Ocean Village is part of the Carnival Cruise line, by the end of 2010 its ships will have moved to P&O Austaralia where the cruise market is expected to rise. The crusie tagets the 30-40 yeard old market and families.
Ocean Village market themselves as the “Cruise for People who Don’t do Cruises”. Feeling that as a family we would feel restricted on a traditional cruise line we decided to take our first steps into the world of cruising using Ocean Village.We travelled on the original Ocean Village but they also have another ship called Ocean Village two which is a bit newer but very similar in size.
One week cruising in the Mediterranean was booked and the anticipation mounted. We booked flights with Ocean rather than booking independently for peace of mind. This proved very useful as our flight was delayed by several hours so the boat was kept in port until our plane arrived. If we had been independent it would have left.
Arrival at the port was straightforward, passports were checked, photographs taken and a credit card imprint was also obligatory for shipboard expenses. The luggage was taken separately from the coach on to the ship. We were given directions to our cabin and we easily found it. One steward is allocated to just a few cabins and he immediately appeared to show us around the cabin and asked if we wished him to set up the sofa bed for us due to our late arrival. He was very pleasant and all general tipping is included so you are not to tip staff for each activity. The ship takes up to about 1800 guests at full capacity.
Accomodation
The cabin (called a stateroom) was larger than anticipated with a large double bed and a good size double sofa
bed. An immaculately clean bathroom and large dressing area were nice to. Some of the fittings in the cabin were looking a little tired but in general we were very pleased with the standard. The problems arose when I opened the doors to access the balcony. This ship does not have glass balcony walls it only had bars with very large gaps between them. I immediately felt that they were not at all safe. My son was 10 but very slim and also very active and I had visions of him falling straight through. I immediately retreated back inside and later told the steward of my concerns. He explained that for children under 10 they automatically put up safety netting and if I wanted he could do that for us. True to his word the netting was put up within a couple of hours and made me feel much more secure. The room had a safe and also a fridge which was great for keeping bottled water in ready for shore excursions. Having looked at other cruise lines since our return we now realise that Oceans staterooms are a generous size for each grade.
Life jackets are stored in your cabins and the next morning we had to go to a demonstration about ship safety and evacuation. I believe this is a legal requirement for all cruise ships.
The next day was spent at sea so we set about exploring the ship and we were extremely happy with what we found.
What about the Food?
Restaurants- buffet food was available 24hrs a day in the Plantation restaurant and then the Waterfront Buffet restaurant opened at meal times. La Luna was a restaurant on the deck with pizza available at lunchtime. In the evening La Luna and the Bistro were available for an extra charge. We never visited restaurants that required an extra fee as we enjoyed eating as a family and we found the choice and amount of food was excellent. The buffet system suits us well as it is much easier to encourage the children to try something new if they are able to just have a small amount and to choose something different if they don't like it. The ship was full when we were sailing but we never had a problem getting a table. It was always possible to get snack food as well as proper meals.
What about Drinks?
Bars- there were 8 bars in total. The Sun weavers on the deck was great for ice creams and soft drinks. We purchased passes for the children so that they could go and get ice-creams and soft drinks without our signature and they knew how many they could have over the holiday, they got a nice sports bottle with their drinks pass which was useful on day trips too. The other bars varied between quiet, late-night and comedy venues so there was a good selection. Drinks are signed to your room bill; children’s room keys prohibit them from buying alcohol which is useful for parents with older teens.
What about the Evenings?
Evening entertainment consisted of the cinema, casino or the Marque theatre so there was usually something going on. We saw some good tribute acts and a great trapeze show up on the deck under the stars. There was also a nightclub which was adults only with a brilliant view over the sea.
The children also spent some time in the Kids club which I believe ran to quite late at night and babysitting can be arraged for smaller children.
Can you Enjoy the Weather?
On deck there were two swimming pools; one was adults only with Jacuzzis. A couple of shuffleboard courts, my son particularly liked those. A golf driving net and a football/volleyball court. There were also a huge number of deckchairs so you could usually find somewhere to sit when the ship was at sea. When the ship was in port the pools etc were quite quiet.
For those wanting to look their best there was a spa, a hairdressers and a gym. I must admit I didn’t venture into any of these.
What happens when you stop?
The most exciting part of a cruise is opening the curtains in the morning and being greeted by a completely new view of your next destination.
When in port the ship arranges lots of “Action ashore” excursions. These can be expensive but are good when the area of interest is a long way from the port e.g. in Athens. The ship newsletter gives you details of the excursions and also local areas of interest that you can walk to. We booked our excursions before we went on holiday so we never had to queue at the activities desk which seemed to get quite busy. The ship also carries a lot of mountain bikes and there are guided cycling tours in port too. Leaving the ship when it arrived in port could take a little while. People booked on excursions have priority on leaving. On return you have your passport and ticket scanned to ensure you are the right passenger. Alcohol can be bought in port but has to be kept by the cruise line until you end your cruise.
Would we go again?
We found everything about cruising suited us. The staff were all pleasant, nothing was too much trouble. Although we had originally thought this quite an expensive holiday we found that because we did not have to provide too much enetertainment and the food was all-inclusive it wasn't too bad. I think alcohol may be expensive but since I only had a Pimms at night it didn't mount up to much for us. Seeing new places everyday without any effort to get there was so relaxing and meals available when we wanted them made for such an easy holiday that now we are cruise converts!
Pictures of Ocean Village Cruise
Ocean Village Cruise
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I was looking at their website the other day because I quite fancy going on a cruise but I was worried how to keep my nearly 4 year old daughter occupied but according to the website it seems they have plenty of things to keep her happy
SusanLesley 16.10.2009 18:42
Interesteing review very useful to me as we are considering a cruise in the near future, Susan
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Advantages: Cabins, General cleanliness, Waiters, Cabin stewards friendly and helpfull Disadvantages: Expensive trips ,Surcharging bistro's ,Poor customer care, Entertainment
Oneon1 25.04.2008 (27.04.2008)
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Review of Ocean Village Cruise
Oct 13th, 2009
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