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

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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

Bikes 'r' Us!

Things are hotting up in the saddle and, as the warmer temperatures in the Med slowly emerge so are the budding off-roaders who enjoy a trip out with our Biker Boys on Ocean Village. Here on Ocean Village we have 42 bikes and they are run under the capable management of Andy Burford the Bike Manager and Trevor Adeline our Bike Guide.
The bike rides are graded according to difficulty so that passengers can feel as energetic as they wish. Whether you’re riding through picturesque olive and orange groves or passing tall Cypress trees and fragrant eucalyptus woods you can soak in the countryside and savour nature at its best. If medieval city walls and famous Roman sites are your cup of tea, then an Ocean Village biking trip will tick the box – one of the rides even visit a local winery!

Most of our biking tours offer the prospect of a cooling swim during the ride and as you can see from the below photo taken in Katakolon on the 19th May, the sea and sandy beaches look very welcoming indeed.

Michael Lobban,
Hotel Director, Ocean Village

Saturday Kitchen on a Tuesday and Wednesday!

Two busy days in the Bistro with celebrity chef James Martin!

It’s always a highlight when James comes to visit us on Ocean Village and the 18th and 19th of May were no exception. Immediately after boarding James headed straight to the galley to meet up with Jnr. Sous Chef Yuri Gracias. Yuri has worked with James for many years now and has been guest at his home near Winchester, with the added privilege of being allowed to play around in the Ferrari and other cars from James’ pristine collection.

However, when the two are on board together it’s heads down to get on with work. Of course when Celebrity Chef James is on board, the passengers all want to dine in The Bistro, forcing the numbers to record highs! Both of them were highly focused in their work and the plates that exited the galley looked sumptuous and each one a culinary masterpiece.
It wasn’t all cooking though and for over an hour, just before heading off to the galley on the 19th, James sat in the Village Square and signed, and signed, and signed. Ever smiling at the cameras and his fans he signed books, wooden boxed wines bearing his name and plates with the Bistro logo.

Michael Lobban,

Hotel Director, Ocean Village

“Hip, hip, hooray” – Ocean Village celebrates its 7th birthday

On 28th of April 2003, Ocean Village was named by Ulrika Jonsson in Southampton and 7 years on in Piraeus, the gateway to Athens, we gave 3 cheers for Ocean Village’s 7th birthday.
Our passengers toasted the UK’s best-loved informal cruise brand throughout the day and continued partying into the evening as our “Big Night Out” party was combined with true Ocean Village-style birthday celebrations.

While the guests were celebrating on deck, behind the scenes we were busy organising a birthday barbecue for our crew. We chose the day at sea on the 30th April, after departing Heraklion, for the celebrations.

The birthday barbecue was a real success with a great turnout. Guest chefs for the occasion, keeping the grills topped up, were Food and Beverage Director Michael Shambley and yours truly!

A great event and enjoyed by all.

Michael Lobban
Hotel Director – Ocean Village