Campaigners branded Virgin Voyages highly offensive for making light of the debilitating condition Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

In an ad for its cabins, the Richard Branson-backed new cruise line said: “With spaces that transform to your given mood, you can live like a rock star or indulge your inner OCD, we don’t judge – we’re just giving you a luxurious place to do it.”

OCD is a mental illness in which a person suffers tortuous obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours. They are often unable to tell reality from fiction and seek endless reassurance as a result. Many feel too deeply ashamed to seek professional help.

The condition is misunderstood with the abbreviation OCD used as common shorthand to characterise someone who likes to be neat and tidy. The advert sparked anger online but was quickly changed when the Daily Express contacted the company, which has now vowed to do more to support those who are mentally ill.

A Virgin spokesperson admitted “we are not perfect” and was “on a journey to continuously improve”.

“Clearly on this occasion we have fallen short of the high standards we set ourselves but would like to use this as an opportunity to apologise and learn more about how we can support the mental health community. With this in mind we have reached out to OCD-UK to open up dialogue so we can better understand the issue.”

In a tweet last night The International OCD Foundation thanked Virgin Voyages “for listening to the OCD community and removing the reference to OCD from your site. OCD is a serious disorder that affects an estimated one in 100 adults”.

The cruise line is aiming for firsttime cruisers. Its first vessel, Scarlet Lady, is to be completed next year.

Earlier this year the Fairyhill Hotel in Gower, Swansea, apologised for advertising a job for which “slightly OCD” people were urged to apply.

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