I was supposed to be on the island Escape going to Brazil for the third time (transatlantic) but it was cancelled It was sold as ablock booking to the portugese so we decided to book the OV 1week around the med and then Carribean bound enough of a build up here goes ...The impressive thing was the cleanliness as with most cruise ships and the size of our disabled cabin entertainment was very good anthony ward on piano and solo singer was brilliant and Elliot Frisby and Dj Mike Reid was on board aswell as Michael starke also known as Sinbad from brookside Fogwell Flax Mia carla comedians also Racheal lane the moon show were absoloutely brilliant i wish however we could say the same about a singer called portia Danielle (FOOD) Nice food at first but we were on the ship for 3 weeks very repetive too oily and garlicky and had repurcussions in toilet deprtment 75% of the time when you finished your meal the waiters were off folding napkins or selling drinks rather than removing your plates you return to your table with main course or dessert there still sat on the table not much choice for people who choose not to eat meat either which brings me to the gravy a nice roast beef and yorkshire pud that was huge that was spoilt by american sweet gravy it tasted like it was made with half bags of sugar so take your own granules and get some hot water from the ever functioning tea machine avoid the coffee on the pump its fowl like tar the salt was the size off hail stones and even though it was in a grinder it was still pebble size so if you want salt take your own we believe that in the resturant they were short staffed as on 3 seperate occassions we saw our cabin maid working in the resturant in the evening after all day doing cabins as on board it was my birthday my husband ordrerd a celebration package cake champagne balloons and 2 minature bubble baths in the shape of champagne bottles it was excellent value shame it was too rough in menorca too get off by tender 31/10/05 halloween we travelled up and down menorca for the rest of the day and docked in majorca the next day we had a few days at sea that were not rough but slightly choppy and cause for concern for some weaker stomached passengers (st marteen) carribean in our view was the most friendly of the islands we visited laid back and easy with world ideal for duty free or eletronics and cameras moving on to Barbados the journey home WOWwhat an experience for the smokers amongst you don't leave the ship until your departure time because once off the ship thats it no smoking nowanywhere at all at the dock at the airport you are taken in the delivery entrance past the planes and on to a non smoking lounge with no air condittioning and stinking toilets with the heat and then along qeue where the confiscate any areasols lighters on your person or in any of your baggage you are not allowed to wear combat trousers and remove batteries in all eletronic items and had in your white landing card and on the plane you get a hot tea /evening meal and a cereal breakfast with tea/cofee and orange juice on route for us too birmingham as for that phew i can now SMOKE hooray from 3;30 pm until 6;40am the next day afterall that i would sail on ocean villiage again but will take some salt , gravy granules and a hand held fan for barbados airport

We sailed on the penultimate western med cruise of the season before Ocean Village headed across the Atlantic to warmer waters so we weren't expecting brilliant weather. It rained in Rome and Cannes, but this didn't put us off going ashore. The weather in Tunis, Barcelona, Ibiza and Majorca was superb.

Our cabin was a balcony suite on A deck and well worth the extra money. I'll never forget standing outside with a brandy in my hand (we smuggled a bottle on board!), sailing out of Palma bay at sunset with the Cathedral and city illuminated against the backdrop of the mountains. Wow!!

We quickly worked out a routine that we were comfortable with. Most excursions (expensive!!) required passengers to leave the ship at about 08:00am and of course at this time of day its dark, so breakfast had to be taken shortly after 07:00am. Tunis was a "must see and leave quickly" experience. Its just like Agadir for those of you who have cruised the Canary Island route.

Rome was as fantastic as ever, even if we had some rain. Cannes is obviously an up-market place and in spite of the weather it was great walking around the shops. Barcelona is quite magnificent. We used our own devices to get around. The tube system is easy, clean and fast and we ate a very long tapas lunch in a sunny, beautiful square, washed down (the tapas that is) with a bottle or two of vino. Ibiza was so lovely I've booked a week there in August to explore the island.

Ocean Village will be a good choice for those who prefer informality. If its black tie dinner and silver service you want then forget it. The ship is scrupulously clean - alcohol hand gels are mandatory at meal times and when leaving/rejoining the ship. By the way they taste foul.

Food was good. The Waterfront Restaurant was probably best, but the Plantation served up decent grub as well. We ate in James Martin's bistro one night and it was as good as any 5 star eatery I've experienced.

The entertainment was generally OK. The ABBA and Robbie Williams tribute shows were excellent. Afternoon pub quizzes, ice carving etc etc meant that there was always something to do.

Staff were wonderful and I had a major problem getting our cabin attendant to accept a small token of our appreciation as we left on 25 October.

Most of the passengers on our cruise were mature, not the 30 year old activity fanatics I'd half expected.

In conclusion I must mention one aspect that will always stand out. The passengers included a party of people who were disadvantaged some of whom were Downes syndrome kids and adults. They were supervised by a few ladies and gents who must have hearts and souls the size of planet earth. What really mattered though was the response of the crew - they simply bent over backwards to make the holiday a once in a lifetime experience for these gentle people. In particular, Tony "Robbie Williams" Lewis got down from the stage and danced with a young lady who obviously thought he was the real thing (actually he's better!). I freely admit I cried and I know I wasn't alone. Bless you Tony.

Will I go on Ocean Village again. Probably, but then there's so much choice and so little time.

