In October, the line ceased operating, citing the closure of key destinations owing to the pandemic and the "critical political situation" in Myanmar.

But since then, Pandaw received "hundreds of goodwill messages" from its regular passengers and the Strachan family, who own the line, secured further finance to cover the lay-up and vessel refurbishment costs. Several would-be investors also emerged keen to acquire the brand.

The Strachan family said it plans to keep the business "in the family" and relaunch marketing activity as soon as all remaining travel restrictions have been lifted.

Pandaw founder, Paul Strachan, said if it were not for the "incredible support" from the members of the Pandaw community, with "so many kind words evoking memories of incredible experiences with us, I think we would have thrown in the towel".

"A big thank you to all our supporters for raising morale after nearly two years of hell," he added.

Bookings for 2022/23 have reportedly been strong and many departures sold out with those with bookings cancelled by Covid using their credits to rebook.