Virgin Voyages Will Head to Northern Europe for the First Time in 2028

Virgin Voyages is going somewhere it has never gone: 71° North above the Arctic Circle, under a sun that refuses to set. In summer 2028, Valiant Lady (pictured above) debuts from Amsterdam, a new homeport for the brand's first-ever Scandinavia & Baltic season. Highlights include six epic itineraries—every voyage with a maiden call—capped by a marquee Arctic Circle crossing with a midnight sun deck party under 24-hour daylight.

"Plenty of brands call an expansion 'new' when it's really the same product with a different backdrop," said John Lovell, board member and senior advisor for Virgin Voyages. "This isn't that. Every voyage in this season has a new destination, and it's new to your client too."

Four completely different itineraries mean four completely different clients, and each one already has their own reason to book: the Baltic buyer planning a group trip around a Stockholm overnight; the Arctic Circle buyer chasing the milestone crossing of a lifetime; and the MNVV (My Next Virgin Voyages) holder eyeing the highest-value placeholder on the calendar.

Bookings open Aug. 13 for loyalty Sailors and for First Mates. If the pattern holds, suites and balcony cabins won't last the weekend. The Mediterranean sold out. The OG Summer Season Passes sold out. Alaska 2026 is sold out and 2027 is filling fast. Virgin Voyages built its name in the Med and the Caribbean, then pushed into Alaska and the West Coast. Northern Europe is the next move and the most ambitious one yet. Fewer sailings. Six entirely new itineraries. One unforgettable summer.

Four Voyages, One Endless Summer is the centerpiece of the season, with four immersive Northern Europe itineraries framed by two epic one-way voyages between Barcelona and Amsterdam. Together, the six sailings journey from Scandinavian capitals and overnight city stays to Norway's breathtaking fjords and an unforgettable crossing beyond the Arctic Circle, giving First Mates the ability to sell the region one voyage at a time or paired together.

Sailors who want the whole run can lock in the Summer Season Pass, back by popular demand after selling out in the Mediterranean and Caribbean. It's the same idea with Valiant's glow-up energy, colder latitudes and longer daylight. The Summer Season Pass— the booking option that sold out for the Mediterranean and Caribbean—is heading north as the ideal way to sail all four voyages back-to-back aboard Valiant Lady.

Included across all four voyages back-to-back on Valiant Lady: Central Sea Terrace cabin for two Sailors; $15 per Sailor, per night in onboard drink credit; 60-day dining reservation window; one complimentary Shore Thing excursion per voyage (up to $250 per Sailor); one complimentary Arctic Circle Discovery Excursion; upgraded Work From Sea Wi-Fi; wash & fold laundry service; one sea day Thermal Suite spa pass per voyage, per Sailor; priority boarding and a seamless back-to-back handling between voyages; private Champagne breakfast and reserved viewing area for the Arctic Circle crossing ceremony

Every Season Pass Sailor also receives a curated welcome package: a Nordic-themed food and drink kit with aquavit, Scandinavian chocolate and a sea salt tin; an exclusive Season Pass jacket in a Nordic colorway; a curated city guide or hand-drawn map set for major ports; and travel essentials including a water bottle, portable power bank and backpack.

Double occupancy is required across all four voyages along with full payment at time of booking, with a $100 refundable deposit to hold the package. Pricing will be announced Aug. 14, the same day bookings open. For seven weeks, every booking made by First Mates based in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the U.K. earns them a shot at a spot aboard one of these six voyages.

Aug. 14, 2026: Bookings open. Season Pass pricing announced. $100 deposit holds your package.

July 9, 2028: Season opens in Barcelona.

Aug. 14, 2028: Valiant Lady crosses the Arctic Circle.

Sept. 4, 2028: Season closes in Barcelona.

Virgin Voyages Northern Europe cruises on Valiant Lady include:

Western Europe: Barcelona to Amsterdam: July 9-19,10 nights. Ports: Barcelona, Casablanca, Lisbon (overnight), La Coruña, Cherbourg, Amsterdam. Highlights: A warm-water opener before the ship turns north, with a call in Casablanca at the Hassan II Mosque and a full overnight in Lisbon.

Scandinavia and Stockholm Overnight: July 19-31, 2028, 12 nights. Ports: Amsterdam, Oslo, Copenhagen, GdaÅ„sk, Stockholm (overnight), Berlin (via Warnemünde), Aarhus. Highlights: Five countries and six maiden ports, anchored by an overnight in Stockholm, where the ship threads the archipelago at golden hour and stays through a second morning. Berlin joins by a two-hour train from Warnemünde, a full day in the capital and back by dinner.

Norwegian Fjords: July 31-Aug. 7, 2028, seven nights. Ports: Amsterdam, Molde, Nordfjordeid, Flåm, Bergen. Highlights: No Oslo, no big cities, just four fjord ports small enough to feel undiscovered. Bergen anchors the voyage as one of the highest-rated ports in the fleet and Molde offers sweeping views across the Romsdal Alps, plus easy access to the Trollstigen road for those who want the drive.

Scandinavia and Hamburg: Aug. 7-14, seven nights. Ports: Amsterdam, Oslo, Copenhagen (late stay to 11 p.m.), Hamburg (late stay to nearly midnight). Highlights: Three cities, two late stays, zero filler. Hamburg stays open until nearly midnight so Sailors can catch the city's live music scene and the Elbphilharmonie the way locals do.

Arctic Circle and Norwegian Fjords: Aug. 14-25, 11 nights. Ports: Amsterdam, Bergen, Tromsø, Honningsvåg, Trondheim, Åndalsnes, Olden. Highlights: The marquee sailing of the season. The ship crosses the Arctic Circle with a full onboard ceremony and a midnight sun deck party under 24-hour daylight, then calls on Honningsvåg – gateway to the North Cape – the northernmost point in mainland Europe reachable by road.

Western Europe: Amsterdam to Barcelona: Aug. 25-Sept. 4, 10 nights. Ports: Amsterdam, Cherbourg, La Coruña, Lisbon (overnight), Tangier, Barcelona. Highlights: The same spine, reversed, with a different ending: Tangier, a more intimate counterpart to Casablanca, with its medina and views across the Strait of Gibraltar, paired with Cherbourg.