The operator says that its ports staff, office workers and crews have repeatedly been abused during recent months, with some being singled out for derogatory comments on social media.
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And some customers are making what Condor describes as ‘unreasonable demands’ and are threatening to contact the media with allegations of safety concerns about the new Liberation fast ferry if their requests are not met.
Meanwhile, the firm say the reliability and punctuality of the Liberation, which struck a fender in Guernsey in March and has suffered numerous technical issues, are improving.
Condor has now put up posters in ports and on board its vessels asking passengers to treat staff ‘with respect and courtesy’ or they could be banned. Under the banner ‘We want good times for everyone’, the poster warns: ‘We are sorry, but if you are abusive, threatening or disruptive towards staff or other customers, you won’t be travelling with us.’
- Condor Liberation is the companys 16th passenger vessel since it was founded in 1964
- It has a service speed of 35 knots (about 40 mph), which is faster than a great white shark, and its engines have the equivalent power of 50 formula one cars
- There are 33 staff working on the ship on each sailing
- On its maiden voyage from Cebu in the Philippines to Poole, Condor Liberation sailed more than 10,000 nautical miles across the Indian Ocean and along the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea over 22 days
- Each year Condor Ferries carries more than one million passengers and 200,000 passenger vehicles
In a statement, Condor said that they understood that customers had a right to complain, but insisted that staff should not be subject to abuse. They also claimed that some of the allegations being made online appeared to be malicious.
‘While we recognise that customers are fully entitled to complain when our service falls below standard – and we are working hard to improve punctuality – it is clear that some of the comments which have been circulating on social media in particular are, at the very least, dubious in their authenticity.
Alicia Andrews, commercial executive director at Condor, said: ‘On one occasion a member of the port staff in Jersey was threatened with violence, and on another occasion football fans were singing that they were going to get the cabin manager sacked. And a staff member suffered a tirade of abuse on the phone – and the man finished by saying he doesn’t even travel with us.
‘We have in the past had to ban people for a period, and sometimes for life, and we may have to do this again. We obviously do not want to do this. It would be a last resort.’
The operator has also moved to reassure customers that the service provided by the Liberation is improving.
The statement said: ‘While we recognise that the reliability and punctuality of Condor Liberation have been below the standards which our customers and we expect, the latest data shows an improving picture.
‘Condor Liberation has now operated 92 per cent of her permitted sailings since coming into service, two-thirds of which have been early or on time. Setting aside the berthing incident, there has only been one cancellation within permitted operating limits (caused by a faulty bow thruster),’ they said.
A CONDOR passenger urged the ferry firm to stop allowing cars to be parked on the open deck last month – after her vehicle was sprayed with sea water for three hours during a crossing.
Jean Dean – a 56-year-old Guernsey resident – is one of a number of Channel Islanders who have raised concerns at being made to park on the upper car deck at the bow of the new Liberation fast ferry.
She recently travelled to Poole and was given assurances from a crew member that her car would stay dry when she was asked to park it in the open bow.
‘I also voiced my concern to a stewardess directing passengers to their seating areas but she just laughed and said it would only get wet if it rained.
‘When I went to the lounge, I watched as the cars were plastered in salt water for three hours.
‘It does make me angry and everybody there was unhappy about it because when we drove off the boat we couldn’t see out the windows because they were covered in salt water.
‘I had to find a garage to wash my car so I could safely drive, never mind the longer-term damage three hours of salt water did to my car.
‘When you pay to have your vehicle transported, it should be treated with care and respect.’
Mrs Dean also said that when she asked a stewardess why the cars had not been put on the covered upper deck that was ‘nearly empty’, the response was that the operator needed the extra ballast on the bow.
‘I’m not worried about compensation or anything like that I just think this needs to stop.
Condor has defended its position, saying that when loading car ferries, it was important for both safety and passenger comfort that vehicles were placed in a way that created even weight distribution across the deck.
