About 50 staff are at risk of losing their jobs in the UK as Carnival reorganises its global brands.

The US cruise giant wants to unify its Asian and European operations, including Cunard, P&O Cruises and Costa Cruises, the BBC reported.

A new shipmanagement company will open in Hamburg, with IT, back office and vessel operations handled from there in September.

Carnival denied staff claims that hundreds of jobs could be lost, but confirmed 50 out of 1,000 positions in Southampton are affected.