Valiant Lady (ship)

Last updated

Valiant Lady
Valiant Lady Feb 29 2024.jpg
Valiant Lady in Antigua, 2024
History
Civil Ensign of the Bahamas.svg Bahamas
NameValiant Lady
Owner Virgin Voyages
Operator House Flag of Virgin Voyages.svg Virgin Voyages
Builder
Laid down8 February 2019 [1]
Launched20 May 2020 [2]
Acquired1 July 2021 [3]
Maiden voyage18 March 2022 [4]
Identification IMO number:  9805336
StatusIn Service
General characteristics
Tonnage110,000  GT [5]
Length278 m (912 ft) [5]
Beam38 m (125 ft) [5]
Draught8.05 m (26.4 ft)
Decks
  • 17 total
  • 13 passenger decks
Installed power
  • 2 × Wärtsilä 8L46F Diesel generators producing 9,600 kW (12,900 hp) each
  • 2 × Wärtsilä 12V46F Diesel generators producing 14,400 kW (19,300 hp) each
  • Total Installed Power: 48,000 kW (64,000 hp)
Propulsion2 × 16,000 kW (21,000 hp) ABB Azipod units
Speed
  • 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) (service speed)
  • 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph) (maximum speed)
Capacity2,770
Crew1,160

Valiant Lady is a cruise ship operated by Virgin Voyages. After she was ordered in October 2016 with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, her coin ceremony was held in February 2019 and she was floated out in May 2020 from the shipyard in Sestri Ponente. She was delivered to Virgin in July 2021 as the fleet's second vessel and sailed her maiden voyage in March 2022 from Portsmouth. At 110,000  GT and measuring 278 metres (912 ft) long for a capacity of 2,770 passengers, she was built with similar proportions to older sister ship Scarlet Lady.

Contents

Construction and career

Planning and construction

On 4 December 2014, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson announced that Virgin Group was forming Virgin Cruises, together with the backing of Bain Capital, and revealed plans to build two new cruise ships. [6] On 23 June 2015, Virgin Cruises announced that it signed a letter of intent with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for three cruise ships that could each accommodate approximately 2,800 guests and 1,150 crew for seven-day Caribbean voyages. [7] The three-ship order reportedly cost US$2.55 billion, [8] with the second ship scheduled to begin operating in 2021. [9] The order's contract for the ships was formally signed on 18 October 2016, the same day Virgin Cruises rebranded as Virgin Voyages. [10] In joining her sister ship, initial details revealed she would measure 110,000  GT, 278 metres (912 ft) long, and 38 metres (125 ft) wide, with 1,400 passenger cabins to house up to approximately 2,700 passengers, accompanied by 1,150 crew members. [5]

On 20 July 2018, Virgin inaugurated the construction for its second ship with the ship's steel-cutting ceremony at Fincantieri's shipyard in Sestri Ponente. [9] [5] The ship's coin ceremony was performed on 8 February 2019. [1] On 19 November 2019, Virgin revealed the name of its second ship as Valiant Lady. [11] During the COVID-19 pandemic, construction delays arose after Fincantieri's operations were suspended. [2] Originally expected to be floated out in March 2020, Valiant Lady was floated out from her dry dock two months behind schedule, on 20 May 2020, and was moved to a new berth to complete her outfitting work. [2] The ship was delivered on 1 July 2021. [3]

Operational career

Valiant Lady entered service on 18 March 2022, sailing a three night cruise from Portsmouth, England to Zeebrugge, Belgium. [12] She continued sailing from Portsmouth with itineraries visiting Belgium, Spain, Portugal and the Canary Islands before repositioning to the Mediterranean in summer 2022. [13] From May 2022, she sailed from Barcelona to destinations in Italy, Spain, Gibraltar and France. She then repositioned to Miami, Florida in October 2022 to operate cruises to the Caribbean over the winter, before returning to the Mediterranean in summer 2023. [14]

During a cruise in the Atlantic ocean in April 2023, a young woman fell off a balcony and fell on another person. The former died from her injuries. [15]

March 2024 sees the Valiant Lady playing host to the first ever WPT Voyage, a 1-week charter full ship takeover by the World Poker Tour. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fincantieri</span> Italian shipbuilding company

Fincantieri S.p.A. is an Italian shipbuilding company based in Trieste, Italy. Already the largest shipbuilder in Europe, after the acquisition of Vard in 2013, Fincantieri group doubled in size to become the fourth largest in the world (2014). The company builds both commercial and military vessels.

