Virgin Voyages’ fourth ship, Brilliant Lady, will start sailing on September 5, 2025, from New York.
The 2,770-passenger ship had been due to enter service from Puerto Rico in December but the launch was delayed due to supply chain challenges and other issues.
The adults-only line confirmed details of the vessel’s inaugural season on Wednesday (May 1), including design changes which will enable it to transit the Panama Canal and visit the glaciers and fjords of Alaska.
Revealing the plans on a video, Michelle Bentubo, chief operating officer, said Brilliant Lady will feature homeports in New York, Miami, Los Angeles and Seattle.
Passengers previously scheduled to sail on Brilliant Lady will be given priority access to book a MerMaiden [inaugural] voyages from the US homeports.
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The inaugural season will start with five sailings from New York in September and October 2025, ranging from five to 13 nights. It will visit Bermuda, Maine, Charleston, Boston, Halifax, New Brunswick and Canada’s Quebec City.
From October 2025 to April 2026, the ship will be based in Miami, offering 17 Caribbean sailings from seven to 12 nights.
The 16-night Panama Canal Crossing sailing departs on March 21, 2026, and also visits Costa Rica, Antigua, Guatemala, and Los Cabos, arriving in Los Angeles on April 6, 2026.
Four voyages will depart from LA in April and May 2026, offering calls in Baja California, Puerto Vallarta and San Diego.
From May to September 2026, Brilliant Lady will homeport in Seattle and offer cruises to Alaska.
Nirmal Saverimuttu, Virgin Voyages’ chief executive, said: “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 [passengers] and First Mates [travel agents] what they wanted: fresh itineraries spanning North America from five to 14 nights in length with new experiences that they will remember forever.
“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.”
Frank Weber, fleet operations senior vice-president, said other design changes on the ship include a new category of cabin with two hammocks on the balcony.
Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group, commented: “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. 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!”