Virgin Confirms Itinerary Changes on the West Coast Due to Hurricane
Virgin Voyages updated the itinerary of the current cruise onboard the Brilliant Lady due to Hurricane Rachel.
After issuing a warning to booked guests last week about potential changes, the company confirmed that the vessel is sailing a revised schedule due to the impact from the storm.
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Operating a fall season on the West Coast, the Brilliant Lady sailed from Los Angeles for a Mexican Riviera cruise on October 3, 2026.
"Rachel has safely moved away from Brilliant Lady's route and is no longer a risk to the voyage," the company said in an online update.
"It's left behind residual swell strong enough that tendering into Cabo San Lucas wouldn't be safe or comfortable, so we've made the call to swap that stop for Ensenada," Virgin added.
The ship sailed to the new port of call on Sunday, October 4, 2026, before continuing to Mazatlán and Cabo San Lucas as scheduled.
Virgin said that any shore excursions for Cabo San Lucas booked through the company will be automatically cancelled. Guests can expect a full refund to be issued to their original form of payment.
As part of the changes, Virgin also had to delay the ship's arrival and departure in Mazatlán by approximately two hours.
The Brilliant Lady is now scheduled to arrive at the port at 11 AM before departing for Puerto Vallarta at 8 PM.
"We know Cabo was part of the plan, but we're confident that we can deliver a safe and incredible Mexican Riviera getaway you've been looking forward to," Virgin added.
Having completed a summer season in Alaska, the Brilliant Lady kicked off its deployment on the West Coast in September.
The 2,770-passenger ship will continue to sail in the region through late October, when it is scheduled to embark on a repositioning voyage to the Caribbean.
