Virgin cruises 2026–2027: ships, fares and who they suit

Virgin Voyages at a glance

Fleet

4 ships, all in the same class; no fifth ship on order

Price tier

Premium, with more included than most mainstream lines

Ship size

About 2,760 guests each

Minimum age

18

Main regions

Caribbean, Mediterranean and Greek Isles, plus Alaska, Mexico, Bermuda and New England

Included

All restaurants, basic drinks, Wi-Fi, group fitness classes

Owners

Virgin Group and Bain Capital, with other investors

Virgin cruise ships

All four Virgin Voyages cruise ships are near-identical sisters, so picking one is really picking an itinerary. The newer ships have small tweaks to venues and some different restaurants. Virgin calls Brilliant Lady the fourth and last ship of this design, and it has not announced a new order.

• Brilliant LadyLady class, 2025, about 2,760 guestsThe newest Virgin cruise ship and the one that sails Alaska from Seattle and Vancouver and Mexico from Los Angeles. Pick it for the latest venues and the non-Caribbean routes.
  From $350 per personChecked September 2026
• Resilient LadyLady class, 2023, about 2,760 guestsSplits its year between Europe (Barcelona in 2027) and the Caribbean (San Juan and Miami).
• Valiant LadyLady class, 2022, about 2,760 guestsCurrently Virgin's Caribbean regular, on short trips from Miami.
• Scarlet LadyLady class, 2021, about 2,760 guestsThe first ship, recently refitted with new suites. Caribbean in winter, the Greek Isles and Mediterranean from Athens and Barcelona in summer.

Years above are first sailings with guests: Scarlet Lady was delivered in 2020 but didn’t carry passengers until 2021, and Valiant Lady was delivered in 2021 and began sailing in 2022. “Lady class” is our shorthand; Virgin just calls them its Lady Ships.

What a Virgin cruise is like on board

Inside a Virgin cruise ship, the layout looks more like a boutique hotel than a traditional cruise ship. There is no single main dining room. Instead you book times at a set of smaller restaurants, each with its own menu, and a food hall covers casual meals. Entertainment leans toward smaller, immersive shows and late-night parties rather than big production numbers, and there are no formal nights.

That format is the main thing to weigh. If you like a routine of the same table and waiter each night, Virgin will feel unfamiliar. If you like choosing a different restaurant each evening and staying up late, it is one of the better fits at sea. The ships are the same size as many mainstream ships, so the pool deck can feel busy on sea days in the Caribbean.

Virgin calls its guests “Sailors,” its suites “RockStar Quarters” and its casual food hall The Galley, and the booking site uses that vocabulary throughout.

Where Virgin Voyages sails

• Year-round: the Caribbean, mostly from Miami, often with a stop at The Beach Club at Bimini, plus Southern Caribbean sailings from San Juan. Short sailings of four or five nights are Virgin’s most popular product; see our short cruise picks.
• Spring to autumn: Europe. Mediterranean routes from Barcelona and Greek Isles sailings from Athens (Piraeus).
• Summer: Alaska. Brilliant Lady sailed Virgin’s first Alaska season in 2026 and returns from late May to early September 2027, on seven- to 12-night cruises from Seattle and Vancouver. That makes Virgin much newer to Alaska than its rivals. Compare it with the established Alaska lines in our best cruise lines for Alaska, and see the Seattle cruise port guide.
• Seasonal: the West Coast. Brilliant Lady also sails Mexican Riviera and Baja cruises from Los Angeles. Virgin’s New York season ends in October 2026, and it has no New York sailings announced for 2027. Virgin spent one season in Australia (2023–24) and cancelled the next; it has no Australia or Asia sailings on sale.

For the Virgin cruises 2026 schedule and 2027 dates, use the sailings table below; this page will be updated as deployments change.

Destination guides for these regions: the Caribbean, Bermuda, Mexico, Alaska, the Panama Canal, Europe, Greece.

What’s included and what’s extra

Included in every fare: all the restaurants on board (Virgin has no main dining room or buffet in the usual sense), basic drinks such as still and sparkling water, soft drinks, juice, coffee and tea, Wi-Fi, group fitness classes and the shows.

Gratuities are no longer in the fare. For bookings made since October 7, 2025, Virgin adds a flat daily service gratuity per guest, at a lower rate if you prepay it before the cruise. Virgin says that one charge covers the crew and no other tipping is expected on board.

