The older you get, the more trying to get a date in the diary when all your friends can be in the same place at the same time starts to feel like spinning plates. So it’s easy to mourn group holidays as the domain of those without full-time jobs or family responsibilities.
But self-professed girls’ trip expert Vanessa Lama Gomez is proof that it doesn’t have to be that way. She and her three closest friends – all travel industry veterans – have gone on holiday together every year since 2015 (save for the cursed pandemic years, of course, but we don’t talk about those).
Amid changing jobs, partners and cities, these trips have remained the one constant. “We all live in different areas now and we don’t get to see each other as much,” says Gomez. “So travelling is a way for us to spend that quality time together.
“My friends have always been there for me, they’re my rock. Obviously, life does take over. But I think it’s really important to make time for your friends and be there for them as much as they are for you.”
Planning a trip with friends? Enjoy luxury accommodation and food created by Michelin-starred chefs on a whistle-stop tour of the Mediterranean’s most fabulous destinations
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Sun, sea and satisfaction
All aboard for a holiday
to remember
Picture perfect
Vanessa and her
friends never ran
out of things to do
Virgin Voyages ships are exclusively adult sanctuaries gliding around the pristine waters of the Mediterranean. Whether it’s lush Greek islands you’re after or sun-kissed Spain, there’s the perfect voyage for you.
Should run on the image...
Grown-up holiday
Marvels of the Med The cruise includes stops in Spain, France and Italy
Naturally, working in the industry has given the friends somewhat of an advantage when it comes to navigating holidays. But Gomez says her biggest tip is simple: make a dedicated group chat (if you don’t have one already) and lock the dates in before you even make the booking. That way, the trip becomes as fixed a commitment as any important meeting.
Back in the day, a classic Vegas break would do the trick. But now they’re all in their late thirties, Gomez has found it’s crucial to put together a pick-and-mix selection of activities to keep everyone happy. “We’re all quite independent,” she says. “We’ve got one friend who loves reading, so she might just sit by the pool while the rest of us go do something else. I think it’s nice to have that balance.”
Which is why a Virgin Voyages sailing proved to be the perfect choice for the group’s post-Covid reunion tour – starting in Barcelona and stopping off along the French Riviera and Tuscan coast, making its final stop in Ibiza before ending in Barcelona. So far, the award-winning brand has taken its sailors around the Caribbean and Mediterranean in style with its adults-only cruises so they were in expert hands.
“It’s kind of like going on a different city break every day,” says Gomez. “But if you don’t want to get off and explore, you can also stay on the ship and you’ve still got loads of options.” From a nightclub with a 3am finish that incorporates flash mob-style performances to pool parties, “we never struggled for what to do”.
Sometimes, the early birds would split off for yoga at dawn and watch the sun crest above the glittering Mediterranean. Others (not naming names) would opt for a dancercise class to the dulcet tones of the Backstreet Boys instead.
that’s like ‘a city
break every day’
There are also plenty of food choices, with more than 20 restaurants – and menus created by Michelin-starred chefs – all included in the price. Think starting the day indulging in salt-crusted fish at The Wake restaurant or picking an ice cream flavour from the affogato trolley. “You literally have everything you need in one place,” says Gomez.
That’s not to mention all the other small but important friendship-cementing moments in between. Belting out Dua Lipa in the private karaoke booth, for example, or watching the glittering lights of Ibiza from the jacuzzi on the final leg of the journey.
“We got to do loads of little things that we will remember for a long time,” Gomez says. “And I’m sure we’ll still be going on these holidays when we retire,” she laughs. “Maybe once in a while we’ll even allow the men to join.”
Sun salutations
Start the day with morning yoga on the deck
Find out more and book your cruise at virginvoyages.com
