What happened to Brilliant Lady

[librarylady19]

1 hour ago, Freelancer3 said:

Am I understanding correctly that the April '24 TA is not showing scheduled on the port dock reservations in Lisbon or the other stops prior?

Correct. Check cruisemapper:

 

Santa Cruz de Tenerife: (supposed to be 4/27)

https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/santa-cruz-de-tenerife-port-94?tab=schedule&month=2024-04#schedule

Gran Canaria (4/28)

https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/las-palmas-de-gran-canaria-port-1013?tab=schedule&month=2024-04#schedule

Funchal: (4/29)

https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/funchal-port-741?tab=schedule&month=2024-04#schedule

Lisbon (5/1)

https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/lisbon-port-65?tab=schedule&month=2024-05#schedule

 

No Brilliant Lady anywhere! If you search by ship name, there is also nothing for Brilliant Lady after the April sailings in the Caribbean (from San Juan)....

 

 

Edited July 24, 2023 by librarylady19

[CineGraphic]

The ports don't show up on Cruisetimetables.com either.

[Freelancer3]

9 minutes ago, librarylady19 said:

Correct. Check cruisemapper:

 

Santa Cruz de Tenerife: (supposed to be 4/27)

https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/santa-cruz-de-tenerife-port-94?tab=schedule&month=2024-04#schedule

Gran Canaria (4/28)

https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/las-palmas-de-gran-canaria-port-1013?tab=schedule&month=2024-04#schedule

Funchal: (4/29)

https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/funchal-port-741?tab=schedule&month=2024-04#schedule

Lisbon (5/1)

https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/lisbon-port-65?tab=schedule&month=2024-05#schedule

 

No Brilliant Lady anywhere! If you search by ship name, there is also nothing for Brilliant Lady after the April sailings in the Caribbean (from San Juan)....

 

 

Humm..... Not good.   Thanks.

[CineGraphic]

The only port I can find the ship listed in for our sailing is San Juan on April 20th, which means nothing, because it's simply returning to port at the end of the previous cruise.

The ship doesn't simply vaporize after that....it has to sail somewhere, and ports need to be scheduled way in advance.

 

One has to wonder what sort of offer they'll make for those willing to sail wherever it ends up going versus cancelling.

[librarylady19]

I (sort of) understand them altering itineraries, but what is so annoying is the lame excuses they are giving (a Virgin agent actually said the TA was sold out - as well as all future cruises on Brilliant Lady). Do they think we can't see that the ship has disappeared from their website, TA sites and port schedules!  It is insulting to our intelligence and costing both money and a missed opportunity to book any other TA for next spring at a reasonable price.

[notme2012]

1 hour ago, CineGraphic said:

The only port I can find the ship listed in for our sailing is San Juan on April 20th, which means nothing, because it's simply returning to port at the end of the previous cruise.

The ship doesn't simply vaporize after that....it has to sail somewhere, and ports need to be scheduled way in advance.

 

One has to wonder what sort of offer they'll make for those willing to sail wherever it ends up going versus cancelling.

I just booked tickets to SJU, as the award prices were so low. Only 10K each to fly into SJU, which I can cancel. But I am tired of this dragging on, and not being honest with us.

[librarylady19]

9 hours ago, notme2012 said:

I just booked tickets to SJU, as the award prices were so low. Only 10K each to fly into SJU, which I can cancel. But I am tired of this dragging on, and not being honest with us.

Me too. Was this on American?

[cantgetin]

Basic rule--believe little of what shoreside sailor services says.  The best of them when they don't know an answer, escalates the call to someone who should know.  Most of them make something up, sometimes based on bits and pieces they do know.  For instance, when a cruise is full, does it disappear from the web site, or does it just show up as not available for booking?  I don't know the answer to that, but I'm very sure that all Brilliant cruises are not full!

[CanadianCruiser21]

I had noticed Brilliant Lady TA not appearing on those port schedules a few weeks ago, but I wonder what data source is used to populate those sites. I would like to believe that VV booked those ports at some point and wouldn’t just cancel them until they were sure they were cancelling the TA. If they are sure, what’s stopping them from telling us? It’s not like they have been shy about cancelling their other voyages, albeit sometimes weeks after they have chartered it. 

[Wildcatllamas]

Right after it vanished it was showing in those ports. And now it's gone! My friends that were going to go with me definitely aren't now that they have also booked excursions on the Princess cruise that is 16 days. So it is down to me going. Oh well - if it does show back up I know I will be in good company. 

 

If by chance it does go through the Panama Canal might it be another TA back from Lisbon? Now that would be a cool B2B. My boss would shoot me!!!

