The Brilliant Lady Cruise, Virgin Voyages’ new luxurious ship, will arrive in Puerto Vallarta in 2026, marking a new era in the region’s cruise industry.
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Features of the Brilliant Lady Cruise
Brilliant Lady, the enormous ship being built for the Virgin Voyages cruise line – owned by billionaire businessman Richard Branson – will begin sailing from Los Angeles in the spring of 2026, including Puerto Vallarta in its travel itinerary.
Still under construction, Brilliant Lady will be a 912-foot cruise ship with capacity for more than 2,700 people that will have 17 decks, 20 onboard restaurants, modern state-of-the-art cabins and designer suites.
According to company statements, the suites will be worthy of a rock star and the ship will have an adapted structure that is designed to navigate rugged landscapes, including the vast glaciers and fjords of Alaska.
Brilliant Lady Cruise Itinerary
The Brilliant Lady is being built in Italy and will make its official debut when it sets sail from New York in September 2025. From there, it will travel across North America, spending several weeks in busy ports like Miami and Seattle before crossing to the Pacific through the Panama Canal.
Its arrival on these shores will mark the debut of Virgin Voyages in the Pacific Ocean. The cruise line has three other ships that are in service now, currently sailing from Miami, Barcelona, Spain, Athens, Greece and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
“Virgin Voyages started as a simple idea for me and has grown into the world’s largest cruise line with a full fleet of ships,” Branson said in a press release. “This ship will be brilliant in every way possible, and that includes the amazing new places we can travel to.”
Brilliant Lady Cruise Destinations
The ship is scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles in April 2026 and from there it will offer five- to eight-night itineraries that will include visits to Puerto Vallarta, Baja California, San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Francisco and Catalina Island.
Nirmal Saverimuttu, CEO of Virgin Voyages, said the cruise line is always looking for ways to innovate and challenge itself to keep things fresh and exciting. Therefore, the Brilliant Lady’s trips will be for those over 21 years of age and will feature entertainment programs that the cruise line compares to the experience of attending a festival.
Impact on Puerto Vallarta
Luis Villaseñor, director of the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Trust, celebrated that large shipping companies continue to choose the destination as a port to visit on their voyages: “our Magical Port” is a great attraction, since the traveler disembarks in a spectacular type terminal. hacienda and immediately has access to shopping centers, swimming beaches, hotel areas, restaurants, bars, tours in the destination and all types of tourist services, in addition to being just 10 minutes by taxi from the boardwalk and historic center of the city.” Learn more in our Travel Guide .
The arrival of this large vessel adds to the extensive list of luxury cruise ships and yachts that already visit the bay of Puerto Vallarta, as is the case of the Attessa IV, the 328-foot-long superyacht of billionaire Dennis Washington that has already been here repeatedly and is currently docked at the city’s maritime terminal.
In addition to the arrival of the Brilliant Lady, Virgin Voyages is committed to sustainability. This new cruise ship will implement advanced green practices, such as the use of emissions reduction technologies and state-of-the-art water treatment systems. This reflects the company’s philosophy of minimizing environmental impact and protecting the oceans and destinations they visit. The combination of luxury, innovation and environmental awareness promises to make the Brilliant Lady a unique experience for all its passengers.
With all these features and its promising travel route, the Brilliant Lady cruise in Puerto Vallarta will undoubtedly become a highlight for local tourism and an unforgettable experience for travelers.
Credits: This bulletin has been issued by the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Trust. For more information about our activities and promotions, visit our website Visit Puerto Vallarta .
