First of all can I say that those people who have posted calling this Butlins on Sea have really got it wrong and should stick to the more formal ships after all OV slogan is "Cruising for people who don't do cruising". I've never been to Butlins but I can only assume that they are suggesting the standards are low. I didn't hear one swear word, one raised voice, one shabbily dressed person or one unhappy child. I commented one day on the lack of children during the day which was due to the excellent children's club - I only wish I had cruised with my children when they were that young. Anyway on to the ship:

Cleanliness second to none - cabin cleaned while we were at breakfast and keeping my 2 teenage daughter's cabin clean and tidy was no mean feat - 3 cheers for Rene who was always smiling and courteous. The ship was constantly being cleaned - bins, handrails - even the carpet - scrubbing brush and soapy water!! Restaurant areas always clean and the use of hand gel before entering any eating areas an excellent idea.

The food was excellent - didn't try La Luna or The Bistro as we didn't feel the need. Between the two there was plenty of choice with The Waterfront more British. Kept to salad lunch time (didn't want to put on too much weight) but there was a good range of hot food available as well and lots and lots of desserts. After 2.30pm only snacks available in Plantation but again there was sufficient to keep you going until dinner - filled rolls, salad etc. I agree with the previous post about being able to keep your table when going for next course, but as there were 4 of use it wasn't a major problem.

The entertainment was good and some nights you had to have a plan of action to make sure you missed nothing!! The Planet Show was excellent - the captain stopped and turned the ship to make it less windy as some of the acrobats were soaring high!! Jacky Graham came on the ship on Saturday (I think) - although I didn't recognise the name I did recognise one of her hit singles from the 80's. She had a wonderful rapport with the audience and gave a great performance - especially the Stevie Wonder songs. The quiz nights were good fun - no one was in it to win it - just to have a laugh. Didn't use the Casino but did go for a drink there late one night - not a lot of comfortable sitting areas but I suppose that's not the idea. Watched a couple of games but not being a gambler I didn't really understand what was going on.

The whole trip was very well organised. We left our hotel at 10.45 am and was actually in our cabin with our suitcases at 12 noon. The daily newsletter was excellent giving you all the information you could possibly need to plan your days.

We booked 3 trips through the ship - wanted to be safe as it was our firt time cruising - yes they were quite expensive but thoroughly enjoyable and again well organised. We stayed on the ship at Tunis, Rome was enjoyable but was rather disappointed as it was dirty and full of graffiti, Portofino was beautiful with enormous yachts and rich looking people!! St Tropez was also enjoyable - did a bit of shopping here and walked into Barcelona. The newsletter tells you this is only a 15-20 minute walk - don't believe it - it took us longer than that to get out of the port - I suppose it depends where the ship docks. Beware of the nice cafe areas - 2 lemonades and 2 cokes cost us 20 Euros!!

All in all an excellent holiday and one which I didn't want to leave - I haven't felt that for a number of years. Have already looked for next year but I have posted a query on the forum because I don't know whether to book early or wait for a last minute deal.

We have just got back from our OV2 cruise. Never done a cruise before but would thoroughly recommend this one. We are 40 and took our 15 year old son. There was plenty for all of us to do on board and ashore.
The whole ship was very clean, all passengers used alcohol gel when entreing the resturant to help prevent any 'bugs'. All was fine on our trip.
The crew are absolutley fantastic providing very attentive service and good attitude.
Entertainment is varied and proffesional with good comedians, singers and acrobats. Robbie tribute is great!
Action ashore excursions can be expensive but choose wisely. We chose all 1/2 day ones and these seemed very reasonable, with good english speaking guides.
Action ashore biking with Arron & Wayne is great. We did the one in Tunis and it was no problem for the non cyclist in our family.
Kayak in Corsicca was a greta trip as well!
The food is varied and of good quality. We used La Luna and the Waterfront. These were all self service.
Drinks on board were reasonable. (£1.00 for 1 pint of coke ; beer - same price as your local, £12 ish for a bottle of reasonable wine).
Some times you have to que to get off/ on the boat (Villa Franche) but they are very well organised, just take in the views and be patient!
We are looking forward to sailing again.

Never having cruised before, and unexpectantly travelling alone I was very apprehensive, alas was to prove wasted energy, this cruise was FANTASTIC.

