Coastal cruise specialist agent ceases trading

The Patricia has previously been used by the Royal Family, with HRH Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, succeeding HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, as master of the corporation of Trinity House in 2011.

For more than 25 years, Strand offered passenger voyages on cargo ships, but recently scaled back its operations to focus exclusively on voyages onboard Patricia.

Voyages typically lasted one or two weeks, with embarkation and disembarkation points dependent on the ship’s operations; these included Harwich, Southampton and Swansea, among others.

The CAA said Strand sold "a small number" of Atol-protected flights, typically secured with just a deposit rather than full payment for a flight.

It has advised any affected passengers to check their paperwork, including their Atol certificate, to determine their protection.

Bookings which don’t include a flight element will not be covered by the scheme; these, said the CAA, should be taken up with the firm’s creditors. FRP Advisory is handling the process.