0:00
Well, here we are after three weeks
0:02
since our last Virgin Voyagers update.
0:04
There has been so much happening in the
0:06
world of Virgin Voyages with the launch
0:08
of Brilliant Lady, the fourth ship in
0:10
the fleet. I'm David from VV Insider,
0:13
and we've been lucky enough to go along
0:15
to some of these exclusive launch events
0:17
to see Brilliant Lady for ourselves, see
0:19
the new spaces, see the new shows, and
0:21
try the new food. And this very special
0:24
version of the Virgin Voyages insider
0:26
update is going to cover the brilliant
0:28
launch week in detail. But in the world
0:30
of Virgin Voyages, the news never stops.
0:32
So we've got some more important updates
0:34
from across the fleet and across the
0:36
company to tell you as well. So in this
0:38
insider update, I'm going to take you on
0:40
Brilliant Ladies launch from Portsmouth
0:42
all the way to New York City. I'm going
0:44
to tell you how you can go on a virtual
0:46
tour of the brand new ship and see all
0:48
those brand new spaces as well. We're
0:51
also going to take a quick look and
0:52
highlight some of those brand new shows
0:54
and entertainment on board Brilliant
0:55
Lady. We also have news of the confirmed
0:58
dates for the comedy festival in 2026.
1:00
The brand new Sailor app is now
1:02
available on Android phones. There's a
1:04
brand new happenings cast on Valiant
1:06
Lady. There's been some updates to Wi-Fi
1:08
pricing that I want to tell you about.
1:10
And to top things off, I want to tell
1:11
you about two very special celebrations
1:14
that both Virgin Voyages and VV Insider
1:16
have been having over the past couple of
1:18
weeks. So, there's so much to cover, so
1:20
let's dive right in. VV Insider is the
1:22
number one resource for the latest
1:24
Virgin Voyages info, guides, and news.
1:26
From picking the perfect cabin to
1:28
booking dining, or simply just making
1:30
the most of your voyage and saving money
1:32
while you do it, vincider.com has helped
1:34
thousands of sailors around the world
1:36
sail smarter. Support our work by
1:38
hitting subscribe and stick around to
1:40
hear how you can get exclusive perks by
1:42
booking directly with us.
1:46
So, the Brilliant Lady launch started
1:48
off in Portsmouth on the 18th of August.
1:51
Brilliant Lady entered Portsmouth Harbor
1:52
on Monday the 18th of August to be in
1:55
place for some exclusive launch events
1:57
that were happening in the UK and also
1:59
to set the scene for her inaugural
2:01
journey across the Atlantic for the
2:03
friends and family voyage. For those
2:05
that have followed along with Virgin
2:06
Voyages in the past, you'll know
2:08
Portsmouth as the very first port that
2:10
welcomed Scarlet Lady when she launched
2:12
postco for sailors back in 2021. Invited
2:15
media and first mates from across the UK
2:18
were welcomed on board on the 19th of
2:20
August to get a preview of Brilliant
2:22
Lady's brand new spaces like the newly
2:24
designed roundabout draft house and
2:26
athletic club. We were also able to get
2:29
our first look at the new cabin type
2:31
which is the slightly smaller sea
2:32
terrace. For those that don't know, this
2:35
new cabin type offers two hammocks
2:37
instead of one. One thing we were told
2:39
by the team is that these new hammocks
2:41
have been specifically engineered for
2:43
this cabin type and they're designed
2:45
specifically for sitting rather than
2:47
lying down because of course the space
2:49
on the balcony is limited. The balconies
2:51
in these cabins on Brilliant Lady have
2:53
been reduced slightly to allow the
2:55
system for the lifeboats to bring them
2:56
in which uniquely means that Brilliant
2:58
Lady can pass through the Panama Canal.
3:01
If you want to see these cabins for
3:02
yourself, we have photos and videos of
3:04
the new cabin type over on
3:07
One thing we also noticed on this
3:09
preview event is that there are new
3:11
dining options available in the dock and
3:13
the doghouse. The dock and doghouse
3:15
menus offer me style dining throughout
3:17
the afternoon and early evening. New
3:19
things you'll notice on the open fire
3:21
grill section of the menu is a new
3:23
trumpet mushroom dish, monkfish with
3:25
pesto and tomato and beef caft skewers
3:29
accompanied by radishes and cucumber.
