Ocean Village Holidays

MV Ocean Village

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Operator: Ocean Village Holidays
Year Built / Last Refurbished: 1989 / 2003
Length / Tonnage: 806 / 63,500
Number of Cabins / Passengers: 801 / 1,602
Officers / Crew: European / European
Operating Area: Mediterranean and Caribbean
Telephone / Fax: Tel 145 4624 / Fax 145 4622

OCEAN VILLAGE was originally built as the FAIRMAJESTY for Sitmar and entered service in 1989. Sitmar took a leap of faith in the late 1980's and signed a contract to build a 62,000 ton vessel which they expected to be the world's biggest cruise ship, and to remain so for some time to come. Introducing their impending new flagship, Sitmar invited travel agents to suggest a name for the new ship... FAIRSEA, FAIRWIND, and FAIRSKY...these were the ships already in the fleet...so a fairgone conclusion...oops....make that foregone conclusion, was a name beginning with "FAIR"...and so it was that Sitmar announced their new ship would be FAIRMAJESTY.

Along with the name came the first artist's conceptions and her appearance was quite a shock. Like a shoe box on its side, with ENORMOUS cut outs for lifeboats, a massive funnel well aft...a structure soon loved by some and abhorred by others and Sitmar's new swan logo, further disfiguring this poor baby...no one grieved the loss to beloved Sitmar of this particular unknown, untried, unseen ship....because while the young behemoth was still building, rival Princess Cruises incorporated Sitmar into its own fleet in 1989.

But what of the intended FAIRMAJESTY? Incorporated into the ever growing world of Princess' parent company P&O, she became the STAR PRINCESS and sad to say, her ungainly external appearance and frankly unimaginative name did not do a lot to incite enthusiasm among ship lovers and cruise aficionados. I first saw her at Los Angeles when I sailed past her in the SEA GODDESS I, and my, she's ugly!!!

I should have known better because this new ship was not built to please people with her external aesthetic, but like an old Venetian house, was built to feature the finest interiors possible. Some months later, I went down to go aboard the STAR PRINCESS...and only because she was there on the same day that the California State Maritime Academy's training ship, the then 43 year old GOLDEN BEAR....a ship I wrote of in one of my books....was in town. I had hardly walked up the gangway into the STAR PRINCESS that I realized that this was a wonderful ship. Entering in the three deck high Plaza, I was instantly impressed...I couldn't remember ever seeing any space in any ship finished with such high quality materials and done to such a high standard. Touring this vessel underscored a fact of life of modern cruise ships...doesn't matter how ugly she is outside, for when on board, you cannot see the exterior.

Since my first voyage, she was transferred to the P&O fleet where she sailed as ARCADIA and then most recently as part of P&O Princess Cruises’ UK strategy of broadening the appeal of cruising within the wider holiday market, she was transferred to the newly formed OCEAN VILLAGE Holidays where she began service in March of 2003 as OCEAN VILLAGE.

You would expect a big ship to have a lot of public rooms and the OCEAN VILLAGE won't disappoint you...she has quite a few. One of my favorites is the Bayside Club located high atop the ship on Sun Deck. This radially shaped room with its 270 degree views of sea and scenery is further capped by a glass dome, and during the most recent refit was expanded to include a full range of exercise equipment including treadmills, rowing machines, weights and resistance equipment. In the evening it serves turns into a nightclub making it possibly the only lounge/nightclub/gymnasium at sea.

Once deck down, on Leisure Deck the La Luna open-air deck café and the Sunweaver Bar are tucked in behind a handful of passenger cabins. Proceeding aft brings you to the Crystal Pool, one of four pools onboard, and the Splash Bar. A number of jacuizzis are located across from the Splash Bar followed bye the Riviera pool Both pools on this deck are relatively small and the area can get quite crowded on sunny days at sea. The Plantation Restaurant occupies the aft portion of Leisure Deck.

The next three decks, A, B, C and D house mostly passenger accommodations. A Deck houses the suites and balcony cabins. A small children's pool and the Base Camp youth activity center occupy the aft portion of this deck. B Deck contains some of the higher grade outside and inside twin cabins. C Deck and D Deck are considered lifeboat decks with the boats and equipment taking up a fair amount of space. They have fewer cabins than most other passenger decks, and all of them are outside accommodations. D Deck is also home to the balcony level of the Marque lounge/showroom and the OCEAN VILLAGE's casino.

Most of the public areas can be found on the next deck, Panorama Deck. The forward portion is occupied by the main level of The Marque lounge/showroom which features contemporary acrobatic shows, cabaret, live bands and stand-up comedy. Walking aft from the Marque, you pass through the shopping area including Gems and The Bazaar. Past the shopping area is Connexions Bar which is a popular meeting place during the day and before meals. Next, you come to Inn on the Green which is located just outside the Bistro and Waterfront restaurants which occupy the aft portion of Panorama Deck.

