Europe (Non-Mediterranean)

Northern Europe sailings on Virgin Voyages are a different animal from the Mediterranean. Cooler, greener, more walking, more history, less beach. They're the itineraries we recommend to Sailors who've already done the Med (or who genuinely prefer cities to islands), and they're routes where the off-ship time tends to be longer and more cultural. We're Joel and Erin, and here's how Northern Europe shapes up.

Southampton, England — The primary UK homeport. Most Sailors use it as the gateway to London. The train from Southampton Central to London Waterloo is about 90 minutes and the move is to add 2-3 days in London either side of the cruise. Stay in Covent Garden or South Bank, hit the museums (the British Museum is free, the V&A is free, Tate Modern is free — there's no reason not to), do a West End show, eat at Borough Market.

Lisbon, Portugal — One of our favorite cities anywhere. Hilly, walkable, food obsessed. Alfama for the old-town lanes and fado music in the evenings, Belém for the Jerónimos Monastery and the Pastéis de Belém (the original pastéis de nata — accept no substitutes), the LX Factory for the design and food-and-drink hangs. The tram 28 is the iconic ride; it's also crowded as anything.

Porto, Portugal — The smaller, scrappier, arguably better-vibe sister city to Lisbon. The Ribeira riverfront, port wine cellars across the river in Vila Nova de Gaia (Taylor's, Graham's, Sandeman's), Livraria Lello (the bookshop that allegedly inspired Harry Potter), and the best francesinha sandwich in the world at Café Santiago. Walk it. The whole city walks.

Copenhagen, Denmark — Bike it if you can — Copenhagen is a bike city before it's anything else. Nyhavn (the colorful waterfront), Tivoli Gardens, the Little Mermaid (smaller than the photos suggest — be ready), Christiania the autonomous neighborhood, and Reffen the street-food market. Eat at Hija de Sanchez or any of the Noma alumni's casual spots.

Dublin and Belfast, Ireland — Dublin for Guinness (the Storehouse tour is touristy but earned), Trinity College and the Book of Kells, Temple Bar (drink elsewhere, the prices are tourist-traps), and the literary pub crawls. Belfast for the Titanic Quarter, the Crumlin Road Gaol, and the Giant's Causeway day trip an hour outside the city.

Edinburgh, Scotland — Possibly the most picturesque city in Northern Europe. Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile, Arthur's Seat (climb it for the city view), the whisky shops, and the New Town's Georgian streets. The ship usually docks in Leith or South Queensferry; both are short transit to town.

Some itineraries also include Norwegian fjord ports (Bergen, Geiranger, Stavanger, Flåm), which are spectacular in summer and require warm layers.

Northern Europe vs Mediterranean — Which VV Sailing Is Right for You

If you want sun, swimming, and beach days, the Med wins. If you want walkable cities with deep history, museum days, and great food and drink in cooler weather, Northern Europe wins. The Med also tends to have shorter port calls (full days but ship moves overnight). Northern Europe itineraries often include longer in-port stays (Copenhagen, Lisbon and Edinburgh frequently get overnights or extended late departures).

Onboard, the VV experience is the same — same restaurants, same Bar Tab, same Manor, same Scarlet Night. But the weather affects the deck venues. Pool days are fewer on Northern itineraries. The Thermal Suite and Redemption Spa get more love. The bars run later. Pack layers — even in summer, the Baltic and the North Sea can run cool, and you'll want a real jacket for Norwegian fjord days.

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