A CARE home is banishing the holiday blues with a two-month virtual voyage.

Creative staff members at Wantage Nursing Home transformed one area into a ship using handmade props, summer decorations, colourful umbrellas and sandcastles.

Employees who are now known as ‘cabin crew’ organised a virtual cruise for residents, now ‘passengers’, who cannot travel with their families because of the coronavirus crisis.

Boarding passes in hand, the passengers of the Garston Lane cruise-liner will be exploring traditional flavours and cultures of eight far away destinations.

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The ‘ship’ will be voyaging to a new hot-spot destination every week for two months – they are currently stationed in Lisbon and due to travel to Malaga next week.

First class cruise passenger Ray Ward said: “The virtual cruise is a great idea.

“I have just turned 85 while travelling around Europe.

“It is just perfect, and I am loving celebrating in Portuguese-style!”

Captain Nicholas Kelaher (home manager) said the cruise is an opportunity to ‘inspire and engage with fabulous residents, while transporting them away from Wantage’.

It is part of a national initiative across Sanctuary Care homes.