Ocean Village Cruises
Ocean Village Cruises
Independent Expert Reviews by Professional Travel Journalists
Forget all the tired preconceptions about cruising that its only for old people and everything on board is formal and stuffy. Because Ocean Village is a company set up to reinvent the concept.
With no fixed timetables and no formal dress codes, a cruise with the two-ship line is a million miles away from people's traditional idea of cruise holidays.
Ocean Village combines action and relaxation at sea and ashore into a fresh new take on holidays for 30 to 50-something's - younger, more upbeat passengers who want to get more out of their time away.
With the addition of a second ship, Ocean Village Two, the company offers a range of fly-cruise itineraries in the Mediterranean in summer and Caribbean in winter.
Both vessels are fully equipped with a spa and ocean view gym. Ocean Village Two boasts a 14,000-square-foot Karma Spa and Fitness complex - the largest Spa facility afloat for its class.
A total of 14 expert therapists make up the Karma Spa team with two fitness experts offering a full exercise programme as well as personal training.
Passengers can also indulge in a range of celebrity treatments such as the Oxy-jet facial, dubbed 'the miracle facelift' and said to be the facial of choice of the likes of Jennifer Aniston and Madonna.
As it is a younger cruise line, Ocean Village caters fantastically well for families offering an ideal holiday solution for all ages and tastes.
There is a children's centre - 'Base Camp' - where qualified staff make children feel right at home. The Base Camp has a fully netted deck area and paddling pool.
A children's programme is scheduled daily between 9am and noon, 2pm and 5pm, and between 6pm and 10pm.
For older children (9-17 years) Base Camp stays open until midnight and offers Playstations, videos, karaoke, and discos. Ocean Village Two also features the first SEGA games arcade on a cruise ship.
A night nursery is open every evening from 6pm until 3am for children aged six months to five years, which gives parents peace of mind and the chance to make the most of the on board evening entertainment.
During peak periods in the Med, 9-17 year olds can get away from the ship (and their parents) with onshore Great Escapes trips, offering a range of supervised activities specifically designed for teens.
Many of Ocean Village's 'Action Ashore' activities are ideal for children also, so passengers can look forward to going ashore together as a family.
As Ocean Village offers 24 hour dining, children and parents can eat whenever it suits them. However, there is a children's tea at around 5.15pm each day.
By night adults can choose from more bars than there are days of the week on board from a cool vodka-martini bar a more traditional cosy pub. Entertainment ranges from stand up comedy and live tribute bands to aerial acrobatic performances.
On shore there are many 'Action Ashore' activities to choose from, including mountain biking, scuba diving and quad biking and wine tasting.