Staff worked very long hard and dedicated to making your holiday relaxing and peacful.

FOOD- self service restaurants= predicatble holiday choice, but plenty of it and always a selection which appeals to everyone.

ENTERTAINMENT= basic. aimed totally at 30/40 somethings
comedians excellent& very funny(if you are not easily offended). Matt Quinn and Chris Sullivan AMAZING singers, wasted on this ship. Lucy and the female lead in the shows very weak and she led to the let down of the shows. Planet was good but not as amazing as publicised. They should rethink entire entertainment programme.

STAFF= worked endlessly. waiters and cabin crew never had day off in the 2weeks I was on, couldn't do enough to help. Managers could be bit more hands on and evident.

MONEY= do not change into euro's the ship operates in sterling. Although 'cashless' society your bill and all you buy is priced in sterling and you will need this for your last day on board.

DRINKS= very reasonable £2.80 bacardi and coke. cocktails ranged from £3.10 to £4.85. surprisingly cheap for cruise ship.

totally relaxed, you can dress up when attending La Luna, or the Bistro(when James Martin) on board, not a must but good to dress up 1 night a week. In the 2weeks Iwas on I wore an evening dress once.

Highly recommend for families as children appeared to be totally catered for, and those between 30-50 and not expecting 'hi-class' cruising.

Only gripe is prices of trips, internet access and ship to shore phone calls, these total rip off.

Would defo do again.

My wife and I sailed on Ocean Village Two from May 29th to 5th June 2007. We enjoyed it almost as much as the cruise on Ocean Village 2 years ago. I say almost, because my wife felt some discomfort due to the temperature in the ship. It was too cold for her comfort and always wore a sweater. The two ships are almost identical in layout and facilities. One of the differences is that you cannot go to the front and view the bow of the ship in Ocean Village Two.

We had a comfortable room on D deck (deck 10) with a balcony. The balcony does not allow you to look out while seated, because the ship’s steelwork is above head height. It is OK for seeing what is going on outside while standing

When we boarded the ship at about 1 pm we went up to the Plantation restaurant for a meal. We were surprised to find that whatever we wanted was served at the counter by the restaurant staff wearing gloves. On the previous cruise we could help ourselves at the food counters. We could serve ourselves for the other meals on the first two days. The choice of food was limited and for dinner the tables were not laid with cutlery, serviettes, wine glasses etc. It was a pleasant surprise that from the third night until the last night tables were properly laid for dinner. The quality of food and the choice available were good. This is what we had expected from our previous cruise on Ocean Village. We later learned that there had been a lot of sickness on board during the previous cruise due to norovirus. Even the captain made an announcement about this and indicated that it has affected many cruise ships.

There was entertainment in the Marquee, Village Square and the various bars. The one show which we saw in the Marquee, was very good – a Rod Stewart impersonator.

Ocean Village has a cinema but Ocean Village Two does not have a cinema. However, there are 2 recent movies, and an older movie on the ship’s tv every evening. The films are changed every day.

The most crowded place on the ship is the top deck (deck 12). A large number of flabby pinkish bodies of various ages sprawled on the decks like beached whales is not a pretty sight. When these people lay in the sun with the flabs of loose skin folded, they often end of looking like streaky bacon, pink skin with white strips that are not exposed to the sun. Early in the morning British passengers book their deck chairs by leaving their towels on them while they are away doing something else. In Britain we are well known for criticising the Germans for doing the same thing in holiday resorts.

The staff, mainly South Asian ( from Philippines, India, Nepal, Indonesia), are all very good and worked hard. It must be very difficult to 70 hours a week for 9 months without a break. They get 3 months off after 9 months on board.

We never bothered with excursions on this cruise although we went on several excursion on our previous cruise. We often walked into the town or used the shuttle provided by the port or by Ocean Village. On disembarkation day we had to vacate our cabins by 0830 but our flight was due to leave at 1855. We took the shuttle to Palma to walk around the town for 2-3 hours. The shuttle return fare is £6 per person. We were taken to the airport at 1630, and found that the flight was delayed by 2 hours. Our experience suggests that flights back to the UK are always subject to delays, even though we do not travel during peak holiday times.

