Virgin Voyages arrives in Australia!
Virgin Voyages has arrived in Australia! The line’s Resilient Lady, measuring in at 110,000 gross tons, made her inaugural call to Sydney on 4 December, and the ship certainly turned heads.
She may not be the biggest ship to arrive in Australia this season, but Resilient Lady certainly is one of the most novel. The ship is the third of four Virgin Voyages ships, built by Fincantieri and entering service in 2023.
The ship’s arrival was boosted by a visit by Sir Richard Branson, who in true Branson style, sailed out on a wooden-hulled motorboat to meet the ship as it made its way into Sydney Harbour.
Resilient Lady will be offering a series of cruises from Australian ports in the 2023/24 summer season. The ship features 1,404 cabins and suites, a maximum of 2,762 passengers – which Virgin call sailors, 1,150 crew members and can achieve 20 knots.
While striking on the outside thanks to their unusual grey-and-red design, the ships have turned heads internally with a variety of amenities and facilities that challenge the status quo of cruise voyages.
The adults only ship offers menus inspired by Michelin starred chefs in 20 eateries, a variety of wellness offerings both across the food and beverage options as well as in the spa complex, and an array of large-scale production shows that are both new in style and span a variety of locations – bringing the entertainment offering outside of the main show lounge.
Resilient Lady also features a Virgin records-style vinyl bar, a dedicated karaoke bar, numerous gaming lounges and a transformational entertainment space that can be reconfigured to suit a variety of show styles.
The ship will reposition to her Aussie home port of Melbourne in the coming days and kick off her season in Australia with a cruise to Tasmania.
The Big Cruise Podcast host Barry Downs will sail aboard the ship as a guest of Virgin in the coming days, so listen out for the upcoming episode.
Image: Resilient Lady - Virgin Voyages.
