The Thomson brand as a whole will largely disappear next year, but a spokesperson said it would be retained for the cruise operation despite individual ships – including the new Tui Discovery – taking on the Tui name.

“The company will still be called Thomson Cruises post the rebranding later in 2017,” said a spokesperson.

Discovery, formerly Royal Caribbean’s Splendour of the Seas, will be followed by two ships from Tui’s German parent company that will be renamed as they join the UK fleet over the next three years.

“Thomson Cruises is part of Tui, so the renamed ships help to continue bringing the Tui name to the UK market,” the spokesperson added. She said customers would also “most likely be flying on a Tui aircraft”.

The entire rebranding process is due to finish by the end of summer 2017 and follows the merger of Tui UK with its German parent company.

The Thomson name has been around since the mid-1960s, but bosses believe dropping it in favour of the Tui name will give the firm more of an up-to-date and multinational image, and will cut marketing costs.