Condor Ferries welcomed a very special passenger on-board its ferry in Weymouth this morning (Thursday 26th February) as five-year-old Blake Mancinelli was granted his wish to become a Captain for the day.
Condor Ferries grants five-year-old Blake his wish to become a Captain for the day
The day-trip on-board followed the company’s Christmas Wish initiative which involved staff voting for those they deemed worthy of a reward. Condor Ferries employee Emma Stone nominated Blake to be granted the experience alongside his family and school friends. Inspirational Blake has been suffering from brain tumour in since September 2013, and despite his illness, is full of enthusiasm and never lets life get him down.
Following their arrival at Weymouth Port, Blake and his reception class and teachers from Upton Infant School in Poole, were issued their boarding passes, checked in their school book bags and given a safety talk before spending a fun-filled day on the ferry. Throughout the ‘crossing’ children were given the chance to take full advantage of the dressing up costumes found in the soft-seated children’s play area, naturally with Blake wearing the Captain’s uniform.
Condor staff facilitated the visit and pupils were taken on a tour of the ferry, including a visit to the bridge, and learnt about the destinations Condor sails to, including the Channel Islands and France, before enjoying a delicious lunch on-board. Before disembarking the ferry, they were each provided with a Condor Ferries’ goodie bag including memorabilia to remind them of the special visit.
Justin Amey, Marketing Manager at Condor Ferries, commented: “We were delighted to welcome Blake and his school friends on-board this week. It was great to see the children’s interest and intrigue in the ship – they were all very keen to learn more about how she works and the destinations she sails to. It was a brilliant day and lovely to see Blake and his classmates enjoying themselves – it’s what the Condor Ferries Christmas Wish initiative is all about.”
Upton Infant School Head Teacher, Nigel Helm added: “We would like to say a huge thank you to all the team at Condor Ferries for arranging the school visit at Weymouth Port for Blake and his class. The on-board crew were very accommodating and provided such a fun and educational experience for both the children and teachers. Blake is such a special and valued pupil - he certainly deserved to have his wish granted to become a Captain for the day!”
From the end of March, all journeys to the Channel Islands will be on Condor Liberation from Poole, offering improved reliability, increased capacity, and a much greater level of comfort with smoother journeys. The new ship represents £50m of investment in the Channel Islands, securing the future of high speed ferry travel to the Islands.
To find out more about the special offers available and to book tickets, please visit www.condorferries.com.
Ends
Issued on behalf of Condor Ferries by McKenna Townsend
For further information please contact Rachel Hadfield or Mel Bradley on 01425 472330 or email condor@mckennatownsend.com
Editor’s Notes
About Condor Ferries
Condor Ferries was founded in 1964 and initially operated a passenger service between France and the Channel Islands. In 1987 the first service linking the Channel Islands with the UK was launched and since then Condor Ferries has operated a year-round service connecting the UK through Poole, Weymouth and Portsmouth, the Channel Islands through Guernsey and Jersey and the ports of St Malo and Cherbourg in France.
Condor Ferries operates Condor Vitesse, Condor Express, and Condor Rapide fast cat ferries. In 1999 Commodore Clipper, a conventional car, passenger and freight carrying vessel was introduced to the fleet to offer an all weather, year round service. Each year Condor Ferries carries more than 1 million passengers and 200,000 passenger vehicles.
Condor Ferries also operates Commodore Goodwill, as a freight only vessel. The Condor Ferries fleet carries 100,000 freight vehicles into the Channel Islands each year as well as exporting tonnes of local produce.
In March 2015, Condor will introduce the newest addition to its fleet – Condor Liberation. The state-of-the-art high speed ferry will serve Guernsey and Jersey from Poole, and marks £50m of investment in the Islands.
Condor Ferries is also an active member of the communities within which it operates and supports numerous organisations, sports and charities through sponsorship and travel.
More information about Condor Ferries and its services is available at www.condorferries.com.