Ocean Village Cruises, Ocean Village Mediterranean Reviews

“Traditional cruising experience lost on Ocean Village...”

Written on: 19/08/2008 by GaryESmith (2 reviews written)

Traditional cruising experience lost on Ocean Village Ship in my view.
Informality taken too far for me.
Cabin Staff, Waiter seemed inexperienced.

Overall we paid for a cheap cruise and got poor service in my opinion, and too many chavs for my liking.

I would not recommend this cruise to my friends. (read more)

“We really were cruise virgins when we went on a Villas...”

Written on: 11/08/2008 by Whale Watcher (1 review written)

We really were cruise virgins when we went on a Villas & Vino cruise on OV2 in June 2008 so were unsure what to expect. We were very pleasantly surprised - the organisation was first class and our cabin was comparable to a good 4 star hotel.

The food was much better than we expected and the James Martin Bistro was excellent. The wine package option is a great idea - you can have a selection of bottles of wine delivered to your cabin (there is a fridge) and it's then available for pre-dinner... (read more)

“The staff on the Ocean Village (apart from the last...”

Written on: 09/08/2008 by Tolfreey (1 review written)

The staff on the Ocean Village (apart from the last day) were great, the entertainment was varied and there was plenty of it.. I felt the trips were in the main overpriced. I paid a large sum of money which would have been better spent on a cruise line that insists on certain standards from its passengers. To be sat near beer-bellied men and women inappropriately dressed or shirtless whilst trying to each my evening meal was off-putting to me to say the least. After all we couldn't eat in... (read more)

“I cannot wait until the next cruise, I shall certainly...”

Written on: 23/07/2008

I cannot wait until the next cruise, I shall certainly book another one with Ocean Village. Its very easy going, no need for all the dressing up lark, plain casual smart clothes are all you need on OV. Maybe we did experience the best and worst of cruising. On route to Palma from Corsica the weather turned a bit rough, eighty percent of the ship were feeling sea sick and not many turned out for their evening meals, nor did they go to any of the bars. People who were experienced cruisers... (read more)

“Great way to see the world and I would advise you to...”

Written on: 20/07/2008

Great way to see the world and I would advise you to make the most of your days ashore so that after your dinner you are ready to go to bed as the nights can be hard to put up with.
The Blue Bar is ok for a quiet drink away from the hammy/camp shows and the staff throughout the ship are very friendly - although there is a wiff of insincerity and towing the company line from some!
Overall I think my time on the Ocean Village (Olives & Ouzo/Temples & Tavernas) was good but the price of trips... (read more)

“In my view the Ocean Village ship is looking tired and...”

Written on: 18/07/2008 by waldo1919 (1 review written)

In my view the Ocean Village ship is looking tired and could do with a refurb. Also I think they should maybe stop promoting of selling karma spa; auctions; gifts, and let the passenger decide. Another thing they could do would be to have a entertainment programme at the ready if the ship can:t dock. - All just thoughts..
We travelled on the 25/12/07 and incurred very bad weather conditions. We did not dock at Progresso. Many passengers were poorly due to the weather conditions. But they... (read more)

“Been on lots of cruises but Ocean village is the best...”

Written on: 12/06/2008

Been on lots of cruises but Ocean village is the best food excellent it may have been bad back in 2004 but is extremely good now Ocean village was great about to go on my 3rd ocean village cruise. Very clean and food is great with good sized cabins (read more)

“All in all I feel Ocean Village was really good value...”

Written on: 31/01/2008 by Urs (1 review written)

All in all I feel Ocean Village was really good value for money, with lots of islands visited in a short amount of time, and the good points far out way the poorer points.
I did hear people complaining about dress being too casual, and having to carry your own tray at dinner etc.but thats what it's all about, and had they had done their research properly there wouldn't be any surprises. (read more)

“this is our 2nd visit on the boat - and we were really...”

Written on: 09/01/2008

this is our 2nd visit on the boat - and we were really disappointed - it was a bit like butlins at sea ;-( (read more)

“Being in the catering industry myself, I was shocked...”

Written on: 30/11/2007 by nolighterlife (1 review written)

Being in the catering industry myself, I was shocked at the poor standards of food delivery, hygeine and temp. control in the 'informal resturants' . after spending many nights guiding my family around what I thought was the 'safe' options, i made a complaint. We had a curry night, our prawn curry was half warm half cold!! this was before we had had to stand with trays for 5 mins waiting for a vacant table, then had to wait another 5 mins for a member of staff to clear the tables, then had... (read more)

“On board of Ocean Village we had a great week getting...”

