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Reply to "Greece & Turkey: Athens, Istanbul, Mykonos, et al"

One of the best things about the trip was the cruise itself and the funny, sometimes odd cast of characters whose paths we crossed. The passenger list was international, but many were retired couples and widows from middle America. I'm embarrassed to admit I had to restrain myself from labeling people Bush supporters based on their regional dialects, hairstyles and fashion choices. (Even if they did vote for her, I give them credit for being open-minded enough to travel overseas at all -- many Americans never leave the U.S. and don't want to.) What was nice however was how well everyone got along. The serving of meals is coordinated so that strangers sit together over lunch, dinner and sometimes breakfast, though not always the same strangers. I know this arrangement sounds horrifying and on some cruises I'm sure it is. But we made out just fine, probably because this cruise featured a sightseeing itinerary rather than a beach-going one like so many of the Carribbean ships. So the various port excursions gave everyone common ground and experiences to share. Nevertheless it must have been obvious to everyone we dined with that we were a gay couple rather than just friends, and not once was an unkind look, gesture or word leveled at us.

Our favorites were Florence and Fran, two widows in their 70s traveling together. Fran, who used to spend summers in Atlantic City when her husband was still alive, gambled with us on several nights. Florence was great, she loved disco dancing and walked up every steep embankment, foothill and staircase the island trips had to offer, walking cane notwithstanding. A real trooper and full of life.

There was the JAP-py but very fun thirty-something girl from Boca traveling with her 70-ish mother. Both dressed very well in stylish cocktails dresses by night and bolero jackets by day. The mother was putty in our hands once my spouse told her she easily passed for 60.

And there was the chatty Grande Dame grandmother from Ohio traveling with her 16 y.o. granddaughter. We lunched with them one day when we were both disgustingly hungover from a night of gambling and binge drinking in the casino. The grandmother led conversation for the whole table (fortunately) with many lively stories of past foreign travels to tell and inquiries over what everyone was reading during our spare hours aboard the ship. She and I compared notes about Rome, and later we bumped into her on our flight back to NYC. She claimed to have lost her passport just before boarding the plane, then later found it amongst her things.

Patty & "Mickey" (as in the Disney mouse and the Toni Basil 80s hit). My spouse swore they were dykes, I wasn't sure. They were from California and had that hippy-ish Berkeley look that can be mistaken for gay but is really just granola. Who knows. They were latched through a teacher friend of theirs onto a traveling group of high school students from New Hampshire - four boys and ten girls. One of the boys, the only sophomore among three seniors, was a cute loner geek somewhat shunned by the other kids, so Peppermint Patty and Mickey took this boy under their wing and then starting hanging out with us.

The casino dealers I already mentioned. We would tease Igor about getting naked in Mykonos and he teased right back. Peppermint Patty and Mickey hated Slavika, the casino manager, because she wouldn't let their underage teen friend Cameron into the gambling area but said nothing when the 12-year-old daughter of one of the Greek gamblers showed up every night to check on her dad. Money talks.

Then there was the married queen and his (biological female) wife. You would have to be Helen Keller not to know this man was obviously gay. It hit you like a MAC truck. She was good-looking in a creepy closeted Republican way and worked Indiana Jones outfits and hats ... it was all we could do to keep a straight face (no pun intended). His wife was a completely sexless BLOB, a real hippo. I felt sorry for her as they consumed much alcohol, probably to substitute for the lack of a sex life. Fortunately they were seated at the far opposite side of our table, though when my beloved volunteered that I was writing a novel, the cow blurted out, "Really? Sounds great -- I'm such a drama queen!"

The doctor from Washington DC who ate two lunches every day (one onboard, one ashore) while his wife slept until 2 p.m. every day. He was a sweetheart though who encouraged me at Blackjack.

And so many others! The life of the crew is hard though. They work 7 days a week for 8 straight months, April through November. Then they have 4 months off. No wonder they have girlfriends/boyfriends in every port.
Last edited by Luxury Lex
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