The Brilliant Lady en route to the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, Calif.

California cruise lovers no longer have to leave the West Coast to sail on a mega ship with absolutely no kids.

Virgin Voyages, the adults-only all-inclusive cruise line, made its debut on the West Coast on Monday. The ship, named the Brilliant Lady, departed from Los Angeles on a five-night sail, making stops in Santa Barbara, San Diego and Ensenada, Mexico. 

Article continues below this ad

Over the next year, the Brilliant Lady will hit several destinations. Scheduled stops in the United States include San Francisco, Seattle, Miami and Alaska. The ship is also slated to sail to international ports in Mexico, Canada, Panama, Guatemala, Costa Rica and several islands throughout the Caribbean. Still, the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro is now its homeport.

“The West Coast doesn’t need another cruise ship. It needs the right one,” Virgin Voyages Chief Marketing Officer Nathan Rosenberg said in a news release. “… The West Coast has always had a deep affinity for the Virgin brand and its values, so this feels like a homecoming moment for us.”

The Brilliant Lady en route to the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, Calif.

The Brilliant Lady docked at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, Calif.

Stewart Chiron, a cruise ship expert known as the Cruise Guy, told SFGATE that by being based on the West Coast, Virgin has positioned itself to cruise in Alaska — a unique destination with great payoff. 

Article continues below this ad

Don't let Google decide who you trust.

“Being in Europe is important, but Alaska is one of the best places where the cruise lines can maximize earning opportunities,” Chiron said. “Alaska is not an inexpensive destination. It’s a higher-revenue generator for the cruise lines. So it’s very important for people to be able to be up there.”

As an all-inclusive, 18-and-over cruise line, Virgin Voyages tends to come at a higher price point, Chiron said. The brand is better known in other parts of the world, such as Europe, but its debut on the West Coast opens the line to a new market. 

“It’ll be interesting to see what the reaction is from people on the West Coast, and it’s gonna take time for them to generate some traction and some notoriety,” he said. “I don’t think the ships will be full at first, but, you know, it is an alternative for people to look at … and if they’re looking for that type of an experience, it might be a good option.”

Article continues below this ad

The Brilliant Lady docked at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, Calif.

The Brilliant Lady docked at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, Calif.

The Brilliant Lady weighs 110,000 tons and holds around 2,762 passengers in its 1,404 cabins and has more than 20 eateries on board. It’s one of Virgin’s four “Lady” ships, each sailing in a different part of the world. 

Got a tip? Send us the scoop.

Got a tip? Send us the scoop.

The four ships are nearly identical, Stewart Chiron told SFGATE, but the Brilliant Lady is the only ship that meets the requirements to sail through the Panama Canal. Virgin had to modify the ship to fit through the canal in several ways, including repositioning the lifeboats and changing the design of some cabins to make them smaller.

Article continues below this ad

“This is one of the most technically demanding passages in the world, and it requires absolute precision from our marine and technical team,” Frank Weber, senior vice president of fleet operations, said in a news release.

Prices start at $764 for a cruise setting sail from Los Angeles to Mexico. Once the ship returns to Los Angeles, it next sets sail on April 12 for a trip to Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlán in Mexico. 

Food | SF bakery finds unusual solution to neighbors complaining about its long linesLocal | Hundreds of millionaires are trying to escape the USNational Parks | I tried living the park ranger fantasy and spent most of it picking up garbageTravel | The California town that rose and died in 2 years

Get SFGATE's top stories sent to your inbox by signing up for The Daily newsletter here.

© SFGate