Written on: 16/09/2007 by grahamh (3 reviews written)

On board of Ocean Village we had a great week getting away from it all, catching sights of the Mediterranean. If you desire, and with almost guaranteed good weather. Well done Ocean Village you looked after us well, without intrusion. Excellent cleanliness and food of good quality 24 hours a day. (read more)

“All in all, I found that there were some good points...”

Written on: 01/07/2007 by AlfMyers (1 review written)

All in all, I found that there were some good points and some bad points but there weren't enough good points to override the not so good.

A lot of it came down to small details that can on their own be over looked, however there were so many of them it becomes hard to do so.

In my view this had the potential to be a really good holiday, however it turned out to be just alright. Which considering how much we paid, I feel a little cheated.

It didn't help to have this followed up by the... (read more)

“The worst cruise I have ever been on, will not be...”

Written on: 09/06/2007 by susanne612 (2 reviews written)

The worst cruise I have ever been on, will not be traveling with Ocean Village again, I even got covered in black gunge from the shower in the cabin. Public toilet areas were disgusting. I thought Ocean one was disappointing in March but decided to travel with them again in May/June as the new ship was given such hype - it sounded wonderful, it ended up being the holiday from hell, even the flight home was delayed by over 2 hours with no explanation. (read more)

“My husband and i had a wonderful cruise on the Ocean...”

Written on: 20/12/2006 by Dawn Thwaites (1 review written)

My husband and i had a wonderful cruise on the Ocean Village in 2005 so good that we are doing another Transatlantic crossing in April 2007, I would highly recommend this cruise to anyone who likes informality, if you prefer posh dining and formality this is not for you. This cruise line is definitely not for older cruisers.
We loved it!!! (read more)

“The staff on-board the Ocean Village cruise were...”

Written on: 28/10/2006 by mike walker (18 reviews written)

The staff on-board the Ocean Village cruise were friendly and the ship was clean. Unfortunately, there was a lack of variety in the menu, only basics for salads, poorly cooked meat dishes - overcooked and tough, and the tours were overpriced. There was also a very hard sell on drinks by waiters. (read more)

“I've only every cruised with Princess before, and...”

Written on: 18/10/2006 by churchcottage (1 review written)

I've only every cruised with Princess before, and there is really no comparison. I guess you do get what you pay for.

The food on the Ocean Village Beaches and Basilicas Mediterranean cruise was good I thought, but the restaurants were really noisy; a bit like eating in a canteen. The Waterfront was better, but still not great. The Bistro, you pay extra for this one, was fantastic, with good waiter service and great food. We ate there three times, and it does add up to quite a bit at the... (read more)

“There was no control over the restricted areas for no...”

Written on: 03/10/2006 by daljan (1 review written)

There was no control over the restricted areas for no smoking.

The indoor bars were far too smoky, even though smoking was restricted to the right hand side (starboard).

Could not find a place to sit quietly and read on board the Ocean Village, and there was booming disco music even at 07:30am. We had to retreat to our cabin which was nice and big. (read more)

“For a first timer to cruising this would be highly...”

Written on: 27/09/2006 by sharon foster (1 review written)

For a first timer to cruising this would be highly recommended. If you have cruised before on a 'higher class cruise' you may be disappointed. It is aimed at 'fun loving' not stuffy people. Most of the bad reviews will have been left by these sort of people, as they expected too much for the money. The staff were excellent, and they were very hard working and aim to please. The cabin was spotless. Towels were changed daily - room cleaned and bed made daily, changed 3 times during 14... (read more)

“I went on this ship in its previous incarnation (P&O...”

Written on: 17/09/2006 by mwe152 (10 reviews written)

I went on this ship in its previous incarnation (P&O Arcadia), going back was like seeing a vehicle which you had fond memories of being used for banger racing!
Don't be lured by the low price. A lot of things included in the price of most cruises are extra or non-existent on Ocean Village, e.g.:-
1) Most cruises have a Sally Army or military-type band to see you off. OV has a boombox under the gangplank blasting out 1980's disco music.
2) OV was my 14th cruise & the first not to have a... (read more)

“The ocean village has to be the best cruise ship i...”

Written on: 13/09/2006 by ricbooth41 (26 reviews written)

The ocean village has to be the best cruise ship i have experienced (been on 2 other ships) I personally thought that the ship was amazing, it had so many facilities from a cinema to a beauty salon. There is always a wide range of activities happening on the ship for people of all ages, the entertainment lacked, but the acrobatic show by the pool is amazing! Overall a great week on board a great ship with a wide variety of ports and places to visit. (read more)

“Ocean Village is what it says (a Cruise for people who...”

Written on: 16/08/2006 by Blueshark (3 reviews written)

Ocean Village is what it says (a Cruise for people who don't do cruises), and it showed. Some of the passengers treated the cruise as if it was their local pub and acted as such. Groups of kids wandered the ship unsupervised well after 11 at night, and they were bored rigid.