Silversea is an ultra-luxury and expedition travel brand headquartered in Monaco. Founded in 1994 by the Vlasov Group of Monaco and the Lefebvre family of Rome, it pioneered all-inclusive cruising with its first ship, Silver Cloud. Since July 2020, it has been owned by Royal Caribbean Group.

<i>Carnival Luminosa</i> Cruise ship

Carnival Luminosa is a cruise ship operated by Carnival Cruise Line. Originally built as the Costa Luminosa, the ship entered service on 5 May 2009. Her design is a hybrid, using elements of Spirit-class and Vista-class. A sister ship, Costa Deliziosa, was launched in February 2010 and is based on the same design. Costa Luminosa departed Civitavecchia, Italy on 3 June 2009, on her 13-night maiden voyage, with ports of call in Savona, Saint-Tropez, Barcelona, Lisbon, Le Havre and Amsterdam. On 14 June 2022, it was announced that Costa Luminosa would be transferred to the fleet of Carnival Cruise Line, receiving the name Carnival Luminosa. She began sailing for Carnival in fall 2022.

Costa Pacifica Cruise ship

Costa Pacifica is a Concordia-class cruise ship for Costa Crociere. She was handed over to Costa Crociere on 29 May 2009. Her sister ships, Costa Concordia and Costa Serena, were launched in 2006 and in 2007, with Costa Favolosa and Costa Fascinosa launched in 2011 and 2012 respectively.

MS <i>Riviera</i> Cruise ship

MS Riviera is an Oceania-class cruise ship which entered service with Oceania Cruises in May 2012. She is the sister ship of MS Marina.

<i>Royal Princess</i> (2012) Royal-class cruise ship operated by Princess Cruises

Royal Princess is a Royal-class cruise ship operated by Princess Cruises, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc, and is the third ship to sail for the cruise line under that name. The largest ship to have been built for Princess at the time of delivery in 2013, she became the flagship of Princess. As the lead vessel of the Royal class, she lends her name to the company's Royal class, which will consist of six ships upon the last ship's delivery in 2021. The ship measures 142,714 GT and has a capacity of 3,560 passengers.

<i>Regal Princess</i> (2013) Royal-class cruise ship operated by Princess Cruises

Regal Princess is a Royal-class cruise ship operated by Princess Cruises, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc, and is the second ship to sail for the cruise line under this name. Regal Princess, as well as her sister ship Royal Princess, were ordered on 17 February 2010 from Fincantieri and were constructed at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, and debuted in 2014.

MS <i>Koningsdam</i> Cruise ship operated by Holland America Line

MS Koningsdam is a Pinnacle-class cruise ship operated by Holland America Line (HAL), a division of Carnival Corporation & plc. Koningsdam is the lead vessel of HAL's Pinnacle class, which includes Nieuw Statendam (2018) and Rotterdam (2021), all of which were built by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri. Two years after the first steel was cut in February 2014 to commence construction, she was delivered to HAL in March 2016 and began operating the following month. At 99,863 GT, she became the largest ship ever commissioned for HAL upon her delivery.

<i>MSC Seaside</i> Cruise ship operating for MSC Cruises

MSC Seaside is a Seaside-class cruise ship currently owned and operated by MSC Cruises. As the lead vessel of the Seaside class, she lends her name to the company's Seaside class. At 153,516 GT, she would become the largest cruise ship ever to be constructed by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, and the 14th largest cruise ship in the world, behind Norwegian Epic, upon her delivery in December 2017.

<i>Seven Seas Explorer</i> Cruise ship operated by Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Seven Seas Explorer is an Explorer-class cruise ship currently operated by Regent Seven Seas Cruises, a subsidiary of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. Debuting in 2016, she became the first new-build ship for Regent in more than a decade and the largest ship to ever operate for Regent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virgin Voyages</span> Cruise line

Virgin Voyages is a cruise line headquartered in Plantation, Florida and a joint venture between the Virgin Group and Bain Capital.

MS <i>Rotterdam</i> (2021) Cruise ship

MS Rotterdam is a Pinnacle-class cruise ship operated by Holland America Line (HAL), a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation. Originally named Ryndam in development, she was renamed Rotterdam in July 2020 during construction to honor the name's legacy in the cruise line's history after six previous vessels in HAL's fleet bore the name. Rotterdam is the third of HAL's Pinnacle class in the fleet built by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri and follows older sister ships Koningsdam (2016) and Nieuw Statendam (2018). Two years after the first steel was cut in March 2019 to commence construction, she was delivered in July 2021 and began operating in October 2021.

<i>MSC Seaview</i> Seaside-class cruise ship

MSC Seaview is a Seaside-class cruise ship owned and operated by MSC Cruises. Built by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri in Monfalcone and delivered in June 2018, she is the sister ship to her class' lead vessel, MSC Seaside.

