My Visit to Virgin Voyages’ New Brilliant Lady Ship: What to Expect + How to Book with Points

This week, Portsmouth became the first port in the world to welcome all four Virgin ships (not simultaneously).

The newest ship in the fleet, Brilliant Lady, brings elevated luxury to Virgin Voyages and sets sail for the first time on 5 September with paying passengers from New York. It is currently on a soft launch for friends and family across the Atlantic.

On Wednesday, the ship was open for a full day of experiences without leaving port. These preview days are a great way to sample life on board without committing to a full cruise. My friend and I were invited on board to experience everything Virgin’s newest ship has to offer.

I have yet to go on a cruise; in fact, this was my first time on a cruise ship. Given that Portsmouth is only 45 minutes from my home town, I jumped at the opportunity to get a taste of cruising without committing to a voyage.

Thanks to the Virgin team for the invitation.

The Ship and First Impressions

Brilliant Lady has a maximum capacity of around 2,860 passengers, plus 1,150 crew. With 17 decks and multiple venues to choose from, the ship is big enough to offer variety, but small enough to avoid the mega-ship feel, which is exactly what I experienced during my visit.

The ship was open to guests from 2:00 pm, but we arrived at check-in at 5:30 pm. After having our passports checked, we were given lanyards and directed to the security lane. A bus then took us straight to the ship. From the outside, it looked impressively large.

Within minutes, it was “scan in, and off you go”. The whole ship was open to explore and, with a welcome drink on entry, it immediately felt like a relaxed, open-house event. Virgin hosted a variety of activities throughout the ship, from team meet-and-greets to a pop quiz.

From the bars to the pool deck, and on to the spa and gym, we took our time exploring at our own relaxed pace. We even caught a beautiful sunset from the top deck, despite the cooler weather. While the ship still features a large pool deck, it also offers well-designed indoor spaces, which are perfect for colder itineraries, including a casino and shopping.

The pool deck was our favourite spot. With its fantastic views, open spaces and plentiful seating, it would be my go-to place if I were on a full sailing.

At night, the main pool area lights up beautifully. This is usually the setting for Scarlet Night, Virgin’s once-per-cruise party. The main party had been scheduled here during our visit, but with the chilly weather, it was moved indoors to the Red Room.

Cabins

A standard balcony cabin is about the size of a typical hotel room in a major European city.

There are 1,408 cabins in total, the majority of which are Sea Terrace rooms, each with Virgin’s now-signature hammock. You’ll also find 78 RockStar Quarters and Suites, offering early booking access, an in-room bar, wardrobe service, luggage assistance and access to Richard’s Rooftop sundeck.

A fresh addition for this ship is The Brilliant Suite, a step up from the Seriously Suite. It’s spacious and includes an 86 sq ft terrace.

Dining

Food remains central to the Virgin experience. The “no main dining room, no buffet” approach continues on Brilliant Lady — and, if you’ve read my hotel reviews before, you’ll know that’s good news for me. I’ll admit it: I’m a buffet snob.

On the day, all food and drinks were included, which is great value, considering tickets could be had for just 7,500 points, with 9 hours of dining and drinking.

We dined at Extra Virgin, Virgin’s Italian restaurant. More formal than other venues on board, it was exactly my style.

It was a full Virgin experience: we began with a charcuterie board, followed by braised mini meatballs and tuna tonnato from the antipasti. For our main, we both chose the Gorgonzola-crusted New York steak, accompanied by ricotta gnudi and braised lamb girella.

Drinks included a choice of rosé, red or white wine from a preview menu. A few cocktails also made the rounds, including the non-alcoholic Honey, I’m Done, though we added rum and vodka to ours, and they were fantastic.

One of Brilliant Lady’s new additions is Rojo by Razzle Dazzle,  a Spanish-inspired à la carte restaurant serving modern tapas and Iberian flavours.

Other favourites return too, including Pink Agave (Mexican), Gunbae (Korean BBQ) and the innovative Test Kitchen.

Entertainment and Nightlife

Entertainment takes centre stage, with a line-up spanning live music, stand-up comedy and a festival-like energy. Brilliant Lady will debut five new productions, including Out of Time, which premiered during our preview.

For something more low-key, there’s The Groupie, a retro karaoke lounge with private booths, neon lights and plenty of fun.

After dinner, we visited another bar before heading to Virgin’s signature Scarlet Night Party. Think sequins, glitter and playful glamour. With the weather too chilly for the pool deck, the event was moved to the Red Room, a versatile venue that transforms between theatre, nightclub and live performance space. It was buzzing with high-energy Virgin vibes and, despite the crowds, never felt overcrowded.

Disembarkation was straightforward, though there was a bit of a wait for taxis.

Itineraries

Brilliant Lady has some excellent itineraries ahead, all bookable with Virgin Points. She officially debuts on 5 September from New York with sun-soaked sailings to Aruba, Curaçao, Colombia and Jamaica, Virgin’s take on the Caribbean classic.

Looking ahead, April 2026 will see her long-awaited West Coast debut in Los Angeles, with Pacific voyages down to Mexico and beyond.

From May to September 2026, Brilliant Lady will operate Virgin Voyages’ first-ever Alaska programme, sailing from Seattle.

Booking with Virgin Points

You can transfer points from Virgin Atlantic Flying Club to Virgin Red to book cruises. Previously, Virgin only allowed redemptions for specific sailings, but now any available Central Sea Terrace cabin can be booked using points, with no blackout dates. This works much like Virgin Atlantic flight redemptions, although it may not always represent the very best value.

Each cabin is for two guests, and cancellations up to 120 days before sailing will see your points refunded. After this, points are non-refundable. In terms of value, cruises, upgrades and flights typically deliver the strongest returns for points compared with other redemptions.

Here are the current redemption options (although you’ll need plenty of points in the bank!):

• Brilliant Valentine’s Voyage – 12 February 2026 – 640,000 points

• Panama Canal & Pacific Wonders – 21 March 2026 – 1,820,000 points

• California (and Mexico) Dreamin’ – 12 April 2026 – 575,000 points

• Seattle MerMaiden – 21 May 2026 – 765,000 points

• Miami MerMaiden – 17 October 2026 – 595,000 points

• Brilliant Caribbean Holidays – 18 December 2026 – 520,000 points

• Brilliant Caribbean Holidays – 23 December 2026 – 525,000 points

• Brilliant New Year’s Ahoy! – 28 December 2026 – 1,165,000 points

Final Words

Our Brilliant Lady preview was a memorable evening in a stunning setting. The ship feels fresh and thoughtfully designed, with all the playful touches Virgin is known for. It offered a real sense of the ship’s flow, food quality and nightlife atmosphere — perfect for anyone curious about whether a Virgin Voyages cruise is for them.

If you’re after a casually luxurious, adults-only holiday, a Virgin Voyages cruise might just be the answer.

View redemption options here >>>