The entertainment was either very good, ie. tribute acts, or poor. Ken Morley ex Corrie & Fogwell Flax ex Tiswas. Come on OV, we deserve better. The staff, the accommodation and food were all superb.

The ship is... (read more)

“With Ocean Village you get what you pay for. The room...”

Written on: 29/06/2006 by Lynne Toase (1 review written)

With Ocean Village you get what you pay for. The room sizes are good and the food okay. Not everyone can afford every single trip they offer. What would be wonderful is that they were willing to pass on information on each port, but they are not. If you don't go on their trips they don't want to help you. Because we asked other people and had some prior knowledge, we saved a lot of money. Please do your homework beforehand or speak to other people. In every port there is a cheap way of... (read more)

“If you have never cruised before, the Ocean Village...”

Written on: 23/05/2006 by julie gilby (1 review written)

If you have never cruised before, the Ocean Village Kasbahs and Chianti Mediterranean cruise is a perfect start. Yes it is informal, but you are told this in the brochure. It is fantastic value for money, with plenty for everybody to do. The staff cannot do enough for you, and the choice of food is unbelievable.

The negative reviews you read on here are generally from people who have cruised on formal ships where bow ties and cocktail dresses are a must. We did not want this, and so we... (read more)

“The ocean Village Fresco's + Frescati's/Tapas + Togas...”

Written on: 18/05/2006 by dizzyfizzy1 (32 reviews written)

The ocean Village Fresco's + Frescati's/Tapas + Togas cruise is the 3rd Mediterranean Cruise that me and my wife have been on. This was a last minute thing, so we spent half as much as we had before when booking cruises. The Cabin space is great. We had a standard outside double on this cruise, and it was not much smaller than the suites we stayed in on the previous 2 cruises. This ship has a very informal and relaxed atmosphere so you don't have to get dressed up to eat. All the ports of... (read more)

“All in all we had a great holiday on the Ocean Village...”

Written on: 25/04/2006 by jojothegogo (12 reviews written)

All in all we had a great holiday on the Ocean Village Mediterranean Cruise. This was our first cruise and we loved it. In fact we have been on a second cruise since. Ocean village is a great ship. It's new, and the staff are the best. I can't wait to book another cruise with Ocean village. I'm looking at the Caribbean next. (read more)

“The Ocean village was a great ship with plenty to do...”

Written on: 29/03/2006 by david col (1 review written)

The Ocean village was a great ship with plenty to do for all ages.All in what a great holiday and we cant wait to go back this October. (read more)

“Having just returned from our Ocean Village Caribbean...”

Written on: 08/02/2006 by robinson2006 (1 review written)

Having just returned from our Ocean Village Caribbean cruise I should warn you that if like us you've paid over £2000 each you will be sorely disappointed.

The food was like a 2/3 star hotel in Spain, slop food - no seafood, steak, chicken just fish in breadcrumbs, beef stroganoff etc, speciality nights offered approx 3 dishes of the theme, eg 3 Chinese dishes incl the rice!.. The Plantation restaurant was like a canteen, complete with brown plastic trays and flies and people walking... (read more)

“The Ocean Village Cruise was the best holiday I have...”

Written on: 06/02/2006 by laudaloo14

The Ocean Village Cruise was the best holiday I have ever been on. I stayed in Barbados for 7 days and cruised for a further 7 days. Every day I did something different, whether it was an 18 mile bike ride in Grenada, swimming with dolphins in Tortola, trekking through the rain forest in Dominica, and I looked at the cultural aspects in Antigua, and went on a bus tour of the country in Trinidad. There was something for everyone to do, whether you were young or old.

The cruise liner was... (read more)

“Ocean Village is FANTASTIC!! our cruise on the Ocean...”

Written on: 25/01/2006 by Kelly11 (1 review written)

Ocean Village is FANTASTIC!! our cruise on the Ocean Village July 2005 was my 11th cruise, I've been on many different ships including P&O to the carribean twice, and I am desperate to go back on this ship! We are booking up again! (read more)

“Ocean Village has no suitable swimming pool for...”

Written on: 28/11/2005 by Major Lee pissed Off (1 review written)

Ocean Village has no suitable swimming pool for average swimmers with young children. Both pools are six feet deep all over. Location of accommodation very poor. We were right underneath the "Marquee" for the duration of our holiday. If you want to be woken up every night with "Let Me Entertain You" by Robbie Williams tribute, book yourself into rooms E111 & E117. If you want to be woken up every morning at 6AM by the noise of the anchor dropping, book yourself into rooms E111 & E117. . If... (read more)

“Ocean Village was our first cruise we (me, my wife and...”

