A seaman's trade union has reacted angrily to the news that Southampton ship operator P&O Cruises is to re-flag its luxury liner Oriana away from Britain and re-register the vessel in Bermuda.

P&O Cruises said Oriana would still continue to fly the Red Ensign but under the Bermudan registry it was possible for passengers to be married on board the ship by the captain which would not be possible under UK law.

Andrew Lingington, a spokesman for Nautilus UK, formerly the trade union known as NUMAST, said: "I am really appalled at this decision by P&O Cruises. Over the past few years the British shipping registry has recovered although it is still not on the firmest of foundations and these sort of moves certainly do not help.

"It is unlikely pay and working conditions will be effected by this move to Bermuda as companies which go down this route usually give an undertaking that nothing will change.

"The only adverse result of this move, as far as the crew is concerned, could possibly be increased difficulties in access to employment tribunals.

"We have seen a number of cruise ship operators move to the Bermudan registry to allow weddings to take place on board ships.

"These marriage services make the cruise companies a lot of money and we have tried to pursuade the government to change the rules to allow weddings to take place on UK vessels. The trouble is we keep on asking the government but it still has not found the parliamentary time to make the changes."

At present under UK law a ship could be licensed as a venue for weddings if it was permanently moored and did not move but as cruise ships constantly travel the world marriages are not allowed to be held on board but the Bermudan government does not have this requirement.

As reported in yesterday's Daily Echo when Oriana comes back into service on Monday December 18 following a refit she will join P&O's other Southampton based ships, Arcadia, Oceana and Artemis which are also registered in Bermuda.

The company has made no decision on whether the company's other Southampton based ship, Aurora, would be reflagged in the future to allow weddings on board.