Ocean Village - are they any good?

Sel_2

I was thinking of booking a cruise with Ocean Village and I was wondering if they are any good?

saveapenny

Yes it a good ship, Its casual cruising.
We have been on 2 1 med 1 caribbean both times we had a fantastic time

bestyman

IMO Terrible.
Casual should not mean a drop in standards. Had better food in tescos canteen . Most of the people on board are the type you would find at butlins.
Not allowed to take alcohol on board so you have to buy it on the ship at very high prices.

lottee

As above, more laid back than a 'typical cruise'. Not as 'stuffy' if you like!

Sel_2

Thankyou both for replying. Is it as casual as EasyCruise is and what sort of age range are the people on board?

saveapenny

no its not casual like butlins or easycruise. We have been with a few companies and whiles its not at the posh end its still a good standard 3-4* cruise. Its certainly not the bottom end of the crusie market. Try https://www.shiphappens.co.uk for loads of reviews and a good many repeat customers.
If you dont want posh frocks and captains cocktail parties then go for it. If you want formal dinning then look somewhere else.
4 Restraunts to choose from but 2 carry an evening supplement of between £12-15pp (last year) which might also be a consideration
Age ranges kids to 60ish and everything in between
Average seems to be late 30's mid 40's

gemmaj

If you dont want posh frocks and captains cocktail parties then go for it

I am with this totally. As saveapenny said, huge range of ages - kids up to grannies.

Personally I found a good choice of food and polite staff. Good excursions too, except they always end up very expensive regardless of who you cruise with!

Sel_2

Sounds good. I want to ease into the cruise thing gently as we've never really been cruising properly (unless a 3 night cruise on the minature mv Van Gogh counts!)

gemmaj

Where are you looking at Cruising? I went around the Caribbean on the OV and the Canaries etc on Thomson Spirit.

Excursions can add a LOT to the total cost. IMO some of the excursions are worth it but if you just want to look around a place it can be cheaper AND more enjoyable to get a taxi. Especially in the Caribbean I've had some fantastic trips in taxis!

The other thing which springs to mind is inside versus outside cabins. I was inside on the Ocean Village and never again - I found it messed with my mind that it was always dark in the cabin when I went to sleep and woke up so I never managed to totally adjust to the time difference! If it won't bother you then you can save a lot of money tho!!

saveapenny

I agree..I always go for a resticted view and its usualy a few quid more expensive than an inside but no where the cost of a full outside but you still get the light coming in and it doesnt mess your head about.
First time we had inside I left the TV on teh channel that shows the front of the ship all the time so I could see what time of day it was when I woke up

brigittejohn

Only been on one cruise in the Carribbean over Xmas/new year last month.
with P&O Oceana.

I was very dubious at first. Had all the usual prejudices: old people, stuffy dressing, crowds of "sheep".

Well, I was totally wrong: it was fantastic!
Lots of young people (367 under 18s), many 20s, 30s.
Fantastic food and service.
Loads of activities.
Loads of space.
And...... we actually ENJOYED dressing up. Could not wait for the next formal night (there were only 4, and you could easily avoid them by going to the buffet restaurant if so inclined).

Can't wait to book the next cruise...

As for the extra costs, don't forget them.
We had a glass of wine at dinners and a rare cocktail or so, bought a few ship photographer's photos, and the bill was £250 on extras.
We always did our own thing on the islands (there were 8 of them) and had another 1,000 dollars in "land" costs. We never spent much, it was just cabs, food here and there, the hire of a guide in Jamaica, entrances, the odd souvenirs.