Virgin’s Brilliant Lady is set to launch in October 2025.
In November 2024 we were departing the Spanish port of Málaga aboard Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas. We saw a Virgin Voyages ship lying just offshore and thought that it must be the Scarlet Lady, which operates in Europe. We’ve sailed on Virgin four times and recognized the ship easily, even from a distance. However, we began to wonder why she wasn’t moving… and why she would be tendering. A quick check revealed that the Scarlet Lady was in fact on her way from Barcelona to Rome. The Valiant Lady was just departing Miami for the Caribbean and the Resilient Lady was just arriving in Miami from Europe. Excitedly, we realized that we were getting a sneak preview of Virgin’s newest ship, the Brilliant Lady, which is scheduled to launch in September 2025.
About Virgin Voyages
Launched in 2021, Virgin Voyages has sought to disrupt the staid and traditional cruise industry with energetic adults-only luxury cruises, more diverse dining options, and innovative (and avant-garde) entertainment. The line currently operates three identical ships (known as “lady ships”):
- Scarlet Lady (2020)
- Valiant Lady (2022)
- Resilient Lady (2023)
At 110,000 tonnes, each ship can accommodate just under 2,800 passengers. They currently cover the Caribbean, Europe, and Atlantic crossings, but also briefly operated in Asia and Australia. A fourth ship has been on order, and for a while rumors swirled regarding whether or not it would ever be delivered.
Skinnier Than Her Sisters
In September 2024, Virgin announced that its fourth ship, the Brilliant Lady, was indeed coming and will begin her inaugural season in September 2025. All four ships are essentially the same with one notable exception: Brilliant Lady‘s frame was modified to be more narrow so as to allow her to transit the Panama Canal as well as negotiate Alaska’s rugged landscapes. More adventure was afoot!
Brilliant Lady’s Inaugural Season | Four MerMaiden Voyages
The Brilliant Lady will begin her inaugural season on September 5, 2025, offering 5- to 16-night journeys from four different cities. The first voyage from each new city is known as a “MerMaiden Voyage” and will be particularly sought-after by aficionados of the cruise line and lovers of adventure. The new ship will also roll out new restaurant concepts and brand-new cabin categories. We are so excited about Brilliant Lady, we booked back-to-back cruises out of Seattle, including a repo cruise back to L.A.
New York City | September 5, 2025
Her MerMaiden Voyage will be a 5-night loop from New York City to Bermuda. Additional sailings out of New York will take her to ports in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Quebec, Canada as well as parts of New England.
Miami | October 17, 2025
Brilliant Lady’s inaugural season includes a special 8-night MerMaiden voyage departing from Miami with ports of call of Philipsburg, St Maarten; Tortola, British Virgin Islands; and the Beach Club at Bimini. Other sailings out of Miami will visit ports in Jamaica, Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Colombia, the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts and Nevis, Turks and Caicos, and St. Croix and St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Panama Canal Repositioning Cruise | March 21, 2026
A 16-night repositioning cruise from Miami to Los Angeles in 2026 will cross through the Panama Canal with stops in Cartagena and Colón, Colombia; Puntarenas, Costa Rica; Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala; and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
Los Angeles | April 7, 2026
The Brilliant Lady‘s MerMaiden Voyage out of Los Angeles will be a 5-night loop with stops in Santa Barbara and San Diego as well as Ensenada, Mexico. Other cruises out of Los Angeles will visit the Mexican ports of Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán, and Puerto Vallarta.
Repositioning Cruise to Vancouver, Canada | May 3, 2026
The Brilliant Lady will reposition to the Pacific Northwest in advance of her inaugural season in Alaska. This 8-night voyage out of Los Angeles will call at Catalina Island and San Francisco, California; Astoria, Oregon; and Victoria, BC before arriving into Vancouver.
Seattle, WA | May 21, 2026
A brief reposition will put the ship into Seattle, where she will base for cruises to Alaska. The MerMaiden Voyage will be a 7-night loop through the Inside Passage and Tracy Arm Fjord with stops at the Alaskan ports of Ketchikan and Sitka, as well as Prince Rupert, BC. A highlight of her Alaskan season will be a 12-night loop from Seattle that will include cruising through the Inside Passage and past the Hubbard Glacier; stops in Ketchikan, Sitka, Skagway, Icy Strait Point and Haines, Alaska; and stops in Prince Rupert and Victoria, British Columbia in Canada.
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How to Book a Voyage on the Brilliant Lady
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