Red Sea Fears Prompt Virgin Voyages to Swap Second AU Season for Caribbean

Continued fears of Red Sea-related violence forced Virgin Voyages to reroute its upcoming repositioning voyages for Resilient Lady from Australia to Athens. Now, the line is canceling its entire 2024/25 season plans for the ship, which included a second season in Australia.

“On the heels of these recent changes and based on the regional and government advice we have received, we remain very concerned about potential escalations in the Red Sea over the next 12 months,” the line said in a statement. “This significant and ongoing conflict puts unacceptable risks for safe passage through the region for our Sailors, crew, and vessel (Resilient Lady).”

The ship will now complete its Mediterranean sailing season on Oct. 20 and instead of starting to head back Down Under it will divert to San Juan, Puerto Rico for a new Caribbean season. The new deployment schedule will include seven-, eight-, 10- , and 11-night sailings visiting St. Maarten, St. Vincent, Colombia, and Dominica.

Virgin Voyages is still putting together the ship’s repositioning route from Athens to San Juan, but plans to offers sailings that will feature ports such as Catania, Casablanca, and Tenerife.

“To say that we are disappointed to have come to this tough conclusion is an understatement. These adjustments are happening now in order to minimize potential future disruptions to our passengers’ holiday plans knowing there is a high likelihood that changes would need to happen in the future.”

Impacted cruisers have the option to rebook another voyage or opt for a full refund. These guests will also have first dibs on a ’25 cruise season in Australia should Virgin Voyages deem it safe enough to return.