Reviews of Ocean Village Cruise Ship, Ocean Village

Our first cruise experience was in September 2004, two weeks in the Med with Ocean Village.. We had the holiday of a lifetime and like most people were instantly hooked!



This time we had 3 fantastic weeks, we departed Palma, had two days at sea then stopped at Madeira which was lovely. We then sailed the Atlantic for 5 days which was fantastic, the weather was great, the sea was calm & we've never felt so relaxed! My only complaint was the 'sunbed grabbers' some mornings we went to breakfast at 7am and most of the sunbeds had been 'reserved' only for the occupants to stroll along at 11am.



Upon arriving in the Caribbean we stopped at St Maartins, it was a lovely place but the locals swarm around you and are quite intimidating. This was a problem we encountered on most of the islands except Grenada where all the traders are licensed and are very polite.



The organised OV tours are overpriced, you can pick up local taxis for half the price although you do feel less intimidated on organised tours so with safety in mind they are probably worth the extra cost. The highlight of my holiday was swimming with dolphins which has been a dream since childhood & something I had waited 31 years to do!



The flight home from Barbados is a bit stressful, the terminal doesn’t have any facilities and is a nightmare for smokers as you cannot smoke ANYWHERE in the airport. I would also advise anyone to pay for a flight upgrade it was well worth it for an 8 hour flight.



All in all we LOVE cruising with Ocean Village, we love the ship, we love the cabin space (and the views), we love the itinerary, we love the fact that there are no rules, we can eat what we like, wear what we like and within reason do what we like. My only real gripe is that the food and entertainment were the same on both cruises, they were over a year apart so I would have expected different menus by now.



The Moon show and crash shows were identical on both cruises so we were disappointed at the lack of imagination to try something different. Some of the other shows were good tribute acts and singers (except one girl who couldn’t hold a note in a paper bag!!). Most of the comedians were great although a few more familiar names would be nice (and one comedian was awful, he died on stage and was booed off on his first night because he, well, he just was not funny!!)



The staff are worthy of a special note, they are fantastic, they cannot do enough for you and they are always respectful even when they are being moaned at constantly by 'the older generation'. speaking of which, our first OV cruise was quite young, happy & friendly, OV advertise as being for the 30s - 50 something’s, but this cruise was at times like gods waiting room with some people so old they have lost the ability to even smile! (I have nothing against old people if they have a laugh & set out to enjoy themselves, but some of the oldies on this cruise could have given Victor Meldrew a run for his money...!!)



Anyway, the plusses far out do the negatives and as proof that we LOVE OV, we have booked the Maiden Voyage of OV2 sailing from Southampton next April and I CANT WAIT!!

This was our first cruise, and had no idea what to expect. Took advice from HW members, and from other cruisers, who stated 'once you have cruised you will be hooked’ We really enjoyed this cruise and met some lovely people. We will be cruising again, and are looking for one t the present time.



The cruise was from Barbados to Palma, Majorca, and included a 6 day sailing across the Atlantic on the way home, with one stop in Madeira. Which is lovely. Firstly the flight was very tedious. 9 hours and the legroom, from Thomas Cook was not great. You just gritted your teeth, and consoled yourself that you had a short flight home from Palma.



Once we arrived in Barbados, the transfer to the ship was very smoothly organised, although no-time for a smoke/drink when you got of the plane, and everyone advised, no smoking until you boarded the ship. Once aboard, you receive your cruise card, which you use for all your purchases on board, and your cabin key (card), then your picture is taken for security purposes, i.e. entering and leaving the ship.



We had booked and inside cabin, higher grade on A, facilities were very good, cabin size, good, and bathroom had all the things you would need. There was a fridge, and a free safe. Our only gripe was other passengers who had booked a lower grade cabin and therefore paid less than us, got upgraded to an outside cabin. Serves us right for picking A deck. There was nothing wrong with the inside cabins, but I will pick outside nextime. Towels are provided for use on the sunbeds, and remain in your cabin, and are changed regularly. BUT beware, as with every holiday you have been on there is always the sunbed savers who get up, very early to save their beds. So if you get up late, forget it!!

