Ocean Village Cruises | Ocean Village | Not as good as Island Star

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Not as good as Island Star
Reviewed By: Duthie, Kingskettle on 3rd Jul 2008
Cruise Line: Ocean Village Cruises	Times cruised before: 1-2
Cruise Ship: Ocean Village	Sailed: May, 2008
Destination: Mediterranean	Age: 46-55

First experience of cruising was June last year, Western Med on island-cruises-summer-holidays/">Island Star. It was so good we went back in October. This year, we fancied another informal cruise, but this time in the Eastern Med. The Temples & Tavernas itinerary seemed to tick all the boxes so Ocean Village it was. Flight/Embarkation/Disembarkation - no complaints, a huge Airbus with loads of leg room and an efficient check in and off the ship. Particularly impressed by fact that OV take care of your luggage when you depart and you don't have to worry about it till you get to your home airport. Minor quibble, though, the 11 pm cut-off the night before is a little early if you want to let your hair down on your last night. Ship/Cabin - great-looking ship, spacious cabin, great view. We were on Deck 10, my sister and husband on Deck 5 where I was really impressed by their outside view. Bars - plenty of these, and a good mixture of atmospheres. Favourite was the Coffee Shop late in the evening. Staff - my first real gripe ! I found the staff polite but completely unwilling (with one or two exceptions) to engage with the customers. The Island Star staff, in comparison, were fantastic, always bringing a smile to your face with their friendliness. On OV, there was nowhere near enough bar staff circulating on the top decks during the day. I'm not a heavy drinker, but it's very frustrating to be desperate for a cool pint and to be unable to locate a waiter !!! This was a continuous theme during our week. Security Staff- I found the people 'welcoming' you on and off the ship thoroughly unpleasant. The men in particular made you feel as if they'd be glad if you didn't come back at the end of the day, and every one of them could take lessons in how to deal with the public. Just because you forget to put a bag through the x-ray machine doesn't mean you should be spoken to like a naughty schoolboy !!! Food/Dining - in general, the food was more than adequate, and the extra cost of dining in The Bistro was money well spent. However, I found the hygiene in The Plantation very much hit and miss (the automatic dispensers were often not working), and it wasn't unusual for that restaurant to run out of cups and even crockery. Again, lack of drinks waiters at meal times was an issue. Entertainment - the Annie Lennox tribute act was absolutely top notch entertainment, and the on-ship support band were excellent. The resident singers were pretty good. Itinerary - we went on tours in Dubrovnik, Kefalonia and Athens. Dubrovnik has fabulous views but I was a little disappointed. Mind you, for a country at war only 15 years ago, I shouldn't complain. The outing in Kefalonia had lots of bus travel, but the views were amazing in the north of the island. The stop at the village where Captain Corelli's Mandolin was filmed was a bit of a rip-off, but the village in the north (Fiskardo, I think) was a beautiful place to have a drink or ice cream while looking out over the port. Athens was just very very busy. We did the bus trip where you only looked at the places like The Acropolis rather than going in them, and I think that was the best idea, frustrating though the traffic delays could be. At the other stop points (Corfu and Katakolon), we just made our own plans to get around. Corfu Town on a hot Sunday is a lovely place to walk round, Katakolon on any day of the week and any weather is a dump !!! Excursions Value - roughly £30 per person per trip, for a half day excursion. Pretty much as expected. The guides and drivers were professional and spoke very good English. Summary - all in all, we had a nice time and if it had been our first cruise we might have had less to pick up on. However, in comparison to Island Star, I think Ocean Village comes by some way second.
Quality of Food
The Plantation most of the time, but also sampled The Bistro and La Luna (both very good, with great service).
Entertainment
Annie Lennox tribute - magic. Lionel Ritchie tribute - sorry, but a bit of a let down.
Shore Excursions
Best - nothing stood out, good bits on all three.
Staff
Nobody stood out !
Children's Facilities	n/a

Onboard Activities
Lack of entertainment on top decks during the day. You've no idea how many people would enjoy a simple quiz !
Cabins
Very spacious and clean. Room attendant was efficient but a bit shy !
Overall Rating

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Opinion: Disagree Question by miller, ilkeston (07 Jul 08 14:09) about this REVIEW

how much did you spend on board

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Opinion: Disagree Answer by Duthie, Kingskettle (09 Jul 08 11:38) to a QUESTION by miller (07 Jul 08 14:09)

Spent a bit less than on previous cruises, but probably only because we went on fewer excursions than before. Drinks were very reasonably priced (between £2 and £3), the cover charges for meals in speciality restaurants was about £15 per head, the spa treatments were expensive (but according to my wife, worthwhile). All in all, I think it was about £550.

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Comment by macro, reading (17 Aug 08 01:56) about an ANSWER by Duthie (09 Jul 08 11:38)

£12.50 for Le Bistro (James Martins restaurant) and £4.50 for La Luna. NOT £15. The meal at Le Bistro was 5 star and would cost around £60 per head on shore so a bargain for lovers of gourmet food.

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Comment by Duthie, Kingskettle (21 Aug 08 21:17) about a COMMENT by macro (17 Aug 08 01:56)

Sorry if I got the La Luna details wrong ! If you read my review, you'll see that I was pretty impressed by Le Bistro, the service and food was excellent.

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Opinion: Disagree Question by Poole, Guernsey (05 Jul 08 07:24) about this REVIEW

Which Airline did you fly with ?

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Opinion: Disagree Answer by Duthie, Kingskettle (05 Jul 08 10:51) to a QUESTION by Poole (05 Jul 08 07:24)

We flew with Thomas Cook from Glasgow. To be honest, our previous experience with them had not impressed, the planes had the least leg room I've ever experienced on a flight. However, this time (Airbus 330, maybe, I can't remember the number but it had a wide body, 3 banks of seats, and carried about 350 passengers) it was excellent.

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