Mediterranean Cruise Port Welcomes Newest Virgin Voyages Ship

The Turkish Port of Bodrum, an increasingly popular port call for ships sailing the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, welcomed Virgin Voyages’ newest ship, Resilient Lady, on May 11, 2023, as the vessel made her way to Athens to embark guests for her official “mermaiden” inaugural cruise.

Port of Bodrum officials celebrated the ship’s arrival as it readies to mark a banner cruise year in 2023, with a double-digit hike in cruise ship calls versus last year.

Arrival of Resilient Lady Ushers In Busy Year at Bodrum Port

The Port of Bodrum, on Turkey’s southwest coast, held a special welcome ceremony to honor a port call by Virgin Voyages’ new ship Resilient Lady, which called at the port during a preview cruise prior to her arrival in Athens. The ship will sail her inaugural voyage from Athens on May 14.

Guests aboard Resilient Lady were given gifts and Turkish treats while a marching band entertained at the port, which Global Ports Holding operates.

The visit was the first of 16 scheduled calls the new vessel will make at Bodrum this season. Through 2023, the port expects to see a 35% increase in the number of total ship calls compared to 2022.

Global Ports Holding Director of East Med Aziz Güngör said, “We anticipate welcoming 138 calls and 125,000 passengers at Bodrum Cruise Port in 2023. Moreover, as a homeport, we will host the Turkish cruise ship Blue Sapphire for its 46 calls. The growing interest in luxury cruises to Bodrum aligns with the extensive promotional initiatives of Global Ports Holding and the increasing worldwide recognition of Bodrum as a luxury destination.”

Bodrum is a fast-emerging port of call for cruise ships and offers several landmarks and excursion options. Among them are the medieval Bodrum Castle and the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and dating to the 4th century B.C.

Along with Resilient Lady, other cruise ships scheduled to call at the Port of Bodrum this year include Silversea Cruises’ 608-guest Silver Spirit, Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ 706-guest Seven Seas Voyager, Seabourn’s 600-guest Seabourn Encore, Oceania Cruises’ 1,250-guest Marina, and Norwegian Cruise Line’s 2,466-guest Norwegian Jade.

Third Virgin Voyages Ship to Sail Multiple Itineraries

Following her inaugural cruise Resilient Lady will sail multiple itineraries in the region this summer, including “Greek Island Glow,” with visits to Santorini, Rhodes, and Mykonos in Greece, as well as a lengthy stop in Bodrum.

The ship’s “Adriatic Sea Greek Gems” cruises include port calls to Split and Dubrovnik in Croatia, Kotor in Montenegro, and Corfu Island, Greece. In early November, Resilient Lady will deploy to Melbourne, Australia, and return to Greece for the summer of 2024.

With her official launch from Athens, Resilient Lady becomes the third Virgin Voyages vessel sailing the seas, joining Scarlet Lady and Valiant Lady. All three are sister ships that accommodate 2,770 guests and have an adult-only policy (cruisers must be at least 18 years old).

Scarlet Lady debuted in 2020 and Valiant Lady in 2021. A fourth ship, Brilliant Lady, is under construction and slated to enter service in late 2023.

In addition to Resilient Lady, Valiant Lady also is cruising in Europe this summer. Virgin Voyages earlier this week announced that it is waiving all single supplement charges for solo cruisers booking a voyage on either ship this summer.

The waiver is valid for new bookings on Resilient Lady cruises from May 14 through October 15, and on Valiant Lady between May 7 and October 22.

The offer applies to the following cabin categories: XL Sea Terrace, Central Sea Terrace, Sea Terrace, Ltd View Sea Terrace, and the Lock It In Rate Ltd View Sea Terrace.