Warm Weather or Cold? We Took Virgin Voyages' Brilliant Lady to Alaska to Find Out
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
If you've followed us aboard Virgin Voyages' Scarlet Lady through the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, you know us as warm weather people. Tank tops. Flip-flops. A hammock and a view.
But this time we packed sweaters, raincoats, gloves and hats – in July! What the heck!
Seven days to Alaska on Brilliant Lady — Virgin's newest ship, sailing her very first year. We had two questions: how does Brilliant Lady stack up against our old friend Scarlet Lady? And after 48 years of chasing the sun, are we secretly cold weather cruisers or are we dedicated warm weather sailors?
We saved the verdict for the very end. (One of us nearly changed his mind three times getting there!)
Sail Away from Seattle
Champagne on deck, Seattle slipping into the distance, clouds gathering. The party moved indoors, where we reconnected with the Grand Lady of the Seas herself — Kara Kature.
Our cabin was an extra-large Sea Terrace. On our previous Virgin sailings, we'd been in Rock Star Suites, so it isn't quite a fair fight — but we loved the clean modern lines, the spacious bathroom with its separate toilet and shower compartments and that famous rain shower head, and, most important for two content creators, plenty of outlets.
And of course, the red hammock. It wouldn't be a Lady ship without it.
What's Different on Brilliant Lady
Your grandpas did their homework. Here's what's changed:
The aft cushions now face outward. On Scarlet Lady they faced in. Now you're looking at the wake and the view. Makes a heck of a lot more sense to us.
The lifeboats are recessed deeper into the hull. There were rumors Brilliant Lady was made narrower to fit the Panama Canal — but we did our research, and every ship in the Lady class is 125 feet wide. They all fit, but only Brilliant Lady has tucked in her lifeboats to fit through the canal. (File that away. It may become important to us...)
More art installations everywhere, which adds a lot of fun.
Deck 7's Roundabout got a major overhaul. The DJ booth and record store are gone, along with several partitions. What's left is an open, loungey space where people actually gather and talk.
The shuffleboard moved in the Social Club, making room for tables for games and conversation.
The one thing we miss? Those round PLAY and LOVE signs and the swings between the coffee place and the Dock on Scarlet Lady. We'd have kept those.
An Empty Cabana Is a Beautiful Thing
Here's the honest truth about a cold weather cruise: the upper decks are empty.
On a warm weather sailing you'd never find an open cabana — they're occupied dawn to dusk. The pool deck would be a minefield of towels reserving loungers. On this trip? Walk right up. Take your pick.
Grandpa Scott, born in cold country, took this in stride. Grandpa Bobby, a desert rat through and through, waited patiently for every scrap of sunshine and was first out on deck when it arrived.
The sun did come out - occasionally. And when it did, with the ocean like glass and a breeze off the water, there was nothing better.
The Food (Or: A PB&J Story)
Over 20 eateries, all Michelin-star quality, no difference at all between Scarlet Lady and Brilliant Lady.
And what did Grandpa Bobby order? A peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
What can we say. He likes what he likes. (For the record, Grandpa Scott had a vegetarian burger with a side of bacon, so let's call it even.)
We didn't narrate every mouthful — the restaurants are small and intimate, and it didn't feel polite to chat over our meal while filming. Just know you'll eat well.
The Entertainment Game Has Been Upped
Diva Goes West — a new show featuring our absolute favorite, Kara Kature. Fabulous, as always.
Up with a Twist — a Brilliant Lady exclusive, performed in the Manor at Lady Valentina's Emporium of Excess. Extra-pay dinner theater with a three-course meal, five cocktails (non-alcoholic versions available), a great band, sword swallowers, fan dancers, acrobats, and everything in between. The audience picks the ending. Colorful and captivating!
Bingo with a Diva — still the highlight of any Virgin Voyages sailing. Packed house, every seat filled, people turned away at the door. All hosted by Kara Koture. One woman won $2,800. Real money.
Ports of Call
Ketchikan — The Salmon Capital of the World
We ported on the Fourth of July, which turned out to be a gift.
Creek Street, where Ketchikan began in the early 1900s, is worth a couple of hours all on its own. Yes, there are trinkets and T-shirts, but the character of the place is intact. Dolly's House still stands — the spot where, as the saying goes, both men and salmon came upstream to spawn.
