Brilliant Lady’s World Tour is officially underway in New York — and this October, she’s trading NYC’s bright lights for Miami’s sunlight as she takes the stage for her 8-night Miami MerMaiden Voyage. Read on for the lineup and programming of the most epic maiden Miami cruise of the decade, sailing the Caribbean from October 17-25.
Kelis is headlining the maiden voyage (yes, that Kelis)
You know that moment when you tell clients about an exclusive experience and they immediately whip out their credit cards? This is that moment. We've locked in Kelis — the icon behind "Milkshake,” “Bossy,” and other hits — to headline a pool deck performance under the Caribbean stars for our MerMaiden sailing.
This isn't some tired cruise ship entertainment where people politely golf-clap through another acoustic guitar set. We're talking about a high-energy, high-style celebration by an artist who has collaborated with anyone who’s anyone — from rap legends like Lil’ Kim and Outkast to alternative darling Björk and electronic pioneer Giorgio Moroder (to name a few). When's the last time you could promise a Grammy-nominated headliner on a maiden voyage? We’ll wait.
Kelis isn’t just performing — she's creating
Here's where your Sailors’ jaws officially hit the floor. Kelis isn't just performing — she's partnering with The Wake to debut the decadent Kelis Sundae, an exclusive signature dish available only on this sailing. (The “Kelis Milkshake” would’ve been a tad too on-the-nose, don’t you think?) She’s a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef, in addition to being an acclaimed recording artist, and we thought it’d be a shame to waste that talent.
Think about it: your Sailors get to eat a dessert created by a celebrity chef who’s performing for them later in the voyage. This is the kind of once-in-a-lifetime experience that turns skeptical cruise clients into Virgin Voyages evangelists overnight.
Miami’s hottest bars are climbing aboard
Now here's the kicker that'll have your Miami Sailors losing it: we're serving up a bespoke speakeasy popup on board, with cocktails curated by Miami's most iconic local bars:
- The Sylvester: Nostalgia meets sophistication
- Bar Kaiju: Where craft cocktails get a little dangerous
- Swizzle: Classic vibes with a modern twist
- Better Days: The name says it all
This intimate experience is only available to book during our debut sailing. Your Sailors who think they know Miami nightlife? They're about to discover that their favorite bars followed them to the Caribbean. It's like bringing the best of South Beach to sea, without the cover charges and velvet ropes.
The numbers that make your commission sing
Here's the beautiful part: while other cruise lines are racing to the bottom with generic deals, we're creating scarcity and exclusivity. This new Virgin Voyages cruise ship maiden voyage is a one-time event that your clients literally cannot book anywhere else, ever again.
This sailing also features a chance for your Sailors to be among the first to experience everything new and improved that we created specifically for Brilliant Lady. She’s got new shows (like Up With a Twist, a supper club musical with a new ending every night), a new dining concept (a Rojo by Razzle Dazzle’s tapas smorgasbord), and new onboard spaces (like clear viewing decks built to give you unique sightlines into our gorgeous ports). So if they’ve sailed with us before, you can let them know they haven’t sailed like this — there’s a full slate of new experiences to explore.
The Brilliant Lady Miami experience that breaks all the rules
We’ve spent years perfecting our adults-only approach, and Brilliant Lady's Miami MerMaiden represents the culmination of everything we’ve learned. When a Grammy-nominated artist is willing not just to perform, but to co-create exclusive culinary experiences for your cruise, you know you’ve done something right.
Tell your Sailors to ditch boring cruise traditions for something actually brilliant. If they book now, they’ll score our latest offer to help keep summer on repeat — like a Kelis song they can’t get out of their heads.