All shuttle services are not as expensive as the charge made by Ocean Village. The shuttle provided by the port of Livorno only costs one euro for a return ticket. It is an easy walk into town at Naples, Villefranche and Ajaccio.

Passengers embarked and disembarked several times during the cruise. The whole operation seemed to be run very efficiently. Passengers are required to leave their luggage outside their cabins by 2000 so that they can be taken away before 2200. Passengers will require a small bag (or even a plastic bag) to store their night wear and toiletries on the morning they vacate their cabins.

Excellent all round. We ate in La Luna every day and every night it was well worth the extra money. Anyone who dose not enjoy this ship has not got a life. We have been on p&o and found this better. All I can say is don't be pull off by some comments. It is Excellent. Have a great holiday!!!

Arrived on Ocean Village Two at around 1pm without problems, in fact our flight was half an hour early. Were told to make ourselves at home on the ship and listen to announcements for when our cabin would be ready to occupy. We had a drink in the Connexions bar and then lunch in the Waterfront restaurant. By around 4pm we still hadn't heard any announcements so went down to our cabin to find it ready for us. The cabin was clean but a lot smaller than it looked on the dvd and in the brochure, very small balcony not worth the money we had paid for it, but nice to see outside and get fresh air first thing in a morning. The kettle, the bedside lamps and the lights near the wardrobe did not work, these were fixed after about 5 phone calls. The next morning the toilet didnt work but was sorted out by the time we got back to the cabin after breakfast. (Several public toilets were constantly out of order - very frustrating). The food was OK but not fantastic as sometimes there was Roast Beef and naan breads! Hot plates for salads.At at La Luna twice, this was excellent. Entertainment was very frustrating as there seemed to be bits of shows going on all over the place and none really lasting that long. They had some good singers but why not put them all together and have some really good shows. The freedom to move group although good and talented were a bit of a mismatch of dancers, all shapes and sizes which just didnt look right. Shoot the choreographer by the way. There is a lovely grand piano in the Casbah bar but never used! No deck party to speak of and when we sailed late the second week the entertainment went ahead as normal so by the time we sailed everything had finished - no contingency plan. Very frustrating regarding the sun bed reservation by some people we witnessed some beds with towels on all morning and not being used whilst people were wandering around looking for somewhere to sit.Got really fed up of all the selling, everywhere you went they were trying to get you to spend money. The ship's waiters were fantastic especially Sanjay on the top deck as he looked after us whilst we were there. They work long and unsociable hours for very little pay. The trips we went on were fine, although expensive, especially Tuscany wine tasting this was great, loads of food and wine to taste. This was our first trip with Ocean Village and would probably not go again, we have cruised twice before with Thomson and these have been far superior and just as laid back.

My husband and I have never been on a cruise before and decided to go on one for our honeymoon.
We liked the fact that it was informal and quite casual.
We had an excellent time and cant wait to go again. The ship was spotless every night they were washing down deck 12 and cleaning the swimming pools, our cabin was spotless every day.
The food was lovley in La Luna and the Bistro both outstanding restuarants.
The crew were brilliant always someone around asking you whether you would like a drink no matter what bar you were in.
The on board entertainment was good. Planet show was amazing. Street show was good and so was Cafe 80's.
We had an amazing honeymoon we will never forget it and cant wait to go on board again in 2009.

overall not an unpleasant holiday but having cruised with thomson previously, there is no comparison.
ship felt overcrowded most of the time.

food was good but areas felt too small for amount of people on board. bistro was excellent but again this is only what other cruise lines offer as standard.

excursions were reasonably priced. we travelled to pompei, sorrento and monte carlo - all were excellent.

the main gripe would have to be on deck during the day. people would reserve sunbeds first thing in the morning and not return until after lunch. meanwhile people were walking around unable to get a bed. it was stated in the guide that towels would be removed after 30 minutes but this just didn't happen. kids ran riot around the place and took over both pools - both the kids one and the adult one. people would be trying to have relaxing swim with a ball flying over their heads!

entertainment ok but very repetetive. connexions way too small for the acts on. little or no chance of finding a seat. why not put these acts on in the marquee??

staff on the ship are excellent and can't do enough for you. most likely over worked and under paid. work 11 hr days with rarely a day off.

ok holiday but if want a quality cruise would recommend thomson.

