Cover Feb 2013_Passport Cover Mar 2011 12/11/12 4:02 PM Page 1 TRAVEL • CULTURE • STYLE • ADVENTURE • ROMANCE! PASSPORTPASSPORT INSIDER’S GUIDE INSIDER’S GUIDE ISLAND HOPPING HONG KONG GREECE & WORLD EATS TURKEY HONOLULU INTERNATIONAL 5 FABULOUS FITNESS CRUISE VACATIONS CALENDAR DANUBE WHAT’S NEW IN RIVER CRUISE TURKS & CAICOS IN THE VIP LOUNGE WITH ALANIS GLOBETROTTING MORISSETTE DISNEY’S MAGIC FEBRUARY 2013 USA $4.95 CANADA $5.95 Santorini 32 PASSPORT I FEBRUARY 2013 GREECE +TURKEY Aboard the Star Clipper By Stuart Haggas FEBRUARY 2013 I PASSPORT 33 concierge travel cruise greece & turkey took my very first gay cruise in 2002, sailing from Istanbul to was followed in 2011 by a small sailing ship cruise to Costa Rica and Athens with RSVP Vacations on board the Royal Clipper, a voy- Panama. Then in the summer of 2012, Concierge Travel chartered the Star age that I covered for Passport’s first cruise issue in February Clipper for what would be its first all-gay European cruise. 2003. I was by no means a pioneer (RSVP’s first cruise sailed “We actually never intended to be a tour operator with our own char- out of New Orleans in 1986), but it seems that in the past decade ters,” says Kim Gustavsson, Concierge Travel’s vice president of sales Imore and more of us are choosing gay cruise vacations. and marketing. The voyages appear to get bigger and more ambitious every year: for “However, through selling big ships and various other travel experi- 2013, RSVP has a Southern Caribbean cruise for 2,100 guests, while ences, we had grown quite a large clientele that wanted small-ship prod- Atlantis Events is offering a Caribbean cruise with 3,700 passengers, a ucts. I think the desire for the small-ship experience was because of the inti- Singapore to Hong Kong cruise with 2,000 passengers, and a New macy they create as well as the wider variety of ports that they can offer.” Zealand to Australia cruise with 1,800 passengers. But as Gustavsson explains, it wasn’t that people were rejecting big- It’s not just guys who enjoy big ocean adventures: founded in 1973, ship cruises. “As we spoke to clients, it was clear they wanted the small- Olivia celebrates its 40th Anniversary in 2013 with two back-to-back ship experience in addition to the big-ship experience. It was not a sailings aboard Holland America’s 2,100-capacity ms Nieuw Amster- choice of one over the other; they simply wanted both.” dam for what will be the largest lesbian cruise ever. Nor is it exclusive- ly American: with two sold-out cruises under its belt, Europe’s La nspired by 19th-century sailing ships that swiftly brought precious car- Demence is planning its third Mediterranean adventure in 2013 for goes like teas, spices, and opium from the Far East to Europe, the Star 1,440 passengers, including an overnight stop in Israel to participate in IClipper is an authentic working clipper ship with four masts and 16 the Tel Aviv Gay Pride Parade. sails. To hoist the sails, deploy the anchor, and splice the main brace are a The guys at Concierge Travel are no strangers to these figures. This crew of skilled sailors in white and blue nautical uniforms. Carrying a max- Houston–based business has booked many gay men and lesbians onto big- imum of 170 passengers in a style reminiscent of the grand age of sailing, ship cruises. Nonetheless, they saw that a demand exists for more intimate the Star Clipper features sun-bleached teak decks, varnished mahogany small-ship experiences, and in 2009, Concierge Travel reacted to the handrails, and gleaming buffed brass work, while the wood-paneled public demand by offering for the first time its own small-ship charter, taking areas are decorated with antique-style furniture and artwork. inspiration from Charles Darwin and cruising the Galápagos Islands. This There were more hints of the grand age of travel in the itinerary, which included classic Greek destinations like Santorini, Patmos, and Monemvasia, as well as the Turkish port of Kuşadası and the ancient archaeological site of Ephesus. As I’d made my maiden voyage on board the Star Clipper’s sister ship ten years ago, I welcomed the invi- tation to sample once again an authentic sailing experience. With a name like Concierge Travel, you anticipate a certain level of personal service and expertise, and Gustavsson and the whole team were attentive and welcoming throughout the voyage. Though with 79% being repeat clients who’ve traveled with Concierge in the past, you could argue that there weren’t so many new names and faces to welcome. Altogether, 93% on board were gay men and 7% women. More than half were 35-50 years, 38% were 50-65 years, with just a couple of passengers under 35 or over 65. Seventy-one percent were American, 18% Canadian, with