South East Care Group Returns To The UK Following Epic Six-Month Virtual World Cruise

Residents at a South East care group have finally reached UK shores following the journey of a lifetime, as its very own virtual cruise liner returned home after a six-month world cruise – boosting physical and mental well-being for both residents and staff.

Disembarking with a wealth of laughs and cherished memories, residents at all 13 of Nellsar’s care homes across Kent, Surrey and Essex were welcomed home as their grand voyage reached its epic conclusion – which involved one last hurrah; a traditional British summer party.

Dubbed ‘Around the World with Nellsar Cruises’, the virtual ship docked at a different country each month, with destinations including China, India, Spain, Italy, France and the Caribbean.

Caregivers and staff at Nellsar’s Meyer House Care Centre, in Erith, Kent, Loose Valley Care Centre, in Maidstone, and Woodstock Residential Care Centre, near Sittingbourne, were just a handful of homes to pull out all of the stops to ensure their residents’ wrap party was a memorable experience for everyone involved.

Embracing the best of British culture, residents were able to enjoy all the sights, tastes and sounds our island has to offer. For cuisine, there was no shortage of fish and chips, bangers and mash, and trifle with, of course, a generous supply of custard! Woodstock even had its very own ice cream van on-site for residents and staff to enjoy.

With decorated backdrops of London and wartime tunes, residents could sit back and reflect on their globetrotting adventure, before rounding off their experience with a royal-inspired quiz.

Viv Stead, Recreation and Well-Being Manager at Nellsar, said: “Our residents and staff could not have envisaged a better way to escape the past 18 months and explore far-flung destinations. Let’s face it, we’ve all been through a really difficult time, so we made it our mission to ensure 2021 was filled with sunshine and adventures to last a lifetime. The best part about the virtual cruise was that every destination brought something different – whether it was Hong Kong, Italy or the Caribbean, there was something for everyone.”

Viv concluded: “Our residents built up quite the collection of postcards and photographs from their travels, which was a great way to help them reminisce. Also, with so many residents being well-travelled, the virtual cruise provided the perfect format for them to relive some of those globetrotting adventures, from the comfort of their own armchairs.”

Following the success of the cruise, Nellsar is planning to launch a virtual staycation camping adventure in Scotland, Wales and Ireland. More details to follow in due course.