We used the plantation restaurant in the morning, (I used it from 6.00am.as Im like a little kid and like to see the ship docking in its new port) at this time in the morning you can get coffee, and sit out on deck... At nightime we chose, mainly the Waterfront, and the food was very varied and plentiful. Except that the chefs do not know how to cook roast potatoes. When James Martin came on board he was asked to show the chefs how to cook them. The only gripe I have about mealtime is the lack of ice cream. I like to have ice cream with fresh fruit, but there is one available. It may be a health and safety thing. We chose that plantation restaurant at night if we wanted a Curry or any other themed food available, i.e. Indian, County & Western. We used the Bistro once and was worth every penny, of the£12.50 each. We did not use La Luna, but a lot of people did, late at night, their pizzas, I believe were to die for.



There is a children’s tea put on, at about 5.00 pm, if early tea is required. There is also a fully netted children’s deck with lilos, etc., in the pool, and sunbeds for the parents.



Hand Cleansing is obligatory on entering the restaurants, and any outbreak of the novovirus, was promptly dealt with and eliminated. If this happens, the staff, has to serve your food, and drink for you, but only lasts a few days.



All bars at nightime were fine, connections, never had enough seats, so you could meander to the Marquee. The shows, were nearly all tribute acts, but were ok, especially the Blues Brothers, and Tina Turner. James Martin gave a cooking demo, and Sheree Hewson, gave a talk to the women passengers. (She was very good, and had no problem about you having your photo taken with her.) also on board was DJ Mike Reid, who mingled about, and joined in some of the entertainment. James Martin did not mingle. And photos were hard to get, unless you used the ships photographer.



The prices in the bar were about the same as home, if you look on the OV website, and look at the bars section, you will find the prices there.



We visited St.Lucia, St.Kitts, Tortola, St.Maarten; we got of at St Lucia, and were pounced upon quickly by the locals, offering this, that and the other, which we declined. We met another couple who like us were a little apprehensive, and ready to go back to the ship, when we came upon a min-van and driver, who was named CJ, he he charged us all 30$ each to tour the island, this we did and it was very good, diamond falls, pitons, beach etc,etc., very pleasant gentleman.

At all other islands we, did our own things, got a boat to Virgin Gorda. But this is not for people with and walking difficulties, and at another island a Banana Tram thingy, was at port to take us on a tour, think this was St Kitts. St Maarten is the island with the very cheap, booze and cigarettes.



This brings me to the main thing that made my blood boil, and something that could be easily eliminated. If you purchase booze, you have to hand it on your return from port, although some did refuse and it is OUR property. When you had the items in you are given a hand written receipt. Then it disappears into a room somewhere. and you collect it on the night before you leave the ship... oh crikey, what a crazy system they have in place... it is just dumped in a room, and it can take ages for these goods to be found.. Now WHY when, your cabin is colour coded, red A deck, Blue B deck etc, can't they do this when they store, the bottles, it does not have to cost a lot either, marker pens will do. You have a queue forming, and fuming, whilst the staff grovel about on the floor looking for your bottles, from a hand written slip, a duplicate of which is stuck on the bags of plonk. They could even have colour coded bags, for this purpose... it was a long hot wait.



I loved this cruise, the staff were great, and the informality suited me perfectly...very well organised and good value.

Can recommend it, and hope to go with my grandchildren, in 2007 on the new OV2.. Wanted to go on olives and ouzo, but this will have to wait until sept 07. (Be by ourselves then!)



CAROLB

After serving in the Royal Navy and being dragged around the world on ships as a youngster I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy this three week cruise because on a two week holiday I’m ready to come home after the first week. My best mate Andy kept on to me about this ship, every holiday he has is on cruise ships and he and his wife love the Ocean Village. So in June 2006 I booked OC for the transatlantic crossing for the 18th April 2006. Time dragged never thought the 18th of April would ever come.



