Virgin Voyages Announces First Details for Brilliant Lady Debut and Itineraries

Virgin Voyages has shared the first details about its upcoming new ladyship, Brilliant Lady. The cruise line today confirmed that the vessel will officially launch in September 2025. 

Brilliant Lady is currently under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy. The vessel is being designed with a number of new first-of-fleet design elements. Among the highlights confirmed is that Brilliant Lady will have the capacity to fully transit through the Panama Canal. Also new to Brilliant Lady will be new Sea Terrace staterooms, which have new interior elements as well as a redesigned terrace that will feature not just one, but two signature hammocks! 

Also announced new to the ship will be more music, comedy, and shows, with concepts from the cruise line’s Eat and Drink Festival come to life. Virgin Voyages will announce more ship features for Brilliant Lady in the months to come leading up to its launch. 

Brilliant Lady will set sail in 2025 with a debut homeport in New York City. The ship will spend September through October 2025, sailing to Bermuda and cities in Canada. Next, Brilliant Lady will head south to Terminal V at PortMiami to sail Caribbean cruises from October 2025 through March 2026. Itineraries will sail to Aruba, Curacao, Columbia, and Jamaica. 

Come March 2026, Brilliant Lady will make its way to the West Coast, crossing the Panama Canal on an epic 16-night voyage stopping in Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Mexico. From April to May 2026, Brilliant Lady will homeport from Los Angeles, offering cruises to the Mexican Rivera, Baja California Peninsula, and California coastal cities.

For Brilliant Lady’s final stop of its inaugural season, the ship will head north to offer Alaska cruises from Seattle from May - September 2026. This will mark the first time ever Virgin Voyages has sailed in the Last Frontier. 

These new 2026 Alaska cruises will be open to book in the summer of 2024. Guests wanting to get a head start on Alaska bookings can opt for a ‘Front of the Line’ pass (open on May 8, 2024) which will allow you to have a ‘place holder’ booking to select your selected sail date and preferred cabin. Guests can hold their spot for just $500 for Sea Terrace cabins and below categories, $1000 for RockStar Quarters, and $2500 for Mega RockStar Quarters. 

“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!” said Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Voyages. 

Set sail in style with Brilliant Lady launching in 2025!  - Photo by Virgin Voyages

Virgin Voyages looking for an even more brilliant wat to cruise can set sail on a cross-country journey with the Brilliant 4 You Pass. This includes access to all inaugural sailings (MerMaidens) in NYC, Miami, LA, and Seattle. It will also offer exclusive launch invites to events in NYC, Miami, and LA. One Shore Thing (excursion) is included in each voyage. 

Today’s announcement follows Virgin Voyage’s September 2023 update that the ship would be delayed from its previously announced 2024 launch. At the time, the cruise line shared the following statement, “Despite careful planning, we are facing unexpected construction, supply chain and staffing challenges that have delayed the introduction of Brilliant Lady”. Guests who were previously booked on any canceled Brilliant Lady voyage will receive priority access to book a MerMaiden voyage.

More details about Brilliant Lady, itinerary specifics, and bookings will be released by Virgin Voyages in the months ahead. 

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