Mariah Carey supports HMS Ocean's 'All I Want For Christmas' video on Twitter

Counting down the days to Dec 9 when the assault ship is due back in the UK, after what will be 225 days away, the crew of HMS Ocean decided to record the jolly video after they discovered they would be home for Christmas.

The short video, which can be seen in full on YouTube, features crew miming along to the festive hit in a variety of poses and dress. One sailor even wears a union jack dress reminiscent of Geri Halliwell in her Spice Girls heyday. The clip has proved popular online, being viewed nearly 40,000 times since it was posted on Dec 2.

The crew were given the ultimate accolade when pop star Mariah Carey, who sings the original, gave the 'cover version' her endorsement. Carey tweeted a link to the video saying, 'This is the best thing I've ever seen, you guys just made my day!".

Originally dispatched for a seven-week training exercise, HMS Ocean has been away for seven months after it was diverted to the coast of Libya in May to support the Nato air mission in the country.

During that time, crew members have been flown home for 15 births and five weddings but missed summer holidays, birthdays as well as exam results and a graduation.