Shaun Bashford, who oversees shops in Sheffield and Rotherham, came to the rescue when he could not find an operator in the Italian city to guide his clients around during a cruise stopover.

He explained: “They are 84 and 85 now and one of them had a hip replacement after they booked and was in a wheelchair. They are really loyal clients, they’ve been booking with us for 20 years.”

The couple wanted to make their first visit back to Venice since their wedding and to find a restaurant where they had eaten on their honeymoon, but were faced with remaining on-board their Cunard ship despite Shaun and the cruise brand’s efforts back in the UK.

“I just thought, I can’t let this happen,” said Shaun. The agent paid for his own flight and two nights in a hotel and spent seven hours navigating Venice the day before he met his clients, finding the easiest route for a wheelchair user and tracing the couple’s honeymoon restaurant. He managed this despite never having been to the city before.

Shaun said Cunard had been “amazing” in their efforts to help in letting him onto their ship and said he had thoroughly enjoyed his time with his clients.

“It’s all about keeping them loyal to the business, they have been really loyal to me.”

He received his award at Cook’s managers’ conference in Antalya, but was shocked to do so. “I had no idea, I was in the toilets when it was announced,” he confessed.