Valiant Lady Homeports in Miami, Attempts Guinness World Record

(10:30 a.m. EDT) — For the first time since entering service more than six months ago, Virgin Voyages’ Valiant Lady sailed out of PortMiami on Sunday on a 6-day Western Caribbean itinerary.

The 110,000-gross-ton, 2,770-passenger Valiant Lady will homeport in Miami all winter, sailing 6-to 8-night itineraries across the Eastern and Western Caribbean. Valiant Lady’s Caribbean itineraries will feature calls at the brand’s exclusive Beach Club at Bimini in the Bahamas. Other ports of call will include San Juan, Roatan, St. Croix, Puerto Plata and Costa Maya.

Virgin Voyages second ship, Valiant Lady was previously based in Portsmouth, England and Barcelona, Spain, operating Atlantic and Mediterranean itineraries. The ship will return to Barcelona in May 2023 to resume its Mediterranean sailings throughout the summer.

“I’m so proud to welcome our second ship, Valiant Lady, to her winter home in PortMiami,” said Tom McAlpin, CEO of Virgin Voyages. “When we launched this business more than seven years ago, we never imagined the challenges we’d have to overcome in the face of the pandemic. Thanks to our amazing Crew, we have come out strongly.

“This is just the beginning for Virgin Voyages, and we have big plans for the future.”

Virgin Group founder Richard Branson joined the initial part of Valiant Lady’s maiden voyage from Miami. The Halloween-themed sailing will attempt to establish a Guinness World Record for the most mermaids in one place at the Virgin Voyages Beach Club in Bimini.

“When I first had the idea of getting into cruising over 40 years ago, I could not have imagined where we are today,” said Branson. “What the team at Virgin Voyages has created is beyond my wildest dreams. It’s an incredible feeling to be welcoming Valiant Lady and the amazing crew on board to Miami and to have our two lady ships side by side in PortMiami”.

Valiant Lady’s sister ship, Scarlet Lady, is also homeporting in Miami this winter, embarking on 4- to 6-night itineraries to the Eastern and Western Caribbean. It marks the first year Virgin Voyages will have two ships operating out of the busy Florida homeport.

Virgin Voyages’ third ship, Resilient Lady, will debut in the Mediterranean in the spring of 2023.