Forever Cruises told TTG it had also recorded nearly a million website hits for Anchored, its party charter brand, after the six-day Med sailing made headlines last week.

Now in its second year, Anchored features deck parties with performances by rappers and DJs and appearances by celebrity guests.

This sailing, held over June 7-12, was also the backdrop for upcoming Channel 4 reality show Shipmates, as revealed by TTG earlier this month.

The cruise, onboard Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas, was described in the Mail as “carnage on a new level of wrongness” where it was “easier to get a bag of coke than a drink”.

However, Forever Cruises, part of London-based Lee’s Travel Group, has labelled the allegations “ridiculous”.

David Tan, Lee’s head of business development, said: “The security at each port, and from staff onboard, was so tight. I have no idea how any drugs could have got onboard. Yes, people were drinking and having a good time, but we would never promote behaviour anything like the Mail wrote about – it is just not true.”

Tan described how sniffer dogs had been deployed upon embarkation in Barcelona and hold luggage scanned at check-in, while hand luggage was also checked at every port of call.

He also revealed how, in the wake of the “crazy publicity” following the story, demand for Anchored 2019 “had gone through the roof” with around 100 bookings so far, 50 of which were made in the days following last week’s cruise.

“Anchored will definitely be sailing again,” Tan said.

Tanya Beresford, director of corporate travel agent Infotel Solutions, who sailed on Anchored, said: “Of course there were loads of young people having a good time, but I saw no evidence of any drug taking. I would go again.”

A Royal Caribbean spokesperson added: “The reported activities are entirely at odds with our values, and contrary to the terms of the charter agreement. We have a strict conduct policy, and the Anchored charter was expected to uphold the same strict standards, as the health and safety of guests and staff is our highest priority.”