We booked our first ever cruise over the internet as we could take advantage of the extra 5% discount. We sailed from Southampton on the 13 night maiden voyage which included the 1st week Medinas cruise as well. Book in was straight forward, they took our cases away so there was no lugging about and we were soon welcomed aboard. The cabin we had was on deck 9 outside with large window. It was kept clean by Darwin and nothing was too much trouble. Our cases had not arrived so he went and found them for us without any fuss. Our first impression of the boat? - really very good, there were flowers everywhere.
FOOD
There are lots of bars and places to eat and the food was being served soon after we boarded. All the food we ate was of good quality and there was much attention given to cleanliness. There are 2 main resturaunts and we alternated between them. The Plantation was my favorite, serving oriental, italian, indian food as well as British fare - all self service and often quite busy but there was always somewhere to sit with a great sea veiw. You can eat when and where you want - even at 2 am there was take away style food available, pizza, chinese, burgers etc. We also dined at the Bistro and had James Martin come and chat with us after a truly excellent meal. The wine and James' special chocolates along with the cover fee gave me a bill of about £90 but was well worth it. La Luna was the other place with a cover fee of £4.75 a head plus you paid extra for certain dishes, again good but not as good as the Bistro.

To sum up if you want 5* food and waiter service you have to pay for it. We had really good food and serverd ourselves and were more than satisfied

STAFF
Great. Smiling, hard working, willing to help. There were people moaning about the loos being blocked and noise in the cabins. We had no such problems. Our shower did drain slowly and I reported this but no one came to sort it so I did it myself. I think there were teething problems with the ship as you would expect on the Maiden voyage.
ENTERTAINMENT
Better than we expected having read the OV reviews. resident singers were great. Tribute acts were also relly very good. There was one paticular problem on a few nights to do with the timing of the shows. There were 2 main shows both repeated more or less back to back but timed in such a way that most people would exit one show only to try and get into the other at the Conexions bar which was already full and about to start for the 1st time!
EXCURSIONS.
They cost a fair bit - are they worth it? In our opinion YES. The guides were knowledgeable and friendly. The tour would start right from the dock (no messing about getting into the city, finding a local giude, never sure when you would get back etc) We went cycling at Barcelona - wow! that's the way to see a city. We were so impressed by the first few tours we took them at every port - paid in part by the missed port of Cartagena and the subsequent £100 credit to our on board account. Favorite - Florence and Pisa. Then Nice and Eze. A must see is Pompeii
QUIBBLES
They tell you it's cash free on the ship - not so. take £ with you for stamps, slot machines for games, drinks at the bar on the LAST day, buses up into the town. You don't need much but you do need some.
SURPRISES
Exchange rate on the ship as good as at home.
We normally get a bit home sick after 10 days - not so on OV2.
Took 700 euros and brought back 200.
Saw no one drunk and no bad behaviour.

The ship was very clean. Had no problems there.
Plenty of choice as far as the food was concerned. So much to choose from.
The staff worked very hard and always had a smile.
On board entertainment was OK , but I would think it would be very hard to please all of the people all of the time.
I would go back again.
Well what can I say about this trip?
If you have not been on a cruise I would recommend this for first time cruisers.I have previously been on a cruise where every thing was formal. Having to dress up EVERY night and sit at the same table for dinner with the same folks EVERY night and at the same time. So boaring !!! This cruise is so much more laid back and very relaxing and you could sit at any table any time in the plantation resturant.If you did not want to dress up you did not have to. You dont have to bring your evening jacket/evening dress.We stayed on board for one week on deck 11. This was in a suite with a balcony. Very spacious with a shower as well as a bath. Restuarants on board -We ate in the Bistro one night and we were not dissapointed the food was good although we had to pay £30.00 for the meal and the wine was approx £18.00 upwards, but well worth it. We ate in the La Luna Restuarant one lunch time and had the pizza - no complaints there. Please note that some things in La Luna you may have to pay for. We mostly dined in the Plantation Restuarant which is self service.Every night they had a different theme oriental,indian,spanish,french,british). They also have plenty of salads as well as a selection of fish and cold meats. We heard some people say they did not enjoy the food . To be honest I don't know where they ate!!! Overall a great holiday and would not hesitate to recommend this ship along with it's very pleasant and helpful staff on board.