PortMiami is now home to two Virgin Voyages cruise ships after Valiant Lady launched its Maiden voyage last month. Valiant Lady will set sail from PortMiami for six and eight-night itineraries, including Roatan, San Juan and St. Croix, all with stops at the brand’s exclusive Beach Club at Bimini on every voyage. Virgin Voyages, Richard Branson’s award-winning cruise line and the youngest fleet at sea, is backed by Virgin Group, Bain Capital and a collective of investors. It also recently set a record bookings month for the new bran. Valiant Lady’s new homeport is at Terminal V, a $160 million LEED Gold facility.
“It’s been wonderful to see our guests fall in love with sailing the Virgin way, and I’m so proud to welcome our second ship, Valiant Lady, to her winter home in PortMiami,” Tom McAlpin says, 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. Paired with the support of our guests and travel advisors, we have made our mark with more five-star reviews than any other cruise line. This is just the beginning for Virgin Voyages, and we have big plans for the future.”
To commemorate Valiant Lady’s first voyage from PortMiami, Branson joined for the initial part of the sailing, which included a Guinness World Record attempt for the most mermaids in one place at the Virgin Voyages Beach Club at Bimini.
“When I first had the idea of getting into cruising over 40 years ago, I could not have imagined where we are today,” Branson says. “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. I can’t wait for everyone to have the chance to sail with us and enjoy a truly memorable holiday.”