Nautica Voyage Review (2023) Affordable Fragrance For Men

Are you looking for a cologne that balances allure and adventure? American sportswear retailer Nautica recently extended its reach to fragrances that suit men with a taste for both. One of the brand’s most successful scents, Voyage brings aquatic and floral notes without the high fragrance prices. If you aren’t trying to spend a small fortune building your fragrance collection, Nautica Voyage falls into that category.

It smells excellent and will work nearly anywhere through the summer months, but also gets it done in fall and spring. Girls love it, guys love it, even animals and babies are probably crazy for the stuff (they just can’t tell us).

If you’re looking for the ins and outs of Voyage, you came to the right place. Our Nautica Voyage review covers all the bases and addresses everything you need to know to make an informed cologne decision, from the scents involved down to the sillage. Voyage isn’t for everyone, but countless guys consider this a tried and true scent.

Read on to see if it’s right for you.

Key Takeaways

Nautica Voyage has been around for a long time, but that doesn’t stop it from being a well-rounded, accessible, and high-performance fragrance. Although it may be overworn because of its long time in the limelight, the cologne is popular with decent sillage, fair longevity, and appropriate depth.

In this Nautica Voyage cologne review, you’ll discover everything you need to know—fragrance notes, ideal occasions, packaging and price, popularity, sillage, and longevity. You’ll even get some alternatives if you’re leaning toward something a little different.

Fragrance Notes & Scent

Top notes: Apple, Green leaves, lotus

Middle notes: Lotus, mimosa

Base notes: Musk, cedar, oakmoss, amber, marine notes

From the moment you uncap the bottle, you can smell the sophisticated, earthy notes of green leaves, apples, and wood. The scent is light and enjoyable, evoking feelings of spring and summer. After a few moments, the top notes give way to a bouquet of scents hidden within.

Middle notes of lotus and mimosa maintain the adventurous, natural tones but provide a hint of maturity. Following the flowers of summer days, Nautica Voyage finally yields to the deeper scents of a curious and alluring mix of cedar, amber, oakmoss, and musk.

Like those who wear it, there’s more to Nautica Voyage than meets the eye. A complex man deserves a layered scent profile, and that’s what Nautica Voyage provides. The creators sought to make an aquatic, sweet scent that feels like warm seaspray. Mission accomplished.

Usage and Occasion

Nautica Voyage is masculine and refreshing but not attention-grabbing or spicy. It’s ideal for calm spring and summer days, but there are better choices for a nighttime cologne. Pleasant floral notes like lotus, green leaves, and apples complement the growing season, while the aquatic, musky tones are reminiscent of summer sailing.

As a daytime cologne, Nautica Voyage is ideal for when you’re out and about. It doesn’t have the longevity to last an entire day on one spritz, but two will persist through your workday or daylight adventures.

However, Nautica Voyage isn’t the scent for a night on the town or a romantic dinner date. It lacks the intrigue, full body, spiciness, and strength of other colognes. The fragrance’s moderate sillage restricts it, so you won’t be drawing too much attention. Voyage’s notes may also clash with the natural scents of autumn and winter, so it’s worth having backup colognes during those seasons.

Packaging and Price

Packaging considerations might not be at the top of you’re need to know list, but they’re essential to any Nautica Voyage review.  Even though you can find Nautica rubbing elbows with brands like Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger in department stores, it’s much more affordable than other designers.

Typically, a 3.3oz bottle of Nautica Voyage can be had for less than twenty dollars on Amazon. Pretty shocking for a cologne this good from such a well-loved brand, but it’s true. You can opt for a bottle of Voyage by itself or shake things up with a gift set, including deodorizing spray, for a budget-friendly price.

The bottle is elegant and worthy of the smell it contains. Its sleek right angles, blue to clear ombre, and perfectly square shape work well with the energetic nature of Nautica Voyage. A fitting bottle that captures the feel of this cool, outdoorsy cologne effortlessly.

Overall, Nautica Voyage aims for a cheaper and more accessible position among other men’s cologne choices. The price is justified since the scent premiered in 2006 and comes from a sportswear brand rather than a primo EDP creator. It’s great for non-committal wearers or men who are new to colognes.

Trend and Popularity

If you don’t want to take my word in this Nautica Voyage review, then see what Amazon has to say. Spoiler alert: they say it’s one of the most widely-loved scents around.

Although this scent premiered in 2006, it usually remains a best-selling eau de toilette on Amazon, with nearly five stars and over 80 thousand reviews. Those are serious numbers that speak volumes. Toss in the fact that this cologne is extremely affordable no matter your income level, and you have a surefire hit.

