A Classic Greek Tragedy

It was a combination of a lot of things – 10 long years of  Australian drought, a sudden and fierce rain storm, ABBA, a sailing ship leaving Athens and copious amounts of wine.

These are the basic ingredients for an ice-breaking first night aboard a cruise ship.

Fourteen Australians, all experienced travellers, and travelling as a group for the first time, have just stepped on board.

The crew struggles to carry their bags which groan under the weight of recent Athenian ‘must have’ holiday purchases.

They’re not your souvenir shoppers, this lot………they’re at a stage where overprinted tea towels and garish T shirts are replaced with quality bling.

There’s not a fake Rolex or Brietling among them……….and there is nothing fake about their ability lead the charge in having a good time from the first moment they step aboard the ship.

They’re all members or ex members of the Australian travel industry so they now how to travel, shop and of course, drink!  Can you picture the scene?

It’s 8 pm and we’re sailing, leaving Athens and the lights of Piraeus behind us and under sail, we quietly slip into the Aegean and head towards Rhodes, some day and a half away.

The Australians have come up on deck for the sailing and with Vangelis belting out 1492 Conquest of Paradise over the ship’s PA, the mood is set and they’re ready to cruise………..and you guessed it, with drinks in hand and a warm, guiding wind filling the sails, the feeling on board is good.

Dinner, then an impromptu gathering at the bar on the top deck of the ship………and more drinks!

There’s an entertainer playing a questionable collection of “timeless classics” on a small keyboard assisted by a DAT tape which keeps beat and adds a little back up support as we switch from Eric Clapton to Pat Boone. (I did say the collection was questionable).

Determined not to be punished by a rendition of ‘Guantanamerra meets Living Next Door to Alice’, one of the Australians moves to the entertainer and places a gentle request in his ear………….“Can you play us some ABBA” she asks.

Instantly, an expression of relief adds some colour to the face of the entertainer as he obviously loves playing Marc Bolan followed immediately by a Bucks Fizz number just as much as we love hearing it………not!

He removes his fingers from the keyboard and darts inside the library to fiddle with some equipment………and within seconds, Agnetha’s distinctive blonde voice is booming through the same sound system through which Vangellis ushered us out of harbour earlier in the evening.

And it’s Agnetha’s voice or Benny’s writing that does it – every time.

Even if you’re not a fan (insert your name here, xxxxxxxxxx next to mine) there’s something about the first three notes of Dancing Queen that has the crowd on their feet…………well, the Australian crowd anyway, regardless of age or gender or both!

On the third track of what is obviously ABBA’s greatest hits, a couple of drops of spray hit the deck as we crack through the sea in the dark.  A few more drops and then the passengers on board who have not yet become Dancing Queens (all the other passengers except the Australians) start to move away from the sides of the ship as it’s getting a bit wet there as the stiff Aegean breeze collects some unwelcome water and lifts it to the deck.

We’re getting wetter and the deck’s becoming less populated……….but the Australians are still ‘dancing with the (Grecian) stars’ and now realise that the spray was in fact, rain.

Suddenly, as if all the rain that was supposed to have fallen in Australia over the past ten years had been stored over here, down it comes.

Did some one cry “bring it down Hewie”?

The dancing continues under the canvass awning and the wind blows the rain in sideways, but who cares, Freda’s still singing and we’re still dancing.

Within minutes the awning fills with water and bows under the weight, flooding the deck in a bath of fresh, cold rain water……but our dancing Queens are unfazed.

They’re drowning, but they don’t care.

The scene is starting to look more like the public enclosure at Flemington at 5.30pm on Melbourne Cup Day.  The shoes are off, the hair’s a mess and there’s red wine and champagne everywhere except in the glasses.

There’s no “hat hair” – they’re all too wet for that.

The dancing and singing continues……….Fernando, Mamma Mia and Money, Money, Money have theme twirling and whirling despite the elements. They are focused………wet, but focused.

The Americans look on from the sidelines – they don’t understand.

The Germans look out through the windows of the dining room where they’re hiding – they don’t approve.

The staff are aiding and abetting – they love it.

And the dancing Australians – they’re the star attractions and as usual, lead the world in the fun stakes.

A Special report by Kevin Moloney – leading Aussie international travel writer and TravelMole correspondent.