Not long ago a group of us went down to the dockyard area in Houston, where there were two Greek restaurants, one noted for food, the other for entertainment.
Not all has changed; between the two was a brothel, all lit up to look inviting.
At the place with entertainment- two levels of floor, one about a foot higher; the professional ladies all on the lower level and us 'respectables' on the upper (but dancing only on the lower); we watched the dancers between periods of action on the stage.

A fairly large group of Greek merchant sailors came in. Their ship had anchored that afternoon.
We had wives and girlfriends with us. Soon, the well-uniformed sailors were asking the ladies to dance, very politely, some speaking acceptable English. A well-mannered, gentile bunch!
They were trainees for the Greek merchant fleet.

Not the old salts of legend who frequented the sailortowns of the world.