New Virgin Voyages Ship Indefinitely Delayed, Cruises Cancelled
Virgin Voyages quietly announced in a press statement on September 7, 2023 that the launch of their fourth ship, originally scheduled for December 2023, has been postponed without a new launch date. The statement also highlighted new travel plans available.
The delay of the new ship and cancellation of various sailings occurred due to problems with the supply chain and staffing, as well as construction setbacks.
2024 Cruises Cancelled For Amazing Lady
The release of the next ship in the Virgin Voyages series, namely the "Brilliant Lady," will not be happening as previously announced in December. This comes as yet another delay for the cruise line, which has had setbacks in the past. At the present time, construction of the vessel is ongoing at a Fincantieri shipyard located in Genoa, Italy. A significant milestone for the ship was reached on November 25, 2022, when it was floated out of the construction bay, allowing for the start of the interior designing process.
Virgin Voyages has been facing continuous difficulties in terms of staffing, supply chain, and construction, which has led to the cancellation of the ship's cruise schedule until April 2024. As of now, no definite launch date has been announced.
The company that organizes cruises is currently assessing alternative dates for their upcoming launches, as they acknowledge they may be impacted by worldwide events.
According to Shane Riley, who is the Vice President of UK/International Sales at Virgin Voyages, they introduced their services in the UK two years ago, and they managed to dominate the market. Nonetheless, he acknowledges that even the most vigorous businesses are confronted with unanticipated struggles from time to time.
"We regret to inform our Sailors that the launch of Brilliant Lady has been postponed. However, we are confident that our Sailors will be pleased with the enticing travel plans that we have carefully curated. Additionally, we are eagerly anticipating the return of Resilient Lady to Portsmouth and warmly welcoming our Sailors on-board to embark on an adventure in the classic Virgin manner," commented Riley.
Virgin Voyages has decided to call off the first two voyages of the Brilliant Lady. The 5-night tour from Miami that was set to depart on December 24 and the 7-night tour from San Juan that was scheduled for December 30 will no longer take place.
Check Out: One Ship from Virgin Voyages Now Features a Poker Venue
The vessel had planned to be stationed in San Juan up until April 2024. However, the company has recently called off voyages scheduled to depart on January 6th, March 23rd and 30th, as well as April 6th, 13th and 20th.
On April 20, a ship embarked on a journey from the Caribbean to Lisbon, Portugal. The purpose of this journey was to relocate the ship to Europe for the summer season. It was a transatlantic voyage.
"Replacement Voyages: New Cruise Options Offered"
Virgin Voyages has arranged alternative trips on Scarlet Lady and Valiant Lady for passengers who had previously booked a voyage on Brilliant Lady. These replacement cruises will have departure dates that are either identical or very close to the original trips.
As an instance, visitors who reserved a spot on the voyage of Brilliant Lady on December 30, 2023, which spans 7 nights and sets sail from San Juan, have the option to pick between two different itineraries. They can either opt for a 6-night sail on Scarlet Lady's New Year's Ahoy leaving on December 27 from Miami, or choose Valiant Lady's 8-night New Year's Ahoy journey, starting on December 30 at Miami port.
If your cruise gets cancelled, don't worry as there are complementary sailings available for you to choose from. This includes the transatlantic trip that was cancelled. Scarlet Lady will be embarking from Miami on April 21 and will be sailing to Barcelona for a period of 14 nights.
There is currently no information on whether the guests who have already made reservations for the Scarlet lady and Valiant Lady replacement cruises will be impacted. Additionally, Virgin Voyages has not yet released details on their refund policy for individuals who choose to cancel their bookings and not reschedule on a different vessel. However, it is expected that complete refunds will be issued.
Older Ships Experienced Launch Delays
Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Voyages, has established an exclusive fleet for adults only. The fleet comprises three vessels; Scarlet Lady, which set sail in October 2021; Valiant Lady, which commenced operations in March 2022; and Resilient Lady, which made its maiden voyage in May 2023.
The ships known as Scarlet Lady and Resilient Lady encountered some difficulties during construction and staffing that caused them to be delayed. Scarlet Lady's delay was due to the impact of Covid-19 as her initial debut was scheduled for 2020, but the outbreak enforced the shutdown of the entire industry.
The unveiling of Resilient Lady was initially planned for August of 2022. However, it was put on hold due to difficulties in the supply chain and ambiguity for overseas visitors concerning Covid levels during that time.
Each and every one of the Virgin Voyages vessels are the same, boasting a weight of 110,000 gross tons and the capacity to house 1,400 cabins, providing accommodation for up to 2,770 passengers. These ships are tailored towards providing entertainment to their guests and have revolutionized the industry by introducing a collection of specialty restaurants in place of the conventional main dining room concept.
