Virgin Voyages has decided to defer the launch of its third ship, Resilient Lady, until the second quarter of 2023.
Virgin Voyages is deferring the upcoming launch of its third Lady Ship to the second quarter of 2023. Resilient Lady was initially scheduled to set sail from Athens mid-August of this year. The ship will remain in Genoa getting on-board work completed, hitting the high seas next spring.
As part of an ambitious launch sequence, Virgin Voyages is now operating two ships, Scarlet Lady in the Caribbean and Valiant Lady in the Mediterranean. Despite challenges stemming from the pandemic, the new brand introduced two ships in the span of a year, including the launch of its new Terminal V at PortMiami in February.
In a statement the cruise line refers to the global challenges the world is facing. This includes supply chain obstacles, a level of regional uncertainty for international travelers in countries in East Europe, crewing challenges based on government regulations and restrictive COVID entry requirements back into the US.
Commenting on the update, Tom McAlpin, CEO of Virgin Voyages said, “As a new brand that is just getting started, we’ve accomplished so much this past year, and the future for us is exciting. The momentum that we’re seeing with Scarlet and Valiant Lady is incredible. The fantastic reviews and awards our ships and crew have won are very heartening, so we thank our guests for sailing with us. That is why we remain focused on delivering brilliant vacations, and this pause will ensure we will be ready to go on Resilient. The travel industry is recovering well, and this month, we’ve seen record bookings, a significant increase in on-board spend, and we’re currently seeking to close out our next round of funding, which sets us up for continued growth. There’s so much to be proud of, and I also send my thanks to our amazing crew for all they do everyday.”
Virgin Voyages now looks forward to welcoming Resilient Lady to its fleet early next year, with its fourth ship in the fleet, Brilliant Lady, soon thereafter.