In September 2023, Virgin Voyages announced that the launch of its fourth “lady ship,” Brilliant Lady, would be delayed. Like when other sailings had to be put off,* Virgin Voyages made good on the inconvenience to those who already had reservations to sail on her.
*Joe and I were supposed to sailing on their first ship, Scarlet Lady, in July, 2020…we all know how that went. So did the rescheduled July 2021 sailing. We finally got to sail on her in July 2022, and with all the credits from 2 canceled cruises, we were able to upgrade two or three cabin levels.
Happily, Virgin Voyages had a “reveal” video event on May 1st to announce that Brilliant Lady was finally set to sail.
You’re welcome to watch the video if you’d like but heads up that it’s almost a half hour long, and has a whole lot of fluff. Some of us agreed that it “could have been an email.” 😉
So anyway, here’s the actual NEWS about Brilliant Lady. She’s going to go where no Virgin Voyages ship has gone before:
September, 2025 – New York City
Brilliant Lady’s first few sailings will be out of NYC in September 2025. She’ll depart from the Big Apple’s Manhattan Cruise Terminal and sail on 5 cruises that will range from between 5 and 13 nights. Her itineraries include Bermuda, Quebec City, Charleston, Boston, Halifax and New Brunswick.
October, 2025 – The Caribbean
From October 2025 to March 2026, the ship will offer 17 voyages ranging from 7 to 12 nights (the Caribbean sailings of her sister ships currently range from 4 to 8 nights). Caribbean destinations include the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao) plus Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Turks & Caicos; Antigua; Grand Cayman; and Cartagena, Colombia.
March, 2026 – Panama Canal
Brilliant Lady will be scheduled for a 16-night Panama Canal crossing from Miami to Los Angeles in March 2026.
April, 2026 – Los Angeles
Once she’s reached L.A., Brilliant Lady will sail 4 cruises throughout the months of April and May that will highlight the Pacific Coast. They’ll range between 5 and 8 nights, and calls will include Puerto Vallarta, Santa Barbara, Catalina Island and San Diego.
May, 2026 – Alaska
Virgin Voyages fans have been asking for an Alaskan cruise since day one, and their wishes have now been granted.
From May to September 2026, Brilliant Lady will depart from Seattle and take travelers to Alaska. The complete itinerary details are coming soon.
When can you book?
Alaska’s popularity is going to be high, and Virgin Voyages knows it. So, starting this Wednesday, May 8th, interested parties will be able to submit an early deposit.
Placeholders are $500 for Sea Terraces, $1,000 for RockStar Quarters and $2,500 for Mega RockStar Quarters.
Prices for these cruises, as well as those departing from New York, the Caribbean, the Panama Canal and Los Angeles, have not yet been announced.
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