Virgin Voyages will launch its fourth ship Brilliant Lady from New York in September 2025

The vessel will offer a series of longer itineraries of up to 14 nights, with its inaugural North American season to feature sailings such as New York City to Bermuda and Canada, Los Angeles to Mexico, Miami to the ABC Islands, and Seattle to Alaska.

Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group, said: “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.”

As Virgin Voyages’ final vessel in its current fleet of Lady Ships, Brilliant Lady will feature design aspects from its sister vessels such as red balcony hammocks, more than 20 eateries and a collection of wellness spaces ranging from a yoga perch to a mermaid-inspired spa.

Virgin Voyages ‘constantly innovating’, says CEO

The ship will also feature an adapted frame, allowing it to sail through the Panama Canal and to navigate new landscapes such as Alaska.

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

Commencing in September 2025 from New York City, Brilliant Lady’s inaugural season will include five voyages from 5-13 nights out of the US east coast city to Maine, Charleston, Boston, Halifax, and New Brunswick.

From October 2025 to April 2026, the vessel will sail 17 voyages ranging from 7-12 nights out of Miami. The vessel will visit Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao in the Southern Caribbean, along with Cartagena, Turks & Caicos, Antigua and Grand Cayman.

In March 2026, Brilliant Lady will sail a 16-night Panama Canal Crossing from Miami to Los Angeles. After a day at sea, guests can discover pura vida amid Costa Rica’s jungles before immersing themselves in the culture of Antigua.