My wife and I arrived at Birmingham airport and we were the first at the check in desk,we then walked through to the entrance to the departure lounge. The gentleman checking the passports was moaning" I hate Tuesdays " all you lot jetting of to the Caribbean onto the Ocean Village lucky lot. Well it was goodbye to brummyland? And hello Barbados after a very cramped flight and I’m only 5' 6'' people blamed the airline for this but its not the Airline who Charter the flight.



A smooth perfect landing and 10 minutes later were on the bus heading for the ship. As we drove through Barbados the locals were waving at us on the bus with smiles on there faces . We arrived at the Dock next to a building with the Ocean Village berthed on the other side about broke my neck looking up at the size of this ship.



Again within minutes we through the passport control up the gangway, greeted by OC Security staff who took our photos issued our boarding cards etc then we were off to find our Cabin on A Deck ,outside without balcony.



I had ordered Chocolates, flowers, champagne and a greeting card for my wife expecting them to be the first thing my wife set her eyes on when we walked through the cabin door but it wasn’t, expecting the items all together.



This is a minor moan, I just would have liked this moment to have been a bit special but it wasn’t. A small flower arrangement was in the cabin window which looked like it was part of the cabin decor, then below on a small table was a small box of chocolates in an OC box, the card we later found mixed in with the ships out and about daily paper and other papers on the bed and the champagne was in the fridge (not in a bucket of ice as expected) with two glasses and one of those fell out and smashed on the floor when we opened the fridge door. A call on the cabin phone soon had the A deck team leader in our cabin with new glass though.



The cabin was large was clean I expected worse after the RN were things had to be A1, I was amazed how clean the OC is and she is well looked after by the deck staff too in Port alongside other ships she looked well kept, a credit to those who look after her.



After the boat drill in one of the bars we went on deck and watched as we left Barbados with a barbeque on deck and entertainment. This was the start of out three weeks .I had pre-booked all our tours on the internet for every port. I had read reports of people doing their own thing but this is the way I wanted to do it this time I wasn’t interested in saving a fiver here and there.



But if I do it again I will be booking Taxis in every port so I can spend more time ashore at the best places. Though saying that the jeep trips were very good, bumpy but great fun.

We loved the Caribbean islands the people are so friendly and poor so don't be mean with your tips.



For Duty free shopping wait till you get to St Maarten the shops and beach are about a mile if that from the ship. I’d spend the day there next time.



St Kitts we went on the railway, children ran out from the schools to wave and blow kisses. Now back to Ocean Village during the Atlantic crossing people were placing towels on deck chairs at the stern of the ship where it was sheltered from the wind from five in the morning so by 8 am every chair was taken.



On the night we passed Gibraltar at 2 in the morning one man had his towels strapped to a deck chair ready for the morning. After breakfast we walked down the stairs at 8am and every deck chair was occupied this was the first day in the Med and it was freezing cold but these people were worried they might lose the deck chair it did get warm but not till 3pm, sad people hope you all froze.



Entertainment. (If you could get a seat in connections, sore point) and food was rather excellent we paid only £3000 for three weeks for the two of us, £500 pw what a bargain, what a holiday, where can you get two flights to Barbados, two from Palma, all inclusive food 3 weeks on a ship, cabin cleaned every day, entertainment which is spot on every night , ok you pay for your drinks, after all the food there was no room for drink anyway. Ok there was room for a little tipple or two. Top marks to Ocean Village and good luck with OC 2. Well done PS after 3 weeks we still didn’t want to get off the Ocean Village. Bryn xx

A first cruise experience to die for. The ship was fabulous. Even our inside cabin was more spacious than a 4 * London hotel room. The staff were friendly and polite and nothing was too much trouble for them. The entertainment had something to appeal to all tastes and age groups and the atmosphere in general was so relaxed and friendly.



There was so much variety to choose from on excursions but you could also do your own thing so your holiday could absolutely be tailor made to suit. I just can't fault the food for quality and variety from Barbies to Bistro A1. We did a stay and cruise and I could definitely recommend doing it that way round as a land stay after the cruise would have been a huge let down. We stayed at the Pollentia Village resort which was fine but the food wasn't. The Ocean Village rep was great and recommended some good excursions.



