Virgin Voyages’ second ship,Valiant Lady, will sail from Barcelona to European party hotspots such as Ibiza and Cannes. Jenny Southan reports
Richard Branson’s new youth-orientated, adults-only cruise brand Virgin Voyages is launching a second ship, Valiant Lady, this spring that will operate out of a homeport in Barcelona, taking passengers on trips to Bruges, Ibiza and Cannes, among other destinations along the way.
Virgin Voyages’ first ship, Scarlet Lady, set sail in 2021 with Millennial-pleasing features on board such as a tattoo parlour, outdoor gym, vinyl record shop and drag queen brunches. Valiant Lady has 1,330 cabins and 78 “RockStar Quarters”, plus two Massive Suites that have their own turntables for DJing and a private hot tub.
Virgin Voyages says that 86 per cent of cabins have a balcony and 93 per cent an ocean view. They also have “new elevated design to bring warmer energy and a more sophisticated feel, with increased drawers and storage space – perfect for longer itineraries”.
To help keep passengers healthy, there are pre-boarding testing and vaccine requirements, plus special air filtration on the vessels.
Tom McAlpin, CEO of Virgin Voyages, says: “Following the success of our first lady ship, Scarlet Lady, we are so excited to debut Valiant Lady to the UK this March and begin our European tour.
“Our epic sailings have curated itineraries that are unbelievably accessible for those in the UK wanting to cruise differently, and we look forward to hitting the high seas and showing both budding and avid sailors how to voyage the Virgin way.”
With UK travel restrictions lifting, Virgin Voyages says it has seen a 70 per cent increase in bookings for cruises since December 2021, with cabin prices start from £898 for a three-night “Long Weekender” cruise.
To cater to a younger audience than typical cruiselines, Valiant Lady has “curated itineraries featuring longer port stays and overnighters in some of Europe’s most idyllic islands and effervescent cities, including Palma de Mallorca and Ibiza”.
Virgin Voyages itineraries aboard Valiant Lady
Long Weekender in Zeebrugge (three nights)
Route: Portsmouth – Zeebrugge – Portsmouth
Dates: March 18-21, April 18-2, April 29-May 2
Prices from £449 per person (£898 per cabin)
Late Nights in Portugal and Spain (12-nights)
Route: Portsmouth – Sea – La Coruña – Lisbon – Cádiz – Gibraltar – Málaga · Málaga – Sea – Palma de Mallorca – Sea – Barcelona
Dates: May 2-14
Prices from £1,299 (£2,598 per cabin)
The Irresistible Med (seven-nights)
Route: Barcelona – Toulon – Marina di Carrara – Ajaccio – Cagliari – Ibiza – Barcelona
Dates: May-October
Prices from £1,044 per person (£2,089 per cabin).
French Daze & Ibiza Nights (seven-nights)
Route: Barcelona – Marseille – Cannes – Olbia – Ibiza – Barcelona
Dates: May-October
Prices from £1,007 per person (£2,014 per cabin)
Spanish Obsession (seven-nights)
Route: Barcelona – Palma de Mallorca – Gibraltar – Malaga – Ibiza – Barcelona
Dates: June-October
Prices from £1,017 per person (£2,034 per cabin)