3:31
This does replace the goat cheese
3:33
palenta, the Spanish octopus, and
3:35
unfortunately for me, the hanger steak I
3:37
love has been replaced with that beef
3:39
caft. The new full menu is available at
3:44
If there's something on the menu that
3:45
you'd love to try, or if there's an old
3:47
favorite that's not available on
3:48
Brilliant Lady, like my hanger steak, do
3:50
let us know in the comments what you
3:52
think. When we were on board at the
3:54
preview events, we were able to get an
3:56
exclusive walkaround tour of the brand
3:58
new ship. Luckily, we were able to do
4:00
this at a really quiet time on board, so
4:03
you can get a real uninterrupted view of
4:05
the brand new spaces on board. We have a
4:07
full walkthrough video tour, but we've
4:09
also captured some fantastic images of
4:12
those new spaces as well, including a
4:14
few hidden items that we noticed that
4:16
you might not see on the walkthrough
4:18
video. So, make sure you go on
4:19
vbinsider.com and have a look at that
4:21
allimportant article. A couple of things
4:23
you'll probably already be aware of by
4:25
now if you followed our channel before
4:27
is a newly designed roundabout space
4:30
including a new draft house as well. And
4:32
these spaces in person are absolutely
4:34
beautiful. And the seating is so
4:36
comfortable and really great for working
4:38
at sea. And I can attest to that
4:40
personally. There are also tons of brand
4:42
new spaces to sit and relax around the
4:45
roundabout as well. We've seen this
4:47
become a really popular place for people
4:49
to sit and relax throughout the day and
4:51
throughout the evening. So, expect to
4:53
see the roundabout on Brilliant Lady
4:55
become a lot busier than the roundabout
4:57
that are on her four sisters. We also
4:59
got a great look at Rojo by Razledazzle,
5:02
which is the new Spanish themed
5:03
restaurant on board, replacing
5:05
Razledazzle of old. Something we noticed
5:07
in person at Rojo by Razledazzle is that
5:10
although it looks really clean and
5:12
contemporary when you zoom out and you
5:13
look at a video of the space, when
5:15
you're actually there in person, there
5:17
are really rich details to every single
5:19
part of the interior. So, I invite you
5:21
to when you go to Rojo yourself, have a
5:23
really good look at all of the tiles and
5:25
textures when you get in there. It's a
5:27
really beautiful space and actually the
5:29
photos and videos that you see of Rojo
5:31
by Razledazzle don't entirely do it
5:33
justice. So, make sure you have a really
5:35
good look when you go and visit
5:37
yourself. One thing we also noticed on
5:39
board Brilliant Lady is that we have
5:40
erroneously reported that Inky the
5:42
Octopus on Brilliant Lady is black. In
5:45
fact, the color of Brilliant Lady still
5:47
remains a little bit of a mystery. It's
5:49
either dark gray, which you can see in
5:51
this picture of Inky the octopus here.
5:53
And also dark gray is the color of the
5:55
Brilliant Lady dessert that's served in
5:57
the galley as well. We've noticed
5:59
touches of gold and yellow as well,
6:01
including the pin badges that are given
6:03
out by the Happenings cast. So, for now,
6:05
we're going to go ahead and say that
6:07
Brilliant Lady is represented by two
6:09
colors, one being dark gray and the
6:11
other being yellow. There are so many
6:13
things to cover on Brilliant Lady. So,
6:15
I'm going to invite you to just go and
6:17
have a look at the tour, but I'm just
6:18
showing you here a couple of pieces of
6:20
new artwork that can be found on board
6:22
Brilliant Lady as well. So, make sure
6:24
when you step on board, you have a
6:26
really good look for all those
6:27
differences and changes. One thing we
6:29
were able to do on these preview events
6:31
was have a look at the brand new
6:33
entertainment and events offered on
6:35
Brilliant Lady. Now, this is actually
6:36
where Brilliant Lady really differs
6:39
because all of the entertainment is
6:40
brand new on Brilliant Lady apart from
6:43
Dual Reality, which has been ported over
6:45
from Scarlet Lady. Now, although we
6:48
haven't had the time to write about
6:49
every single brand new show that's
6:51
offered on Brilliant Lady, we have
6:53
managed to find the time to write about
6:55
two that we particularly enjoyed during
6:57
the preview events. The first one being
6:59
Up with a Twist, which is the new Supper
7:02
Club Cabaret style variety show that is
7:05
shown in the Mana. This show is super
7:07
immersive and it's performed by a cast
7:09
of characters with a huge variety of
7:11
performance styles and talents. The show
7:14
itself sees the manor transformed into
7:16
Lady Valentina's Emporium of Excess,
7:19
which is dubbed as a lavish jazz club
7:22
with a cast of characters that offer
7:24
unique experiences and performances
7:26
throughout the show. This show is a
7:28
ticketed experience that costs $50 per
7:31
person on board, but that cost is well
7:33
worth it personally for the show alone,
7:35
but also you get a fantastic exclusive
7:38
dinner included with that as well. And
7:40
you also get served six cocktails along
7:42
the way. If you want to see a full menu
7:44
of what's served alongside Up with a
7:46
Twist, we have a full menu available for
7:49
you on vvincider.com.
