Virgin Voyages Reveals Valiant Lady Ship's Mermaid

Virgin Voyages’ second ship, the Valiant Lady, will begin cruising in 2022 from Portsmouth, UK to Europe on a selection of three-, 11- and 12-night itineraries to Spain, Belgium, Portugal and the Canary Islands with a new Virgin Voyages’ ship mermaid to guide the way.

Valiant Lady’s mermaid was designed by artist Hillary Wilson. Representing the tension between strength and vulnerability, Valiant Lady’s mermaid is a beautiful reminder of what valiance truly is: having courage in the face of opposition or trial.

Wilson’s background is in classical art and medical drawing, allowing those skills to combine to create the mermaid’s more realistic form, with her human half complete with round hips, soft arms and naturally curly hair. The representation of the ship’s figurehead as a Black woman is an important one; diversity should be represented throughout media and in business to reflect the diversity of the world.

“The breath of people that live and exist in the world — I feel so lucky that I get to experience them and create art from them. How lucky are we to get to paint all these kinds of people? To rejoice in all the kinds of people that exist and all the ways you can draw them,” said Wilson.

The news that the Valiant Lady mermaid would be Black was announced on July 24. The mermaid will be featured prominently on the cruise ship's bow, the same location as the cruise line's first ship, the Scarlet Lady, features its red-tailed mermaid, with blond hair and pale skin. The cruise line has yet to reveal its third ship mermaid for the newest of the fleet, the Resilient Lady.

For more information about the Valiant Lady and its mermaid, please click here.