Virgin Voyages’ fourth vessel, Brilliant Lady, will debut in September 2025, embarking on the ultimate cross-country sea trip with a series of longer itineraries up to 14 nights.
For her inaugural season, Brilliant Lady’s North American Tour will feature iconic ports of calls, including New York City, Bermuda, Los Angeles, Mexico, Miami, the ABC Islands, and Seattle to Alaska, along with 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, in a press release statement. “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!”
As Virgin Voyages’ final vessel in its current fleet of Lady Ships, Brilliant Lady will carry through many of the signature touches found on the other ships in this class, including red balcony hammocks, 20+ eateries—everything from Korean BBQ to Mexican food—a Happenings Cast in lieu of a traditional cruise director, and a collection of wellness spaces ranging from a yoga perch with ocean views to a mermaid-inspired spa. What’s new, however, is the adapted frame, meaning Brilliant Lady is designed to sail through the Panama Canal and to navigate rugged new landscapes including the vast glaciers and fjords of Alaska.
Virgin Voyages’ CEO Nirmal Saverimuttu 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.”
Like her sisters before her, Brilliant Lady will feature a beautiful new mermaid. Designed by Toronto-based illustrator Janice Sung, Brilliant Lady’s mermaid takes inspiration from both historic Renaissance paintings as well as traditional Japanese and Chinese art, fashion and beauty.
Brilliant Lady Will Sail To…
Brilliant Lady’s inaugural season includes routes from NYC, September to October, with itineraries ranging from five to 13 nights; 17 sailings from Miami, October to April, spanning seven to 12 nights; a 16-night Panama Canal Crossing in March; four voyages from five to eight nights from LA, April 2026 to May 2026; and Alaska sailings (from Seattle) May 2026 to September 2026.
For more information, visit firstmates.com/fmdc/s/seacademy.
