One of the last working Royal Mail Ships in the world, the RMS St Helena, is to continue serving her namesake, the remote South Atlantic island of St Helena, for another 12 months.

The news comes following the indefinite postponement of the opening of an airport on the island.

The airport cost £285 million to build and was due to open in May 2016.

However, before opening, it was discovered wind shear was so severe that commercial planes could not land.

The development left the isolated South Atlantic island without a clear economic future and UK taxpayers facing a multimillion-pound bill.

As a result, the St Helena government has now announced an extension of the RMS St Helena schedule, with sailings bookable to February 2018.

Once scheduled commercial air services are fully established the RMS service will terminate, though there is currently no scheduled date for the airport to open.

In the meantime, this bucket-list cruise experience is a must for travellers wanting to visit one of the most remote islands on the planet.

The trip, which takes six days by sea from Cape Town, offers visitors the chance to immerse themselves in the island’s slower pace of life prior to arrival, and mingle with returning St Helenians or ‘Saints’.

The 155-berth liner is a unique blend of passenger ship and cargo vessel; passengers are well looked after with two bars, full service dining room, a sun deck, shop, swimming pool, gymnasium and library.

The nostalgia found on board the Royal Mail Ship is a world away from the modern cruise liner, with traditional deck games, informative talks, quizzes and film nights offering the taste of another era.