The brand new ship from Virgin Voyages, Valiant Lady, has canceled a planned port visit to Costa Maya due to the projected path of Hurricane Lisa. Instead, the ship will visit Cozumel, keeping further away from the storm’s influence.
Valiant Lady Itinerary Altered
Valiant Lady is currently sailing her “mermaiden” voyage from Miami, a 6-night roundtrip itinerary that departed on Sunday, October 30, 2022. The sailing includes visits to Roatan, Honduras; Costa Maya, Mexico; and Bimini, The Bahamas.
While the ship’s visit to Roatan on Tuesday, November 1 went as planned, the Wednesday, November 2 visit to Costa Maya was canceled due to possible impacts from Hurricane Lisa.
Instead, the ship is visiting Cozumel on November 2, which is located approximately 130 miles (209 kilometers) further north along Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula.
Hurricane warnings are currently in effect for Costa Maya, as the storm is projected to make landfall in Belize, just south of Costa Maya. No hurricane or tropical storm warnings are in effect as far north as Cozumel, because the storm’s wind field is relatively small.
After visiting Cozumel, the ship will spend Thursday, November 3 at sea before visiting Bimini on Friday, November 4, and returning to Miami on Saturday, November 5. It is unlikely the remainder of the ship’s itinerary will need any adjustment.
Hurricane Lisa and Cruises
Tropical Storm Lisa was upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane Wednesday morning, and currently has maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour (120 kilometers per hour). The storm’s center is located approximately 100 miles (161 km) east of Belize City and 126 miles (203 km) southeast of Costa Maya.
This puts the storm 227 miles (365 km) south of Cozumel, leaving that popular Mexican cruise port well outside the storm’s influence.
Hurricane Lisa is moving west at 15 mph (24 kph), and is expected to remain on that track to make landfall in Belize late Wednesday evening or overnight into Thursday morning.
After landfall, the storm should weaken and turn west-northwest, moving into the southern Gulf of Mexico west of the Yucatan peninsula in the coming days, where it is expected to dissipate.
Several cruises have already adjusted port visits and sailing routes ahead of the storm. Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Vista canceled a planned visit to Belize City on Wednesday, November 2, and instead is spending the day at sea.
Similarly, three Royal Caribbean International ships – Adventure of the Seas, Serenade of the Seas, and Symphony of the Seas – have all made appropriate adjustments for the storm.
Valiant Lady‘s North American Debut
Valiant Lady is the second cruise ship for the new adults-only luxury line, Virgin Voyages. The ship first set sail in Europe in mid-March for the summer season, and just repositioned to Florida.
The 110,000-gross-ton ship will remain homeported from Miami through April 2023, offering 6-8 night sailings with Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries. The “Eastern Caribbean Antilles” voyages will visit the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and St. Croix, while the “Western Caribbean Charm” itineraries will visit Roatan and Costa Maya.
Both east and west itineraries will also call on Bimini in The Bahamas.
In April, the ship will reposition to Barcelona for the summer, to offer various Mediterranean itineraries through October 2023.
Sister ship to the first Virgin Voyages vessel, Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady can welcome 2,770 guests aboard for each cruise, with 1,160 international crew members to offer the superior service the cruise line is rapidly becoming known for.
The cruise line will welcome its third and fourth ships, Resilient Lady and Brilliant Lady, in 2023, with debuts planned in May and December, respectively. Both vessels are currently under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard in Genoa, Italy.
