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Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady vs Disney Dream
The Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady is still being built and will debut in 2024. This is an adults-only ship; all guests must be 18 or older. Brilliant Lady was originally scheduled to debut in 2023 but the launch was pushed back until September 2026. The Brilliant Lady is still under construction and Virgin Voyages hasn't released all the details yet. It's 13 years newer than the Dream, which was built in 2011 and renovated in 2024. Disney Dream's exterior has a old-school steam boat feel while the interior leans into the Art Deco styling. Outside the ship, you'll see Sorcerer Mickey painting the name on the stern.
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 Brilliant Lady is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 912 feet long and 125 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.5 football fields, as wide as 2.4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 13-story building. Compared to the Disney Dream, the Brilliant Lady is 15% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady holds about the same number of passengers as the Dream 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 Brilliant Lady has less space per person compared to the Dream.
| Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady | Disney Dream | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Lady | Dream |
| Gross Tonnage | 110,000 | 130,000 |
| Length | 912 | 1,115 |
| Beam/Width | 125 | 121 |
| Passenger Decks | 13 | 14 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,700 | 2,500 |
| Crew | 1,150 | 1,458 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.3 | 1.7 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 41 | 52 |
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 Brilliant Lady has twelve different dining options like The Wake, The Pizza Place, and The Dock / The Dock House. Of those options, twelve are complementary, or included with your cruise fare.
The Dream has two fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Animator's Palate, Palo, and Remy. six of these restaurants are complementary and the other four have an additional fee.
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 Dream.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Brilliant Lady might be a better choice then the Dream. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady | Disney Dream | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 12 | 10 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 12 | 6 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 0 | 4 |
| % of Included Options | 100% | 60% |
| 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 and the Dream 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 Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady has a total of 2 pools and 6 hot tubs. 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.
Disney Dream has more pools than the Brilliant Lady and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Dream. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.
| Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady | Disney Dream | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | ||
| Total Hot Tubs | 6 | 3 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 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. You might up paying more while on board the Brilliant Lady. Only 55% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Dream, 77% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady | Disney Dream | |
|---|---|---|
| Acrobatic Show | ✓ | ✗ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Basketball | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✗ |
| Character experiences | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Group Fitness | ✓ | ✗ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✗ | ✓ |
| Movie Theater | ✗ | ✓ |
| Private Karaoke Rooms | ✓ | ✗ |
| Salon | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Tattoo Studio | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✗ |
| Virtual Sports Simulator | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water Coaster | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Virgin Voyages and Disney 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. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady will likely be more expensive than on Disney Dream.
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.
| Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady | Disney Dream | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | Included | $16.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | Included | 18% |
| Soda Price | Included | Included |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.00 See drink menus | $6.50 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | No drink package available | No drink package available |
| Internet Plan | Basic Wi-fi is included. Premium is $30/day and Work from Sea is $50/day. | $12 - $36 per device per 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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