Fare tiers: since the same date, Sea Terrace and lower cabins are sold in three tiers: Base, Essential and Premium. Base is non-refundable and comes with basic Wi-Fi on one device; Essential adds better Wi-Fi and some flexibility to change dates; Premium adds streaming-grade Wi-Fi on two devices, a Bar Tab (prepaid drinks credit, not a drinks package) and the most flexible terms. Higher tiers also open restaurant bookings earlier.

Extra: alcohol and specialty coffee (unless you have Bar Tab credit), shore excursions (Virgin calls them Shore Things), the spa, and premium experiences.

Cabins: interior rooms, which Virgin calls Insider cabins, are small and have no window. Almost all Sea Terrace (balcony) cabins have a hammock on the balcony.

How Virgin Voyages compares

• Against other adult-focused lines: Virgin is the only big-ship line with a strict 18-plus rule. Oceania Cruises has also been adults-only for new bookings since January 2026, but its ships are much smaller and it sells a quieter, more traditional trip. See our best cruises for adults.
• Against Celebrity: Celebrity also skews adult and design-led, but allows children and charges separately for more. See Celebrity Cruises and Celebrity vs Virgin Voyages.
• Against Norwegian: both are relaxed about dress codes; Norwegian allows families and bundles drinks differently. See Norwegian Cruise Line.
• For solo travelers: see our singles and solo cruise picks.
• Overall: where Virgin lands in our cruise line rankings.

Virgin Voyages sailings and prices

Sample Virgin Voyages sailings. From-prices per person, checked September 2026.

Departs	Line and ship	Nights	Itinerary	From	Link
Oct 31, 2026	Virgin Voyages, Scarlet Lady	5	Mexico & Bimini Beach Club Halloween (from Miami, Florida)	$424	Check price
Nov 23, 2026	Virgin Voyages, Scarlet Lady	5	Jamaica & Bimini Beach Club (from Miami, Florida)	$647	Check price
Dec 28, 2026	Virgin Voyages, Brilliant Lady	10	Eastern Caribbean & Bimini New Year's (from Miami, Florida)	$1,442	Check price
Jan 18, 2027	Virgin Voyages, Scarlet Lady	5	Dominican Republic & Bimini Beach Club (from Miami, Florida)	$350	Check price
Mar 20, 2027	Virgin Voyages, Scarlet Lady	5	True Crime Voyage (from Miami, Florida)	$649	Check price
Sep 2, 2027	Virgin Voyages, Resilient Lady	10	Italy & French Riviera (from Barcelona, Spain)	$1,840	Check price
Nov 6, 2027	Virgin Voyages, Brilliant Lady	7	Mexican Riviera & Cabo Overnight (from Los Angeles, California)	$459	Check price
Nov 8, 2027	Virgin Voyages, Valiant Lady	5	Red Hot Sailing Club Voyage From Miami (from Miami, Florida)	$423	Check price
Nov 27, 2027	Virgin Voyages, Valiant Lady	5	Grand Turk & Bimini Beach Club (from Miami, Florida)	$445	Check price
Dec 19, 2027	Virgin Voyages, Resilient Lady	7	Eastern Caribbean & Bimini Holiday (from Miami, Florida)	$883	Check price
Dec 20, 2027	Virgin Voyages, Valiant Lady	7	Western Caribbean & Bimini Holiday (from Miami, Florida)	$882	Check price
Jul 23, 2028	Virgin Voyages, Scarlet Lady	10	Mediterranean: Athens To Rome (from Piraeus (Athens), Greece)	$1,750	Check price

Virgin cruises FAQ

Is Virgin Voyages adults-only?

Yes. All guests must be 18 or older. It is the main reason people choose it over other large-ship lines.

Who owns Virgin cruise line?

Virgin Voyages was founded by Richard Branson’s Virgin Group with the investment firm Bain Capital. Other investors, including a BlackRock-led funding round in 2022, have since put money in.

What is the newest Virgin cruise ship?

Brilliant Lady, the fourth ship, which took its first voyage from New York in September 2025. Virgin says it is the last ship of this design, and no new ships are on order.

Which is the best Virgin cruise ship?

The four ships are sisters, so the best one is the one sailing the itinerary you want. Brilliant Lady has the newest touches; Valiant Lady is the regular on short Caribbean trips from Miami.

Are tips included on Virgin Voyages?

Not any more for new bookings. Since October 7, 2025, Virgin charges a flat daily service gratuity per guest (cheaper if prepaid), and no other tipping is expected on board. Wi-Fi and basic drinks are still in the fare; alcohol and excursions are extra.