You are celebrating with friends
A birthday, an anniversary, a group that has been promising itself this trip for years. The ship is social without being loud all day, and nobody has to pack a jacket and tie.
2027 group sailing · adults only
Virgin Voyages Mediterranean: Athens to Rome
Nine nights aboard Scarlet Lady at the very end of the Mediterranean summer, from the Acropolis to Rome. Four countries, six ports, and you unpack once.
- Where
- Athens, Bodrum, Santorini, Mykonos, Valletta, Catania, the Amalfi Coast and Rome
- When
- 29 August to 7 September 2027, with an Athens night on 28 August
- Length
- 9 nights aboard Scarlet Lady, one way
- Starting at
- $2,205 per person, Insider cabin, two sharing
Join Majestic Dream Vacations aboard Scarlet Lady for nine nights across the eastern and central Mediterranean. You board in Athens, wake up in Turkey, spend back to back days on Santorini and Mykonos, cross to Malta, stop in Sicily under Mount Etna, and reach the Amalfi Coast on US Labor Day before the ship arrives in Rome.
Virgin Voyages is adults only, with no formal nights, no buffet and more than twenty places to eat included in the fare, which makes it an easy ship to share with friends. We recommend arriving in Athens the day before the ship sails, and we build that night in for you.
Who this is designed for
This sailing suits you if
You want a lot of Europe in one trip
Greece, Turkey, Malta and Italy in nine nights, without repacking a suitcase or catching a train. And Labor Day falls during the voyage, so it uses fewer vacation days than its length suggests.
You are traveling solo
Virgin builds cabins designed for one traveler, and a group sailing means familiar faces at dinner. Every guest is 18 or older.
Day by day
Itinerary
One night in Athens, nine nights at sea, two sea days, and a disembarkation morning in Rome.
28 Aug
Saturday 28 August · Arrive in Athens
Fly into Athens International Airport, where your transfer takes you to the hotel for the night. Arriving a day early is the one thing we insist on for this sailing: the ship leaves at five the next afternoon, and an overnight transatlantic flight needs somewhere to land that is not a pier. Walk out to the Plaka for dinner, or rest and let Greece start in the morning.
29 Aug
Sunday 29 August · Board Scarlet Lady in Piraeus
A relaxed morning in Athens, then a transfer to the port of Piraeus to board Scarlet Lady. The ship is scheduled to sail at 5:00 PM. Find your cabin, find the pool, and watch the Attica coastline fall away as the voyage begins.
30 Aug
Monday 30 August · At sea
The first of two full days aboard. The spa, a fitness class, the pool deck, a long lunch at one of the ship’s restaurants, or nothing at all. Sea days are part of the rhythm of this itinerary, not a gap in it.
31 Aug
Tuesday 31 August · Bodrum, Turkey
In port from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Bodrum’s harbor is watched over by the Castle of St. Peter, built by the Knights of St. John, and the town around it runs to whitewashed streets, a waterfront lined with cafes, and the remains of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. A long port day, with time for the castle, the bazaar and a late lunch by the water.
1 Sep
Wednesday 1 September · Santorini, Greece (tender port)
In port from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Santorini is a tender port: the ship anchors in the caldera and small boats carry you ashore. Oia and Fira sit along the rim of the caldera, the cliffs of volcanic rock below them, and the island’s vineyards grow low to the ground to survive the wind.
2 Sep
Thursday 2 September · Mykonos, Greece (tender port)
In port from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM, also by tender. Walk the lanes of Mykonos Town, see the windmills above Little Venice, or head for one of the island’s beaches. The ship stays until eight, so there is time for the early evening on shore.
3 Sep
Friday 3 September · At sea
The second day aboard, halfway across the Mediterranean between Greece and Malta.
4 Sep
Saturday 4 September · Valletta, Malta
In port from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Valletta is a walled capital built by the Knights of St. John on a peninsula between two harbors, small enough to cross on foot. St. John’s Co-Cathedral, the Upper Barrakka Gardens above the Grand Harbour, and streets of honey-colored limestone.
5 Sep
Sunday 5 September · Catania, Sicily, Italy
In port from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Catania is built from the black lava of Mount Etna, which rises behind the city. Its fish market is one of the liveliest in Italy, and the drive up the volcano’s slopes or south to the hill town of Taormina are the classic days out.
6 Sep
Monday 6 September · Amalfi Coast (Salerno), Italy
In port from 7:30 AM to 6:30 PM, in Salerno. The towns of the Amalfi Coast, Amalfi, Positano and Ravello, are reached from here by road or by boat, so plan the day around the one you most want to see. It is Labor Day at home.
7 Sep
Tuesday 7 September · Arrive in Rome (Civitavecchia)
Scarlet Lady is scheduled to arrive at Civitavecchia, the port for Rome, at 6:30 AM. This is a disembarkation morning, not a day in Rome. Transfer to Rome’s Fiumicino airport for your flight home, stay on in Rome, or fly on to Santorini to join our Greece land Experience, which starts there on 8 September.