7:51
Just go across to events, click on Up
7:52
with a Twist, and you can read all about
7:54
it. One of the other shows that we've
7:56
written about this week is called Murder
7:58
in the Manor, which again is performed
8:00
in, you've guessed it, The Manor. This
8:02
is a 1980s style who done it type story
8:05
which isn't taken too seriously because
8:07
it's a comedic caper that follows the
8:10
story of the mysterious death of Sheena,
8:13
a huge pop sensation that died one night
8:15
in her celebrity manner. And now it's
8:18
left to her sister Jenny and a cast of
8:20
characters to try and figure out what
8:23
went on. In Murder in the Manor, you're
8:25
going to meet a colorful cast of
8:26
characters that all have their
8:28
individual talents and variety acts. And
8:31
it's through these acts and interludes
8:33
that we learn more about the mysterious
8:34
circumstances that led up to Sheena's
8:37
demise. Again, we have a full guide and
8:39
clips from the show available on
8:43
So, head over there if you want to get a
8:44
sneak peek at all of the action in
8:46
Murder in the Manor. Now, in the midst
8:48
of the Brilliant Lady launch week, there
8:50
has been some other Virgin Voyages news
8:51
as well, including the confirmation of
8:54
the dates for the Comedy Fest in 2026.
8:57
One of the Comedy Fest voyages will take
8:59
place on April the 11th, this time
9:01
sailing from New York to Bermuda with an
9:04
overnight stay on the island. If you
9:06
prefer a UK-based Comedy Fest voyage
9:08
that leaves from Portsmouth on August
9:10
20th next year with a visit to Bruge,
9:13
Amsterdam, and Hamburg along the way.
9:15
What began as a one-off event back in
9:18
2023, the comedy fest has become a
9:20
really popular mainstay in the Virgin
9:22
Voyages calendar. So, we expect to see
9:24
more of these types of voyages, possibly
9:26
annually for both sides of the Atlantic,
9:29
stretching far into the future. Speaking
9:31
of itineraries, Resilient Lady's 2027
9:34
summer itineraries have just been
9:36
announced. Resilient Lady again will be
9:38
based in the Mediterranean, visiting
9:40
Italy and other Mediterranean ports. She
9:42
will begin her journey from Miami to
9:44
Europe in May 2027, where she will be
9:47
hosting the solar eclipse voyage,
9:49
departing from Spain, and heading to
9:51
ports like Tangier and Morocco. One
9:53
thing we did note with this itinerary
9:55
release is that we did expect to see a
9:57
Portsmith sailing in 2027, but there's
9:59
yet to be any announced. So, we'll be
10:01
keeping an eye on this and we'll keep
10:02
you posted when we see one. Now, this
10:04
one came as a little surprise for us. We
10:06
did not expect to see the new Android
10:08
app until later this year, but the new
10:11
Sailor app on Android has launched into
10:13
the Google Play Store or anywhere else
10:15
you get your Android apps. This launch
10:17
means that both iPhone users and Android
10:19
users can use the new Sailor app
10:22
experience. Now, it's also been
10:24
confirmed to us that Shake for Champagne
10:26
is now available on the new Sailor app.
10:28
When it launched back a few months ago,
10:30
it didn't launch with this
10:31
functionality, but now you can shake
10:33
your phone and odor champagne just like
10:35
Virgin Voyages intended at the very
10:37
beginning. Now, it is worth noting that
10:39
they are testing out this new Sailor
10:41
app. So, the old Sailor app is still
10:43
available for those that need it. So, if
10:45
you're struggling to get the new Sailor
10:47
app working, simply use the old one or
10:49
vice versa. It's been noted that the old
10:51
app will be retired once the new app is
10:53
confirmed to be all up and running with
10:55
all the features that it needs. And some
10:57
news for those that are traveling on
10:58
Valiant Lady later this year or early
11:01
next year, and that is the announcement
11:03
of the 10th Happenings cast for Valiant
11:05
Lady. This new happenings cast will see
11:07
Sophie take the lead as the hostess.
