Food & Drink onboard Ocean Village

There are 4 restaurants on board Ocean Village - The Waterfront, Plantations, La Luna and The Bistro.

The Waterfront is situated on deck 7 at the back of the ship next door to the bistro. It has a large indoor seated area and a smaller outdoor deck area. This restaurant is buffet dining and had quite a variety of foods to keep your taste buds happy. There was always a good choice between hot and cold dishes as well as light or heavy meals and watch out for the desserts, they were ALWAYS divine! I don't usually like buffet dining but the food was always fresh out and piping hot. I know some other reviews have said the food was warm not piping hot but i didnt encounter this at all during the week i was onboard. This restaurant is not open 24hrs so its wise to check your daily newsletter though i found it was usually open from 7am - 9.30am for breakfast and 6pm - 10pm for dinner and a few lunchtimes.

Plantation restaurant, situated on deck 12, was also buffet dining and very similar to the Waterfront though smaller, it also feels a bit more like a cafe than a restaurant.
They are open 24hrs a day and ran a timing system for their dishes - whatt i mean by this is that for example, you would have Chinese dishes from 6.30pm - 9.30pm and Mexican dishes from 7.30pm - 10pm. These were just the specialities and there were many other foods available too. The late night snacks were always quite dangerous as they had hotdogs and burgers (which smelt soooo good!)as well as cheese and biscuits or sweets etc.

The Bistro is Celebrity Chef, James Martin's restaurant, which was booked solid as James Martin was actually onboard that week. We were lucky enough to get in while he was there and even luckier that he came to our table and posed for a photo. What a lovely man! His menu is mouth watering and very difficult to choose from but whatever you do pick, you wont be disappointed. The food is served quickly and is worth every penny of the £12.50 per head supplement - also if you book your table for between 6pm - 6.30pm you could take advantage of the Early Bird offer of only £9.50 each. It is open from 6pm - 10pm each evening.

La Luna is on deck 12, half of it is inside and half outside so that you can dine under the stars if you wish (you need to state this when booking your table). The menu here is very good and also well worth the money. It is open lunch times and eveings - lunch is free with a few chargeable items and the evening meal carries a supplement.

Opposite La Luna is the kids' favorite eating place, Sunweavers Ice Cream Bar, which sells ice creams, cold drinks and coffees.
Drinks were no more expensive than in the UK on a night out. Expect to pay:

• £3.60 for a glass of house wine


• £2.60 for a pint of Stella


• £2.20 for a pint of Boddingtons


• £2.40 for a bottle of Bacardi Breezer or Smirnoff Ice


• £2.50 for a spirit but then you need to add 70p for the mixer


• Most fizzy drinks are 95p with exception of Redbull at £1.80


• £16.45 for a bottel of Rioja


• £19.45 for a bottle of Chateauneuf de Pape


• £12.45 for a bottle of Piesporter Michelsburg


• £32.45 for a bottle of Moet

One thing you cannot do - if you want to eat - is take refuge in your cabin. There is no room service on this ship, though tea and coffee making facilities are available in your cabin.