[CineGraphic]

I just emailed the CEO asking him to explain why the ship doesn't show up in any of the port schedules, while sailor services keeps saying the cruise isn't cancelled.

[notme2012]

2 hours ago, librarylady19 said:

Me too. Was this on American?

Yup, we are going 3 days early. As we found an inexpensive AirBnB. But we decided that we will probably cancel this cruise anyways. I am tired of VV. They lost a customer....

[CineGraphic]

I just happened to get a call today from Virgin. They were finally responding to my email from July 9th.

When I asked them why the ship is no longer listed in any of the port schedules, the poor girl could only say, "Right now we have no information that the sailing has been changed or cancelled."

I replied, "That's the problem, you have no information. Somebody knows what's going on and needs to let everyone know. The ports didn't all get together and cancel on their own."

[cantgetin]

4 minutes ago, CineGraphic said:

 

When I asked them why the ship is no longer listed in any of the port schedules, the poor girl could only say, "Right now we have no information that the sailing has been changed or cancelled."

I replied, "That's the problem, you have no information. Somebody knows what's going on and needs to let everyone know. The ports didn't all get together and cancel on their own."

At least she gave you an honest answer and didn't try to make up something.  Totally agree that they need to get their act together and let potential and booked passengers know what is happening,

[WhyWeCruise]

Sorry to all of you that are booked on the TA that are getting the run around. 😞
Happy to see that she's still showing up in San Juan etc. on the port schedules starting in December. Fingers crossed for you guys. 

[Ulsteinvik]

Cruisemapper is not an official port site where official port announcements can be viewed. Cruisemapper copies all trips from the homepages of the cruise line. Therefore, you should look for the right port sources. But here also no good news for the Brilliant Lady TA. Unfortunately, the Brilliant Lady has actually disappeared from the Funchal 2024 official list.. -> https://www.apram.pt/site/index.php/en/ports/wharf-reservations?page=6

[CanadianCruiser21]

Thanks Ulsteinvik,

 

That’s what I was looking for. I guess I won’t be booking flights after all 😞 

[jamesv92]

3 hours ago, Ulsteinvik said:

Cruisemapper is not an official port site where official port announcements can be viewed. Cruisemapper copies all trips from the homepages of the cruise line. Therefore, you should look for the right port sources. But here also no good news for the Brilliant Lady TA. Unfortunately, the Brilliant Lady has actually disappeared from the Funchal 2024 official list.. -> https://www.apram.pt/site/index.php/en/ports/wharf-reservations?page=6

Interestingly though on these same listings Brilliant Lady is in port from 8am on 29th October 2024 and leaving 31st October at 2pm.

[jamesv92]

Also in Funchal 8th May 2025 10:00-19:00

[diva.diva56]

2 hours ago, CanadianCruiser21 said:

Thanks Ulsteinvik,

 

That’s what I was looking for. I guess I won’t be booking flights after all 😞 

They are also not listed on the Lisbon port schedule.....

[CanadianCruiser21]

1 hour ago, jamesv92 said:

Also in Funchal 8th May 2025 10:00-19:00

That is so interesting! So they have Oct 2024, May 2025, and Oct 2025 booked at Funchal, but not April 2024!!! Those bastards! Well then it’s May 2025 for me then. 

 

[notme2012]

4 hours ago, jamesv92 said:

Also in Funchal 8th May 2025 10:00-19:00

But not in April 2024.

[PhilK2000]

5 hours ago, jamesv92 said:

Also in Funchal 8th May 2025 10:00-19:00

No more bookings for me so much ahead of a sailing lol . I learn from the April 2024 „experience“ 

[CineGraphic]

3 hours ago, PhilK2000 said:

No more bookings for me so much ahead of a sailing lol . I learn from the April 2024 „experience“ 

 

The only problem is, that's when the pricing is best.

At least we'll get a 150-200% return on our money, but yes, it's very frustrating that they are waiting so long to announce anything regarding this sailing.

[CineGraphic]

 The admin of the FB roll call page for the 4/20/24 sailing, who happens to be a travel agent just posted some info from a conversation he had with the CEO while on the Resilient Lady's Mermaiden Voyage.

 

they are still finalizing what will happen. It’s pretty obvious this sailing isn’t happening as it is currently scheduled which is why they pulled it from sale months ago. They have known people are upset not knowing what’s going on. I was told that once they finalize what the ship will be doing, we will be offered that new repositioning; or we can move to another sailing. It won’t be staying in San Juan year round. They were deciding where it will go. It can go to Alaska, but that is dependent on traffic in the Panama Canal. Or it could be the second ship they are basing in Miami. That’s what is all being decided.