Virgin Voyages’ Valiant Lady has returned from dry dock with a host of enhancements

The 2,770-passenger ship is now back in service with a series of updates, including new dining, refreshed venues and more than 20 new events in the vessel’s onboard entertainment programme – which the line refers to as ‘Happenings’.

New features include Indian restaurant Ariya by Razzle Dazzle, shaded daybeds and lounge seating in the Athletic Club and a more open dancefloor in The Manor nightclub.

Valiant Lady’s entertainment offering has been expanded with new gameshows and quizzes, while the ship’s fitness programme now has additional classes. Plus, all the ship’s crew have completed a course called ‘Virgin Way’ as a “culture booster”, the line said.

The ship will spend the summer sailing in Europe before repositioning to San Juan in October to operate a series of six- to eight-night Caribbean cruises.

Now the vessel has returned from its dry dock stint, it will host more than 1,000 agents on ship visits in the line’s “largest ever” trade visit programme.

Day visits will be held in six UK cities: Dublin on 7 August, Glasgow on 8 August, Liverpool on 9 August, Belfast on 10 August, Edinburgh on 18 August and Portsmouth on 20 and 27 August.

Nirmal Saverimuttu, Virgin Voyages chief executive, said: “Valiant Lady was already one of the most compelling ships at sea, but we kept asking ourselves how to make her even more worth coming back for.

“The best transformations don’t come from smooth sailing but from listening, pushing further and creating something truly special.

“From Ariya to The Manor to a completely reimagined lineup of Happenings, Valiant Lady returns with a new energy our sailors will feel immediately. Every one of our 1,300-plus crew has been through The Virgin Way and that reignited culture is the linchpin to the service sailors keep coming back for.”