The Big Goodbye - Port Kelang

The last port of the cruise had finally been reached as Ocean Village arrived to see the big hitting highlights of Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur where colonial architecture meets funky modern design. Kuala Lumpur’s must sees include the KL Tower the worlds fourth tallest communications building, Independance Square and the soaring Petronas Twin Towers which are joined at the 41st and 42nd floors and dominate Kuala Lumpurs skyline.

Despite a long day touring the city of KL everyone made the effort to head up to Top Deck for the farewell Great British sailaway. With union jacks in hand, loyal passengers sang, danced and waved their flags through party tunes and patriotic farewells. There were tears of sadness from passengers and events team as “Time to Say Goodbye” was the final song of the afternoon and the Ocean Village bunting was taken down and thrown away.


Then it was time for the final night show which was an extravaganza of gargantuan proportion - a variety show containing music, laughter and dance from all the remaining artists onboard from the Freedom 2 Move cast, Resident singers Richard, Simon and Katy plus performances from Jaki Graham, The Chapman Brothers and Tony Lewis as Robbie Williams – all hosted by comedian Kev McCarthy. Emotions ran high as the final notes of “Hey Jude” were played by resident band Jet Set and the confetti cannons soared into the air. There was not a dry eye in the house.

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As some of you may remember, we said goodbye to the Ocean Village Two almost exactly one year ago after completing a similar voyage. In saying goodbye to the Ocean Village however, we don’t just say farewell to a ship but a brand of cruising that has become a much loved holiday over and over for so many.

The cruise for people who don’t do cruises was all over and Ocean Village had performed its final duty...its final cruise....and its final farewell!!

Be more, see more, do more......no more.

Tracy - Entertainment and Retail Director

The Big Goodbye - Langkawi

Sitting just off the coast of Malaysia, Langkawi is part of an archipelago of 99 islands and has more than its fair share of natural sights. Some passengers headed inland to explore the jungle covered hills and played spot the wildlife including a trip to Eagle Square to see the 12m high statue of a brown eagle poised for flight, others headed to the peak of Machincang Mountain by cable car to soak up the panoramic views whilst those seeking the sunshine stretched out on the pure white shores of this tropical island.

The sun was back out in force and as Ocean Village sailed away from the colourful island of Langkawi onto its final port of call, a beautiful rainbow appeared over the horizon as if saying goodbye and good luck to its future voyages.

The last OV radio show from the events team was aired from the Village Sq with passengers making their final dedications and requests and as the show came off air in recognition of the 11th November a short remembrance service for those who lost their lives during conflict was conducted by passenger Lord Steven Gardner at 7pm ships time which was 11am UK time.

The penultimate night of entertainment in the Marquee was welcoming a great friend of the Ocean Village brand back to the stage for one final time. Tony Lewis and his Tribute to the bad boy of pop Robbie Williams was on top form as he belted classic Robbie hits such as Let Me Entertain You, Rock DJ and Angels to a packed theatre of Robbie fans. Tony found the whole experience very emotional as he had also performed on the first ever Ocean Village cruise and has been a firm favourite during the last seven years.

One of Ocean Village’s unique entertainment features is the delivery of daring circus performances and tonight was the grand finale. Members of the Freedom 2 Move aerialists performed their most impressive collection of amazing circus vignettes including trapeze, tissue and bamboo routines and passengers watched in amazement as they flew through decks 5, 6 & 7 of the Village Square in an aerial spectacular display.

As the evening for passengers continued in Bayside for a 60’s music extravaganza the Marquee opened its doors once again but this time for something very special...a crew only farewell show.

Members of the ships company gathered together resplendent in their ‘Big Goodbye’ Final Farewell T.Shirts for an evening to remember including thank you speeches to the crew and the shore side support teams from Captain Charlie Carr, Hotel Director Michael Lobban, Product Director Jenny Fortune and Ocean Village’s Managing Director Nick Lighton.

The evening continued with sentimental and emotional good luck messages from members of the shoreside teams and members of the Ocean Village ships company past and present within a specially produced souvenir DVD.

