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Cruise Review: Virgin Voyages’ Brilliant Lady
This article originally appeared in the October issue of AGENTatHOME magazine. Subscribe here to receive your free copy each month.
It’s difficult to describe what makes Virgin Voyages different from other cruise lines, says Richard Kilman, the brand’s vice president of entertainment.
But as soon as you step onboard, he adds, you can feel it.
“The world is … the way the world is these days,” he said. “But when you’re on the ship, it’s like you’re in a bubble — the way the world could be, should be: people feeling welcome, everyone feeling safe, everyone just having a good time. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, or what you’re into. We create that environment in this space, which is very special.”
I recently had the opportunity to experience Virgin Voyages’ inclusive, come-as-you-are vibe during the inaugural — or, “MerMaiden” — sailing of the line’s newest ship, Brilliant Lady. The 2,762-guest vessel is the fourth ship in the adults-only fleet, joining Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady and Resilient Lady. And, while Brilliant Lady is nearly identical to its sister ships, there are a few differences. Here’s what your clients can expect.
Accommodations
Brilliant Lady offers a range of stateroom types, from budget-friendly inside cabins to massive Mega RockStar suites. The decor skews modern, with vibrant pops of red, purple and blue accented by light wood finishes.
Brilliant Lady also has a new stateroom type: a standard Sea Terrace cabin with a slightly smaller balcony to accommodate a modified lifeboat arrangement, which allows the ship to transit the Panama Canal, making it the first ship in the fleet to be able to sail through the iconic waterway.
Onboard Dining
As with Virgin Voyages’ other ships, there’s no main dining room — and no buffet — onboard Brilliant Lady. Instead, more than 20 restaurants are included in the fare, with optional Treat Yourself dishes for an extra fee.
New for Brilliant Lady is Rojo by Razzle Dazzle, a sultry eatery serving up Spanish-inspired tapas and entrees such as oxtail montadito and pulpo a la grill. Other restaurants also have dishes that are exclusive to the new ship.
Public Areas
Travelers can watch world-class productions in The Red Room, dance the night away in The Manor, shop for souvenirs on High Street, play vintage video games in The Arcade, work up a sweat at Training Camp and relax in the cabanas.
Some spaces have been redesigned in anticipation of Brilliant Lady’s Alaska sailings, since it’s the first ship in the fleet to visit No. 49. The Roundabout atrium is more open and spacious, with various lounge-style seating configurations and a large screen for watching sporting events. It’s also home to the shore excursions desk and a revamped Draught Haus, which can pull double-duty as a coffee shop and full bar.
And The Athletic Club on Deck 16 has been reconfigured to help travelers make the most of Alaska’s scenery.
Guests sailing onboard Brilliant Lady will enjoy some expanded public spaces in anticipation of the ship’s upcoming voyages to Alaska. (Photo Credit: Virgin Voyages)
“It’s going to be a great viewing point for Alaska when we go through the Inside Passage and when we go through the glaciers,” said Frank Weber, senior vice president of fleet operations for Virgin Voyages.
Entertainment
Brilliant Lady has a full line up of shows, parties and immersive experiences, including several new offerings. “Up With a Twist” is the newest addition to Virgin’s supper club series, with singers, dancers and a live band delivering a high-energy performance while guests enjoy a multicourse meal with cocktail pairings. Also new is “Murder in the Manor,” which vice president of entertainment Kilman describes as a mash-up of “Scooby-Doo,” “Stranger Things” and “The Haunted Mansion.”
A Solo Insider cabin onboard Brilliant Lady incorporates the line’s distinctive pops of bright red and purple into its design (Photo Credit: Virgin Voyages)
Meanwhile, “Out of Time” is an upbeat, time-traveling journey through the decades, while “Red Hot” explores 50 years of iconic hits from Virgin Records’ music catalog. “Duets” features jazz-ified versions of famous duets, and “The Diva Goes West” stars Brilliant Lady’s resident drag queen.
“We’ve really expanded across many different musical genres on this ship,” Kilman said.
Itineraries
The ship will sail from Miami through the fall and winter, offering a variety of Caribbean itineraries. In March 2026, it will transit the Panama Canal for the first time before briefly homeporting in Los Angeles. From May through September 2026, the vessel will offer cruises from Seattle to Alaska. Then, it’s back through the Panama Canal to finish 2026 (and st art 2027) in Miami.
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