It’s not trendy in the same way luxury brands can be, but that doesn’t matter. Unless you’re the type of guy who wants to be on the cutting edge of trends at all times, this cologne will do right by you.

So yes, Nautica had the advantage of already being a reputable sportswear and lifestyle clothing brand, which helped make Voyage one of the most accessible colognes on the market. But today, Voyage is still one of the top-performing men’s colognes, especially for newcomers or budget shoppers. For many, Nautica Voyage is a forever scent, suiting all daytime occasions.

Sillage and Longevity

Nautica Voyage has moderate sillage and longevity. It’s not an aggressive head-turning cologne that demands attention from passersby, but it is a masculine and noticeable scent for anyone close. It typically lasts about 4 to 5 hours, which is standard for eau de toilette fragrances. That’s plenty of time to enjoy a day of activity outdoors.

If you’re a man who wears cologne at work, you may find the longevity a little weak, requiring several spritzes throughout your shift. Nautica doesn’t offer an eau de parfum, so there’s no getting around its average lifetime. Thankfully, there’s a larger 6.7 fluid ounce size to account for when you want to apply Nautica Voyage more often.

Being an everyday cologne suits Voyage due to its cheap price. Expensive primo scents are great for special occasions, but using too much can be expensive over time. Voyage’s status as a casual daytime scent lets you purchase more of it while staying money-conscious. Since so many men adore this fragrance, they can indulge in it all spring and summer long.

What We Like

Its availability and affordability make it a great option for fragrance newbies.

The scent works all spring and summer long and wears well for both work and play. It strikes a perfect balance between being a non-committal cologne and a reliable favorite.

While Nautica Voyage does have enough complexity to give it some intrigue, it is a simple and easy-to-appreciate cologne.

Flaws But Not Deal-Breakers

Attractive but not the sexiest scent. You may notice other men smelling just like you in public spaces as well, giving you less fragrance identity.

Nautica Voyage Review: What Are Customers Saying About?

Customers love Nautica Voyage. 86k positive Amazon Nautica Voyage reviews don’t lie, after all. Everyone loves the price, and that’s no surprise, considering how much this scent punches above its weight class. Can you put a price on confidence, though? “I’ve only worn it out once so far, but boy could I not stop smiling and feeling confident all day for the life of me.” This reviewer says you can, and it’s affordable.

Some guys like Ro even prefer Voyage to other name brands. “I have used a few colognes namely Guess, D&G, Burberry, they are all on the expensive end and none of them got me any compliments. This is the only cologne that many said smelled good on me. For the last 7 years, this has been my go-to cologne.”

Some complain it isn’t quite strong enough for long outings and isn’t quite sexy enough for hot dates. I’d say Angelique would disagree—”It smells like ‘you have to the count of 5 to drop them drawers’ and just the smell of it makes magical things.” But I’ll let you be the judge of that.

Final Verdict

After taking all of the information from my Nautica Voyage review into account, you should now know where you stand. This classic scent’s popularity continues to increase as more and more satisfied men get their hands on it. The value, presentation, simplicity, and reliability are its major selling points.

The longevity isn’t great, but for guys looking for the perfect light, versatile cologne for warmer months, Nautica Voyage will fill the gap. It has a fresh, fruity scent that compliments a nautical life perfectly but will also work nearly anywhere you go. If you’re trying to impress professionally or woo on a date, you might want something stronger and more mature, but everywhere else, this is a killer scent. If you haven’t tried Nautica Voyage for yourself, the price makes it very justifiable to change that.

Alternative Options

Nautica Midnight Voyage

Nautica Midnight Voyage is a newer fragrance built on the concept of its predecessor at a higher price point. It carries the same aquatic and floral notes but with spicy additions like mint, pepper, and amber for a more mature touch. This cologne is more attention-grabbing than Voyage and works well for a night on the town or a romantic date.

Kenneth Cole Reaction Connected

In design and fragrance, Connected by Kenneth Cole is similar to Nautica Voyage. It draws on aquatic notes with melon plus violet leaf, herbs, and wood for much more layering and depth. Connected is a primo alternative to Voyage with qualities like designer men’s colognes, but it does come at a high price.

Calvin Klein Eternity for Men AQUA

Many Nautica Voyage reviews compare it to Calvin Klein’s AQUA. Incorporating notes like chilled cucumber, citrus, and lavender, it achieves the same aquatic and floral scent balance. Both are made by reputable men’s clothing retailers, and the cologne bottles even maintain a similar aesthetic, but Calvin Klein scents are often overworn.