By
Laura Hyde |
Virgin Voyages' fourth vessel, Brilliant Lady, will debut in September 2025 and spend its inaugural season sailing itineraries of up to 14 nights across North America. The ship will make port calls in New York, Los Angeles, Seattle and Alaska, and sail a voyage through the Panama Canal.
“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, Los Angeles, New York – here we come!”
As Virgin Voyages’ final vessel in its current fleet of Lady Ships, Brilliant Lady benefits from an adapted frame to enable it to navigate new landscapes, such as the Panama Canal and the fjords of Alaska. The ship will feature many of the brand's signature venues and spaces, as well as a new mermaid on its hull, designed by Toronto-based illustrator Janice Sung.
Brilliant Lady’s mermaid takes inspiration from historic Renaissance paintings as well as traditional Japanese and Chinese art, fashion and beauty
Brilliant Lady’s maiden voyage will depart from New York City on 5 September 2025. The ship will sail five voyages from the Manhattan Cruise Terminal with itineraries ranging between five and 13 nights. Other new ports of call on these itineraries include Maine, Charleston, Boston, Halifax and New Brunswick.
From September to October 2025, Brilliant Lady will sail five voyages departing from New York City
The ship will then embark on a collection of extended Caribbean cruises from October 2025 until April 2026. The seven- to 12-night itineraries will call at Turks and Caicos, Antigua and Grand Cayman, as well as Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao and Jamacia.
On 21 March 2026, Brilliant Lady will depart Miami on a 16-night repositioning cruise to Los Angeles, California, which includes an eight-hour passage through the Panama Canal. The ship will arrive in Los Angeles on 6 April, where it will sail four five- to eight-night itineraries along California’s coastline on the west coast of North America.
Guests can discover Costa Rica’s jungles while on the ship’s 16-night repositioning cruise
From May to September 2026, Brilliant Lady will operate Alaska voyages from its base in Seattle. During these itineraries passengers will have the opportunity to see the region's wildlife, including bald eagles, orca, seals, bears and humpback whales.
Brilliant Lady will spend summer 2026 sailing in Alaska
“The world has been waiting for us to announce Brilliant Lady’s debut, and she’s almost here,” said Nirmal Saverimuttu, CEO of Virgin Voyages. “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 them what they wanted: fresh itineraries spanning North America from five to 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.”