Cruise Career Springboard and Viva Cruises leaders select student winner for 2025

Leaders from the Cruise Career Springboard programme and Viva Cruises have selected a winning student from last year’s cohort after final presentations were given on a sailing.

Six students from Nescot and Itchen College respectively who graduated from the course in 2025 joined a cruise with the European specialist operator in February, where they each gave a 10-minute presentation about their experience on the cruise ship and how they could it make it more appealing to younger travellers.

Jordyn Leyland McKenzie from Nescot was named the winner of the presentations, and Millie Moreno-Zumaquero the runner-up.

Michelle Daniels, Viva Cruises country manager for the UK and Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, said: “The quality of the presentations was amazing, and I took back lots of notes and ideas to our marketing team in Dusseldorf.”

Former Regent Seven Seas Cruises managing director and mentor on the programme Graham Sadler added: “The transformation of these students from children who could hardly look you in the eye or ask a question, to an enthusiastic and engaged group of young adults, excited about their future careers in the cruise industry, has been extraordinary to watch.”

Leyland McKenzie said: “If you’d have told me two months ago that I’d have won something like this, I would have laughed in your face.

“I truly think this experience has pushed me out of my comfort zone, made me a better person and upped my confidence to a different level and I’m just so grateful and thankful.”