The Son Amar trip was spectacular. I will definitely be cruising next year on Ocean Village 2 to experience hopefully the same comfort at different destinations. Our trip was a treat for a special anniversary but we may have to revisit that anniversary again and again. To sum up Superb for couples families and singles of all ages.

We picked Ocean Village's Coral & Coconuts cruise for our honeymoon last year. We'd looked at several options but with this being our first proper cruise, decided to go for the 'informal' option with Ocean Village where you don't have to worry about set meal times or formal dress codes for dinner, etc. This seemed a good introduction to Caribbean cruising and we were of course looking forward to it for months. I'm afraid that for us, Ocean Village fell short of expectations, comfortably.



Destination - flew to Barbados and were transported comfortably enough to the ship. Some of the islands we visited were fantastic - others not quite so good. For the not-so-good islands we do wish we had made more use of the many excursions organised by the ship's personnel, but then we didn't know what to expect until we got onto the island and looked around, by which point it was too late. Nevertheless, we found something to do which kept us on-shore all day at almost every single stop. Oh, the people and the weather - fantastic!!



Ship Facilities - Transfers from Barbados airport were fine and checking-in at the dock was painless enough. The ship looked great from the shore and thoroughly lived up to expectations in terms of facilities and comfort. The outside cabins were spacious, spotless, comfortable and very pleasant. There was always something to do and there was a choice of bars and restaurants. There were shows, entertainers & musicians every single day/evening, a gym, small casino, salon for the ladies, unbelievable 'ice-sculpting' by one of the chefs, etc, etc. We even had an unexpected open-air concert by Bucks Fizz - entertaining if nothing else. The ship was spotless and looked great.



Drinks - Several bars to choose from and drinks very moderately priced (basically like being at home but with more generous measures). Bars were cheaper on the islands but then you'd expect them to be and you don't expect a Caribbean cruise to be cheap anyway.



Restaurant - 2 main buffet-style restaurants, one of which had limited outdoor seating - meals were all included in the cruise price. 2 (if I remember correctly) additional a-la-carte restaurants where you could pay for better meals. We wish we'd have tried them earlier because they were far better than the standard restaurants. The 2 main restaurants had 2 differences only - 1 of them was 24 hour and one of them looked like a school canteen! The food was the same in each one - a very poor selection (especially if you happen to be vegetarian) of not very well made food. The 24 hour one served burgers after about 10pm and not much else. The food for us was a massive let-down!



Staff - now this was the biggest cause of frustration for us! The ship was lovely, the weather fantastic, the islands picturesque, etc. We enjoyed the 'informal' nature allowing us to come and go for meals as we pleased (considering we were on our honeymoon!). However, many of the staff members (in particular the on-deck bar staff and main restaurant staff) had trouble distinguishing 'informal' from 'slack'. One or two were bordering on rude and I nearly had a serious falling out with one of the restaurant staff when my wife refused to eat a vegetarian burger that she had waited 30 minutes for, because it was cooked with the meat - same griddle, same oil/fat, same utensils and it actually had bit's of meat stuck to it - what's the point in calling it vegetarian?! Hopefully most of you will understand her concerns although it was well beyond the grasp of the waiter!



On our first night, it took 25 minutes to get served at the on-deck bar - not surprising at a busy bar you may think, but we accounted for 2 of only 7 guests at the bar at that particular time! The 4 members of staff were too embroiled in an extremely important conversation about something or other. When a fifth colleague (a waiter) tried to attract the attention of one of the bar staff for us, he was scolded for his trouble! Ordered a drink when we sat down with our starters for one meal and the drinks arrived just as we were halfway through our desserts!



Overall - I would say that Ocean Village have an appealing and very marketable idea in these laid-back cruises, backed up with some great destinations, fantastic weather and a lovely ship. However, if you are expecting to feel 'spoilt rotten' (as many of our friends told us we would be based on their own cruises in the past with other companies), then you really want to pick another cruise-provider. The staff and food were a huge disappointment for us on Ocean Village.



