P&O Cruises has denied a New Year cruise to the Caribbean was unduly discounted after reports claimed it was “awash with chav holidaymakers”. The Sunday Times claimed passengers on the Ventura cruise complained about fights breaking out, drunk teenagers and even attempted arson.

It said two male passengers were locked in the ship’s Jail before being thrown off the ship in St Vincent for behaving badly. Other less serious complaints reportedly included children throwing food at staff, passengers breaking etiquette by reserving sun beds and booing the ship’s captain as he counted down to the new year.

The newspaper reported the atmosphere on the ship was “more like Benidorm” than a P&O Cruise. It claimed the line was forced to fill the ship with late cut-price deals, with some guests claiming they had paid £7,500 for their cabin while others had paid £8,000 for four people and as little as £900 per person.

P&O Cruises said cabins had been filled without “undue discounting” and only 4% of customers had cancelled in the two months prior to the departure of the cruise.

The operator confirmed some of the reports of bad behaviour, including a fight in the ship’s Havana Bar between two youths and two adults which resulted in one of the youths being cut in the face with a broken glass.