The popular British cruise line, P&O Cruises, has announced that it will sell one of its oldest serving vessels.

Oceana will go up for sale at the end of the month after nearly 20 years.

"During this pause in our operations we need to fit the fleet for the future and ensure we have the right mix of ships once we resume sailing," said P&O President, Paul Ludlow.

The Southampton-based cruise firm already has another five vessels in its fleet, and new ship, Iona, is due to come into service later this year.

A similar, "sister ship" will be introduced in 2022.

What should I do if I had tickets booked?

P&O says it is "so sorry to disappoint" their guests who were booked on Oceana, but say they are offering a 125 per cent Future Cruise Credit (FCC) as compensation.

This credit will be automatically applied against each individual on the booking once processed, and there is no need to contact P&O directly. However, if you're unhappy with the 125 per cent FCC, you can request a refund.

Customers have until 30 November 2020 to request a refund, and can do so using this form.

Those who do request a refund will miss out on the 125 per cent FCC offer, and will instead receive a full refund.

P&O says it is only able to process refund requests via the online form "due to the unprecedented demand on our Customer Contact Centre and wider business".

Refunds may take up to 60 days to be processed. More details on refunds can be found at pocruises.com/request

All P&O cruises suspended until mid-October

The cruise industry has been inordinately affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Not only has the spread of Covid-19 affected travel worldwide, a number of cruise ships were the site of localised outbreaks early in the pandemic, with passengers and crew often unable to dock for weeks at a time due to the relatively high number of cases on board.

P&O Cruises had already suspended all sailings until at least mid-October due to coronavirus travel restrictions.

Not only has the spread of Covid-19 affected travel worldwide, a number of cruise ships were the site of localised outbreaks early in the pandemic, with passengers and crew often unable to dock for weeks at a time due to the relatively high number of cases on board.

P&O Cruises had already suspended all sailings until at least mid-October due to coronavirus travel restrictions.