Will we cruise again? Definitely! With Ocean Village? Not a chance!

My partner and myself went on this 7 day Med cruise not sure what to expect. We had spent a weekend on QE2 and loved it but had heard that Ocean Village was like a floating Butlins. Nothing could be further from the truth. We had a week in Majorca which was very disappointing and glad that the cruise was the second week. We had a ball, we met loads of great people on board. The service was second to none, the food excellent and entertainment superb. The cabins were spacious and clean and the cabin attendant could not do enough for us. We have since been on a Royal Caribbean Cruise and would rate Ocean Village on a par with it. I would certainly go on Ocean Village 2 to see the difference between the two boats. While we were on board we had the added privilege of James Martin being on board. If I have one criticism it is the lack of balcony cabins which makes the ones available in demand and so expensive.

I traveled on Ocean Village for 14 nights around the Caribbean with my husband and 3 children during the Easter break.



We all thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It was our first cruise and I was slightly concerned, having read a few bad reviews. I can honestly say it was brilliant and we will definitely be going back. All the staff were polite and helpful. The ship was spotless and the cabins a good size. They were cleaned every day. Food varied and plentiful with four restaurants to choose from. The excursions were pricey but excellent.



Swimming with dolphins was the ultimate experience. We also did stingrays, wacky roller and glass bottom boat. The weather was brilliant and we only tendered on one occasion, which was Mayreau. There were plenty of activities for the children, which included sports lessons, swimming games, computers. They were all well looked after.



Overall an excellent family cruise.

What a great holiday!! People moan, usually me, but for the 2nd time on this vessel, I can find nothing to moan about!! People who are whinging have either got tiny babies or have been on another, more expensive cruise!! Great holiday!! 100% satisfaction and I travel abroad at least 5 times a year.... As for Butlins entertainment... Have a beer, get in the swing!!! For god's sake. You are on holiday!!!!!



Great entertainment for the kids with "smarts" Mark Speight and great for adults alike with a George Michael and Neil diamond tribute the first week ( i am 30, so Neil diamond meant nothing to me, but, yes, I knew the songs and had a great time!) And the fantastic Manuel Martinez.... Very, very funny magician/comedian, then the 2nd week, a fab tribute to Robbie Williams.... Not to mention the very funny Mia Carla and Mick Millar!!



If you want an expensive cruise.... Do not go for ocean village and moan, but if you want a good laugh, drink and food.....it is the best!!!!

OCEAN VILLAGE- A FLOATING HOTEL OR A FLOATING COUNCIL ESTATE?? I'm not sure which. Before I start my review let me just say I have cruised 4 times before this one on middle of the range (Airtours and others) cruises and I am in no way a snobby person but some of the passengers on this ship were awful!



As for the ship itself I would class it as a 2 star plus hotel. The food is ok not great but not bad either just not as good as other cruise lines. It was at times very repetitive and often not very warm with it being buffet style. When the restaurant was busy it was like a school canteen fighting your way through the crowds with your wooden tray in the hope somebody hadn't taken your table when you FINALLY got back to it.



When the new folk got on the second week it was bedlam the queues were going both ways and meeting in the middle so nobody could get any food it took me 10 mins one night to get a plate of food which was cold by the time I sat down. I must add the La Luna restaurant was excellent but I didn't think it was right to pay extra for what comes standard on other ships.



We decided to go for OV because we have a 2 year old son and thought the facilities for kids would be good which they were although on a busy period i.e. schools holidays I'm not sure how they would cope with lots of kids on there because the facilities were quite small. The ship itself is generally tidy but could be better and there was no wow factor with it unless it's the first time you've ever seen a ship.



As for the entertainment well don’t bother take a book or preferably some ear muffs if you plan to listen to Celina singing. We did see one good comedian and one good magician/comedian and a decent George Michael tribute but that was it in two weeks. If you have never cruised before I would say give it a go you may like it but I don’t think it's worth more than £800 for the two weeks where as we paid £1100 and feel it wasn't good value for money.



