SPECIAL EVENTS GALORE!



If you’ve ever regretted missing your high school prom (as I did), then here is the cure: a world cruise! Beyond the "ordinary" five-course dinners available each evening in the dining room, Holland America has planned eighteen (18) FORMAL NIGHTS for our (112-day) "Grand World Voyage":
          1 - January 8^th: Captain’s Welcome Reception
          2 - January 14^th: Black & Silver Ball (the 1^st Grand Ball in the Queen’s Lounge)
          3 - January 21^st: Copacabana Samba
          4 - January 26^th: Viva Las Vegas
          5 - January 31^st: Ice Blue Winter Ball (Antarctica’s splendor dance on board)
          6 - February 7^th: Captain Bligh’s Dinner
          7 - February 14^th: Valentine’s Day Hearts & Flowers Ball - in the Queen’s Lounge (after a special dinner at Pinnacle Grill, HAL’s upscale restaurant)
          8 - February 21^st or 23^rd: Mardi Gras
          9 - February 27^th: Many Leagues Under the Sea Ball (seafood delicacies) (we’ll miss this one, as we’re staying in Australia and flying from Sydney to Cairns)
          10 - March 7^th: Theme unknown
          11 - March 9^th: Indonesian Formal Night (colonial style formal)
          12 - March 17^th: St. Patrick’s Day
          13 - March 22^nd: Oriental Night
          14 - March 31^st: Maharadja & Maharani Night
          15 - April 7^th: 1,001 Arabian Nights (we’ll miss this one, too, as we’re staying in Egypt to see the pyramids, etc.)
          16 - April 14^th: Classic Formal Night (dress in "near-bygone style")
          17 - April 22^nd: Celebration Night & Dessert Extravaganza (Pastry Chef’s sweetest Grand Buffet imaginable)
          18 - April 26^th: Black & Gold Masked Ball (our final formal night; a classic Grand Ball in the Queen’s Lounge, with masks)

There is something to enthrall anyone longing to pull out that dusty ball gown or tux ... or to buy a new one! I bought dresses in silver, gold, blue, green and red, but I have no idea what I’ll wear for the Indian, Indonesian, Samba and Oriental nights. Nor do I understand what "near-bygone style" means. But there’s plenty of time to shop along the way .... Bill bought his first-ever tux, despite swearing he would "never" wear a tux. He even picked up silk ties to match my dresses and gowns! See, it’s never too late to celebrate life ...

If that weren't enough, there are numerous other THEME EVENTS, e.g.:
          January 11th:  South American Dinner (Latin American cuisine) - at Pinnacle Grill for $69/person

          January 29^th: Sommelier Dinner (gourmet food and wine pairings) - at Pinnacle Grill for $69/person
          February 5^th: Superbowl XLVI party - in the Queen’s Lounge - as we are cruising through the Chilean Fjords (I got a Denver Broncos jersey for the occasion!)
          February 6^th: Murder Mystery Dinner I - at Pinnacle Grill for $69/person
          February 16^th: French Dinner - at Pinnacle Grill for $69/person
          March 4^th: Chef’s Dinner - in the La Fontaine Dining Room
          March 7^th or 8^th: Indonesian Dinner (Kuta’s high-end Warung Indonesia on board) - at Pinnacle Grill for $69/person
          March 8^th: King Neptune Ceremony (event to commemorate a sailor’s first crossing of the equator)
          March 13^th: Murder Mystery Dinner II - at Pinnacle Grill for $69/person
          March 15^th: Lumpia Dinner and Sateh BBQ (Vietnamese spread) - on Lido Deck
          March 30^th: Indian Dinner (dahl, roti, rice, naan, etc.) - at Pinnacle Grill for $69/person
          April 17^th: Murder Mystery Dinner III - at Pinnacle Grill for $69/person
          April 18^th: Paella Fiesta (Spanish specialty turned into a dinner event) - on Lido Deck
          April 19^th: Bill’s birthday dinner - at Pinnacle Grill

In addition to all of this, for $129/person, we can join four other guests to participate in a "Chef’s Table" gourmet tasting dinner with the Executive Chef. It starts with French Champagne (isn’t that redundant?), followed by a tour of the ship’s galley during dinner operations, and a select six-course menu paired with premium wine for each course.

Well, that’s about "it". So you see, it’s never too late for the prom!