Ocean Village

Overview

This small division of the Carnival Corporation is just about as hip as a cruise line can get and still be considered a cruise line. Headquartered and marketed in the U.K., the line's motto promises to be "the cruise for people who don't do cruises." Quite simply, Ocean Village cruises are flexible and relatively unstructured, although the company does follow the typical British holiday scheme of being a total package deal (including airfare to the port of embarkation), if that's what you desire.

While the two vessels in the current Ocean Village fleet aren't brand-new, they have been extensively refurbished and have many of the amenities typical of much newer ships. They're also very family-friendly, with many supervised activities for children and teens. Upbeat and trendy, Ocean Village places stress on informal island-hopping and itineraries that include sunny, beach-centric destinations along with major city ports of call. Most cruises range in length from one to three weeks.

Richmond House, Terminus Terrace, Southampton, UK, SO14 3PN. 0845/358-5000. www.oceanvillageholidays.co.uk. Cruise Style: Mainstream.