Portsmouth Welcomes Brilliant Lady, Virgin Voyages’ Fourth Ship
Brilliant Lady makes her UK debut in Portsmouth, completing Virgin Voyages’ fleet and hosting previews before sailing to New York.
Today, Monday 18 August, marks a new milestone for Portsmouth International Port and Virgin Voyages. Brilliant Lady, the fourth ship in Virgin’s fleet, has officially arrived in the UK for the first time, making Portsmouth the first port in the world to welcome all four Virgin Voyages Lady Ships.
Brilliant Lady sailed into Portsmouth harbor this morning and will spend the next four days in the city before her departure for New York on Thursday 21 August. During her stay, she will host invited guests for preview sailings and take part in local community events, including a careers day onboard.
Virgin Voyages and Portsmouth’s Connection
Nirmal Saverimuttu, CEO of Virgin Voyages, highlighted Portsmouth’s role in the brand’s journey, noting that Scarlet Lady was introduced to the world here in 2021. Since then, every Virgin Voyages ship has called at the port. Saverimuttu said Portsmouth reflects the brand’s values and maritime spirit, making it a natural home for major milestones.
Since Scarlet Lady’s first season in 2021, more than 72,000 passengers have passed through Portsmouth with Virgin Voyages. The city has seen cruise growth in recent years, supported by investment in the council-owned port.
Cllr Steve Pitt, Leader of Portsmouth City Council, called Virgin Voyages a recognisable partner for the city. He also noted the port’s investment in shore power, allowing Virgin ships to plug in and switch off engines once the system goes live. Profits from the port feed directly back into council services, underlining its importance to the community.
Find out more about the Portsmouth Connection
Careers and Industry Connections
While in Portsmouth, Brilliant Lady will host 20 careers specialists from schools and colleges across the region. They will learn more about cruise industry roles to share with their students. The crew will also meet with professional members of the International Chamber of Shipping and the International Underwriting Association, offering an inside look at cruise ship operations.
Industry data shows each cruise call can generate up to £1.5 million through tariffs, supply chain spending, and passenger and crew visits. Portsmouth International Port, owned by the City Council, is forecast to contribute £10.3 million in profit this year.
Brilliant Lady will remain in Portsmouth until Thursday 21 August, when she departs at 1700 for her transatlantic sailing to New York. Sister ship Scarlet Lady will continue her turnaround calls from the city until 12 September.
What to Expect from Launch Week
Throughout launch week we’ll be covering her onboard events, and official celebrations in detail, along with first looks at venues, menus, and entertainment debuting on her inaugural sailings. We’ll have updates here on VV Insider, Instagram and video reports on our YouTube channel, so stay tuned for the latest directly from onboard.
