After the kids left home, a typical New Year’s Eve for Ted and me (if he wasn’t working) included Ted, me, Christmas cookies and candy, and a DVD movie in the family room. This year, we celebrated with lots of new friends–our shipmates and crew.

We started with dinner in one of the nicer restaurants onboard. After that, we went to a movie with 200+ other people–An Affair to Remember, with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr (1957). We’d seen it before, but it’s a classic for a reason.

After the movie, we joined at least 400 shipmates in the Winter Garden, which opens to the pool deck. The party was already underway when we arrived.

The Viking band and entertainment crew provided upbeat, energetic live music, so we danced, we twisted, we sang along with “Sweet Caroline” (“bop, bop, bop, . . . so good, so good, so good”), and we formed all the letters of “YMCA.” You’re never too old to party!

It’s 11:45 p.m. and we’re ready for midnight.

Here comes the countdown.

When the countdown reached zero, the ship’s horn belted out a long, deep blast (we’re at sea with no one around) and the party room was filled with cheering, noisemakers, good wishes, and “Auld Lang Syne.” Happy new year from both of us. It’s a new decade with new adventures on the way.