If on the other hand if you have cruised before save your money and go with Thomson or somebody better because I don’t think it would be your cup of tea unless you enjoy eating chips and cheese with the Chavs and Chavettes (and don’t forget to bring your Burberry baseball cap it's the OV passengers uniform).



Seriously though we had a reasonable holiday. Would I cruise Ocean Village again? Not unless it was cheap as chips(with cheese).

We went on honeymoon with Ocean Village for a week around the med, stopping off at Rome, France, Palma and a couple of other places. It was very good, we made friends and had a great time. We would definitely go with them again, without hesitation. Perhaps we would book an outside cabin so you have a bit of daylight.



Service is first class, all the staff are friendly and just want you to enjoy yourself completely. The food was lovely, so much choice and if they don't have what you fancy they will do everything they can to get it.



Lovely casino, I won! Great entertainment, nightly shows and great disco if you want to dance the night away with a great party theme. Nice and clean, with a real cinema, posh restaurant if you want to celebrate an anniversary or birthday.



Very fast departure and easy as the staff take your cases on and off for you, delivered straight to your cabin. Cabins are large and spacious, fridge, TV and clean. We also used their laundry service, which was first class, delivered the same day.



Great cruise without all the bother of dressing up posh every night.

We have today returned from our fortnight on the OV.



My comments,



Overall a good experience. Cabins were spacious, ship was immaculate, and well presented, all staff were polite and helpful without exception. entertainment hit and miss, from the very good to the pretty poor.



Food, again we found this hit and miss. We have previously sailed the Med on the Island Escape so we are not comparing the food to the more 'posh' cruises however on the Island Escape the food was far superior. We did not enjoy the Bistro, although the food was well presented it was bland, we may have been unlucky. We found that the food in plantations was very repetitive and so took most of our meals in the Waterfront which as previously stated was sometimes very good and others so so.



I expected smooth sailing on this cruise but this was not so, many of the passengers felt ill and three of our party were quite unwell for the first three days, again on the Med none of us experienced this. We were very disappointed that on the last day the ship could not stop at Mayreau due to the swell and it being unsafe to use the tender boats. However we had a nice day at sea and the entertainments staff did their best to provide some entertainment. My Husband was also extremely disappointed that 3 out of 5 scuba diving trips were cancelled due to 'operational reasons'



I would echo other reviews and that is to use the local taxi services to do sight seeing, and to travel to beaches, far cheaper and much more comfortable.



In Barbados on the middle Tuesday we had paid to do the ship excursion to Malibu beach, which turns out to be 10 minutes ride away and you have a lovely view of the dock. I think we paid £24 each to OV, a cab would have been $5 and the use of loungers and umbrellas $10. We were persuaded by Joe to go out in his glass bottom boat and snorkel with turtles at a cost of $20 we were sceptical but Joe delivered, if you go out with him early about 9.30 you get to the turtles before those that have booked to go from the OV. They have paid more that £40 for the trip and are in groups of around 30, there were three of us who snorkelled with the turtles for an hour and if was fantastic they swim close enough for you to stroke their shells. You could do this trip for $35 each, this is just one example of how much cheaper you can do it yourself.



Another tip for those who snorkel is when you arrive at Tortola get a cab to Brewers bay we paid $6 fixed rate we then spent the next 4 hours snorkelling, it was absolutely fantastic, barracuda, puffers, parrot fish, moray eels. It is a smallish beach with one bar, the fellow in the bar will rent you snorkels and fins and make you a fish burger, and his measures of Johnny Walker were enough to blow your socks off. The cabs are reliable and will return for you at whatever time you specify.



You have until 11pm on Monday to put your luggage out. On our last day the ship was packed with lots of people sitting from 8am waiting with their hand luggage for disembarkation which was not until the afternoon.



