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Ignacio Lillo
Malaga
Tuesday, 8 October 2024
If you have strolled along the La Malagueta promenade in the city recently, you can't fail to have noticed the large cruise ship anchored in the waters off Malaga, and it is easy to see that it belongs to the Virgin Voyages line. The name is written in large white letters on a red background, at the stern of the ship.
So, what has it been doing there for so many days? The ship is called Virgin Brilliant Lady, with its name paying tribute to the "intelligence of women" according to the company, and the answer is that it is in a testing phase having just left the shipyard. It is the first time a shipping company of this type has chosen Malaga for the commissioning of one of its ships.
"The cruise ship will be put into service during the year 2025, so it has to undergo exhaustive testing for at least the next six months, until 31 May, and Malaga has been chosen for this," pointed out sources from the Port Authority. During this period, it will spend some days anchored at sea, while on other occasions it will enter the port to test various nautical manoeuvres, access points and its connection to the port as well as the supply of food and other materials onboard. It will also leave for long periods on test voyages.
The vessel stands out for its technological development, equipped with all the latest innovations. Flying the Bahamian flag, the Virgin Brilliant Lady is 278 metres long and 38 metres wide, and has a gross tonnage of 110,000 tonnes. It can cruise at a speed of 20 knots.
It can carry 2,762 passengers, in 1,404 cabins (the vast majority with balconies and 78 are suites), and with 1,150 crew members. Accommodation and leisure facilities are distributed over 17 decks (with 14 lifts), and it is classified as a "premium" cruise ship. On board there will be 12 bars and lounges; 12 restaurants; cinema, library, spa, casino, exhibition hall, theatre, laundry, games room and nightclub. There will also be two indoor and one outdoor swimming pools; basketball court; jogging area and gymnasium, among other leisure and recreational facilities.
The new cruise ship is classified as "top level luxury" and will be for adults only. Gastronomy will be one of its strong points, and will feature two world-renowned American chefs: Brad Farmerie and Sohui Kim. This will be the fourth ship in the shipping company's fleet.
The news comes as port authorities, the Junta de Andalucía and city council continue to promote Malaga as a destination. Malaga has become the ship's technical operations base, before it will start carrying tourists from the middle of next year, with routes from the United States and the Caribbean.
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