As a family we have never cruised before, this cruise was fantastic and we are definately going to use this ship again. The food was great, entertainment great and the staff were really helpful especially when we had a a bit of a disaster with the excursion in Ibiza. We got our money back and they paid for the taxi back to the ship. We spent a wonderful day on deck and in the jucuzzi. We had an outside cabin that was cleaned regulary and always had stocks of tea coffee and biscuits,there was always plenty to do and the moon show was terrific, anyone who says otherwise needs their head examined. We have recommended this ship to all our friends and family.

Have just returned from our first cruise and I cannot wait to go back on another! The ship was really clean with particular attention to hygiene in the restaurants. Gel to clean your hands and on-one escapes this! I am a very fussy eater not a vegetarian, as such, just fussy! However even I ate more than usual. There was something for everyone. We liked the Waterfront in particular. The bistro is very good but there is a cover charge. Treat yourself!
The staff without exception were efficient and attentive. Entertainment could have been better BUT Elliott Frisby the singer was superb. Watch out for his album. Would we go back on this ship again? YOU BET. However a word of caution remember Ocean Village IS informal. Read the brochure! If you want formal dinners then don't go. People who have been on other formal cruises probably won't like this but then they should also know this from the brochure. It was accurate. If like me you are wary about which bars to go in at night and fear drunks, mugging etc. then you will love the freedom the ship gives you. I have never felt so relaxed whilst away. Do walk on the deck at night it is magnificent to see the moonlight on the sea.

Cleanliness on the ship was paramount to all the staff in every department.Cannot praise the cabin cleaners enough, anyone who can keep all our kids room spotless deserves a medal.
Did'nt feel the need to pay extra to eat in either La Luna or the Bistro, I thought the choice, ammount and taste of the food in both Plantations and the Waterfront was excellent, I am not a pig but found on my return I had put on nearly a stone in weight.
Without exception, the ships staff were wonderful and looked after your every need.It is unfair to name names but, so what Merwyn in the Blue Bar, Richard in Plantations and the cleaner on C deck rooms C666 and C668 whose name escapes me for the moment were just three of a brilliant staff.
I thought the entertainment this time,(we have now been 3 times)was a little poor compared to our previous visits, in the past acts were shipped in, this time more on board acts were used for the shows and in some cases the quality was lacking. Although Elliot Frisbee has a talent I thought he was used a little too much, maybe because of the lack of alternative singers, he seemed to be everywhere so in the end he was a little tiring.
The ports of call were all very good with the exception of Tunisia which was a toilet, however we took a bike ride ( the biking crew were excellent)and saw some good sights, a real insight and alternative view, I am glad I went on it.

I've had 6 fantastic trips on Ocean Village in the last 12 months. would love to hear from anybody what they think of OV and the shows and how gorgeous are those columbians! ! !

I've had 7 fantastic trips on Ocean Village in just over 12 months, including the med and the carribean. I personally prefer the Carribean. The ships great and i would definatly recomend it.
I'd love to hear from other people who have been on OV and what they thought about it and what shows were on when they were there.
How gorgeous are those Columbians, don't you agree.
Hope to hear reviews soon, thanks

If it’s Butlin’s on Sea you want, this is the holiday for you!. The entertainment wasn’t bad apart from Danny Ellis who wouldn’t have passed the first round of Pop Idol!. Food was of good standard and the staff very friendly. But I'm afraid there were too many bad points to mention. My next port of call is Watchdog!

Ocean Village has no suitable swimming pool for average swimmers with young children. Both pools are six feet deep at both ends and about the size of a large dinning table. Location of accommodation very poor. We were right underneath the “Marquee” for the duration of our two week holiday from hell. If you want to be woken up every night with “Let Me Entertain You” by Robbie Williams look alike, book yourself into rooms E111 & E117. If you want to be woken up every morning at 6AM by the noise of the anchor dropping through your bathroom, book yourself into rooms E111 & E117. . If you don’t mind your toilet erupting into the corridor book rooms E111 & E117. If you don't mind that staff keeping you up shouting til 2AM.....you've guessed it !
If you like being packed like sardines whilst relaxing on deck, this holiday will suit you. The boat even lost power for over an hour one evening, nothing could be more relaxing! Not. If I were you, I wouldn't book any trips unless you have spoken to your credit card company and upped the limit! They are extortionate and not worth the money.I could go on for days but I wasted enough of my life on this boat already.
See you on the telly !

Our first cruise, we spent a week on board. Cabin on B deck very good sized. Ship very clean and staff very helpful. If you want a sunbed by the pool you need to get up early and put your towel out, something I said I would never do, but by day 5, if you can't beat em join them!. Food was good, although a little repetitive, sometimes the two options from both restaurantes were spicy and/or oriental. That said there was enough choice to satisfy 2 teenagers. Some of the singers were really bad, we often moved to avoid hearing Danny droning on, how did he ever get a job on such a good ship! Comedians were better but it was hard to get a seat in Connextions, the best bar, we only managed once to get a seat unless we arrived an hour early. Moon show excellen. The staff were very friendly,helpful especial the cabin staff. Trips were very expensive, avoid Tunis or maike it a quick trip. We had some very bad weather unabe to dock at Monte C

Our first cruise with our daughter and grandson (which I reluctantly agreed to) was a great success. Very impressed with Ocean Village staff and their organisation. Food excellent, of good quality and plenty of choice. Entertainment good. Trips to Rome , Cannes, Barcelona and Ibiza were brilliant thanks to the excellent guides but Tunisia best avoided!