by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 8:35 PM ET, Mon February 26, 2024
Amid the ongoing Houthi rebel strikes in the Red Sea, Virgin Voyages is canceling Resilient Lady’s 2024-25 winter season in Australia. Instead, the company is sending the ship to the Caribbean.
Earlier this month, Virgin announced that it would be rerouting Resilient Lady around Africa, rather than trying to pass through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea. That decision affected three itineraries in late March and early April.
Now, the cruise line has decided to cancel Resilient Lady’s second winter season in Australia. The change of plans also affects the ship’s repositioning voyages between Europe and Australia in late 2024 and early 2025.
“We remain very concerned about potential escalations in the Red Sea over the next 12 months,” according to a Virgin Voyages statement. “This significant and ongoing conflict puts unacceptable risks for safe passage through the region for our Sailors, crew and vessel.”
The new plan has Resilient Lady finishing the Mediterranean season on October 20, then heading to San Juan, Puerto Rico. This winter, Resilient Lady will sail 7-, 8-, 10- and 11-night voyages in the Caribbean, with stops in St. Maarten, St. Vincent, Colombia and Dominica. Those trips will go on sale February 29.
Virgin has not yet finalized Resilient Lady’s repositioning cruises from Athens to San Juan, but says those itineraries will likely include stops in Catania, Casablanca and Tenerife.
The company’s leaders are “disappointed” that Resilient Lady won’t be returning to Australia and New Zealand after a successful inaugural season in the region. But they decided to cancel the season now “to minimize potential future disruption to our passengers' holiday plans knowing there is a high likelihood that changes would need to happen in the future,” according to the statement.
“Our customers and travel agent partners asked us to ensure we give them as much time as possible to make alternative plans,” per Virgin Voyages.
Travelers who are affected by the changes can get a full refund or rebook another cruise.
Virgin is just the latest cruise line to make changes because of the ongoing Red Sea conflict. As the Iranian-backed political and military group continues to fire missiles at ships in the Red Sea, MSC Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Silversea Cruises, Royal Caribbean and other lines have also adjusted their itineraries.
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