maiden voyage

noun

1. the first voyage of a ship after its acceptance by the owners from the builders.

maiden voyage

noun

1. nautical the first voyage of a vessel

Word History and Origins

Origin of maiden voyage¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Idioms and Phrases

The first experience, as in This tennis tournament is my maiden voyage in statewide competition . This term, originally meaning the first voyage of a ship, was first recorded in 1901, but the use of maiden to signify “the first time” dates from the mid-1500s.

Example Sentences

The ship had cost £5.5m - and after a few months of fitting out, it made its maiden voyage off Scotland's west coast in December.

From BBC

The closest vessel was the Disney Treasure, which was travelling from Europe to the US to prepare for its maiden voyage and was 80 miles away when it responded.

From BBC

The Titanic was on her maiden voyage, travelling from Southampton to the US, when she hit the iceberg.

From BBC

What he quickly learned during the early practice sessions and in games throughout his maiden voyage as a coach was to lean on his highly capable and experienced staff.

From Los Angeles Times

The vessel - the company's first new cruise ship in 14 years - is due to depart on its maiden voyage to Lisbon on Friday.

From BBC