The next deck, E Deck consists mostly of passenger accommodations. The Emporium shop and the popular Blue Bar are located on either side of the central atrium. The Blue Bar offers ocean views on one side and a balcony over the three-deck atrium on the other.

One deck down, P Deck includes passengers accommodations and several public rooms. The main reception area is located to one side of the Village Square, which occupies the bottom level of the atrium, while Charlie's Bar is located on the other. Charlie's Bar also serves as the ships Internet café serving cappuccinos, espressos and e-mail. Further aft, the Movie Drome theatre is wedged into the center of the ship surrounded by passenger accommodations.

The ship's medical facility and a small number of passenger cabins are located on F Deck and the Hair Salon, Spa area and youth area, The Hideout are located on H Deck.

Celebrity TV chef James Martin has opened his first restaurant on board OCEAN VILLAGE - The Bistro serves an a la carte menu of British dishes with a Mediterranean twist for an extra charge, and is one of four places to eat on the ship.

The Waterfront and Plantation restaurants offer a range of buffet options and, to allow passengers to eat at their leisure, the Plantation is open 24 hours. La Luna, OCEAN VILLAGE's open-air deck café, offers al fresco lunches in the sun by day, and for an extra charge, pool side waiter-service dining beneath the stars at night.

Service and the quality of food onboard are good although below the standards you would find on other ships of the P&O fleet.

Let's start at the top...the AA suites in the OCEAN VILLAGE are marvelous, magnificent apartments for a day or a year. With 350 square feet of space, there is a deep private balcony with two chaise lounges and two chairs with table, making it a three sided living room. These cabins are visually breathtaking and exude a sense of space and luxury far better than larger accommodations on higher end ships because they have been decorated with comfortable furnishings that fit well into the space given, so you never accidentally crash into needless bulky end tables or overstuffed chairs that just do not fit.

Fans of electrically operated toys will be glad to know that each of these 14 apartments has a refrigerator and two televisions, two telephones and piped in music. The bathroom is a religious experience...with as much marble as a small European church...there is a small room for "sitting purposes" where one might read the daily news sheet in private, while suitemate enjoys a luxurious bubble bath or hosing off in a separate shower stall.

A step below, but just as beautifully furnished and as exquisitely fitted are the 28 BB Suites with veranda. Smaller than the AA grades, these cabins have less elaborate bathrooms and of course, less square footage with smaller verandas...but they are fine choices, and except for the AA grade, they are the only other cabins with private verandas.

And now on to the standard cabins...at about 180 square feet each, no matter the grade, from CC to minimum M, these rooms are winners. The two lower beds can be pushed together to make a queen, quite a few staterooms have 2 upper berths in case you want to share...each room has a TV, spacious closets, and oh yes, there's a fridge in each of these rooms as well.

Almost all of the outside cabins have a large window instead of portholes, but if an expansive view is something you demand, be careful not to accept midships cabins on C and D Deck (grades FF, G and HH) as they have obstructed views (so noted in all P&O literature).

The standard cabins on the OCEAN VILLAGE are right up there among the largest standards in the cruise biz, and definitely lead the pack in quality of furnishings and decor. Everyone I know who has sailed in this ship has been favorably impressed. You ought to be mighty comfortable in a OCEAN VILLAGE cabin.

OCEAN VILLAGE is targeted primarily at the UK market and in particular 35-55 year olds with active modern lifestyles. The onboard atmosphere is relaxed and passengers can take it easy if they choose but they will also have the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of activities while in port. These include mountain biking across Barbadian beaches, exploring Antigua off the beaten track by jeep or hiking through Dominca's rainforests.

OCEAN VILLAGE alternates between two Mediterranean itineraries, "Palaces and Paella" and "Piazzas and Pasta", which set sail from Majorca between May and October. Alternatively for winter sun, Caribbean cruises sail from Barbados between November and April. The two Caribbean itineraries are "Sugar and Spice" and "Calypso and Coconuts".

Each itinerary calls at six destinations every seven days and can be combined as a 14-night sailing and the "Stay and Cruise" option combines seven nights in a 3 or 4 star Majorca or Barbados hotel with seven nights on ship.

The OCEAN VILLAGE follows a growing trend within the cruise business of combining a casual onboard atmosphere with more active shore excursions. She even carries her own supply of mountain bikes onboard for passenger use ashore. Given the resources behind the OCEAN VILLAGE venture - originally P&O Princess and now Carnival Corporation - you can expect the quality of the product will be high. If you are looking for an alternative to a traditional cruise and if you enjoy an active and informal holiday, this just might be the right ship for you.