Then came the parade. Homemade, small-town, the kind neither of us had seen since childhood. Not a Pride parade, not the Rose Parade — a hometown parade, with a bagpiper who stole Grandpa Scott's heart clean away. And Grandpa Bobby was moved watching the native people march proudly: my country. We were here first.
We finished with cherry pie and coffee at the Pioneer Cafe, a perfect little diner, in honor of the Fourth.
You don't need an excursion in Ketchikan. The town is the excursion.
Sitka — Somebody Turned 70
Sitka is where we celebrated Grandpa Bobby's 70th birthday with a few friends. That deserves its own video, so look for it soon. Best way to turn 70, we say.
Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier
We couldn't sleep, so we walked the upper deck at midnight just to see what midnight looks like that far north.
The next morning: waterfalls thundering down the fjord walls, one after another, building to Dawes Glacier and that impossible blue ice. Layered up in July, a little liquid sunshine, and not one bit sorry about it.
The captain held us there for a full hour. We weren't rushed. We expected the decks to be packed and they weren't — so we stood there and let Alaska do its thing, unfolding before us.
This is why we came.
Prince Rupert, British Columbia
Thirty miles south of Alaska, we stopped in to visit our Canadian friends. Brilliant Lady docked right at the pier — no tender required, unlike certain ships that shall remain nameless. Who knew Grandpa Scott could be so catty?
An eagle sat atop the radio tower keeping watch over town as we walked Cow Bay Road (yes, there's a cow-print bathtub at Cow Bay) up to historic Third Avenue. City Hall crowns the hill in Art Deco style, its friezes carved with native animals, and the totem poles nearby carries killer whales, upside-down people, crows, and all manner of mythical creatures.
The Vibe — And This Is the Real Story
Here's what surprised us most.
On a warm weather cruise, people scatter. Everyone's outside battling for a chaise lounge, or in the pool, or napping in the jacuzzi. Lovely — but separate.
On a cold weather cruise, people come inside. And they find each other. Board games. Card games. Puzzles. Strangers sharing a table and a cocktail who'd never met before that morning. Some folks even brought laptops out and did a little work. There's a collegial spirit to it that we hadn't felt before. Sort of like high school, but everyone is sitting at the cool kid’s table!
We also noticed more handi-capable travelers aboard — and we think it's because there's no beach day to navigate. Virgin has made it genuinely easy for people using wheelchairs and walkers to get on and off the ship, and every passenger we met was accommodating and kind.
The weather wasn't picture-perfect. It didn't matter one bit. People were still calling out whale sightings and pointing at floating ice bergs like kids.
About the Crew
The crew is the backbone of your enjoyment on any cruise, full stop.
Virgin Voyages treats their people well, and it shows. A happy crew makes for a happy sailing. The smiles and greetings aren't forced — they're warm, and they make you feel like they're genuinely glad you came aboard.
They come from all over the world. If you get the chance, talk to them. Learn a word or two of their language. For us, that's what travel is really about.
Same experience on both Scarlet Lady sailings. Down to a person, phenomenal.
The Verdicts
Kara sent us a bottle of champagne for our last night, so we did this properly.
Category | Winner |
The Room | Scarlet Lady — but only because we had a Rock Star Suite. Balcony to balcony, it's a wash. This cabin is big, spacious, modern, and has that hammock. |
The Ship | Brilliant Lady — the extra seating and open Roundabout made a real difference on a week where we spent more time indoors. |
The Food | Tie. Consistently fantastic on both. |
The Vibe | Cool weather wins. People connect more indoors. |
The Crew | Tie. Phenomenal on both ships. |
And the big one: warm or cold?
Grandpa Bobby is a desert rat and he's not sorry. Warm weather. Sunshine. Done.
Grandpa Scott went warm, then swung back to cold — because of the landscapes. The glaciers. The inlets and islands. The whales, the dolphins. Team Alaska, final answer. (He tried to change his mind again. We stopped him.)
So we're a split vote. Which is really the honest answer, isn't it?
Whichever cruise you choose, you're not going to have a bad experience — as long as you choose the cruise that's right for you, and the line that's right for you. Do your research. Ask questions.
Which Are You?
Are you a warm weather cruiser or a cold weather cruiser? And if you've done an Alaska sailing, tell us what you thought — we love hearing from you.
Drop us a comment below, or over on the video.
Whether you're traveling around the world on a cruise or just traveling through life — always Travel Your Heart. 💛
Watch the full Alaska cruise video on YouTube → Warm or Cold? Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady to Alaska
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Grandpas Bobby & Grandpa Scott
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