Written on: 02/10/2005 by gary hinsley (1 review written)

Ocean Village was our first cruise we (me, my wife and 10 year old daughter) have been on, we were not let down at all, we all found the week hard to fault and were supprised at how little our account was at the end of the week. Would absolutely recommend and we will be "doing it again" in the future. (read more)

“Being our Ruby wedding anniversary we decided to try...”

Written on: 30/09/2005 by gazzmar (1 review written)

Being our Ruby wedding anniversary we decided to try something other than our usual two weeks beach holiday. Opted to try a cruise and liked the informal atmosphere offered on the Ocean Village. We were not disappointed. Food was of a very good quality and variety and on our anniversary we dined at the Bistro. Great food and super service, well done Mr Martin. Usually had our evening meal in the Waterfront and breakfast, lunch and those late night/early morning snacks at the... (read more)

“My husband and I just returned from the Frescoes &...”

Written on: 12/09/2005 by charlie123 (1 review written)

My husband and I just returned from the Frescoes & Frascatti tour with Ocean Village Cruises for our Silver Wedding Anniversary. Absolutely fabulous. We loved every minute of it. I wanted to turn the clock back and do it all over again. A few disappointments, the bus on our trip to Florence & Pisa had a blow out, so we had no free time in Florence, but refunded 50% of the cost. Also the weather and a late departure from Monte Carlo (anchor stuck) meant we couldn't get ashore on... (read more)

“My husband and I travelled on the 10th auguest 05 did...”

Written on: 20/08/2005 by wernfach (1 review written)

My husband and I travelled on the 10th auguest 05 did not know what to expect as we had never had a holiday via Ocean Village Cruises.To be picky I can only moan about the art auctions we felt as if we were a little bit pressured there and, the trips were a bit expensive and much cheaper to do yourself.
The food...wow! so much choice and good quality but beware you will put on weight.The entertainment was fanastic and the shows wil blow you away.
In fact we arrived home on Wednesday morning... (read more)

“We have never regretted taking a cruise before this...”

Written on: 10/08/2005 by nevare

We have never regretted taking a cruise before this one we took with Ocean Village. Even though we booked with Cruise Control in September 04 for a cruise leaving on 5th July 2005 we were down graded from a cabin with a picture window to one with a porthole, even though we had reserved specific cabins and had the reservation verified by post! We were offered no apology.

We saw cockroaches in the Plantation bar of Ocean Village.


We were continuously bombarded by persistent bar staff, who... (read more)

“Ocean Village Cruises, Ocean Village - My family have...”

Written on: 04/08/2005 by pearce65 (1 review written)

Ocean Village Cruises, Ocean Village - My family have just returned from 7 nights on Ocean Village. This was our first cruise and our best holiday ever.

We had the cheapest 4 birth inside cabin and it proved adequate to our needs. There was loads of wardrobe & drawer space.

The food in Waterfront and Plantations were both great but we preferred the more spicy menus in Plantations. The late night burgers, hot dogs, etc., went down well with our teenage son and we enjoyed the free, unlimited...

“This is one of the best holidays I have ever had. I am...”

Written on: 21/07/2005 by gsygal (1 review written)

This is one of the best holidays I have ever had. I am already thinking about my next years cruise, and it will defo be with Ocean Village. The whole atmosphere on board is so relaxed. You are instantly made to feel at home, and it is impossible to get bored on this ship. Whether it be listening to the music up on the sun deck, taking salsa classes, learning to juggle, carve fruit, what colours suit your skin tones, its got it all. And do try everything, you will get so much more out of the... (read more)

“It was our 1st Ocean Village cruise and will not be...”

Written on: 07/06/2005 by MrBayn (1 review written)

It was our 1st Ocean Village cruise and will not be our last, we will be going with Ocean Village again for sure.
Everything exceeded our expectations from start to finish. (read more)

“Cruises are for old people, and you have to dress for...”

Written on: 26/05/2005 by chrisletts (3 reviews written)

Cruises are for old people, and you have to dress for dinner. Well that's what stopped us for many years from even considering a cruise. Ocean Village is totally different - eat what you like, when you like, do what you like.
The cabins were much more spacious than expected, all the facilities were good, and the food - well I've also heard that you can come back from a cruise 20% heavier than when you went, and it's true - so much excellent food it's sometimes impossible to choose and I... (read more)

“This summer I and my mum went on Ocean Village for the...”

Written on: 17/10/2004 by ally1 (5 reviews written)

This summer I and my mum went on Ocean Village for the second time. It was still the best holiday either of has ever taken.
The staff on board are magnificent. I couldn't think of a bad word to say of any of them. The events team were always helpful and lively, the cleaning staff were always cheerful and so hard working. The entertainment crew were great; all the staff from the shows were so friendly. One of them (Fabian, a wicked acrobat and great guy) remembered us from last year and made... (read more)