Fincantieri recently completed the float-out of the Valiant Lady, Virgin Voyages' newest cruise ship, after a lengthy suspension caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The company began restarting production in May while taking steps to ensure the safety of its employees.
The Valiant Lady, the second ship under construction for Virgin Voyages, left dry dock on May 20th and was moved to Fincantieri's Sestri Ponente shipyard near Genoa. The Valiant Lady's float-out trial was scheduled for March 2020; however, due to the shipyard's forced closure because of Covid-19, work was suspended for approximately two months, which will also delay the ship's delivery to the Virgin Group.
Virgin Voyages had scheduled the launch of the Valiant Lady for May 2021, and no updates to its estimated launch date have been announced. This is the second ship in a four-ship order placed by the Virgin Group with Fincantieri. The 110,000-gross-ton vessel is a sister ship to the Scarlet Lady, which Fincantieri delivered to Virgin Voyages in February 2020. The new cruise line also has two more ships on order from Fincantieri, due for delivery in 2022 and 2023.
Virgin Voyages has decided to postpone its inaugural and introductory voyages of the Scarlet Lady until October, and will then operate itineraries from Miami to the Bahamas and the Caribbean, while its second ship, the Valiant Lady, will operate from Barcelona starting in the summer of 2021.
