A Greek Cruise Back in the News

It's not often that a Greek island cruise becomes a political playing piece - but that's the case as a spring cruise taken by U.S. presidential candidate Newt Gingrich is back in the news. The cruise was originally criticized for its timing, and taking a "vacation" at that moment was seen as a signal that Gingrich was not serious about his candidacy. But now Gingrich is asserting it was all part of a plan to discover which advisers were really behind him for the campaign.

Be that as it may, testing the intentions of political advisers has to be one of the more unusual reasons I've heard to take a Greek island cruise, and not one I included in the Top 10 Reasons to Travel to Greece. And, frankly, if Gingrich wanted to get his advisers firmly "on board" with him, he should have taken them "on board" with him on that yacht in Greece. I'm confident that a week or so of sea, sun, and fun in Greece, combined of course with some face-to-face fact-finding about the Greek financial crisis and some meditation time in the country of the Birthplace of Democracy, would have made for much smoother sailing in the months to follow.

Fox News - Gingrich: Greek Cruise was Test for Advisers Who Defected

Feeling potentially presidential yourself? The Gingriches cruised on the large, luxurious Seabourn Odyssey, which About Cruises guide Linda Garrison reviews here.