Inside Valiant Lady’s Dry Dock: Mermaids, Cabins & Major Projects
Valiant Lady’s dry dock will bring cabin upgrades, a new mermaid refresh, repainting, power improvements, and major maintenance projects.
Valiant Lady is set to undergo a wide range of work during her upcoming dry dock in May 2026, with several updates expected that sailors will directly notice when the ship returns to service. While technical maintenance forms a major part of any dry dock, this visit is also expected to bring cabin improvements, a refreshed mermaid, and practical upgrades across the ship.
This is part of our ongoing countdown to Valiant Lady’s dry dock, where we are taking a closer look at the updates expected across the ship.
Cabin Upgrades
Carpet Replacements
Guest cabins are expected to benefit from a number of practical improvements during the dry dock, including carpet/marble replacement and wider refresh work in selected areas.
New Power Outlets
Virgin Voyages has also shared plans for upgrades to around 1,400 power outlets across the ship. Based on similar work seen on Brilliant Lady, these updates will likely introduce more USB-C charging points where cabins are being refurbished.
View Our Cabin Power Outlet Guide
No New Rockstar Suites
New Seriously Suites are not part of the planned update for Valiant Lady as Scarlet Lady received during her dry dock.
The Mermaid Refresh
Valiant Lady’s iconic mermaid is also expected to be refreshed as part of the wider exterior works during dry dock.
Scarlet Lady received a refreshed mermaid during her own dry dock, showing how Virgin Voyages uses these periods to renew one of the ship’s most recognizable features.
It remains unclear whether Valiant Lady’s mermaid will receive a full redesign or a lighter refresh, but updates to the artwork are expected.
See Scarlet Lady’s Refreshed Mermaid
Full Exterior Refresh
One of the largest projects is a full exterior repaint, including work below the waterline. Around 22,000 square meters of hull surface is expected to be cleaned back to bare metal before fresh coatings are applied.
Virgin Voyages also shared that more than 15,000 liters of paint and over 3 kilometers of masking tape will be used during the process.
Efficiency Upgrades
As part of the underwater hull work, Valiant Lady is expected to receive a new silicone-based coating designed to improve efficiency through the water.
These types of coatings help reduce drag, which can improve fuel consumption and lower long-term operating costs which was already done on Scarlet Lady.
While largely invisible to guests, this is one of the most important upgrades taking place during dry dock.
Mechanical and Safety Work
Dry dock also allows engineers to access major systems that cannot be fully serviced while the ship is in operation. This is expected to include five-year maintenance on azipods, work on thrusters and stabilizers, lifeboat restoration, and wider classification inspections required to keep the ship in service.
Additional maintenance such as anchor work and machinery checks is also likely to take place during the yard period.
More Than Meets the Eye
While new venues and visible changes often grab attention, much of a dry dock is focused on preserving and improving the ship itself.
For Valiant Lady, this period combines maintenance, efficiency upgrades, and guest improvements ahead of her return to service later in May.
Source: Virgin Voyages dry dock presentation at the Red Hot Sailing Club Voyage, March 2026
