza — plus Casablanca, and Marrakech, Morocco.

Final tally: 8 cities, 2 countries, 2 continents, 10 days. All without repacking a single bag.

That's the thing about cruising that doesn't get said enough — it's the only way to cover that much ground at that pace without the logistical chaos of flights, luggage transfers, and hotel check-ins every other day. You unpack once, and the ship carries you from port to port while you sleep. We'd challenge anyone to put together that same itinerary independently without completely exhausting themselves. Trust us, we tried doing it ourselves touring the Christmas Markets in Europe, so we know better!

One Day Per Port — Is It Enough?

Let’s be real, one day in a port city doesn't give you a complete picture of a place. We won't pretend otherwise. Cadiz deserves more than a few hours. So does Barcelona, though we've been lucky enough to spend more time there on other trips.

But that's not really the point of a cruise like this one.

What it does brilliantly is let you sample different places and cultures, sort of like a Pu Pu platter for travelers. You spend a morning wandering Malaga and realize you want a whole week there someday. You walk through the souks in Marrakech and immediately start thinking about coming back for longer. The cruise becomes a scouting trip as much as a vacation — and we think that's actually a wonderful way to approach it. Come home with a short list of places you want to return to. That's not a limitation. That's the gift.

Marrakech: Worth Every Minute

If you're sailing into Casablanca, do not skip a trip to Marrakech. Marrakech is unlike

anywhere else we've ever been. The color, the noise, the food, the architecture — the impact of it hits all of your senses at once and doesn't let go. We shot a full video there that we think captures it better than words can, so head to our YouTube channel if you want a deep dive into this incredible place.

A Familiar Face at Sea

One of our favorite moments of the entire trip had nothing to do with a port city. When we boarded the Scarlet Lady, our cabin steward turned out to be Amri — the same attendant who had looked after us on our Caribbean sailing the year before. Out of the hundreds of guests he'd cared for since then, he remembered us.

We're choosing to believe it was for good reasons!

That kind of warmth is hard to manufacture, and it's one of the reasons we keep coming back to Virgin Voyages.

Our Honest Take

We paid for every bit of this trip ourselves — no complimentary upgrades, no discounts, no brand partnerships involved. We say that because we want you to trust what we're telling you: this was a genuinely wonderful experience, and we'd do it again in a heartbeat.

If you've been on the fence about cruising, consider this your gentle nudge. Waking up in a new city every morning, spending the day exploring, and returning to a fabulous meal against a Mediterranean sunset — with no airport lines or luggage to haul — is a very good way to travel.

Do your homework. There is a cruise line, destination and budget for every traveler. Do you want a family cruise or an adults only trip? Are you looking to visit a new port every day or would you prefer more sea days lounging by the pool?  All the options are available for you to choose. And remember, cruising is for all age groups. We weren’t the youngest on our cruise, but we sure weren’t the oldest either. Cruising is for both the young and the young at heart.

Check out our YouTube channel for individual videos from Barcelona, Malaga, Casablanca, Marrakech, and more. Let us know in the comments which destination is calling your name.

Grandpa Bobby and Grandpa Scott