Virgin Voyages Announces When Its Newest Ship Will Set Sail

03.05.2024 - 19:01 / travelandleisure.com / Richard Branson / Scarlet Lady

Virgin Voyages will introduce its fourth ship next year on a tour of North America with stops in iconic destinations from New York City to Los Angeles, Alaska, the Panama Canal, and beyond.

The cruise company will first launch the Brilliant Lady in September 2025 in the Big Apple with a series of longer voyages of up to two weeks, Virgin shared with Travel + Leisure. 

“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," Sir Richard Branson, the founder of the Virgin Group, said in a statement shared with T+L. «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!”

The brand-new ship will first take off from the Manhattan Cruise Terminal in the Big Apple with voyages from five to 13 nights to popular East Coast destinations, including Maine, Charleston, Boston, and Halifax. The ship will then head down to Miami in October for epic Caribbean vacations in the ABC islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, Turks and Caicos, Grand Cayman, a new port of Ocho Rios in Jamaica, and more.

In March 2026, the Brilliant Lady will head across the Panama Canal during a 16 night journey leaving from Miami and sailing to Los Angeles, after which it will sail 5- to 8-night itineraries along the West Coast and Mexico before heading up to Alaska that summer.

When it launches, the Brilliant Lady will feature the company's signature red balcony hammocks, more than 20 dining spots, a mermaid-inspired spa, and more. Unlike the company's other ships, however, Virgin said this one will have an adapted frame designed to sail through places like the Panama Canal and Alaska.

As part of the launch, Virgin said travelers can put an early deposit on Alaska itineraries starting May 8 „to secure their priority window to book one of the limited Alaskan itineraries before they open to the public.“ The cruise line is also celebrating with a “Brilliant 4 You Pass,» which comes with a stay in a RockStar Suite and one Shore Thing excursion per voyage on each of the Brilliant Lady's maiden voyages.

Virgin Voyages first launched in 2021 with its debut ship, the Scarlet Lady. The company then expanded with its second ship, the Valiant Lady, before adding a third ship, the Resilient Lady.