On May 1, 2024, Virgin Voyages announced Brilliant Lady, the brand’s fourth and final vessel in its fleet of Lady Ships, will hit the seas in September 2025, embarking on the ultimate cross-country journey with several itineraries lasting up to 14 nights. The new itineraries will be unlike anything Virgin Voyages has offered before, and during her inaugural season, Brilliant Lady will sail across North America to highly requested homeports and iconic ports of call like New York City to Bermuda and Canada, Los Angeles to Mexico, Miami to the ABC Islands, Seattle to Alaska and one amazing voyage through the famous Panama Canal.
As for what Sailors can expect onboard, Brilliant Lady will feature many of the signature touches cruise-goers have come to know and love across Virgin Voyages’ fleet of Lady Ships including stylishly designed interior spaces, red balcony hammocks, 20+ award-winning eateries, a collection of high-end wellness spaces and more. Regarding what’s new, the state-of-the-art vessel will feature an adapted frame designed to help it seamlessly navigate through sometimes tricky places like the Panama Canal and rugged landscapes like those seen in Alaska.
“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,” said Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group. “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!”
Regarding the exciting news, Nirmal Saverimuttu, CEO of Virgin Voyages said: “The world has been waiting for us to announce Brilliant Lady’s debut, and she’s almost here. At Virgin Voyages, we’re constantly innovating and looking for opportunities to provide even better value for our Sailors with greater choice. Virgin fans have been asking for years if we’d consider sailing from places like New York, Los Angeles or Alaska, so it’s wonderful to give our Sailors and First Mates what they wanted: fresh itineraries spanning North America from 5-14 nights in length with new experiences that they will remember forever. As the fourth and final ship in our fleet for now, Brilliant Lady will not disappoint.”
As is tradition for Lady Ships, Brilliant Lady features a new mermaid on her bow designed by Toronto-based illustrator Janice Sung. According to Sung, the vessel’s mermaid was inspired by historic Renaissance paintings and traditional Japanese and Chinese art, fashion and poetry. In addition to a new finned friend joining the squad, Virgin Voyages will announce details on new dining and entertainment options aboard Brilliant Lady over the next several months.
“We’re fortunate to see some of the highest repeat rates in the industry, proving that our Sailors truly fall in love with the on-board experience and understand the intrinsic value we offer,” said Saverimuttu. “They know that stepping on-board a Virgin vessel means eating Michelin-inspired foods at no extra cost; awakening the senses during a complimentary morning yoga class; walking away fulfilled without feeling nickeled and dimed. We’ll always challenge ourselves to keep things fresh and exciting, and that starts with expanding into extraordinary new destinations, while simultaneously inviting new artists, chefs and musicians to enhance that quintessential Virgin vibe.”
Virgin Voyages described Brilliant Lady’s September 2025 inaugural season routes as follows:
New York City | September 2025 - October 2025
Five voyages from 5-13 nights | MerMaiden: September 5, 2025
Bringing it back to where it all started, Virgin Voyages kicks off the Brilliant Inaugural Season tour in the city that never sleeps. Following a premiere showcase for New Yorkers, Brilliant Lady will sail from Manhattan Cruise Terminal with itineraries ranging between five and 13 nights. The glittering archipelago of 100+ islets and cays await in Bermuda while Canada’s Quebec City shines for its charming European ambience, rich history and incredible architecture. Other new ports of call include Maine, Charleston, Boston, Halifax, and New Brunswick.
Miami | October 2025 - April 2026
17 voyages from 7-12 nights | MerMaiden: October 17, 2025
Warming up for the winter season, Brilliant Lady will embark on a collection of extended Caribbean getaways with options between seven and 12 nights. Sailing from the company’s LEED-gold Terminal V in Miami, the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire & Curaçao) in the Southern Caribbean, along with Cartagena, are standouts. Sailor favorites like Turks & Caicos, Antigua and Grand Cayman are back to delight, along with newcomer Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Its lush tropical rainforests, pearly shores and cascading waterfalls turned this small fishing village into Jamaica’s most coveted port.
Panama Canal Crossing | March 2026
One epic voyage for 16 nights
This crossing from Miami to Los Angeles spanning 16 nights is just one of several options in the brand’s Sea Change Series, what Virgin calls its legendary, bucket-list repositioning voyages. Departing on March 21, 2026, Brilliant Lady will say adios to Miami, sailing south towards Colombia and Panama before her eight-hour passage through the iconic Panama Canal. After a day at sea, Sailors can discover pura vida amid Costa Rica’s lush jungles before immersing themselves in the culture of Antigua, a UNESCO World Heritage Site overlooking Guatemala’s acclaimed Lake Atitlán. One final stop in Los Cabos takes Brilliant Lady to LA, arriving April 6th.
Los Angeles | April 2026 - May 2026
Four voyages from 5-8 nights | MerMaiden: April 7, 2026
While sunset used to refer to Virgin Voyages’ sailaway times and daily Moët happy hours at Richard’s Rooftop, now Sailors can cruise down Sunset Boulevard or catch Santa Monica’s famous orange skies when Brilliant Lady docks in LA. Five- to eight-night itineraries along Cali’s West Coast include calls in Baja California, Puerto Vallarta and San Diego. California’s coastal gems like Santa Barbara and Catalina Island put the classic Spanish architecture, golden beaches and waterfront promenades on full display.
Seattle | May 2026 - September 2026
Voyage details coming soon | MerMaiden: May 2026
Summer 2026 will take Brilliant Lady to the vast landscapes of Alaska’s woody shores. Wildlife is abundant, giving Sailors ample opportunities to spot some of America’s most elusive animals including bald eagles, orca, seals, bears and humpback whales. Departing from Seattle, Virgin Voyages will offer a mixture of itineraries from May through September.
Alaska Front(ier) of the Line Pass
Given the anticipated high demand for Alaskan voyages, starting May 8, 2024, Sailors can submit an early deposit to secure their priority window to book one of the limited Alaskan itineraries before they open to the public. Placeholders are $500 for Sea Terraces, $1,000 for RockStar Quarters and $2,500 for Mega RockStar Quarters.
Brilliant 4 You Pass
Following the overwhelming success of its Summer Season Pass – which sold out in less than 48 hours – Virgin Voyages is introducing a “Brilliant 4 You Pass” with unprecedented access to all of Brilliant Lady’s MerMaiden voyages. Digs in a RockStar Suite (Seriously Suite) are complemented by one Shore Thing per voyage.
Click here to learn more about Virgin Voyages on VAX.
Note: Sailors previously scheduled to sail on Brilliant Lady will be offered priority access to book a MerMaiden voyage.
About the Author
comments