Revealed: A New Virgin Voyages Ship and Hot New Destinations

Updated: May 2, 2024, 12:04pm CDT

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Virgin Voyages New Destinations and Itineraries
Brilliant Lady: Virgin Voyages Fourth Cruise Ship
Final Thoughts

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There’s a new cruise ship in town, and we’ve heard she’s Brilliant.

Virgin Voyages has confirmed that its fourth ship — Brilliant Lady — will steam into service in 2025, with new voyages set to sail to and from North America, Central America, and even South America.

“The world has been waiting for us to announce Brilliant Lady’s debut, and she’s almost here,” said Nirmal Saverimuttu, Virgin Voyages CEO. “At Virgin Voyages, we’re constantly innovating and looking for opportunities to provide even better value for our Sailors with greater choice.”

After teasing destinations via Instagram, the cruise line has released itineraries that will take in the sights of New York City, new destinations in Canada and the Caribbean, and tropical destinations further south, such as Colombia and Panama.

Virgin Voyages New Destinations and Itineraries

Virgin Voyages is making the Americas its home base for its new ship, Brilliant Lady, which will sail on its maiden voyage in September 2025.

East Coast Itineraries

Its first voyage will depart from New York City on September 5, 2025, and passengers will have the option to choose from itineraries ranging from 5 to 13 nights in length.

From her temporary base in New York, Brilliant Lady will set sail on 5 separate itineraries, taking in some of North America’s more off-the-beaten-track port destinations, such as Boston, Charleston, Maine, and Québec City.

Eastport Maine — The sun’s evening light in Maine giving a seaside house a golden glow. Image Credit: Virgin Voyages

For the winter season from from October 2025 through April 2026, Brilliant Lady will make Miami her home base.

From there, she’ll complete a whopping 17 different itineraries, taking sun lovers to the white sandy beaches of Antigua, Aruba, Bonaire, Curação, and Grand Cayman, as well as exciting new cultural hotspots like Cartagena, Colombia.

Cartagena Colombia — The streets of Cartagena’s old town are lined with stunning architectural remnants of the colonial era. Image Credit: Daniel Ross

West Coast Itineraries

The quickest way to get to the West Coast for Brilliant Lady’s spring and summer 2026 sailings is via the Panama Canal.

In true Virgin style, the cruise line will reposition the ship, so that sailors can embark on an unforgettable 16-day voyage from Miami to Los Angeles via the Panama Canal.

Stops will also be made to ports in Costa Rica and Los Cabos before arriving in Los Angeles on April 6, 2026.

Puntarenas Costa Rica — Another new destination for Virgin Voyages: Costa Rica. Image Credit: Virgin Voyages

While based in LA, Brilliant Lady will be sailing on 4 voyages ranging from 5 to 8 nights during April and May 2026. These sailings will stop in various appealing destinations, including Baja California and Puerto Vallarta in Mexico, Catalina Island (located near the coast of LA), and San Diego.

Catalina Island — You would be forgiven for thinking Santa Catalina was simply a rocky island. Image Credit: Virgin Voyages.

For the summer months from May through September 2026, Brilliant Lady’s sailings will start from Seattle.

More details about the exact itineraries will be unveiled soon, but we can expect them to include West Coast treasures such as Vancouver, Canada.

For more information and inspiration, head over to Virgin Voyages’ website.

Hot Tip:

You can book Virgin Voyages cruise using Virgin Red points — the same points currency that Virgin Atlantic uses.

Brilliant Lady: Virgin Voyages Fourth Cruise Ship

Much the same as Virgin’s first 3 ships, Brilliant Lady is expected to wow its future cruisers.

“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, Virgin Group’s founder.

In addition to the popular red balcony hammocks, guests will be pleased to find things they enjoyed on previous ships, such as over 20 dining options and dedicated health and wellness spots, such as “The Perch,” a section aboard the vessel that hosts wellness events like outdoor yoga with ocean views.

Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady 2 — We’re counting down the days for Brilliant Lady’s maiden voyage.

Final Thoughts

If embarking on a cruise in fashion sounds like heaven to you, mark your calendars for September 5, 2025. That’s when Virgin Voyages’ newest ship will set off on her first trip from North America. With itineraries ranging from Charleston and Curação to Colombia and Costa Rica, Brilliant Lady has something for everyone.