Then the party got into full swing as crew members were treated to performances from the Chapman Brothers, Jaki Graham and Tony Lewis as Robbie Williams. The overriding feeling of the night was one of being proud to have been a part of the Ocean Village brand and extreme sadness that it was all coming to an end. One thing was for sure, the Ocean Village crew were determined to see the ship out with a bang and not a whimper.

Tracy - Entertainment and Retail Director

The Big Goodbye - Cochin

Ocean Village arrived in Cochin which is believed to be the oldest European settlement in India, to slightly overcast skies, but the weather didn’t dampen the spirits of the passengers who were all looking forward to a taste of India.

The ship sailed in past the giant fishing nets on bamboo poles in Cochin harbour which was around 7km from the city centre and passengers disembarked to explore the old colonial tree lined streets of Fort Cochin, or took a boat ride past the maze of sleepy backwater canals at Alleppey past lush vegetation and local life, some visited Mattancherry Palace which is now a museum displaying Indian mythological murals, portraits of the Rajas and royal costumes and some headed off to the local beaches.

Some of the Ocean Village Indian crew were able to meet up with friends and families at the port in the local Seaman’s mission - some of whom hadn’t seen their families for up to nine months so it was a wonderful opportunity to catch up.

A traditional Bollywood style sailaway was in store as Ocean Village let go the lines to make the 3 day journey to our next port of call in Langkawi, Malaysia.

Jaki Graham was in the Marquee for an unforgettable night of fabulous soul hits with classic songs such as Set Me Free, Step Right Up and Breaking Away to name just a few. Everyone was up on their feet dancing in the aisles leaving no doubt in peoples minds as to why she topped the UK charts so often in the 80’s and 90’s.It was Platform and Flares night in Connexions as the Events team went back in time with their 1970’s evening of music, quizzes and prizes plus more amazing antics and acrobatics from the Freedom 2 Move aerialists in the Village Square.

The Big Goodbye - Dubai

After a slight change to the itinerary Ocean Village arrived in Fujairah which would be the gateway port to Dubai and all the sights, sounds and colours that this vibrant city has to offer.

Coach loads of passengers were up bright and early for the journey through the rugged landscape to the delights of designer Dubai which is the home to the tallest building in the World, and some of the largest shopping malls and glittering gold souks for all the shopaholics who wanted some retail therapy.

Those that discovered Dubai were treated to some famous landmarks such as the iconic sail shaped Burj Al Arab hotel, the Palm Jumeirah the self proclaimed Eighth Wonder of the World, the Atlantis hotel and of course you can’t fail to notice the tallest structure in the world the Burg Dubai which towers 2,000 over the skyline.

Those that wanted a more action packed day delved into Dubai’s Deserts on a four wheel drive jeep safari or a four legged camel safari!

Following their Arabian adventures passengers returned back as the sun went down and formed a beautiful sunset over the Planet structure which was fitting tribute as during our overnight call, the singers, dancers and aerialists of Freedom 2 Move would perform the aerial spectacular Planet show for the very last time.Passengers watched in amazement as countdown commenced in preparation for the final blast off for the inter planetary journey through the solar system as the aerial performers produced death defying stunts on the cloud swing, trapeze, hoop, silks and rope with fire juggling & hand balance routines to Holsts Planet Suite 40 feet above the deck. The aerial spectacular show has been the signature of Ocean Village since its inception and tonight it made its finale performance.

The Big Goodbye - Muscat

Land Ahoy!! After 5 fantastic fun filled days with perfect weather and sea conditions Ocean Village arrived in the city of Muscat in Oman.

Those passengers who explored the city and took an Action Ashore tour visited the part medieval and part modern Capital of Oman taking in sights such as the Grand Mosque which covers over 1 million square feet, the Bait Al Zubair Museum and the Al Alam Palace.

Those brave enough to haggle roamed the narrow alleyways of the Muttrah Souk to check out the stalls selling everything from bronze coffee ports to exotic spices and those in search of adventure took in the sights of dolphin watching or a desert jeep adventure through the rugged terrain of the Hajar mountains.

