“Unforgettable adventures await on Aurora”: so says P&O Cruises about its adult-only ship. But upwards of 1,800 passengers who were due to sail on a short break from Southampton to Zeebrugge in Belgium on Easter Monday were told only at lunchtime the day before that the cruise was cancelled due to delays in a refit.

“We had a cruise booked with P&O that was due to depart on 21 April,” Megan Evans told The Independent.

“It wasn’t just any trip — it was a special holiday to celebrate my grandad’s 80th birthday. He’s had cancer and hasn’t been able to travel for over 10 years, so this was going to be the first time in a decade our family could finally take him away somewhere special.

“But then, just 24 hours before we were meant to leave – on Easter Sunday, of all days – we got an email from P&O saying the cruise had been cancelled due to a refit.

“No phone call, no sincere apology, just a cold email. And they told us not to contact them, because their customer service was closed for Easter Sunday. We were completely shocked and left with no way to get answers or even speak to someone.” The call centre was open from 9am to 5pm on Easter Monday.

Many passengers on the cancelled cruise have contacted The Independent to express their fury at the short notice given – with many saying they have taken time off work which they cannot now reinstate.

The 25-year-old vessel was due to return from a refit in a shipyard in western Rotterdam in time to begin a three-night cruise to the port serving the historic Flemish city of Bruges – but the work is taking longer than expected.

A P&O Cruises spokesperson said: “We are very sorry but following a delay to Aurora’s refit, it is necessary to cancel Aurora’s R505 three night cruise from Southampton to Zeebrugge on 21 April. We appreciate how disappointing this is for our guests who were booked to travel.

”All guests will receive a full refund and a Future Cruise Credit of 20 per cent of monies paid.”

For passengers who had paid a typical £500 each, this represents a £100 voucher to be spent within the next two years on another P&O voyage.

Christine Schmitt and her husband had booked 15 months ahead “to celebrate a very special occasion—our 12th wedding anniversary”. She told The Independent: “P&O’s offer of a 20 per cent discount on a future cruise feels dismissive and insufficient, given the circumstances.”

Passenger Michele Simpson was due to be on the voyage “with my best friend and both our elderly mothers”. They have now gone to the Cotswolds instead.

Ms Simpson said: “When we were cancelled a cruise with several months’ notice with Azamara they refunded our money and gave us a voucher for Royal Caribbean, with which we had a five-day free cruise.”

The Independent understands that passengers with claims for consequential losses – everything from non-refundable travel costs to fees for kennels – are being referred by P&O Cruises to their insurers.

Megan Evans added: “It’s been absolutely devastating for us, especially having to tell my grandad that the trip we’d all been looking forward to was off. He was so excited – it meant the world to him and to us.

“Now, because prices have gone up so much, we can’t afford to rebook another cruise this year, and we’re not sure what next year will look like for him health-wise.

“This trip was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime celebration, and the way it was taken from us – with zero compassion or care – has been truly heartbreaking.”

At 8am on Tuesday, the Cruise Mapper app shows Aurora is still in Rotterdam.

The ship is due to begin a 12-night cruise from Southampton to the Norwegian fjords on Thursday 24 April. P&O Cruises says the sailing will depart as scheduled.