Virgin’s Valiant Lady set sail today from Essex, England, according to CNN. The ship is the second of the cruise line’s adults-only ships. Currently docking in London, the ship will be bound for Barcelona, Spain. Later in the year, it will also sail from Australia.

In design and amenities, Valiant Lady is quite similar to Scarlet Lady, the first of Virgin’s adults-only ships that debuted last year. At a length of 278 meters, it can hold up to 2,770 guests. True to the brand’s identity, the vessel offers a chic, upscale vibe, with no shortage of amenities. Passengers will enjoy its sauna, mudroom, pool, fitness classes, numerous shows, variety of restaurants, and even a tattoo shop.

The addition of a tattoo parlor is just one of the many ways Virgin seeks to make its cruises truly unique and innovative. The usual cruise requirement to dress up for dinner does not apply on Virgin vessels. Each Virgin Voyages ship bears a mermaid icon; as Travel Noire previously reported, Valiant Lady features a Black mermaid, designed by Boston-based artist Hilary Wilson.

At the head of the ship sits Captain Marco Carsjens, an experienced seaman who has worked in the industry for more than two and a half decades.

“I came from more traditionally designed ships, but Virgin Voyages is very different and actually quite out there from the exterior to the interior in comparison,” he said to CNN. “I’m passionate about design, so the brand using people who have never worked in ship design before was fascinating, and it has worked out great.”

Virgin prides itself on being different, as well as being attractive to both new and old cruisers in a variety of age brackets. While many have seen the cruise line’s decision to launch in the midst of a global pandemic as a risky move, Virgin has persisted. Despite setbacks brought on by the Omicron variant, it has seen a recent increase in bookings.

All Virgin Voyages cruises require guests to be fully vaccinated and undergo COVID-19 testing prior to boarding the ship. So far, the measures seem to be effective, as the cruise line reports there have been no major incidents involving COVID.

Later this year, Virgin will launch its Resilient Lady, the third ship in its line-up, with a fourth coming next year.

Related: Game Over: How Virgin Voyages Raised The Bar For Millennial And Gen-Z Cruisers

loc:country:united kingdom:city:essex