Three times, you've put us at the top.
Virgin Voyages is Condé Nast Traveler's No. 1 Large Cruise Line in the 2026 Readers' Choice Awards. That's our third time taking the top spot in the US, and it's a vote only Sailors can cast.
The Readers' Choice Awards are decided entirely by travelers. Not by a panel, not by a press office. By people who've actually been on board. So every one of those votes came from someone who sailed with us and decided we were worth telling people about.
We built Virgin Voyages on a bet: that adults on vacation wanted something different from the cruise they grew up hearing about. No kids' clubs. No assigned seating. No dining room schedule to plan your night around. Just ships that feel more like a boutique hotel that happens to move. Turns out, a lot of you were making the same bet, and you've kept making it, voyage after voyage.
That kind of recommendation means more to us than any trophy. Sailors told Sailors, and the votes followed.
And there's more to celebrate.
Readers' Choice is one of three major Condé Nast Traveler awards platforms, and this year we earned honors on all of them. Two of our ships made the lists.
Hot List: Brilliant Lady.
Brilliant Lady made the Hot List. If you've been meaning to try her, here are a few reasons to sail:
- Our newest ship
- Caribbean sailings this winter, with weekend getaways and extended escapes
- Sailings from LA and Seattle
Whether you want a quick weekend getaway or a longer escape, there's a way to fit her into your calendar.
Gold List: Valiant Lady.
Valiant Lady made the Gold List. She's also fresh out of dry dock, with plenty that's new on board:
- New entertainment
- Ariya, our brand-new Indian restaurant
- Winter sailings from San Juan
If you've sailed her before, there's something new to find. If you're meeting her for the first time, she's ready for you.
The people behind the votes.
Awards are nice, but the reason behind them is better, and it's you. It's the friends who booked together after one too many "you have to try it" texts. It's the Sailors who came back for a second, third, fifth voyage. It's the first-timers who stepped on board unsure and left already planning their next sailing. It's everyone who told a friend that a cruise can actually feel like a great night out, then watched that friend book one too.
Every vote started with a good trip and a Sailor who couldn't stop talking about it. That's how a ship full of adults who wanted a different kind of vacation ends up at the top of a readers' list, three times over. Thank you for every sailing, every vote and every recommendation.
Come see it for yourself.
Experience Virgin Voyages yourself and get up to $ 1,000 in instant savings + 70% off 2nd Sailor. Whether you're coming back for another voyage or stepping on board for the first time, we'd love to have you.
