Virgin Voyages’ Brilliant Lady Makes Her Debut

With robust entertainment and more than 20 eateries catering to an adults-only crowd, the line’s newest ship will be sailing to the Caribbean and Alaska.

Virgin Voyages newest ship, the Brilliant Lady, arrived in New York City on September 2 after her transatlantic crossing from the United Kingdom. Sir Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Voyages, was on deck as she sailed into the harbor, past the Statue of Liberty and down the Hudson River.

More than 1,200 guests (or Sailors, as they are called) and 1,200 crew members joined a chorus of Queen’s song “Don’t Stop Me Now.” The Brilliant Lady then docked on the Hudson, and on September 3 and 4, party nights and other events took place. On September 5, the ship sailed from New York on a 5-night “MerMaiden” trip to Bermuda.

With the addition of the Brilliant Lady, Virgin Voyages now has four ships – the Scarlet Lady, Valient Lady, Resilient Lady and Brilliant Lady. The fleet is exclusively for adults, and Sailors have to be at least 18 years old. The ships can accommodate 2,770 Sailors and have 1,160 crew members onboard.

Pink Agave, the Brilliant Lady’s Mexican restaurant

Diverse Dining Options in the Brilliant Lady

The Brilliant Lady has 20+ eateries and features culinary experiences from Michelin-star chefs. There are no main dining rooms.

Here are some of the options:

The Wake – offering a sophisticated take on steak and seafood, it is the most glamorous restaurant on the ship
Pink Agave – an elevated Mexican restaurant
Gunbae – a Korean barbeque restaurant
Extra Virgin – serves regionally inspired, hand-crafted pasta using Italian culinary traditions
The Galley – a food hall features a mix of eight shops and food carts. Sailors can enjoy a dedicated bakery and pastry shop, a burger grill, a panini shop, a taco shack, a noodle bar, a soup and salad stand, a sushi bar with bento boxes and a 24-hour American diner.
The Pizza Place – located on Deck 7
The Test Kitchen – described as a laboratory-like eatery. Sailors are provided with a list of special ingredients before they dine, and then their meal is put in the hands of the chef to deliver incredible cuisine.

Sir Richard Branson at Rojo at Razzle Dazzle

A new restaurant on the Brilliant Lady is Rojo at Razzle Dazzle. It’s free to dine at Rojo, and dishes include grilled ribeye, baby back pork ribs and arctic char. Starters include ham croquettes, beef tartar, olive confit octopus, and oxtail with onion and cheese on crostini. One up-charge option is the $70 Maine lobster paella; another is a $35 “Sip and Savor” package that pairs several dishes with three drinks.

Sailors enjoy ice cream at Lick Me Till…

Bars and Lounges on the New Cruise Ship

Among the Brilliant Lady’s watering holes are:

The Dock – an outdoor lounge that focuses on relaxation, socializing and appreciation of the gorgeous views
The Manor – a signature nightclub designed by Roman and Williams, inspired by Richard Branson’s history in the music industry
Sip – a decadent lounge that features a diverse curation of Champagne labels. Sip also offers a signature afternoon high tea and caviar.
Draught Haus – a casual meet-up-spot offering a wide range of bottled and artisanal beers, shot-cocktails and more.
Grounds Club – a specialty coffee bar

Entertainment Onboard – Returning Shows and New Ones

Virgin Voyages is well known for creative and robust entertainment offerings. The Brilliant Lady has some returning shows along with new ones.

These are some of the returning shows Sailors can enjoy:

“Dual Reality” is an acrobatic flagship performance that features a modern take on the story of Romeo and Juliet
“Scarlet Night” provides surprise performances by the onboard cast and pop-up activations. Then it continues with a massive dance party where everyone wears red. This usually takes place in the pool deck location, and if the weather gets too chilly and cold, “Scarlet Night” will take place in the Red Room.
Festival Stage has rotating acts

New shows on the Brilliant Lady include:

“Murder in the Manor,” a twist on a murder mystery, takes place in the 1980s. Jenny tries to figure out who killed her older sister Sheena, a glamorous and famous pop star who had lots of enemies.
“Up With a Twist” is the newest addition to Virgin’s supper club series. It’s entertainment but also falls under dining because it’s a dinner theater show. This is the only fee dining spot onboard the Brilliant Lady – the cost is $50 per person. Sailors can enjoy a welcome drink as they order food from a French-inspired menu with several courses accompanied by its own cocktail. Then singers, entertainers and a live band tell the story of Lady Valentine’s search for her successor to run the “Emporium of Excess.”
“Out of Time,” a comedy musical, is an upbeat, time-traveling journey where Dr. Victoria Vortex is sent into a series of time periods when her evil assistant sabotages her time machine.

The Aquatic Club

Fitness and Well-Being Options

The Brilliant Lady provides diverse well-being options:

Well-being Pool
Training Center at Athletic Club
The Runway
B-Complex
The Perch
The Aquatic Club

Other Pampering Spaces on the Brilliant Lady

Sailors can indulge in these spaces:

Squid Ink – The first ever tattoo studio on a cruise ship offers tattooing, permanent makeup and body piercing services, and has two resident tattoo artists.
The Tune Up – a nail salon where Sailors can have pedicures done while enjoying some of the best ocean views
Redemption Spa – This mermaid and merman hideaway is complete with a mud room, hydrotherapy pool, salt room, cold plunge pools, quartz beds and rejuvenating spa treatments.
Stubble and Groom – an intimate, upscale barber shop
The Dry Dock – a blow dry and hairstyling beauty bar

Virgin Voyages’ New Fare Model with Three Pricing Tiers

Virgin Voyages has a new fare model with three pricing tiers –base fare, essential fare and premium fare, They’re calling the pricing model VoyageFair Choices.

Base Fare – This includes basic Wi-Fi for one device per guest and dining reservations beginning 15 days before the sailing. Base fare bookings are non-refundable and do not allow any changes to the cabin, date or names listed under the booking.
Essential Fare – This comes with classic Wi-Fi for one device per guest and dining reservations beginning 45 days before the sailing. Bookings in Essential Fare lets guests change the dates of the cruise using a future voyage credit, and they can also change the names on the booking for the second through fourth guest.
Premium Fare – This is the highest tier, offering dining reservations 60 days out, a first for guests in the Sea Terrace or lower category staterooms. Each guest gets premium Wi-Fi for two devices, a bar tab and access to a priority support line.

Guests who book RockStar and Mega RockStar suites will have access to dining reservations 120 days in advance of the sailing.

Where Brilliant Lady is Sailing

After finishing her sailings from New York to Bermuda and Canada through the middle of October, the Brilliant Lady embarked on a 13-day one-way cruise repositioning cruise from Quebec to Miami. She’s then offering 7-night roundtrip itineraries from Miami to destinations such as George Town, Grand Cayman; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; and various Bahamian ports. In 2026, the Brilliant Lady will operate Alaska sailings starting in May and will return to the Caribbean in the fall.

Why Consider Virgin Voyages and the Brilliant Lady

Virgin Voyages is exclusively for adults and offers a sanctuary at sea for travelers who are 18 years and older. Dining, gratuities, Wi-Fi, essential drinks and unlimited group fitness classes are included in the voyage fare.

And with the Brilliant Lady providing new shows and experiences, along with the debut of Virgin Voyages’ newest restaurant, Rojo by Razzle Dazzle, Brilliant Lady is definitely one to consider when booking your new group as Sailors.