Fourth Virgin Voyages ship Brilliant Lady finally set for debut after 21 month delay

Virgin Voyages is finally ready to introduce its fourth cruise ship, completing one of the most challenging new orderbooks for any start-up cruise line in recent memory. 

The brand took delivery of its first ship in 2019 just months before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought the global cruise industry to standstill.

In the years following the pandemic, the industry has been beset by shipyard delays due to supply chain and manpower constraints, forcing the delay of almost every new ship ordered.

Virgin Voyages this week announced the new September 2025 date for introduction of its fourth cruise ship, Brilliant Lady, 21 months later than the originally announced first voyage for the ship. 

The delay reflects the extent to which Virgin Voyages was hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Its first ship, Scarlet Lady, was on her repsitioning cruise to the US in March 2020, when the cruise industry was forced to shut down globally.

She would not start sailing again until 2021, with similar delays seen for the line’s second and third ships Valiant Lady and Resilient Lady.

Brilliant Lady has been delayed several times over the last two years due to “unexpected construction, supply chain, and staffing challenges”.

When the cruise line initially delayed Brilliant Lady in December last year, they said it was likely to take up to two years to ramp up for her launch. 

The ship was floated out from the building dock on November 25th, 2022, and Fincantieri reported her as delivered in 2023, but the ship underwent further dry docking in Palermo, Italy in February 2024 prior to being put into warm lay-up.

Virgin reported a few minor changes were made to the ship, including an “adapted frame, meaning Brilliant Lady is designed to sail through the Panama Canal”, according to Seatrade. 

Virgin Voyages also reports she will introduce new dining and entertainment options.

Apart from the COVID-19 delays and disruption, Virgin Voyages has also been forced to reshuffle itineraries and deployments in recent months due to the security crisis in the Red Sea, which has prompted all major cruise lines to cancel port calls in the Middle East on Suez Canal cruises, and sail around Southern Africa instead.

Virgin Voyages cancelled its planned second cruise season in Australia and will instead stick to the Mediterranean and North America for its upcoming deployments. 

Brilliant Lady will sail voyages of 5 to 14 nights from New York to Bermuda and Canada, as well as from Miami to the Caribbean.