<i>Carnival Venezia</i> Cruise ship

Carnival Venezia is a Vista-class cruise ship operated by Carnival Cruise Line, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc. Originally intended to serve the Chinese market, she debuted as Costa Venezia for sister brand Costa Cruises in Shanghai on 18 May 2019. At 135,225 gross tonnage (GT) and with a capacity of 4,208 passengers, she briefly became the largest ship in the Costa fleet until the debut of Costa Smeralda in late 2019.

<i>Scarlet Lady</i> Cruise ship

Scarlet Lady is a cruise ship owned and operated by Virgin Voyages. She is the inaugural ship for the cruise line and was delivered on 14 February 2020 by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri. The 110,000 GT vessel was initially set to begin operating on 1 April 2020 but the COVID-19 pandemic postponed her official debut until 6 October 2021, after which she sailed her inaugural voyage to the Bahamas from her homeport of Miami. In accordance with Virgin Voyages's business model, Scarlet Lady operates exclusively as an "adults-only" ship for guests aged 18 and over.

<i>Enchanted Princess</i> Cruise ship

Enchanted Princess is a Royal-class cruise ship operated by Princess Cruises, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc. Princess finalized the order for its fifth Royal-class ship in 2016 from Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri and her keel was laid down on 14 February 2019 in Monfalcone. Originally expected to be delivered in June 2020, the ship was hampered by construction delays after Fincantieri's operations were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and she was delivered three months later, on 30 September 2020. After a year-long pause in operations amid the pandemic's impact on tourism, Princess inaugurated the ship's operations on 10 November 2021, when she set sail on her maiden voyage.

<i>Discovery Princess</i> Cruise ship

Discovery Princess is a Royal-class cruise ship operated by Princess Cruises, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc. The 145,000 GT-vessel was ordered in January 2017 with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri and her steel-cutting was performed on 14 February 2019 in Castellammare di Stabia, Italy.

<i>Resilient Lady</i> Cruise ship owned and operated by Virgin Voyages

Resilient Lady is a cruise ship operated by Virgin Voyages. At 110,000 GT and measuring 278 metres long for a capacity of 2,770 passengers, she was built with similar proportions to her older sisters Scarlet Lady and Valiant Lady.

References

  1. 1 2 "Scarlet Lady Floats Out, Second Virgin Ship Construction Well Underway". Cruise Industry News. 8 February 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 "Fincantieri Completes Float Out of New Cruise Ship Valiant Lady". The Maritime Executive. 4 June 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Fincantieri Celebrates Double Milestone for Virgin Voyages". 2 July 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  4. ↑ "Mega cruise liner Valiant Lady leaves Portsmouth for maiden voyage to Belgium". www.portsmouth.co.uk. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Fincantieri Begins Work On Second Ship For Virgin Voyages With Steel Cutting Ceremony". Marine Insight. 24 July 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  6. ↑ Stieghorst, Tom (4 December 2014). "Richard Branson to enter cruise business". USA Today.
  7. ↑ Schaal, Dennis (23 June 2015). "Virgin Cruises to Debut 3 Ships in Miami Starting in 2020". Skift.
  8. ↑ Drescher, Cynthia (23 March 2017). "Virgin Voyages Begins Construction of First Cruise Ship". Conde Nast Traveler .
  9. 1 2 Eisenberg, Sherri (20 July 2018). "Virgin Voyages Names First Ship Scarlet Lady". Travel Pulse. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  10. ↑ Sheivachman, Andrew (18 October 2016). "Virgin Cruises Rebrands as Virgin Voyages, Finally Signs Deal for Three Ships". Skift.
  11. ↑ Arrojas, Matthew (19 November 2019). "Virgin Voyages unveils name of second ship". South Florida Business Journal . Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  12. ↑ "Mega cruise liner Valiant Lady leaves Portsmouth for maiden voyage to Belgium". www.portsmouth.co.uk. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  13. ↑ Edwards, Robert (1 March 2022). "Virgin's newest cruise arrives in Portsmouth for the first time". hampshirelive. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  14. ↑ Bretz, Sarah (18 March 2022). "Second Virgin Voyages Ship Enters Service in Europe". Cruise Radio - Daily Updates On The Cruise Industry. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  15. ↑ "Virgin Voyages cruise passenger dies after falling from balcony on ship near Miami".
  16. ↑ "Set Sail with WPT Voyage! A Week-Long Poker Cruise Extravaganza". Cardplayer Lifestyle. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.