My Greek Island Dream Wasn't What I Expected—And That's Why I'm Obsessed

I'll be honest: I booked the Oceania Cruises Riviera mostly because my travel agent said it was "luxurious but not stuffy." I'm not the type of person who typically does cruises. They seemed too big, too touristy, too... much. But after seeing photos of the Greek islands and watching way too many YouTube videos at midnight, I took the plunge. Now, sitting in my tiny apartment in Cleveland, looking at the photos on my phone, I'm already planning my next voyage. Let me back up. I'm 34, I work in marketing, and I've traveled to maybe seven countries. I consider myself reasonably well-traveled, or at least I thought I did. My vacations are usually carefully planned affairs—a hotel booked six months in advance, restaurant reservations locked in, a detailed itinerary printed and laminated (yes, really). The idea of spending seven days on a boat with thousands of strangers sounded like my personal version of hell. But Greece kept calling to me. I'd watched too many documentaries about Santorini's sunsets and too many TikToks about hidden coves in the Cyclades. Something primal in me needed to see it in person. When the Riviera pulled up to the dock in Piraeus, I was genuinely stunned by…