Virgin Voyages Announces First Cruises to Australia, New Zealand

Virgin Voyages' has announced its forthcoming ship, Resilient Lady, will inaugurate the company's first-ever sailings around Australia and New Zealand, the line revealed Tuesday.

After spending the summer of 2023 sailing around Greece, Virgin Voyages' Resilient Lady, will start a 44-day journey on October 22, 2023 that will be separated into three individual sailings in order to reach Australia: first to Dubai, then Singapore, and finally, from Singapore to Bali and onward to Sydney.

Once in Australia, the ship will move to Station Pier in Port Melbourne, Victoria, to launch a series of two- to 14-day cruises in Australia and New Zealand, with departures running from Dec. 11, 2023, to March 27, 2024.

"Australia has a very special place in my heart, and we can’t wait for Australians and New Zealanders to meet our Resilient Lady and experience all that she has to offer in true Virgin style," Virgin Group founder Richard Branson said in a press release.

Destinations for Virgin Voyages across Australia include Hobart and Burnie in Tasmania, along with Sydney in New South Wales. In New Zealand, ports of call include Picton, Napier, Tauranga, Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin.

"Australia and New Zealand are without question the most beautiful countries in the world, and we knew that these destinations, paired with the Virgin Voyages experience, will make it the most incredible holiday for our sailors," said Nirmal Saverimuttu, an Australian who is also Virgin Voyages’ president and chief experience officer.

The announcement comes as Virgin continues to expand its oceangoing fleet and its destinations. The line revealed Monday the name of its fourth ship, Brilliant Lady, and will debut Resilient Lady this summer in Athens (Piraeus). Virgin Voyages now offers sailings to the Caribbean, Mediterranean, along with transatlantic crossings.

Bookings are now open for Virgin Voyages' first sailings to Australia and New Zealand. Australia recently announced a path to resume cruises this season following the global health pandemic.