Spirit of Adventure set sail on 22 February; a spokesperson confirmed to TTG the decision to turn round owed to strict Covid rules in the Caribbean.

The line declined to comment on the number of cases onboard the ship, but said a "limited number" of guests had contracted the virus and were either asymptomatic or showing only "very mild" symptoms.

“Sadly, we have been unable to continue with our current cruise to the Caribbean," said the spokesperson. "The strict entry requirements in the Caribbean meant we took the difficult decision to return to the UK. All guests are being given a full refund.

"We want to thank all our guests, who have been very understanding of the decision we have taken and appreciative of the levels of service we have maintained, thanks to the hard work of our crew.

"The safety of our guests and crew is our number one priority and we value the long-term relationship we have with them. We, like everyone else in the cruise industry, are learning to live with Covid and we look forward to welcoming our guests back on another cruise in the near future."