Although they say to vacate your cabin by 8.30 no one hassles you we did not leave our room until 10.00 we then went ashore and took a taxi tour at a cost of $25 each around Barbados. Our Taxi driver Ralph was great took us all around visited churches and plantations, he managed to get us in to the Sandy Lane Hotel to have a look round and wanted to show us more but we had to get back. We returned at 1pm had lunch they called for us to disembark at 2pm and we were on the plane by 4pm, very well organised although a bit of a squash in the departure lounge.



We spoke to lots of people who had a truly marvellous holiday, there were lots of families on board from Grandparents down to Grandchildren and the general consensus was that there was something for everyone.



I would not travel again on OV, but that is not because it was such a bad experience it is because we believe that life is to short to repeat our experiences we try to do something different each year. I found that both the Med and this cruise gave us a taste of what places were like and where it may be worth going to for a longer holiday.

They say this cruise is for people that have never done cruising.



This is right the only people that would give this vessel and company a good review are people that have never seen a boat or been on a cruise in their life the words that come to mind: are Free for all Butlins, Redcoat, swastika.



It was rubbish from the food to the entertainment. You would think the entertainment had just come out of a NE working mans club.



The vessel also has room for improvement but it is 23 years old.

What a great surprise cruising was to us! My family consists of Mum, 49, me, 27. My fiancé, 28 and my little brother who is 14.



Ocean Village had something for us all and was the best holiday I've ever had, it was even better than Walt Disney World and I never thought I'd ever say that.

The ship and its crew were excellent; plenty to do on board and waking up in different countries was amazing! We like sightseeing holidays and this was a dream one, we packed in so much!!!!! The Leaning Tower of Pisa does really lean, Rome is built on 7 hills and for those Dan Brown fans...yes everything in Angels and Demons really does exist.



Even though I was seasick from the minute I boarded (I was looked after so well by the Doctor and is staff) I can't wait to cruise again................in fact I have booked my wedding for June on another cruise but unfortunately not with Ocean Village, hopefully I'll return at the end of June with another good report but till then try cruising!

I have just this minute got home from my Caribbean Cruise and felt compelled to write my review. Prior to this holiday I had read many reviews about thw ship, and had mixed feelings about it, but overall I can say I have thoroughly enjoyed my holiday on Ocean Village.



However, there were a couple of snags and on departure there were a lot of people who said the ship was poor and they hadnt enjoyed their holiday, but sometimes I get the felling people moan for the sake of moaning, because their justifications were somewhat inadequate, in my view. ('The boat is too big', 'The food is c**p' 'Its too expensive on the ship') The ship was immaculate and stunning, the food was always edible and often extremely nice, although if I was to find fault I would be inclined to say the evening meals were quite limited and sometimes rather repetitive, but you can pay a small supplement of £4.75 each to dine in La Lune, which was wonderful (I had sauteed shrimps wrapped in parma ham, followed by 8oz steak and lobster tails, then white chocolate and Bailey's cheesecake with coconut sauce- it was all fantastic) At times the ship was quite expensive (£2.85 for a vodka and coke (single 25ml measure)) and you are prohibited from bringing alcohol in from ashore, however having said that, the beers were reasonable (£2.50 a pint) and bottles of wine were around £10-12 for house wine, which I thought was reasonable, as they stocked the brand I drink at home and pay £5 for in Asda)



A small snag, some of the excursions are a bit of a rip off. We paid £35 each to go River Tubing (Floating through rapids on a rubber ring) but we were only in the water 50 minutes and 30 of that was spent waiting for everyone to go in single file with a few metres between each person. Some advise if you are travelling on OV, don't book your trips through them if you only want to sight see. You can get a private taxi much cheaper. We went to Trafalgar Falls in Dominica and the same trip was £26 (Best of Dominica) through OV, we got in a taxi at the docks and paid US$30 for the two of us for around 4 hours, of which we were left to our own devices, instead of being rushed along with 50 other tourists back to the coach after 20 minutes at each sight.



On a more positive note, the Dolphin Discovery in ISLA Margarita was AMAZING! Quite expensive at £75 but worth every penny. We got a good half hour in the water, we danced with them, got rides by holding onto the dorsel fin, kisses off them, stroked them, it was just breathtaking. I would recommend it to everyone, but book early!