The ship berthed overnight but those not planning an evening ashore were treated to a Halloween evening to remember! Manuel Martinez the comedy magician added a touch of mystery and mayhem to the Marquee with his madcap manic performance full of tricks and comedic fun. Cuba’s most entertaining export was a big hit, as ever, but eventually he performed his final trick for the final time.

The events team produced a ghoulish and gastly Halloween gameshow with prizes and competitions to be won in Connexions and the night continued until the witching hour at the Spooky Party in Bayside to the sounds of the Monster Mash & the Time Warp!

The Big Goodbye - Safaga

Another early start for over 1000 passengers choosing to walk like an Egyptian and follow in the footsteps of the Ancient Egyptians to see the breathtaking monuments of Karnak and Luxor.

Passengers made their way from the gateway port of Safaga to explore some of the largest ancient religious sites in the world including the Temple of Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and the Luxor Temple.

The weather conditions were idyllic with sunshine skies and although another long and tiring day passengers enjoyed the halls, tombs, statues, pillars and hieroglyphics. Others enjoyed an unforgettable desert experience at a traditional Bedouin camp as part of a Desert Jeep safari tour!

On their return, the Freedom 2 Move performers performed their raunchy , sexy show Fever for the final ever time – the Marquee lounge was treated to performances from our singers, dancers and aerialists and was the first in the collection of shows from Freedom 2 Move during the crossing.

Tracy - Entertainment and Retail Director

The Big Goodbye - Port Said

The morning started bright and early at 7am as the first passengers wiped the sleep out of their eyes to meet for their exciting day on tour in Cairo – the sphinx, pyramids and museum were just some of the fascinating highlights in store during their long and dusty day.

Two convoys – a total of 16 coaches left under police escort to make their way on the 3 hour journey to see the wonders of the world. The weather conditions were perfect with bright blue skies and plenty of sunshine which made for perfect conditions in order to see the tourist attractions that Cairo has to offer.

Fortunately husbands managed to keep hold of their wives however, that didn’t stop the locals bartering them for camels.

After a long day the hotel team were ready to welcome them back to the port and there was just time for some last minute souvenir shopping from the local vendors before getting back onboard.

All the passengers commented that it had been a very long and tiring day but that it had been worth every minute and every penny.

Tracy - Entertainment and Retail Director

The Big Goodbye - At Sea

The sun was out the sky was blue and Ocean Village had started her final voyage.

Great weather was the perfect start to the first of our fun packed and fun filled sea days – the decks were busy with passengers relaxing in the sunshine and the ship was a hive of activity as people found their way around again, organised their Action Ashore tours in the fabulous ports of call and ensured that they got their all important table booked in James Martin’s Bistro restaurant for the final time, especially as James is due to visit during this farewell cruise.

The programme was packed full of activities including seminars and sporting activities, art classes and acupuncture demos, cooking demonstrations and quizzes, dance lessons and darts.

Passengers were thrilled at the opportunity to play darts with former professional darts champion – Keith Dellar. The Oval pub was packed with keen players and onlookers as they tried to get the highest score with 3 darts and beat the champ.

After a day of sunshine, relaxation and activity there was another fantastic evening of entertainment ahead with the first of our tribute shows. The Marquee lounge became a rock concert style venue as we welcomed Steve Larkins performing his Tribute to Freddie Mercury of Queen – Mercury Rising.

The finale of the show was complete with passengers waving their Union Jack flags to the sounds of the classic song “We are the Champions”.

As the passengers left the lounge with flags in hand one lady turned to me and asked “Is it going to be like this every night...? it was so emotional! The first two nights have made my cry – its just so sad that Ocean Village is going...it’s my fourth time onboard and this is my friends first time and she’s loving it already”

Over in Connexions it was comedy night and Dave Buck who had everyone in fits of laughter with his clever use of comedic talents with two hilarious shows.

We all had the luxury of an extra hour’s sleep as the clocks went back an hour in preparation for Port Said – the gateway port for Cairo and another momentous day in Ocean Village’s journey.