11:10
Sailors might recognize Sophie from
11:12
around the ship before as she was a
11:14
principal vocalist or the unicorn on
11:17
board. You might have seen her singing
11:18
already in the untitled dance show party
11:20
thing or if you've attended it's a ship
11:23
show, she was also the principal
11:24
vocalist there as well. But now Sophie
11:27
takes the helm as the hostess and we
11:29
wish her the best of luck. Also joining
11:31
this cast is Anastasia the Diva.
11:33
Anastasia actually already has a Virgin
11:36
Voyages connection because her
11:38
dragmother Dixie Crystals is actually on
11:40
board Brilliant Lady as we speak as the
11:42
diva that brought Brilliant Lady to New
11:45
York City. So, we can now say that half
11:47
of the Virgin Voyages fleet is under the
11:49
House of Crystals. We know that
11:51
Anastasia is thrilled to be on board
11:53
Virgin Voyages and we know that her
11:55
mother is so very proud. A few other
11:57
notable entries includes Abel the gamer
11:59
returning to the cast, Chris the
12:01
charmer, a fan favorite from the fourth
12:03
resilient lady cast and also Andre the
12:06
hype returns to the cast as well. For
12:08
more information about the rest of the
12:10
happenings cast and for those
12:12
allimportant Instagram links, head over
12:14
to our article on vivvinsider.com which
12:16
introduces the cast info. Expect to see
12:19
this new happenings cast on board until
12:21
the 28th of February next year. There's
12:24
been a small update into the cost of
12:26
Wi-Fi on board. For those that have
12:28
sailed on Virgin Voyages before, you'll
12:30
know that Wi-Fi is included in the cost
12:32
of your fair, but this is for basic
12:34
Wi-Fi. If you're wanting to do anything
12:36
more like stream videos or work from
12:38
sea, you will need to purchase a
12:40
slightly different package. The change
12:42
here is specifically for the work from
12:44
sea Wi-Fi package. This one is required
12:47
if you want to do things like video
12:48
calling or use a VPN on your devices.
12:51
The new pricing structure means that if
12:53
you want work from sea, you'll pay $50
12:56
per day for your first device and then
12:58
$25 for each other device. You can
13:01
connect up to three devices at once.
13:03
Alternatively, if you just want to buy
13:05
it daily, you'll pay $60 per day for
13:07
your first device and then $25 for
13:10
additional devices per day. There's also
13:12
been a little update for those with Deep
13:14
Blue Extras loyalty status. If you want
13:16
more information on that, head over to
13:18
our article on vvincider.com where we
13:20
explain everything in full. Now, as
13:22
ever, vinsider.com has compiled a list
13:25
of all the best offers that are
13:27
available across the Virgin Voyages
13:29
fleet right now, and that's in our sale
13:31
and saved offers article. If you're ever
13:34
hunting around for this article to get
13:36
the best prices whenever you're on
13:37
vbvinsider.com, just go to the menu and
13:40
click offers and you can see all of the
13:42
current available offers on Virgin
13:44
Voyages. This is where you'll always
13:46
find the least expensive way to sail on
13:48
board one of the Virgin Voyages ships.
13:50
And this week is no different. We've
13:52
highlighted a few amazing offers,
13:54
including the $19 sale, which includes a
13:58
huge list of itineraries. So, I really
14:00
encourage you to head over to
14:01
vvincider.com to take a look at all
14:03
those fantastic prices. Now, this summer
14:05
was truly a time to celebrate for both
14:07
Virgin Voyages and VV Insider. And I'm
14:10
going to start off selfishly with us. VV
14:13
Insider actually turned two on the 26th
14:16
of August. It's hard to believe it's
14:18
only been a couple of years since we had
14:19
that crazy idea to start putting some of
14:22
the knowledge and information that we
14:23
have in our heads about Virgin Voyages
14:26
online and start sharing it with the
14:27
sailor community. And what we have now
14:29
is the number one resource for all of
14:32
this information. No doubt if you've
14:34
ever searched for anything on Virgin
14:35
Voyages, you'll probably find that most
14:37
of the time we're the only people that
14:38
have that information. And that just
14:40
comes from the real love and passion
14:42
that we have for this brand. We were
14:44
doing a little audit of how far we've
14:46
come and we've amassed 465
14:49
different news articles about all the
14:51
happenings and goings on across the
14:53
Virgin Voyages fleet. We also have over
14:55
200 pages of guides, events, and venues
14:58
on board the ships. We've also helped
15:00
hundreds of thousands of sailors
15:02
calculate how much bar they need before
15:04
they get on board. and hundreds of
15:06
thousands more sailors to check to see