Ports can move
Port order, arrival and departure times are set by the cruise line and can change. The times above are those scheduled today, not a guarantee.
The detail
What is and is not included
Included
- Nine nights aboard Scarlet Lady, in the cabin category you choose
- Dining at the ship’s included restaurants. Virgin Voyages has no buffet and no set dining times
- Drip coffee, teas, still and sparkling water, non-pressed juices and soda
- Wi-Fi, at the level that comes with your fare
- Group fitness classes and onboard entertainment
- A Majestic Dream Vacations host with the group, once ten or more travellers have paid. Below that number the sailing runs without one, and you have a named contact at Majestic Dream Vacations who handles anything that comes up while you are away
- The services of Majestic Dream Vacations
Not included
- Crew gratuities. Virgin Voyages charges a daily service gratuity of $20 per person per night if prepaid, $180 per person for this sailing, or $22 per night if charged on board. It covers the whole crew, and there is no tipping on drinks, spa or dining on top of it
- International airfare. This sailing is one way, so you fly into Athens and home from Rome. We are happy to quote your flights
- Alcoholic drinks, specialty coffees and premium beverages, unless your fare includes a Bar Tab
- Shore excursions, which Virgin calls Shore Things, and anything you arrange ashore
- Spa treatments and personal purchases
- Travel insurance, which we strongly recommend
- Anything not listed under Included
Cost
Starting at $2,205 per person, Insider cabin, two sharing
Virgin Voyages’ published Essential fare, read 30 September 2026, per person, two sharing, taxes and fees included, before gratuities. Fares change daily until a group hold locks them.
Essential, in plain words: it is refundable as Virgin Voyages Future Voyage Credit, some changes are allowed, Classic WiFi is included, and dinner reservations open 45 days before sailing.
Insider Cabin (inside), per person$2,205
Sea View Cabin (window), per person$2,295
Sea Terrace Cabin, limited view, per person$2,475
Traveling soloSolo price on request, stated before you book
Deposit, at booking20% of your cruise fare
Final payment due1 May 2027
Per person, based on two guests sharing a cabin. Crew gratuities are not included: $20 per person per night if prepaid, $180 per person for this nine-night sailing. Your price is confirmed at the time of booking, in writing, and your card is not charged until confirmation comes back from our team.
After you book a consultation
What happens next
1
We talk it through
Who is traveling, which cabin suits you, and whether you are staying on in Rome or joining us in Greece afterwards.
2
You get it in writing
Your price for the cabin you chose, the deposit, and every payment date, set out in writing before you pay anything.
3
Flights and insurance
International airfare is not included and this sailing is one way, into Athens and home from Rome. We are happy to quote your flights and your travel insurance.
4
Everything you need before you fly
Once your final payment is in, your pre-departure information follows: documents for the countries you visit, the Athens arrival, boarding, and what to pack for late summer in the Mediterranean.
Before you book
Important notes
Will a Majestic Dream Vacations host travel with the group?
When ten or more travellers have paid, a Majestic Dream Vacations host travels with the group. Below that number the trip runs without one, and you have a named contact at Majestic Dream Vacations who handles anything that comes up while you are away.
Is there a minimum age?
Yes. Virgin Voyages is adults only. Every guest must be 18 or older at the time of sailing. This is not a sailing children can join.
What is a tender port?
Santorini and Mykonos are tender ports. The ship anchors offshore and reaching shore means stepping down into a small boat from the ship. If anyone in your party uses a wheelchair or scooter, tell us at booking: Virgin requires a Fully Accessible Cabin and 45 days’ notice, and tendering may not be possible.
How do crew gratuities work?
They are not in the fare. Virgin Voyages charges a daily service gratuity of $20 per person per night if prepaid, $180 per person for this sailing, or $22 per night if charged on board. It covers the whole crew, so there is no tipping on drinks, spa or dining on top of it.
Why arrive in Athens the day before?
The ship sails at 5:00 PM on 29 August. A delayed transatlantic flight on sailing day can mean missing the ship, so we build the night of 28 August in for you.
What documents do I need?
This sailing visits four countries: Greece, Turkey, Malta and Italy. You are responsible for carrying the passport, identification, visas and any other documents the sailing requires. Tell us your citizenship at booking and we will confirm what applies to you well before you reach the pier.
Is the price fixed?
Fares on Virgin Voyages move daily. The prices on this page are Virgin Voyages’ published Essential fares, read 30 September 2026. Your price is confirmed at the time of booking, in writing, before you pay anything.
29 August to 7 September 2027
Ask us about a cabin
Book a consultation and we will talk through cabins, flights and whether you want to stay on in Greece.