New cruise line to sail from Los Angeles in spring 2026
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A well-known name in the world of air and space travel, will be bringing its new cruise line to California.
Virgin Voyages, another business venture from billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson, will begin sailing out of Los Angeles in the spring of 2026.
The cruise line, which launched in 2021, will be bringing its newest ship to Los Angeles as part of a North American tour that will see its maiden voyage begin in New York City.
Brilliant Lady is a 912-foot cruise ship with a capacity of more than 2,700 with 20 onboard eateries, 17 decks, modern tech-savvy cabins, and designer suites “fit for a rockstar,” the company says. The ship has an adapted frame that is designed to sail through the Panama Canal and navigate “rugged new landscapes including the vast glaciers and fjords of Alaska.”
Voyages are 21+, and feature entertainment lineups that the cruise line compares to a festival experience.
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“Virgin Voyages started as a simple idea for me and has blossomed into the world’s top cruise line with a full fleet of ships,” Branson said in a news release. “This ship is going to be brilliant in every possible way, and that includes the incredible new places we can travel to.”
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 at busy ports like Miami, Seattle and the Panama Canal.
It will arrive in Los Angeles in April 2026 and will offer five- to eight-night itineraries that include visits to Baja California, Puerto Vallarta, San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Francisco and Catalina Island.
Its arrival in Los Angeles will mark Virgin Voyages’ debut in California. 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.
Nirmal Saverimuttu, CEO of Virgin Voyages, says the cruise line is always looking for ways to innovate and challenge itself to “keep things fresh and exciting.” He says that starts with expanding into new destinations and showing travelers how the cruise line is different from others.
For more about Virgin Voyages, including booking information for the Brilliant Lady, click here.
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