Valiant Lady Makes Rare Charleston Stop as Repositioning Takes Dramatic Turn
Key Aspects:
Valiant Lady made her inaugural visit to Charleston on April 3 as she headed for New York.
The ship is the largest by gross tonnage to ever call on the South Carolina port.
Valiant Lady‘s next sailing is also unique with a dramatic itinerary change from Bermuda to Canada.
Virgin Voyages ships often have very diverse deployments, moving between homeports with limited departures to bring the unique adults-only vibe to cruisers all over the world.
As she moves from the Caribbean to Europe, Valiant Lady has been making some very interesting port visits, both as part of unique itineraries and as a result of weather-related changes.
On the ship’s 9-night sailing from San Juan to New York that departed on March 28, for example, she visited Charleston, South Carolina for the first time. Valiant Lady enjoyed the port from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, April 3, giving guests plenty of time to experience the southern city’s charm.
Cruise Hive has previously reported that Charleston is no longer a cruise homeport, but the city still welcomes various vessels for day visits from major cruise lines.
While Valiant Lady is the first major ship to visit South Carolina this month, other ships with calls planned to Charleston in the coming weeks include Seven Seas Grandeur, Vision of the Seas, and Norwegian Jewel.
Valiant Lady will also be back to Charleston on Thursday, April 23, as part of a “Bermuda Beauty to East Coast Elegance” sailing that is her last roundtrip departure from New York before she heads across the Atlantic to the Mediterranean for the summer.
As a matter of interest, at 110,000 gross tons, Valiant Lady is the largest ship (by gross tonnage) to visit Charleston. She is not the largest by passenger capacity, however.
Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Sunshine was homeported in Charleston for years. At just under 104,000 gross tons, Carnival Sunshine is a smaller ship, but she carries as many as 3,002 guests. Valiant Lady, on the other hand, welcomes just 2,770 guests per sailing.
Next Valiant Lady Cruise Also Unique
While repositioning sailings often feature unique port visits, Valiant Lady‘s next cruise will also be more unique than originally intended.
Cruise Hive has already reported that the lady ship will be unable to visit Bermuda as planned due to poor weather. Instead, the ship is heading to Canada and will be visiting Saint John, New Brunswick.
The shift will be quite a dramatic change for guests who had been planning for tropical temperatures for their 5-night sailing, but now might have a chance of snow when they visit Canada.
Because of cool weather, the cruise season in Saint John doesn’t typically start until the summer months. In 2026, Carnival Venezia was to have been the first ship to visit when she arrives on Saturday, June 20, as part of a 5-night sailing from New York.
Instead, Valiant Lady will beat Carnival Venezia by more than two months. The Virgin Voyages ship will also be back to Saint John later in the season as part of an 8-night fall foliage sailing that departs New York on September 19, her first Big Apple departure after she returns from her summer in Europe.
During the summer, traffic is slow in Saint John with just three visits from Holland America Line, one from Norwegian Cruise Line, one from Royal Caribbean, and the Carnival Venezia visit.
In the autumn, however, the maritime port will see many more visits from travelers eager to see the brilliant fall foliage and enjoy the great temperatures and beauty of the region. Ships from Princess Cruises, AIDA Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Azamara Cruises, MSC Cruises, and more will join the lineup.
The September 23 visit of Valiant Lady will be Virgin Voyages’ only other call on the port this year, provided there are no further weather-related shifts or unexpected visits, which is always a possibility.
Valiant Lady Makes Rare Charleston Stop as Repositioning Takes Dramatic Turn