Nautica Voyage vs Acqua di Gio Cologne Comparison

In this edition of our head to head men’s cologne match ups, we have two best-selling entries: Acqua di Gio by Giorgio Armani vs. Nautica Voyage. Which of these two fragrances smells the best? Which has the better performance? Ultimately, which is the better deal? I will break down several deciding factors and as always, have linked to my original reviews on both, below.

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Tale of the Tape: AdG vs. Voyage

Nautica Voyage

Notes include: apple, musk, cedar, lotus, amber, mimosa, and oak moss

Click here to try: Nautica Voyage Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 oz

Read my original review: Nautica Voyage Review

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Acqua di Gio

Notes include: bergamot, tangerine, neroli, jasmine, rosemary, patchouli, rock rose, hyacinth, persimmon, marine notes

Click here to try: Acqua Di Gio By Giorgio Armani For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 Ounces

Read my review: Acqua di Gio 

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Opening

Voyage opens up with a crisp, chilled, and water opening; it’s sort of like a cucumber aroma. This stems from the blend of apple, musk, and mimosa. It’s quite musky and has a green floral vibe sitting underneath that crisp apple top note.

Meanwhile, Acqua di Gio opens with, a citrus blend of tangerine and bergamot. This is flanked by a wonderful sea breeze-like accord with soft jasmine only beginning to peak through. With newer bottles, the jasmine does seem a bit stronger than it once was, but I like it.

The citrus is juicy enough up top and the mix of the marine notes with the floral highlights is still awesome, after all of these years.

Which is better? I’ll go with AdG. The start of Nautica Voyage is my least favorite part of that fragrance. It’s kind of messy and the musk overwhelms. The Armani cologne, on the other hand, has a really great citrus aquatic start that is both fresh and captivating.

Edge: AdG

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Projection

Both fragrances are pretty moderate in their sillage. The projection of either isn’t going to be huge, but is solid throughout the wear.

However, Acqua is slightly more powerful than is Voyage, and the original bottles were quite a bit stronger. It used to be more in the upper moderate range of projection, while not being a heavy fragrance, now it’s on that lower end of moderate for most of the wear.

Edge: ADG

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Longevity

Acqua di Gio and Voyage are pretty consistent with what they get me, in terms of how long they last on my skin. Voyage is 5-7 hours of wear. AdG is 6-7 hours. There’s no real clear advantage here.

Edge: Push

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Versatility

Voyage has several strong points, for a cologne in the price range. One of which, is its versatility. It can be worn casually or at school or even at a job. Best fits in spring/summer, but can go year round, as well.

Acqua di Gio, can do all of that, and more. It has a more substantial and even somewhat of a more mature smell (though, neither is overly serious). AdG can be worn on a date or for other evening events, while Voyage doesn’t fit that mold.

Edge: ADG

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Overall Scent

My clear winner in this match up is Acqua di Gio. The Armani fragrance is better smelling and the performance is fairly equal. I’ve owned both and I would pick AdG over Nautica almost every time.

Voyage is a great cheapie, though. The dry down period is nice and it does have its own vibe and popularity within this space…it just doesn’t out do Acqua. The Nautica is one of the better options at its level, though, it doesn’t compete too well with other designer scents.

If you’re going based off pure smell, go with Acqua di Gio. If price is the biggest factor, then, obviously Nautica Voyage is going to be the best bet. For me, I’d pick Profondo or Profumo ahead of either, but they’re generally more expensive.

It’s a solid enough cologne, but its popularity is based off of how it covers so many bases for so cheap. AdG, has a reputation built on its great smell, and has been a best-seller for decades now.

Winner: Acqua di Gio