TV Soap Star Spends Christmas on Caribbean Cruise
Corrie's Denise Welch gives the low down on her Caribbean break
Ocean Village cruises suit passengers of all types - even TV stars! We caught up with Denise Welch between Waterloo Road, Coronation Street and Loose Women, to see what she really thought of her Caribbean Christmas cruise. See what she had to say...
I picked Ocean Village because... of two reasons. The first because it caters so magnificently for families and the second because it is so laid back. My husband Tim and I have to dress up all the time to go to various functions, and whilst we all love a bit of glamour, you certainly don’t want to feel the pressure of keeping up appearances when trying to unwind on holiday.
My favourite destination... this time round was Panama because of what we got up to whilst onshore. We visited the Embera Indian Tribal Village and it really was mind-blowing seeing how the lifestyle of these villagers still remained so faithful to century old traditional practises. I adored watching my 6 year old son Louis, play with the young children from the village. They bonded effortlessly as only children can despite the obvious cultural and language barriers. I'm looking forward to seeing what cultural trips are on offer at Ocean Village's brand new destinations this year! We all had such fun and learnt so much.
Not to be missed onboard… are the evening entertainment shows. There is a fantastic mix of shows on offer and I honestly thought that the performers onboard were up to West End standards.
Not to be missed onshore... is the string ray city snorkel in Antigua. I didn’t last long in the water as I was a bag of nerves but Tim absolutely loved it - and was far braver than me.
I spoilt myself rotten with... Massages in the onboard spa. It was great to get some 'me' time and pampering. The food on offer was also fantastic - and you can choose to be as healthy or as naughty as you like!
My kid loved... the Base Camp. It is open all day and night giving Mums and Dads a chance to have some time for themselves, and the kids the chance to escape their parents and meet new friends. The onboard Youth Team were fantastic - nothing was too much trouble.
My favourite member of staff was... Hayley Lander, an onboard dancer. She was so welcoming and warm. Little Louis adored her - so much so that he got a 'H' henna tattoo on his arm in her honour. She still calls me and Louis now and we both cant wait to see her again this year when we go back onboard.
Next time, I can't wait to try... some more of the cultural action ashore trips. I am more of a culture vulture than Tim is, so this time round, now we know there are on shore activities to suit both our tastes, I think we will end up exploring new destinations separately in our own memorable and favoured ways.
See what you could get up to on an Ocean Village cruise in the Mediterranean or Caribbean.
