Long-stay Virgin cruise ship bids farewell to Costa del Sol with affectionate message

"I love Malaga" was the message that could be read on Wednesday night on the side of the Brilliant Lady - the Virgin cruise ship that has been anchored in the bay of Malaga since October 2024. Many people who had gone out for a refreshing seaside walk captured the heart-warming message, which the company had written with lights.

It can be interpreted as a farewell message, as the ship is scheduled to leave for the US at the end of the month for its inauguration and the start of commercial routes in the Caribbean.

It still has a few more days in Malaga. It returned to the bay on Wednesday, after spending a month in the Fincatieri shipyard in Palermo (Italy), where it underwent a series of adjustments to be prepared for its commercial commissioning. The Brilliant Lady is expected to make one last brief technical stopover at the Levante dock. From there, it will begin the Atlantic sailing, with a refuelling stop in Gibraltar.

The bay of Malaga was chosen for the location where the ship would be anchored during the testing and staff training. It has been there for almost a year, during which time it has carried out commissioning tests of the systems and several entries and exits to the dock. In the past months, the cruise ship has also made several short trips for refuelling and navigation adjustment purposes.

The Brilliant Lady will have its inauguration in New York on 5 September, from where it will start its first voyage in the Caribbean. The cruise ship is 278 metres long and has 17 decks. It is in the adults-only premium category and can accommodate a maximum of 2,860 passengers in 1,408 cabins.