Virgin Voyages’ third ship will be called Resilient Lady and will sail two Mediterranean itineraries in 2022 from its homeport in Athens, the line has announced.
Resilient Lady is scheduled for completion on July 1, 2022, and will join two other “Lady Ships”, Scarlet Lady and Valiant Lady, in the fleet.
The ship will sail two seven-night itineraries from Piraeus: a Greek Isles itinerary taking in Santorini, Rhodes, Crete and Mykonos, with an overnight stay in the latter; and an Adriatic (with Greek Isles) itinerary including calls at Dubrovnik, Kotor, Corfu and Argostoli, with a 2am departure from Dubrovnik.
Details of the new ship and itineraries were revealed to the UK trade in an exclusive virtual event co-hosted with Travel Weekly and timed to coincide with the global announcement on International Women’s Day.
Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group, said: “Sailing in the Med is such an extraordinary experience, and we’re so excited to bring the adventure of a Virgin Voyage to this beautiful place.
“I’m so proud of the incredible work the team has accomplished to introduce Resilient Lady.”
Tom McAlpin, chief executive and president of Virgin Voyages, said: “Welcoming Resilient Lady to our fleet and revealing these amazing itineraries sets the tone for the most memorable summer voyage.
“We know the time to travel is on the horizon, and Virgin Voyages is here so that we can keep dreaming of irresistible vacations ahead.”
The line added: “While the year has been filled with adversity and adaptation for all of us, it’s no secret that women have been challenged to rise up more than ever during the pandemic.
“The introduction of Resilient Lady arrives on the heels of International Women’s Day, which is symbolic of the spirit of our Lady Ships and is in celebration of women and their achievements, strength, leadership and resilience.”