Hands up if at the age of 17 you knew what you wanted to be when you grew up. I’m going to assume that, like me, the majority of you didn’t have a Scooby. And of those who did have an idea, I wonder what percentage of you realised you were destined for a career in cruise.

The pathways for young people into the cruise industry, particularly those from deprived areas, were near non-existent until Edwina Lonsdale, owner of Mundy Cruising, decided to do something about it. The Cruise Career Springboard – an initiative supported by CLIA and more than a dozen cruise lines – is now in its third year, with 48 students from three sixth-form colleges enrolled in this year’s programme.