Thanks to the trip to the medical center and the drugs I'd been given, I was up for at least a short New Years Eve. Luckily, the wide variety of New Years Eve plans on the Emerald made that possible...
We were dressed formally and in the dining room shortly after it opened at 5:30pm. The tables were all festively set with horns and paper hats and tiaras. The menu was amazing. It was a heck of a time to be eating only soft foods, but, given how I had felt only hours earlier in the day, it was incredible I could do even that. I chose the rollatine de Magra a la Sorrentino to start (when I raised inquiring eye to Sutti, he offered that it was a cross between a pasta and a crepe. That sounded soft.) Then, of course, I had to choose the trio of lobster. The intermezzo of pink champagne was exquisite, so much so that I chose the champagne brut sorbet for dessert. I may not care for Princess's ice cream but their sorbets are divine.
We were dressed formally and in the dining room shortly after it opened at 5:30pm. The tables were all festively set with horns and paper hats and tiaras. The menu was amazing. It was a heck of a time to be eating only soft foods, but, given how I had felt only hours earlier in the day, it was incredible I could do even that. I chose the rollatine de Magra a la Sorrentino to start (when I raised inquiring eye to Sutti, he offered that it was a cross between a pasta and a crepe. That sounded soft.) Then, of course, I had to choose the trio of lobster. The intermezzo of pink champagne was exquisite, so much so that I chose the champagne brut sorbet for dessert. I may not care for Princess's ice cream but their sorbets are divine.
We learned last year that our best bet to welcome in the new year was to go to the British New Years Eve celebration from 7:30pm to 8:30pm in the Wheelhouse Bar. The Janos quartet played and sang, and we sat in perfect seats to people watch until the countdown began. Although people were very dressed up, I think they might have been slightly less dressed than last New Years Eve on the Emerald. There were slightly fewer ballgowns and lots and lots of young girls in heels and dress hems sky high. I haven't quite figured out the pleasure in wearing a dress so short that the wearer spends all of her time pulling it down, but it must be fun...why else would everyone under 30 be wearing one?
;-)
The countdown at 8:00pm was raucous and fun, and quickly after we were swept up in a circle of crossed arms and the singing of Auld Lang Syne. It was very much like the Poseiden Adventure...up to the rogue wave part, at least.
We stayed longer, amused when one of the passengers in full kilt regalia (of which there were several) produced a bag pipe (really! How does one just happen to be traveling with that?). I took him several minutes to do what seemed like "warming up", filling it with air and massaging the bag (We were mesmerized by this time. We'd never before seen the "warming up" part of bagpipe playing), before the first notes of Auld Lang Syne were played, so we sang it again.
All this time, and for the next week, I was abstemious, a requirement of one of the antibiotics I'm on. When Dr. Smith told me that earlier in the day and asked if that would be a problem, I assured her it wouldn't, but spared her the confession that, if I'd have had a figure skate and a rock I'd have gone so far the night before to knock my tooth out of my head to ease the pain (a la Tom Hanks in Castaway). Foregoing alcohol for seven days? Piece. Of. Cake.
Despite feeling so much better, I knew that there was no way is make it to the "real" midnight (and that is just one reason we enjoy the opportunity to celebrate the British New Year on this ship). There were plenty of parties planned, in the Wheelhouse Bar, in the Piazza and up on the open deck, as this cruise's Ultimate Deck Party was held last night too. Last cruise, when I drank to many Breeza Marinas at the Most Traveled Party and then closed down the deck party seemed a lifetime ago as I was settled in bed by 10pm. Happy New Years to me!
Photos 1 to 4: the New Years Eve dinner and dessert menus
Photo 5: all decorated for dinner