a smattering of British, French, Irish, Swedish, and German. Many had opted for the pre-cruise package in Athens, including accommodation and a gala dinner at the five-star Electra Palace Hotel, a morning walking tour exploring the ancient Acropolis and the new Acropolis Museum, and a traditional Greek lunch in the picturesque Plaka neighborhood. The coach transfer to the port of Piraeus was itself upgraded to a mini city tour, taking in famous sights including Hadrian’s Arch, the impressive Panathenaic Stadium, and the decadent neo-classical National Library, University, and Academy of Athens. Of particular interest was the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Syn- tagma Square, watched over around the clock by sentries of the Presiden- tial Guard. Known as Evzones, their distinctive ceremonial uniform com- prises a skirt-like cotton tunic, white woolen stockings with tasseled garters, red leather clogs with black pompoms, and a jaunty red cap with a long black tassel. Rather than the uniform of an elite infantry regiment, it resembles something that Lady Gaga might wear. Our guide explained that not only is there a minimum height require- ment of 6’ 10’’, but each prospective Evzone is matched with another of similar height, build and coloring (including eye color) so they’re aestheti- Evzones in Athens cally twin-like when paired up for sentry duty. They switch positions with 34 PASSPORT I FEBRUARY 2013 concierge travel cruise greece & turkey Greek Church on Santorini There were more hints of the grand age of travel in the itinerary, which included classic Greek destinations like Santorini, Patmos, and Monemvasia, as well as the Turkish port of Kuşadası and the ancient archaeological site of Ephesus. each other in a slow and stylized manner every 15 minutes, but are other- nce all aboard the Star Clipper, and formalities such as the wise required to remain statue-still—so taking into account the outlandish compulsory lifeboat drill dispensed with, we convened on attire, the wilting heat of the Greek sun, and the crowds of unruly camera- Odeck with cocktails and cameras to enjoy the first of many wielding tourists, it must be a tough gig (although whoever gets to peruse majestic views as Captain Sergey and his crew set us on course for and pair up the new recruits clearly has the best job ever). The sentries our first port: Mykonos. But first, there was a busy evening on board, change on the hour every hour; but for an orgy of Evzones marching to a including a welcome dinner, a slice of LGBT cabaret to accompany military band, don’t miss the Grand Change at 11 A.M. on Sundays. dessert, and a toga party under the stars. This large square is also on the frontline of the war against austerity “The big ships have parties and entertainment of a level that is measures: thousands of demonstrators frequently converge here to hard to match on the smaller ships,” Gustavsson acknowledged. “The oppose the harsh penalties that Greece is required to accept alongside any small ships tend to be more intimate. On a big ship, you can stay financial bailouts. There was, however, surprisingly little evidence of the incognito, on a small ship you will know everyone by the time you Greek Financial Crisis during my time in Athens. Instead came news of walk off the ship. They are simply different experiences.” the many celebrities showing solidarity by vacationing in Greece, includ- This doesn’t mean that the parties and entertainment on a smaller ship ing The New York Post quoting Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie saying: “We is below par. To ensure everyone was kept entertained, Concierge Travel love Greece too much to leave, we have other islands to go to.” And true brought music on board and comedy duo Amy & Freddy, who, as well as to their word, the summer 2012 itinerary of this A-list couple is reputed performing regularly in Chicago, touring coast to coast, releasing three to have included Pylos, Halkidiki, Mykonos, and Santorini. Other Holly- music CDs, and being featured on national television on Entertainment wood stars giving the Greek tourist industry a boost include Robert De Tonight, have performed on over 50 LGBT cruises including every single Niro, John Travolta, Tom Hanks, and Ethan Hawke, while Lady Gaga is RSVP Vacations cruise for over a decade. “We always have fun perform- reportedly building a multi-million dollar floating mansion on the Greek ing on land or sea, but performing on a cruise is special. It has a sense of island of Crete, so we were in illustrious company. magic to it,” they told me. “Concierge Travel cruises are different because FEBRUARY 2013 I PASSPORT 35 concierge travel cruise greece & turkey they are more intimate.