Ocean Village -Reggae and Rainforest |
| Reviewed By: Bray, Holmes Chapel on 14th Apr 2008 |
| Cruise Line: Ocean Village Cruises |
Times cruised before: 1-2 |
| Cruise Ship: Ocean Village |
Sailed:
March,
2008 |
| Destination: Dubai |
Age: 26-35 |
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We booked our Reggae and Rainforest cruise over 12 months prior to our travel date, and spent all that year saving and looking forwards to a fantastic experience.
This was our second cruise with Ocean Village (our second ever cruise). To set the scene, our original cruise was 1 week in the Mediterranean in September 2006. On that occasion we had a room at the bow of the ship on P Deck... our experience from that location (Waves crashing against the side of the boat, generally lots of noise "behind the scenes") we were keen to make sure we booked a more comfortable room, so we went on B Deck (Deck 10) in a midship location.
We boarded in Montego Bay (Not Barbados as the top field suggests) after a VERY LONG 10 hour flight from Manchester. We had heard lots of comments about Thomas Cook Airlines and their limited leg room. Being over 6ft I have to say it was uncomfortable; the only saving grace for us was that we were given seats at the rear of the plane where there was some limited twin seat layouts, so I was able to get up and down freely and stretch out my legs.
We were briefly whisked from the airport and onto the ship at Montego Bay... even the second time around the ship looked impressive and getting aboard was very swift, leaving us to get on and re-acquaint ourselves with the ship and start on our holiday....
Unfortunately for me despite travelling to 30 degree temperatures, I got a cold which lasted for the first 3 days... while I was determined not to let this spoil my holiday, for the first few days I wondered around with pockets full of tissues, consumption of drinks was lower, and there were a few extra early nights taken (in hindsight not bad for a 2 week cruise!)
We did the Reggae and Rainforest and then Toucan and Tequila itineraries, stopping at Cartagena (Columbia), Panama, Costa Rica, Ocho Rios & Montego Bay (Jamaica), Progresso and Cozumel (Mexico), Belize, Honduras, Grand Cayman prior to returning to Montego Bay. In total we had 3 full @ Sea days during our 2 week itinerary.
Overall the itinerary was fantastic, we booked an Action Ashore excursion every day as despite perhaps being overpriced for what you got, it was a safe and assured way of travelling and seeing the key sights we wanted to see. The tours in general were good, if not a little padded out in some locations and with the obligatory "restroom" breaks on each journey (read: a stop at a local souvenir shop!), but all told we saw some fantastic sites
Which does make me wonder why OV have decided to pull that itinerary, speaking to some of the staff they suggested it was due to the locations not being too popular, but everyone on the cruise seemed really happy... I've also heard other reports that its due to the amount of distance the boat has to travel and/or weather conditions in that part of the world.
We have also read and heard lots of negative comments about the ship. Being our first cruise (and our honeymoon) we developed an immediate affinity for Ocean Village. At one point having read what we did we strongly considered canceling our tour....
We are SO GLAD we didn't. The comments about OV as a company and the ship I think have been exaggerated massively. The ship is comfortable, laid back and suits the purpose of "informal cruising" exceptionally well. Some have commented about the lack of Welcome drinks on embarkation, staff meeting and greeting in the restaurants... yet the absence of these things are what made us love Ocean Village, and move away from the historical image that cruising has.
At a number of ports we docked against other cruise lines, such as Princess and Royal Caribbean. Whilst those boats are much bigger (And quite frankly look awesome), Ocean Village still has its own niche in terms of the cruising experience it offers to customers, and you do grow to love the boat.....
Yes the ship may be aging, but it has 5-6 bars, 4 restaurants, Cinema, Casino, Show Venue, masses of open deck space, and inside it is comfortable..... so where's the problem?
The only other major comment was that of the staff, all of whom (in our experiences) Were exceptional. During our tour we built up a few good friendships with some of the staff across the boat, and really got to learn about their life and experiences on-board - which makes you appreciate the service that you are offered in a new light.
Perhaps the biggest failing of the cruise was in terms of entertainment. We had busy days each day and of an evening were happy to have a meal (We ate in La Luna or the Bistro purposefully to get away from the buffet dining of an evening), and then a few drinks. On a number of nights we watched shows in the Marquee, generally these were quite good if you went in with an open mind and not over-estimated expectations (we try to bear in mind that relatively speaking, we booked a "cheap" cruise)... Some of the regular singers and entertainment though even by the lowest standard leave a lot to be desired, and given the amount of stage time they get; perhaps could be improved upon!
So in summary, I wanted to write this review to add weight and dispel a few myths, namely that Ocean Village as a company and a vessel offers a fantastic cruising/holiday experience. We enjoyed and made the most of our time to the max, and are already looking forward to booking our next cruise with Ocean Village.... that will be our third and while there is an attraction to some other cruise lines, the whole informality that OV offers as well as the price and the itineraries on offer really make OV a compelling option for people trying a cruise for the first time, or who want a laid back holiday and the chance to see lots of fantastic places in an action packed holiday.
Ocean Village gets a big thumbs up from us :-)
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| Quality of Food |  |
| We tended to eat at the Bistro and La-Luna on most evenings. The food in Plantations and Waterfront is perfectly nice; but buffet eating makes the evening meal less of an occasion in our opinion.
Co-incidently the food at Bistro and La Luna is fantastic and well worth paying the premium and the personal service adds to make the evening meal a very nice occasion (Especially recommended for @ sea days) | | Entertainment |  |
| Watched a few of the shows and they were good, but in general the entertainment was the low point; not an awful lot of variety on @ Sea days.
Resident musicians range from reasonable/good to desperately bad. | | Shore Excursions |  |
| Lots of variety, we took an OV excursion every day. Whilst you pay a premium its a safe way to travel | | Staff | |
| Got to know some of the staff quite well and learned about their lives on board making us appreciate the service even more.
Particular favourites were:
Benjo - La Luna
Lanoan - Blue Bar | | Children's Facilities | n/a |
| | Onboard Activities |  |
| Variety somewhat limited; but we tend to make our own fun on board | | Cabins | |
| Faultless - size and cleanliness was excellent | | Overall Rating | |
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