Virgin Voyages second ship to be called Valiant Lady, will be deployed in the Mediterranean

Virgin Voyages will name its second cruise ship Valiant Lady and will deploy her in the European cruise market sailing 7-night Mediterranean itineraries out of Barcelona, Spain.

Due for delivery in May, 2021, Virgin Voyages’ Valiant Lady will be a sister ship to Scarlet Lady, which is due to enter service in April next year in the Caribbean.

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Bookings for Valiant Lady’s three feature itineraries, that all offer overnight and late night port calls in some of the hottest destinations in France, Italy and Spain, will open December 19^th, 2019.

“We are thrilled to unveil the name of our second ship –  Valiant Lady – and to deliver on our commitment to offer travellers a sea change in how they can experience cruising in this fantastic part of the world,” said Tom McAlpin, CEO of Virgin Voyages.

“Our sailors will fall in love with the places we go and the moments and memories they will be able to create on our gorgeous ship. After all, there is no better way to sail the seven seas than doing it the Virgin way,” he added, using Virgin Voyages’ preferred term for its passengers.

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Valiant Lady’s homeport will be Barcelone, docking just steps from Las Ramblas at the World Trade Center.

This prime location, usually reserved by luxury liners and mega-yachts, gives walking access to the dynamic and diverse neighbourhoods of Poble Sec, el Raval, Barri Gotic, Port Vell and the famed urban beach of La Barceloneta.

With a weekly Sunday sail away, passengers will enjoy extra time in Barcelona and be able to take advantage of many different flight options.

Virgin Voyages is partnering with Global Ports Holding, the world’s leading independent cruise port operator, to prepare for Valiant Lady’s arrival in early summer 2021.

Valiant Lady will sail her maiden voyage in the Mediterranean in May, 2021, and will offer three distinct cruise itineraries throughout the summer.

• Itinerary 1 includes the exotic delights of Barcelona, Ibiza, Monte Carlo, Marseille and Olbia
• Itinerary 2 includes a wider sampling of the Med featuring Barcelona, Ibiza, Toulon, Ajaccio, Marina di Carrara and Cagliari
• Itinerary 3 is a mostly Spanish immersion, stopping by Barcelona, Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca, Malaga and the British port of Gibraltar

Every itinerary will feature later port departures, giving passengers more time in port. Every cruise will also feature a Friday overnight stay in Ibiza, one of the most stunning and thrilling Balearic islands.

“Whether it’s a blissed out beach club, a bohemian market, a serene spa, watching the stunning sunsets, or a late night out, there is no comparable place that offers the variety and style of this ultimate destination,” Virgin Voyages said in a release.

The name ‘Valiant Lady’ for the new ship was inspired by the latin word valere and from the French origin, vaillant, meaning “bold”, “strong”, and “courageous”, according to the cruise line and is a reference to its focus on female empowerment.

While historically, the image of women only graced the bows of ships to bring protection to a vessel, ‘Valiant Lady’ is intended to embody the idea that women design, captain, lead and champion change in the maritime industry.

Scarlet Lady’s sister ship ‘Valiant Lady’ will continue Virgin Voyages’ ‘Scarlet Squad’ program, which is aimed at recruiting, supporting and mentoring female shipboard talent, and growing opportunities to access leadership roles in onboard areas such as marine, technical and hotel management that statistically show low numbers of female leadership.