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Disney Destiny vs Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady
The Disney Destiny is still being built and will debut in 2025. The Disney Destiny is inspired by stories of heroes and villains. You'll enter the ship through the Grand Hall which is themed after Marvel's Black Panther. Outside the ship, you'll see Spider-man painting the name on the stern. The Destiny is still under construction and Disney hasn't released all the details yet. It's 1 year newer than the Brilliant Lady, which was built in 2024. This is an adults-only ship; all guests must be 18 or older. The exterior of the ship was was slightly tweaked so it can go through the Panama Canal, opening different itineraries compared to its sister ships.
Comparison Overview
- Ship Size
- Number of Passengers
- Food and Restaurants
- Bars and Drinks
- Pools and Hot Tubs
- Ship Features and Activities
- Cruise Costs
- Onboard Costs
Ship Size
The Destiny is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 1,119 feet long and 128 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3.1 football fields, as wide as 2.4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 15-story building. Compared to the Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady, the Destiny is 31% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Disney Destiny holds 48% more passengers than the Brilliant Lady based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or the total tonnage of a ship compared to the number of passengers, the Destiny has less space per person compared to the Brilliant Lady.
| Disney Destiny | Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Wish | Lady |
| Gross Tonnage | 144,000 | 110,000 |
| Length | 1,119 | 912 |
| Beam/Width | 128 | 125 |
| Passenger Decks | 15 | 13 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 4,000 | 2,700 |
| Crew | 1,555 | 1,150 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.6 | 2.3 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 36 | 41 |
Food and Restaurants
Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.
The Destiny has ten different dining options like Worlds of Marvel, Palo Steakhouse, and Pride Lands. Of those options, five are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other five options have an additional fee.
The Brilliant Lady has two more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are The Galley, Rojo by Razzle Dazzle, and Lick Me Til Ice Cream. twelve of these restaurants are complementary.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Brilliant Lady might be a better choice. It has 20% more dining options than the Destiny.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Brilliant Lady might be a better choice then the Destiny. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Disney Destiny | Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 10 | 12 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 5 | 12 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 5 | 0 |
| % of Included Options | 50% | 100% |
| See the options | See the options |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-cola family of products. That means Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship.
There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. You can check out recent the bar menus for the Brilliant Lady below.
Pools and Hot Tubs
Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The Disney Destiny has a total of 8 pools and 3 hot tubs. 1 of the pools and 2 of the hot tubs are exclusive access, which means there's either an extra charge to access them or you need to book a certain class of cabin to have access to them.
Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady has fewer pools than the Destiny and more hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Brilliant Lady. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools and one of the hot tubs are adults only on Destiny.| Disney Destiny | Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 8 | 2 |
| Pools - General Access | 6 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 3 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 2 | 2 |
Ship Features and Activities
Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. On the Destiny, 83% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Brilliant Lady, only 55% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Disney Destiny | Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Acrobatic Show | ✗ | ✓ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✗ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✗ | ✓ |
| Character experiences | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Group Fitness | ✗ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Kid's Play Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Movie Theater | ✓ | ✗ |
| Private Karaoke Rooms | ✗ | ✓ |
| Salon | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tattoo Studio | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water Coaster | ✓ | ✗ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Disney and Virgin Voyages are both considered "Premium" cruise lines. Premium cruise lines typically offer upscale food, accommodations, and service. These typically cost about $150 - $400 per person per day.
Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year.
Onboard Costs
Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests can also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.
Typically guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.
The table below will help you compare onboard prices to see if you might spend more on a specific ship.
| Disney Destiny | Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 | Included |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | Included |
| Soda Price | Included | Included |
| Domestic Beer Price | $6.50 | $8.00 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | No drink package available | No drink package available |
| Internet Plan | $12 - $36 per device per day | Basic Wi-fi is included. Premium is $30/day and Work from Sea is $50/day. |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
With Disney Cruises, soda is included for meals, but will have an extra cost at bars and throughout the day. While no drink packages are available, you can preorder bottles of wine or beer at a discount.
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