A Truly Brilliant Lady: Virgin Voyages’ Newest Ship Starts Sailing This Week, and I Got a Sneak Peek

A new, bright red, adults-only cruise ship is about to grace the Seven Seas.

Virgin Voyage’s Brilliant Lady will set sail on its MerMaiden voyage from New York on Friday September 5, 2025. This is particularly exciting because it means there are now more opportunities to redeem points for cruises than ever before.

Before setting sail with passengers for the first time, Virgin Voyages held an event to showcase Brilliant Lady while she was docked at Portsmouth Harbour in the U.K. I was lucky enough to be invited and brought my good friend, and fellow content creator, Jean Arnas, along to enjoy the event.

It was my first time stepping foot on a cruise ship, so I had no expectations. Here’s what I thought of the cabins, dining, and everything else onboard Brilliant Lady.

Accommodation Aboard Brilliant Lady

Virgin Voyages‘ newest ship, Brilliant Lady, has 1,404 cabins and suites, with 86% boasting an outside balcony or terrace with a hammock.

I spent some time touring the ship to check out the Sea Terrace Cabin and 3 suites: the Brilliant Suite, the Posh Suite, and the Massive Suite. The Posh and Massive suites belong to Virgin’s Mega Rockstar Quarters, which come with a host of exclusive benefits in addition to their luxurious accommodation. Suites in this category can accommodate up to 4 passengers.

Mega Rockstar Quarters passengers can enjoy access to Richard’s Rooftop (an exclusive members-only sundeck), daily spa use, private transfers to and from the ship, a bottomless in-room bar, and more.

Sea Terrace Cabin

The Sea Terrace cabin is the most numerous of all the non-suite accommodation types. It has everything you’d expect (and more) from a hotel room on land.

I imagined these standard rooms would feel cramped and claustrophobic. That wasn’t the case. The Sea Terrace Room was brighter and more spacious than some hotel rooms I’ve stayed in.

Each cabin comes with its own bathroom, complete with a walk-in rainfall shower.

Although the bathroom was a bit cramped, it still had everything you needed for a comfortable stay.

And there’s plenty of storage for you to fully unpack and feel at home.

You’ll even find a small balcony with Virgin’s signature bright red hammock.

Massive Suite

The aptly named Massive Suite is a whopping 2,147 square feet. The huge, one-of-a-kind residence fit for royalty is located at the very front of the ship.

It’s split into several areas, including a music room. The spacious living area has ample seating, including a circular sofa in the center.

Through a sliding door, you’ll find the bedroom.

That’s followed by a huge bathroom split into 2 rooms. Inside the first, you’ll find a gorgeous bath, 2 large wardrobes, and a dressing table.

Through a sliding glass door was the walk-in shower and sink area.

The expansive terrace stole the show for me.

It even has its own private hot tub.

Posh Suite

At 833 square feet, the Posh Suite is the third largest in the Mega Rockstar Quarters category.

The spacious bedroom comes complete with a vanity station and a wall-mounted TV.

Each room has direct access onto a large terrace with seating for lounging, eating, tanning, and swinging.

And the wet-room style bathroom has a walk-in shower, sinks, and a lavatory.

Brilliant Suite

The Brilliant Suite belongs to a group of 63 so-called Rockstar suites, which comprises 4 categories. It’s a smaller 428 square-foot-suite in a single main room with both the sleeping and seating areas combined.

Guests in Rockstar Suites, like the Brilliant Suite, enjoy similar, yet less premium, perks as passengers in Mega Rockstar Quarters. For example, rather than unlimited in-room mini bar refills, guests staying in Rockstar Suites get one complimentary stock of the mini bar that Virgin calls “first round on us.”

The bathroom amenities in Rockstar Suites are also more premium than in standard rooms.

Rockstar robes come as standard, of course.

Eating and Drinking On Board Brilliant Lady

With over 20 eateries, there’s no way you’ll go hungry on board Brilliant Lady. All reservations include access to every restaurant and eatery on board and all soft drinks. For something a little stronger, alcohol can be pre-purchased via Virgin’s bar-tab system.

We arrived with a hearty appetite to make the most of the experience. Our first port of call was Pizza Place.

Chefs prepare your choice from a selection of pizza toppings in proper Italian-style pizza ovens.

I went for the chicken pesto and loved every bite.

A few steps after leaving Pizza Place, we walked past the ice cream spot whose name couldn’t be more on brand for Virgin if it tried.

For dinner, we savored the flavors of The Test Kitchen, which serves up Virgin’s version of a Michelin-star style tasting menu. Meat and vegetarian options are available.

First up was a tasty mushroom course.

Next was a dish combining peas, egg yolk, and caviar. This random concoction of ingredients gelled surprisingly well together — so much so that this was my favorite course.

We enjoyed a glass or 2 of wine with our meals.

The third dish was a scallop and ham medley.

For the main course, we could choose either beef or venison tenderloin. I don’t eat red meat, so Jean enjoyed my portion and said it was delicious.

The meal was finished off delightfully with a chocolate pudding. Yum.

We then spent a couple of hours exploring the ship’s many decks. We loved The Galley on deck 15, where you’ll find a host of different vendors in a food court setup.

There’s everything from your classic American diner to a Taqueria called Let’s Taco ‘Bout It.

In addition to inside seating, there’s a huge outdoor area where passengers can enjoy their food with a view and the wind in their hair.

Entertainment and Activities

Activities and entertainment venues are a plenty on board. Sun worshipers (like me) will love the pool and sun decks.

Mega Rockstar and Rockstar passengers will also have access to Richard’s Rooftop.

Here, you’ll find more places to relax in the sun, hot tubs, and a bar with an esteemed cocktail hour.

Elsewhere, the gym is stocked with top-of-the-line equipment. The numerous cardio machines will come in handy should you wish to balance out all the indulging.

Personally, I’d prefer to do laps of the bright red running track that loops around the deck.

As a cruise ship newbie, I wasn’t expecting to find a casino on board!

Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to experience a Virgin Voyages show. We really wanted to check out the immersive supper club “Up With a Twist” at The Manor, but we missed out on the last seats by a whisker.

The night ended with Virgin Voyages’ signature “Scarlet Night” performance, during which singers and dancers interacted with passengers throughout the ship. The event happens at least once per sailing, and guests are encouraged to wear red for a chance of winning “best dressed”.

When the sun’s light fades, Brilliant Lady truly comes to life thanks to the cleverly curated lighting around the ship.

How To Book a Virgin Voyages Cruise

Virgin Voyages cruises are bookable with cash or Virgin Red points.

You’ll need a ton of Virgin Points to book a cruise, though. For example, the cheapest option (at the time of publication) costs 295,000 points for a 5-night cruise from Miami. As that price is per cabin, it works out to 147,500 points per person (as all Virgin Voyages bookings are for 2 people).

If you’re not a points millionaire, then you’ll be glad to know that cash prices are actually great value. An excellent example is this 10-night cruise on this very ship, Brilliant Lady, from $2,580.

That’s the price for 2 people in a sea view cabin (similar to the one discussed above) with all food and soft drinks included. That’s a bargain at $1,290 per person!

Hot Tip:

When paying cash for a trip on Virgin Voyages, a Virgin Atlantic flight, or a stay at a Virgin Hotel, you’ll earn bonus points and enjoy extra perks and benefits when using the Virgin Red Rewards Mastercard^®.

Final Thoughts

They say a Virgin Voyages cruise is for people who don’t like cruises. I technically fit into that category, as I’ve never had the desire to go on a cruise before.

However, after spending a day checking out Brilliant Lady in all her glory, I think I could be tempted…