One thing which annoyed me slightly about OV was that it tended to attract a 'Butlins' type of clientel, and I frequently got cross at young children falling asleep in the lounges and bars at 1,2,3am whilst ther parents were getting drunk. Often these were babies at one and two years old, and it wasnt a pleasant sight, but I guess to some degree, you are going to find that wherever you go on holiday.



I noticed someone has entered a review, and were disappointed as they had a small baby and found the facilities limited. All I can say is there's loads of info available about the Base Camp and it clearly says spaces are limited for Under Two's and you are not allowed to leave Under Two's unattended. I personally feel, that a Caribbean Cruise Ship is no place for a small infant regardless (The temperatures were often at highs of 35 -37 C) and the flight is long. If you have very young children Id stick to Europe for a few years yet.



All in all, I had a wonderful holiday and wished I could have stayed on for the second week. We made lots of friends, several couples who we have already arranged to visit after New Year. We paid £650 each for a week on OV, and I couldn’t possibly complain (my flights, departure tax and Visa's alone would have cost me close to £400, plus transfers)



Yes, the disembarking was hectic and yes you leave your cases the evening before you go home, but 48 hours is codswallop. We left our bags at 11pm the night before and only had to suffer several hours without our cases until 3pm when we were collected for the airport. You don’t see your cases again until you get home, and you don't have to queue in the baking heat at passport Control and Check In, because you do all that on the ship before you leave (albeit, at 7.30am on your day of departure). Still, in my view that was still better that hanging around Barbados Airport (which is entirely Non-Smoking) for 3 hours!



Very Quickly, the top 3 things:



1. The breakfasts (Fresh fruit, porridge, full English, black pudding, pancakes, croissants and various pastries, yogurt, omelettes, English cereal.....!)



2. The ports of call, all exotic and wonderful, in the Caribbean one day and Venezuela the next, on a beach in Antigua one day and in a tropical rainforest the next!



3. The price, you'd be daft to pay more than £800 each even at peak times. You can get in much cheaper at Going Places, or teletext/internet. But at £650 a week its great, a week in Tenerife Self Catering in a decent apartment wouldn't leave me much change out of £350 and that’s before you’ve started on food!)



3 worse things:



1. Occasionally a bit tacky and 'Butlins-like', but not so much as to make it un-enjoyable. Yeah you get a few large groups getting drunk all day, but its a large ship, you don't have to sit with them!



2. The entertainment was perhaps limited, and the comedians had to keep it clean because of the aforesaid kids running round at 1am (although sometimes they were told to leave if it was an adult show)



3. The Bayside Nightclub, very few people went because it was over run by kids running around on the dance floor, and 6 year old girls singing Britney Spears on the karaoke at 1am! If you're reading this and you're on of them people who have their kids running a amok after 11am then shame on you, its no place for young children whilst you get p***ed all night, even on holiday! If enough people complain, it may change. There should at least be one bar open late which is Over 18's only.



I'd recommend it to anyone who hasn’t cruised before, but the general consensus was that those who had previously experienced the 'formal' cruise liners, were the one's who noticed the inferiority of OV, but as far as I’m concerned if I’m paying 650 instead of 2,000 I'm more than happy to sing the YMCA on the top decks, instead of Jazz in a ball gown!

Ocean village was a wonderful cruise ship. My family and me have been on ocean village twice now and we are thinking about coming back for a 3rd time in the summer of 2006.



The food was excellent in all of the restaurants and it was not as formal as most cruises- it is the perfect cruise if you do not enjoy dressing up. The kids clubs was super for me (13yrs) and my brother (11yrs). The staff were great at the kids club and everywhere we went- they were always too pleased to help us! Entertainment on the ship was top class and there was never a moment that you felt bored. All of the cabins were so spacious and the beds were really comfortable. The shops were great! I bought a teddy bear on board, then found it in a shop at home £10 pounds more expensive.



I hope my parents let us come again- it was brill!!!