Ocean Village revamps action ashore programme

New for its Mediterranean season 2008, Ocean Village is introducing a brand new, action-packed, Action Ashore programme on all of its seven and 14 night sailings across both its Eastern and Western Med itineraries.

Designed to cater for all tastes, this new programme will set adventure addicts’ pulses racing, whilst sun worshippers can enjoy lazy beach getaways and culture vultures can take in chic city tours around the Western Wed or bask in the history of Ancient Greece on an Eastern Med cruise.

The brand new booklets also have a new fresh look and feel. Graphic icons for each option give a clear ,at-a-glance summary of what’s involved and brand new options are clearly indicated. The booklets also now incorporates an integral booking form for ease of use – all options are clearly laid out by itinerary and port of call and the form includes prices for both adults and children. 

Ocean Village has introduced over 20 new Action Ashore option for the 2008 summer season. Highlights include:

Western Med activities
Rock climbing from St Raphael – Passengers can test their agility and strength climbing this dramatic red rock face. Once at the top, the stunning sea views are well worth it, but what goes up must come down and after crossing a rope bridge, it’s a 40m abseil back down to solid ground.

Helicopter Flightseeing from Barcelona – A bird’s eye view of the city makes a great way to check out iconic landmarks, including Gaudi’s Park Guell, the fanciful Sagrada Familia cathedral and the impressive Nou Camp stadium and Olympic Village.

Ancient Rome – Following in the footsteps of gladiators and emperors, passengers can visit the Colosseum, walk the Palatine Hill to the former Palaces and take in the views of the Roman Forum and Circus Maximus below.
Natural Tuscany from Florence and Pisa – Scenic overload! After a stop-off at the ‘Wind Cave’, Grotto del Vento’s natural cavern, the journey continues to Lucca, the beautiful walled city on the Tuscany’s Serchio River.

Eastern Med activities
Discover Scuba/Scuba Diving from Ephesus – Water babies can jump right in with this scuba diving experience. Whether a beginner or already a holder of a PADI certificate, this is a great opportunity for passengers to strap on a tank and explore the clear Aegean waters.

Spinalonga from Heraklion – Gives passengers the chance to roam around this uninhabited island and discover the remains of the 16th century Venetian fortress, take a dip in the crystal clear sea and enjoy a tasty BBQ lunch.
Cruise and Swim from Rhodes – After a whizz along the coast by motorboat heading for the striking Anthony Quinn bay, it’s into the blue for a spot of snorkelling before hitting the beach or the town at  Tsambika. 

Gill Haynes, Head of Marketing Communications for Ocean Village, comments: “Our Action Ashore programme is a big hit with passengers with about 70% passengers taking one of many options on a daily basis.

Ocean Village’s signature mix of adrenaline-charged activities, laid-back options and culture fixes mean that people can get exactly what they want to from their time away, changing the rhythm of their holiday from hi-octane to low-energy from day to day if they want.  With over 100 activities to suit every taste and pace, passengers are spoilt for choice.”

Ocean Village offers unconventional cruising onboard the best equipped ships in their class. With no fixed timetables and no formal dress codes the ships come packed with restaurants, pools, boutiques, more bars than there are days of the week, an Ocean-view gym and Karma Spa and even their very own fleet of mountain bikes for exploring each new destination.

Passengers take their pick of a wealth of onboard evening entertainment ranging from stand up comedy, urban dance shows, tribute acts, and even a laser aerial spectacular performed 40 feet above the pools out on deck.

Families can also take advantage of the supervised children’s facilities onboard, including a night nursery for the young ones, a separate zone for teens and Great Escapes options whereby teens can dump their parents for the day and visit marine parks, hike up volcanoes, see Nou Camp stadium and the like in the care of the ship’s youth staff.

To book contact your ABTA travel agent for details, call 0845 358 5000 or visit www.oceanvillageholidays.co.uk