Virgin Voyages has announced Brilliant Lady, the cruise line’s fourth vessel, will make its debut in September 2025. The ship will embark on the ultimate cross-country sea trip with a series of longer itineraries up to 14 nights, unlike anything Virgin Voyages has offered before. For her inaugural season, Brilliant Lady’s North American Tour will feature highly requested homeports and iconic ports of calls like New York City to Bermuda and Canada, Los Angeles to Mexico, Miami to the ABC Islands, and Seattle to Alaska, along with one epic voyage through the Panama Canal.
Sir Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Group, said, “Virgin Voyages started as a simple idea for me and has blossomed into the world’s top cruise line with a full fleet of ships. This ship is going to be brilliant in every possible way, and that includes the incredible new places we can travel to. Alaska, LA, New York – here we come!”
As Virgin Voyages’ final vessel in its current fleet of Lady Ships, Brilliant Lady will carry through many of the signature touches guests have grown to know and love. Making its return are Virgin Voyages’ thoughtfully designed interior spaces, red balcony hammocks, 20+ award-winning eateries – everything from Korean BBQ to red hot Mexican food – a Happenings Cast in lieu of a traditional cruise director, and a collection of high-end wellness spaces ranging from a yoga perch with sweeping ocean views to a mermaid-inspired spa. What’s new, however, is the adapted frame, meaning Brilliant Lady is designed to sail through the Panama Canal and to navigate rugged new landscapes including the vast glaciers and fjords of Alaska.
Virgin Voyages’ CEO Nirmal Saverimuttu said, “The world has been waiting for us to announce Brilliant Lady’s debut, and she’s almost here. At Virgin Voyages, we’re constantly innovating and looking for opportunities to provide even better value for our Sailors with greater choice. Virgin fans have been asking for years if we’d consider sailing from places like New York, Los Angeles or Alaska, so it’s wonderful to give our Sailors and First Mates what they wanted: fresh itineraries spanning North America from 5- 14 nights in length with new experiences that they will remember forever. As the fourth and final ship in our fleet for now, Brilliant Lady will not disappoint.”
Like her sisters before her, Brilliant Lady will feature a beautiful new mermaid. Designed by Toronto-based illustrator Janice Sung, Brilliant Lady’s mermaid takes inspiration from both historic Renaissance paintings as well as traditional Japanese and Chinese art, fashion and beauty. Along with Brilliant Lady’s stunning and courageous new guardian, Virgin Voyages will slowly release details on all new dining and entertainment options available on its newest vessel.
Saverimuttu added, “We’re fortunate to see some of the highest repeat rates in the industry, proving that our Sailors truly fall in love with the on-board experience and understand the intrinsic value we offer. They know that stepping on-board a Virgin vessel means eating Michelin-inspired foods at no extra cost; awakening the senses during a complimentary morning yoga class; walking away fulfilled without feeling nickeled and dimed. We’ll always challenge ourselves to keep things fresh and exciting, and that starts with expanding into extraordinary new destinations, while simultaneously inviting new artists, chefs, and musicians to enhance that quintessential Virgin vibe.”
Brilliant Lady was floated out at the Sestri Ponente (Genoa) shipyard in November 2022 and was expected to enter service in late 2023. However, following unexpected construction, supply chain and staffing challenges the cruise line was forced to postpone Brilliant Lady’s launch in September 2023.
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