15:08
if the cabin they've been assigned is
15:10
going to be noisy or has a hammock or
15:11
has a metal balcony. And I know we do
15:14
make it look easy sometimes, but putting
15:16
together this incredible amount of
15:17
knowledge takes not just us, but also
15:20
the sailor community and the first mates
15:22
as well. So, I just want to thank
15:24
everyone for contributing to
15:25
bvincider.com and making it the
15:28
experience, the website, the YouTube
15:30
channel it is today. If you want to help
15:32
support the work that we're doing and
15:33
keep us going for another two or another
15:35
20 years, then make sure you are
15:37
subscribed to our channel, you subscribe
15:39
to our newsletter on our website. And of
15:41
course, the number one way that you can
15:43
support us is by booking your next
15:45
voyage with VVincider.com. If you head
15:48
over to vbvinsider.com/book,
15:50
I'll tell you exactly how you can do
15:52
that and also the exclusive perks you'll
15:54
get for doing that, too. And if you do
15:56
decide to support us, you won't be
15:57
alone. We're always thankful when
15:59
sailors come up to us to thank us for
16:01
the work that we put into BV Insider
16:03
over the last couple of years. One very
16:05
notable one happens on board Brilliant
16:07
Lady very recently where Sir Richard
16:09
Branson himself came up to congratulate
16:12
us on the work that we've done on the
16:13
website. Certainly a moment I don't
16:16
think I'll ever forget. Of course, the
16:17
best way that we can return that thanks
16:19
is to continue going and getting all of
16:21
this fantastic information out to our
16:23
Virgin Voyages sailing community. Now,
16:26
we didn't want to take up too much of
16:27
Sir Richard Branson's time because he
16:29
was very busy launching Brilliant Lady
16:31
in New York City. The Brilliant Lady New
16:34
York City arrival was an absolutely
16:36
spectacular event which involved the
16:38
ship sailing by the Statue of Liberty
16:41
and staying alongside as news
16:43
helicopters and media circled the ship.
16:46
The sailors on board the exclusive
16:48
Friends and Family Voyage were invited
16:50
to come up on deck to help start the
16:52
celebrations. Sir Richard Branson
16:53
himself made a few appearances around
16:56
the ship as the ship was being filmed
16:57
for this incredible PR event. The cast
17:00
and crew of Brilliant Lady were also
17:02
asked to join the celebrations on the
17:04
top decks as well. And then the real fun
17:07
started. The vocalists from across the
17:09
different shows on Brilliant Lady made
17:11
an appearance to sing an exclusive
17:13
melody of New York themed songs with
17:16
some special Virgin Voyages and
17:18
Brilliant Lady touches thrown into the
17:20
mix as well. This got the crowd started
17:22
and ready to go as Nimal, the CEO of
17:25
Virgin Voyages, and Richard Branson
17:27
himself made speeches to kick off the
17:30
Brilliant Lady celebrations in New York.
17:32
The sailors, the cast, and the crew of
17:34
Brilliant Lady had all been practicing a
17:36
Queen song called Don't Stop Me Now, led
17:39
by Astrid Yogurtson, who had recently
17:41
appeared on America's Got Talent to lead
17:44
the crowd in what had been described as
17:46
a pub choir, singing this song with the
17:48
cast and crew and Virgin Voyages
17:50
executives to really kick off the New
17:53
York arrival with a band.
18:06
A good time. No one at all.
18:27
Once this was all over and done with,
18:29
there was a huge pool party which saw
18:31
Richard Branson himself being the first
18:33
to jump in the brilliant lady pool to
18:36
finish off the celebrations in style. He
18:38
was then joined by the casting crew and
18:41
most of the Virgin Voyages executive
18:43
team as well. It's so wonderful to see
18:45
this team that have worked so hard
18:47
getting Brilliant Lady to where she is
18:49
today really celebrate and finally let
18:51
their hair down. Having seen and
18:53
experienced Brilliant Lady for
18:55
ourselves, we can see that the
18:56
celebrations are well worthwhile. And
18:59
anyone who's booked to go on Brilliant
19:00
Lady is going to have the most fantastic
19:02
time. Well, thank you for sticking
19:04
around for this very special edition of
19:06
the Virgin Voyages insider update. If
19:08
you'd like to support the work that
19:10
we're doing here at vvincider.com,
19:12
head over to vvincider.com/book
19:15
to see why I'm so confident in saying
19:18
the best way to book your Virgin Voyage
19:20
is to use vinsider.com.
19:22
Brilliant Ladies Mermaiden Voyage is
19:24
underway now. And we're so excited to
19:26
see what happens during that very
19:28
special voyage. And don't worry, if you
19:30
follow VV Insider, you'll be the first
19:32
to know. So until next time, happy