Ocean Village - are they any good?

bestyman

No , Im not saying that.
I also go to Butlins. I also eat at Tescos canteen and live on a Council estate.
What I am saying is that when I got married and honeymooned on the Ship I expected something better, something special , perhaps even something luxurious. This was not the case. Would you honeymoon at Butlins?


The above few posts seem to agree that it is like a floating Butlins. Usefull info for those reading this and thinking of booking as those who love butlins will love OV , those who are not butlins types shouls probably book elsewhere.

As the old saying goes " theres an !!!! for every chair "

saveapenny

Last time I went to Butlins it didnt call at 6 ports in 7 days or serve up food like we had on board the ship ..mmm I dont remember seeing 1 red coat either. I do understand what your saying but classing it as Butlins at see is a bit wrong. we celerbrated our 25th Anniversary on the ship and they made it very special. OK you dont put on the tails and bow tie and I do think its the short of ship you enjoy more if your easy going and with friends. We have done cruises with Thomsons and although they do represent good value for money IMO they are more like Butlins because of the stlye of entertainment its very REPY (I know I made that word up)
If I were in the mod for a dress up crusie I wouldnt go on the OV but if I wanted a nice relaxing cruise seeing nice places and the price was right I would go on it. For me the idea of the floating cities is a nightmare but for some its thier idea of a luxury cruise, Aslo the idea of being graded in the dinning room you eat in by how much you pay for your cabin to be is a none starter. If you like nice but not snobby give it a try

dervish

^ agreed it is a smashing ship - and lovely places are go.

tux130582

sel, how did you go all inclusive on OV??!?!? info appreciated!

SwissLe

I agree with the Butlins comment. People who see Butlins as an insult clearly haven't been for many years. It offers great value, fun, packaged holidays in good quality accom. It is exactly the same for Ocean Village - they offer cruising for people who want the advantage of seeing many places in one holiday without having the formalities of a regular cruise.

I think the comments regarding the food are misplaced. The buffet restaurants offer a far better range and standard than I have had in any land based buffet. When it comes to eating pizza at 4am in the morning or 3 large meals a day - you will never go hungry or be stuck for choices. If you are looking for something a little special then there are two waiter service options open to you. La Luna is a nice intimate restaurant offering pizza, steak and pasta options - some without a supplement. The other restaurant has the endorsement of James Martin and does go that extra mile in search of presentation. Here you will find bistro food with great service, you get a real glimpse of traditional cruise charm waiters here.

Ocean Village does not represent the pinnacle of cruising, nor does it claim to. It cannot offer the awe of newer larger ships and nor can it offer the impeccable standard of service of a luxury cruise line. Your cruise fare will reflect this though.

It is best to think of it as a good 4* hotel, just floating.

SwissLe

tux130582 wrote: »

sel, how did you go all inclusive on OV??!?!? info appreciated!

I think they mean AI on the Thomson cruise. When I went on the Thomson Spirit I was glad I didn't opt for this as the selection was rather limited. I drink lots of bottled water and this wasn't included, nor was the bottled beer I drink.

IvanOpinion

We have done OV and had a great time. Yes there were a few small niggles but nothing that would have spoiled our holiday .. most of those niggles came from a particular group of loud mouthed drunks that basically had no idea how to behave in public ... you learnt to avoid them.

The one thing that surprises me most though is that OV has done a fantastic marketing job and somehow gets away with charging more for less. I can often find better deals on the likes of Carnival (the American style fun ships) or even on Princess or P&O (both of which are more up market).

Ivan

tux130582

I just want to go on a cruise where I can eat en evening meal with a pair of jeans and a polo shirt, to relax!! which are the best ships for this? would like to go in august this year so im cutting it fine finding a deal!

IvanOpinion

tux130582 wrote: »

I just want to go on a cruise where I can eat en evening meal with a pair of jeans and a polo shirt, to relax!! which are the best ships for this? would like to go in august this year so im cutting it fine finding a deal!

There is a mis-perception that you MUST dress up every evening. On many lines there will be 3-4 formal nights in a 2 week cruise with the rest being semi-formal/smart casual (usually the Caribbean is less ofrmal than the med). Simplifying it down, on the formal nights one is expected to wear a suit/tux or dress (depending on sex/sexual preference) .. on smart casual night chinos/polo shirts for men or trouser suits, skirts, dresses etc. for the ladies is normal. Some lines have regretably (in my opinion) started to allow jeans on smart casual nights.

If you do not want to dress up and want to wear jeans then there are other venues/restaurants that you can use. Alternaitvely you could try Ocean village or NCL where the dress code is more relaxed.

Ivan

crowlands

IvanOpinion wrote: »

We have done OV and had a great time. Yes there were a few small niggles but nothing that would have spoiled our holiday .. most of those niggles came from a particular group of loud mouthed drunks that basically had no idea how to behave in public ... you learnt to avoid them.

The one thing that surprises me most though is that OV has done a fantastic marketing job and somehow gets away with charging more for less. I can often find better deals on the likes of Carnival (the American style fun ships) or even on Princess or P&O (both of which are more up market).

Ivan

We sailed on the OV in it's first year and had a great time - the prices have obviously gone up a bit since then and I agree with IvanOpinion about their pricing. We also only paid a cover charge of £5/8 in The Bistro restaurant which we thought was excellent value for money but noticed on this thread that it is now more like £15!!! Anyway we enjoyed our cruise and had a great cabin with a view and we purchased our 'booze' from the on board shop for our fridge - it wasn't expensive so maybe things have changed.