Ocean Village is a niche cruise line operated by P&O Cruises and serving the U.K. market. It operates two ships, the 1624-passenger Ocean Village and the 1708-passenger Ocean Village Two. This is a cruise line that is all about first time cruisers in the younger age brackets. That is because Ocean Village offers more of what this type of cruiser is looking for – a casual environment where the onboard entertainment tends to be more along the order of rock concerts, as opposed to Broadway-style revues. You won’t find cabin service or nightly turn-down service on these ships, but what you will find is a friendly, carefree environment minus all of the “stuffiness” often associated with cruise ship passengers.
The dress code onboard is casual, and none of the restaurants observe formal evenings. The activities onboard are geared to young people, with the whole mood of the ship having a brighter appeal. Gym facilities onboard the Ocean Village are extensive with the addition of a second gym, and everything about the ship, including its European itineraries and the shore excursions offered on them, are designed to appeal to younger, fitness-minded individuals. The Karma sauna and spa area, and the exclusive Club Lounge for suite passengers add to the amenities appreciated by Ocean Village’s younger passenger demographic, and though they imitate the offerings of the larger “mega ship” cruise lines, they are small and intimate enough to appeal to the casual type passenger Ocean Village tends to welcome onboard. In fact, Ocean Village has a strong cadre of loyal cruisers, who sail them once to give cruising a try, and then find themselves coming back time and time again because of the line’s modest prices and informal onboard vibe.
Ocean Village is clearly a cruise line geared to the British passenger, and onboard you will find an overwhelming number of Brits. The onboard currency is the British pound. This is not to say that American passengers would not enjoy sailings on these vessels, as there is plenty onboard these two vessels to appeal to younger-minded American passengers who want to enjoy a culturally diverse holiday as well.
Special features of Ocean Village include the Bistro, a unique alternative restaurant which is supervised by British TV celebrity chef James Martin. A variety of show lounges and bars can be found onboard as well. On Ocean Village Two, the larger of the two ships, two self-service restaurants were added to offer passengers more casual dining alternatives. The onboard Marquee theatre was redesigned to reduce the size of the stage and add swivel chair seating. The children’s programme area was also completely overhauled to make it brighter and more child-friendly.
Both ships sail a variety of seven to 14-night Eastern and Western Mediterranean itineraries from April through October. Then in the months of December to April, they head to Caribbean waters, where they sail both seven and 14-night voyages exploring the Eastern, Western and Southern Caribbean islands. They also do a couple of Trans-Atlantic sailings to reposition the ships for each sailing season.
On all Ocean Village sailings, the port activities will reflect the younger mindset and overall higher physical fitness levels of the passengers who frequent this cruise line. For example, shore excursions won’t generally include panoramic bus tours, but rather will involve activities such as hiking up Mount Vesuvius in Naples, or rafting in St. Raphael, and even zip-lining in Ajaccio.
If you’re looking for a cruise with a lower price tag, but a friendly informal ambience, then Ocean Village may be just the cruise line for you. If you like non-stop pampering, along with all the amenities of a 5-star hotel, then you would probably be better served by one of the larger, more mainstream cruise lines.
Find out about all the ships in the Ocean Village fleet
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