Tracy - Entertainment and Retail Director

The Big Goodbye - Heraklion

What a rollercoaster of emotions for Ocean Village, the Final Farewell cruise had arrived at last and with it came feelings of excitement, disappointment, sadness and pride as the ship arrived in Heraklion for its final turnaround. “See more, do more, be more” was soon to be ‘no more’.

Excitement on the faces of the loyal OV devoted passengers who were about to embark on their trip of lifetime but disappointment from passengers and crew that it would be the final ever cruise. There was sadness onboard at having to say goodbye to the youth and biking team and the Heraklion ground crew but it was filled with pride at what we have achieved over the last few years of Ocean Village.

At 7pm the entertainment commenced on Top Deck for what promised to be a Farewell Extravaganza with performances from the local Greek musicians and dancers, the resident singers, the Freedom 2 Move aerialists with their fire juggling and the International classical singing sensations the All Angels who had been flown especially for this one off performance!
They certainly didn’t disappoint and truly had voices of angels dedicating their performance of “I’ll Fly Away” to the passengers and crew of Ocean Village on this Farewell Voyage.

There wasn't a dry eye on the deck!

After several enthusiastic bursts on the ships whistle Captain Charlie Carr threw the lines and Ocean Village departed on the start of her final voyage to Singapore!

Tracy - Entertainment and Retail Director

Ocean Village Crowned No.1 Cruise Line by Top Cruise Website!

I'm really chuffed by some great news that's just reached me - Ocean Village has hit the number one spot as Best Cruise Line line in rankings just announced by the independent website www.cruise.co.uk.

While it's great to have won the top spot overall, what's even nicer is that Ocean Village came top for having the best staff on board of all the cruise lines - that makes all of us feel really proud, and we'll be wanting to keep things that way through to our farewell sailing in the Autumn.

See the article by clicking here

Michael Lobban

The cruise when the King of the Jungle reverted to the King of the Jingle

From;

To;

The month of June has been a good one for Ocean Village and we’ve seen the summer climes catch up with us in Mediterranean waters at last. It’s also been a good one with a great line-up of entertainment, but for me the highlight was the cruise starting on the 3rd of June through until the 10th when an Ocean Village favourite and a personal favourite of mine cruised with us, celebrity and ever popular DJ and King of the Jungle, Tony Blackburn.

As Tony boarded Ocean Village in Heraklion, he actually thought he was coming to Palma and was surprised when he landed at an airport that he found hard to pronounce, a passenger approached him and said, “you look just like Tony Blackburn, are you one of the tribute acts?”. “Yes”, replied Tony, “I am. I’m appearing as myself!”

We did indeed have a star studded line up of tribute acts from Jayne Middleton as Annie Lennox, Steve Larkins as Freddie Mercury and Kelly O’Brien as Dolly Parton. All are favourites of mine but, on this cruise the star and gentleman of the week must go to our very own, all-original, Tony.

Hosting an excellent, electrifying evening of music in our nightclub Bayside, Tony was back spinning the discs and nostalgia ruled the waves. On another evening he hosted a pop music quiz in Connexions and I have never ever seen Connexions so packed for a quiz. The banter flowed and off the cuff jokes and anecdotes spun as fast as his discs did the previous evening. Sailing from Piraeus the Marquee filled for an, “Up Close and Personal with Tony Blackburn” and Tony amused all with replies to questions posed from the chair occupied by Events Team hostess Donna Randles.

During his exchange with Donna, Tony talked about his time as a DJ with the famous pirate radio station Radio Caroline, his times with Radio 1 and how he rehearsed his opening words for the first broadcast, and his selection for the first record ever played on Radio 1, The Move with “Flowers in the Rain”.

Tony then updated us on his moves to date and of course the “Jungle” was not to be missed out and he gave an incredible insight into the filming and his life in the Jungle. How he had collected wood for the fire and, because he had collected so much at one point, the producers decided to remove most of it one night! As the crowd chuckled away he then explained that he’d been upset at the loss as he’d had an affinity for the logs he had collected and, when he subsequently found some of them again down by the stream he instantly recognised them and he felt it was like being reunited with old friends.

Our last night of the cruise, departing from Santorini, Tony was back behind the microphone as host on our very own Ocean Village Radio. OV Radio is transmitted into all passenger cabins on channel three and of course live in the Village Square where an audience had gathered to watch the idol of many, perform in his inimitable style.

