Jumping for Joy at the Pyramids

Port Said (gateway to Cairo) - Saturday the 22nd of May saw the same tired group of blue-shirted travelers clutching their pillows and heading off in their mini bus for Cairo. The travelers were our beloved photography team and the early morning start turned out to be well worth it. Passengers were well informed as to who to look out for at the pyramids and were delighted that the photographers were able to capture their cultural experience. The Ocean Village Photography Team were literally jumping for joy and the day was acclaimed as being a great success for all!

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

Two Martins and a Rachael!

For five days, Ocean Village became the glamorous set for director Martin and cameraman Martin from the film and video production company Tigervision, as well as Ocean Village’s shoreside Brand Manager Rachael Hallett. They joined us on board to produce a farewell DVD, which is to be given to all of our crew as a great reminder of what makes Ocean Village such a unique brand. For once, it was not so much about our passengers as it was about us – “smile for the camera” requests were not needed as this attribute is what we do best on Ocean Village.
What a great team to have on board! It was fun to have the film crew with us and we now look forward to viewing the results of their efforts and their endless patience when putting up with us budding movie celebrities!

Thank you!

Michael Lobban,
Hotel Director, Ocean Village.

Olympia? Wine Tasting? Or a stroll ashore for lunch!

Here we are alongside in Katakolon with the prospects of a lovely sunny day in this small, idyllic Greek port. The day has started well - there’s not a breath of wind in the air and the thought of a nice Greek salad lunch is on the cards!

For our passengers this should be a highlight as the port is a hop, skip and jump to Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games believed to have originated back in 776BC. Here you can don your trainers and sprint along the original track in the stadium where the marble starting blocks are still in place - so hopefully the passengers will be able to take some more fond memories – and holiday snaps - back home when they return to the UK.

The less energetic (or those who’ve seen Olympia before) have the option of a casual stroll through the vines and pine woods overlooking the sparkling Ionian Sea at the nearby Mercouri vineyard. What a way to spend a leisurely morning with the added bonus of being able to sample their wines accompanied with some local cheeses and hams.

For me however, with most passengers ashore, I’m taking the opportunity to enjoy a short stroll and a light Greek salad, tzatziki, large fresh grilled prawns, golden fried calamari, chicken souvlakia and a saganaki before returning on board to continue with my duties.

This was the view from our table in the restaurant (photo courtesy of Jeff Talbot Chief Engineer with technical assistance given by Gordon Morgan SETO).

Michael Lobban
Hotel Director – Ocean Village

A busy day on the water as we sailed into the architectural jewellery box that is Venice!

Sailing in - or out - of Venice is always a highlight of any cruise and Sunday the 16th of May was no exception for our eagerly awaiting passengers on board Ocean Village.

It was a busy day as we shared neighbouring berths with some of Carnival’s bigger cruise ships, which made it like a big family reunion. Carnival’s other ships were: The Ruby Princess (Princess Cruises), the Westerdam (Holland America) and the Costa Serena (Costa Crociere. Also alongside were the MSC Musica and the Windstar.

It was a tight fit passing bridge on bridge with the Ruby Princess as we reversed out of the berth! In the background, although not really clear in the photograph were the snow capped peaks of the Alps – no wonder some passengers were wrapped in fleeces!

This picture shows Costa’s Serena as she made her passage out to sea and dwarfed the buildings to her port and starboard sides.

The below picture shows Piazzetta San Marco, which as always was a hub of activity with the Basilica of San Marco and the Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale), a splendid example of Venetian Gothic architecture. The Doge's Palace was the seat of government of the former Venetian Republic and the principal facades of the palace overlook the Piazetta. The Bridge of Sighs (just out of shot) is adjacent to the Doge’s Palace, where legend says that from this bridge one could hear the sighs of the condemned as they were being led to prison.

The atmosphere as we sailed out past these magnificent sights was enhanced by some fantastic music ranging from classical through Andrea Bocelli and on to Sarah Brightman as passengers sipped away at glasses of Moёt et Chandon Champagne on board that were on offer during our special sail-away promotion!

Michael Lobban
Hotel Director – Ocean Village

Planet takes off again as we blast into orbit for another space adventure!

Departing Corfu on 4th of May, ‘Cyber Space Shuttle’ Ocean Village was buzzing in anticipation of our first Planet show since the Caribbean!


The ship’s navigator had set the course and it looked set for a perfect lift-off for our spectacular deck show. Countdown started under perfect conditions and aerialists, dancers, singers, acrobats and a group of space travellers from the talented ‘Freedom 2 Move’ dance troupe, took off at precisely 21.30, leaving Earth behind to explore the mysteries of Mars, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune!

Delighted passengers witnessed an electrifying mix of international circus acts, stilt-walkers and acrobats from decks 12 and 14 in a musical, aerial and visual extravaganza.

This hi-octane performance was the first of the Med 2010 season – and the crowd went wild!


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

The historical highlight and must-snap Acropolis of Athens

As we set sail from Piraeus to Crete on the evening of Wednesday 28th April , a beautiful Nikon D60 camera equipped with a pretty high powered 18-250 Nikon lens was sitting on ‘The Bridge’ , where a shot too good to miss was there be taken!

The camera belonged to Gary Lugg our 1st Officer (Navigator) and the budding David Bailey was our Deputy Captain Darius Balana.

For those passengers that didn’t make it ashore to visit the Parthenon in Athens, this holiday-album shot really does put the size of the Parthenon into perspective – up close it looks like a giant guarding the ancient capital below however, as seen from the photograph, the surrounding landscape makes it miniscule.

Don’t forget to check back later in the week where I’ll be blogging about Ocean Village’s recent birthday celebrations.

Michael Lobban,
Hotel Director – Ocean Village

Ocean Village Photogs go 'snap-happy' at Giza!

Here at Ocean Village we like to combine business with pleasure where we can and a day at the world-famous Pyramids was the perfect opportunity for our on-board photography team.

At 07.00 the photographers made for a strange sight as they boarded their bus in Port Said armed with cushions and pillows – essential items for a day of snapping passengers, landmarks and ships of the desert!

The team split up at the Pyramids to ensure they got the best shots of our passengers but they did get a short break (pictured below) to appear on the other side of a lens!

Michael Lobban
Hotel Director - Ocean Village