Virgin Voyages has canceled plans to sail the Resilient Lady from Australia in late 2024 and early 2025, deciding not to transit the Red Sea to get there from the Mediterranean. Virgin cited geopolitical tensions in the Red Sea.
After completing the Mediterranean season on October 20, the ship will redeploy to Puerto Rico and sail seven-, eight-, 10- and 11-night cruises from San Juan to St. Maarten. St. Vincent; Cartagena, Colombia; And Dominica.
The line has not yet announced a relocation cruise itinerary from Athens to San Juan. John Diorio, Virgin's vice president of North American sales, said the route was being looked at as a possible route, which could include a call from Catania, Sicily. Casablanca, Morocco; and Tenerife in the Canary Islands.
The news comes a little more than two weeks after Virgin announced in March that the Resilient Lady would sail around Africa to relocate from Australia to the Mediterranean, avoiding the shortest route through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. .
Virgin Voyages sailed its first Australia/New Zealand cruise this year. The line is considering options for a return to Australia and the Asia Pacific region in the future, but this appears to depend on when Virgin deems the Red Sea safe for cruises.
Affected guests can rebook on another sailing or receive a full refund. If the route is able to return to Australia for the 2025 season, booked passengers will have priority to book those sailings.
Virgin Voyages is the latest line to adjust its itineraries due to attacks on ships in the Red Sea by Yemen's Houthi rebels. Several cruise lines and shipping companies have rerouted their ships from the region.