Thank-you Tony for bringing us so much warmth and charm and for sharing your personal experiences of your life with us here on Ocean Village.

Michael Lobban, Hotel Director

A Sunny Santorini on the 9th of June

Mirror-like seas and a hazy hue over the caldera was the early-morning welcome to the idyllic, picture postcard anchorage below the small cliff-top settlement of Fira. If you’ve never visited Santorini you will marvel at the volcanic landscape, the black sand beaches, the red color lava rocks and the beautiful white houses built on the cliffs of the volcano. This is Santorini, with little white churches atop soaring cliffs, deep blue skies; Santorini is truly the zenith of a Greek island cruise experience. As we cruised into the caldera, the morning started somewhat cloudy but it was clear that any cloud coverage was going to blow over as the morning progressed.
Today was one of only three calls that Ocean Village is making this year and, as every call to Santorini does, it didn’t disappoint our passengers who were quickly dispatched in varying directions by some pretty impressive, new shoreside boats.

All of our excursions from Santorini are guaranteed to please and the breathtaking scenery is simply quite amazing. You can absorb so much in such a short time and, to visit the finest viewpoints with ease, a tour is a must to totally appreciate the scenery.

One of our tours starts with a fast boat trip to the port of Athinios where, from here, the windy road takes you up to the Mountain of Prophet Elijah, the highest point on the island. Following this there is a visit to see the classic Greek Aghios Nectarios Church.

After a quick comfort stop at the Santo Winery, where there is also the chance to sample the local nectar, it is onward on a never ending journey of natural beauty.

(The above photo is of the view from the Santo Winery, an unparalleled balm for the soul)
Lunch on the excursion is taken in a beautiful taverna called Pyrgos and entrance is gained through a rather quirky make-up of a small Grecian windmill. From inside, the view to the anchorage where Ocean Village lay peacefully in the far distance was on the left, to the right the plains looking down towards the airport and, away in front, the capital town of Fira perched high on vertical cliffs overlooking the caldera.

All too soon the whistle-stop tour was at an end and the last journey back to the ship lay ahead. Another picturesque winding road and then, from Fira, a short transfer by cable-car back down to the small port area in the distance below.(The above photograph is courtesy of our onboard photo team and is taken from the idyllic clifftop village of Oia)

Whilst waiting for the cable car

Homeward bound

Michael Lobban, Hotel Director

Ship of the First Quarter 2010 and Gold for Ocean Village

Triumph again for Ocean Village as she swept a Gold award off the table in the rewards for ship of the first quarter of 2010.

The competition was hard as the choice was made between all of the ships within the P&O fleet and the competition is set to hot up and get even harder as Cunard enter the frame as of the second quarter 2010.

We were awarded the Gold award and received £500 to spend on the ship’s company. One of our criteria, amongst a host of others, was that we had continued to deliver an outstanding performance based on the results as seen from the Customer Service Questionnaires and achieved the highest and most consistent scores for the period.

A heartfelt thank-you goes out to any past, present and repeat passengers who contributed to this result! Keep giving us a “Great”!

In order that all crew could benefit, it was again decided to hold another lunchtime crew barbecue on our day at sea on Friday the 4th of June as we sailed up to the start of our passage through the Dardanelles on our way to Istanbul. It’s always a difficult decision what to do with gifted funds but I think all enjoyed the few beers, wine or soft drinks and the respite from busy work schedules in the company of fellow colleagues.

Once again the celebrity chefs from “Chefs ‘r’ Us” were out in force to ensure quality standards were kept up ……..

Michael Lobban, Hotel Director

The London Marathon, Deon Du Preez and the British Sailors’ Society!

When Deon Du Preez left Ocean Village on the 18th of March for a well deserved vacation after a full contract as Finance Officer he should have been resting but this wasn’t to be! It was full on training up to readiness for the London Marathon on the 25th of April.

His fitness training regime started back on board Ocean Village in November of 2009 and, by the time March came around he’d completed over 300 miles albeit on the ship’s treadmills. Just before Deon was due to leave in March he developed an injury known as “runners’ knee” caused by over training and this injury left him little time to do any of his planned road training. He tried running again three weeks before the race and only managed five kilometers before his knee went again, therefore he subsequently went into the race not knowing if he would even be able to finish!

Sunday the 25th of April came and it was a very apprehensive Deon who made his way out of his hotel in London, where he had to leave his girlfriend Kerry behind on her birthday, and on to his assigned starting point, red, section 9, right at the back. There are three starting points around London, red is the main body of runners, blue is for the elite and green is categorised for wheelchairs and ‘fast for the age’. Between the three categories the total number of runners for the London Marathon 2010 was approximately 56,000!

The starting gun sounded at 09.30 and the runners were off. Fortunately however, although the starting gun sounds, the individual runners’ times does not start to be recorded until the individual crosses the actual starting line. This is just as well because with 56,000 runners all starting on a line, the line and indeed the streets of London would have to be about sixty kilometers wide!

So, the gun had been sounded and the first contestants started over the starting line. It was no reflection on Deon’s prowess as a runner but he eventually crossed the starting line at 10.15 (45 minutes after the start of the race!) and this is testimony to the bottleneck effect of moving such an enormous amount of people at one time.

The race was on and Deon was off and running, trying to do his best for his chosen charity, The British Sailors’ Society, for whom he successfully raised £1,400 through his efforts.
Winding his way through runners dressed as Camels, Beer Bottles, Storm Troopers and Firemen, Deon crossed the finishing line just in front of a Fullers Beer Bottle!

How did he do? Congratulations Deon, an extremely respectable time of four hours, fifteen minutes and fourteen seconds! Out of the 56,000 runners he finished as the 14,822nd and his half way time was a very good time of one hour, fifty-nine minutes and forty-four seconds! Well done from all of us at Ocean Village and, by the way, “welcome back on board”. Yes, Deon is back on board as Financial Controller.

So how was it Deon? “I was very apprehensive to start due to my knee but I had tears in my eyes as I ran up the last stretch to the finish line, very emotional, I couldn’t believe I had finished and in a reasonable time!”

Michael Lobban, Hotel Director

Alternative Kusadasi Tour

A lovely warm early morning arrival with not a breath of wind to flutter our flags, heralded our arrival into Kusadasi and another mini highlight of the cruise as passengers opted for the wondrous sights of the ancient city of Ephesus.

Passing Pelican Island on our approach, the sea looked so inviting although, being still May, the word “looked” was probably the operative word!

Ephesus is truly an amazing place where you can drink in the culture of days of yore as you pass the Library of Celsus and the Temple of Hadrian or check-out the huge Grand Theatre where St Paul preached and walk along the Arcadian Way following in the footsteps of Anthony and Cleopatra.

However there is an, insiders’ tip, an “alternative tour”! When the morning rounds have been completed, meetings have been put to rest and the paperwork has been caught up on, a general feel-good factor creeps in and this feeling needs to be fed further and what better way than a quick run ashore for a proper Turkish shave in a traditional father and son barber’s shop.

We gents look at ourselves in the mirror every morning and shaving becomes a chore that needs to be completed as part of our morning ablutions. It doesn’t have to be a chore however and, to anybody who hasn’t experienced it yet, I can thoroughly recommend the experience of lying back in the barber’s chair and letting a true professional deftly wield a cut-throat razor over your chin. Not once but twice does he perform this task in order to ensure a skin as soft, smooth and supple as a freshly born baby’s bum!

Then of course there’s the “ear waxing”! Ow ……..! This process rids your outer ears of all the tiny hairs that you’d never be able to reach yourself. Some barbers do this with a small burning cotton pad on a wooden stick and, with a flick of the wrist, burn the same hairs! The “stingy” bit is still to come though and, with fresh, lemon cologne, a face, head, shoulder and arm massage ensues before you head off into the clean fresh air outside feeling like a million pounds.

A quick cursory glance at the watch tells us that, yes, we have time for a light fresh fish and salad lunch after all!

Michael Lobban, Hotel Director