Y2K OK, Let the party roll!

For starters, the city’s hottest discotheque Fire & Ice is unveiling its Dusk to Dawn bash from 6 pm to 6 am the next day. The attractions include a music and special effects-laden show featuring music, pyrotechnics, lasers and snow effects. Pop artiste Raageshwari claims to host the biggest sit-down dinner party for over 3,000 people at the Club Millennium, Juhu.

The Welcome Y2K’ girl will ring in the new year with a foot-stomping performance with her troupe at the party compered by Ruby Bhatia.With all this excitement, the city won’t be sleeping for sure. At least if you look at the one indicator which determines when the city stops the suburban railways have promised to keep the local trains running all night.

Hiranandani Gardens has organised a massive extravaganza including bungee jumping at their lair near Powai Lake while the city’s biggest shopping mall, the stylish Crossroads, is organising the Ball at the Mall’ extravaganza. The shopping centre shuts down at 9 pm and the party begins soon after in the spacious atrium which has been done up with futuristic spaceship sets. The Ultimate Y2K party is being organised at the Royal Palms Golf and Country Club and features K K and Kamaal Khan.

Then there’s the Ahoy 2000,’ a Millenium Naval Ball being organised at the picturesque INS Hamla naval base on the Marve beach from 8 pm.

“It’s different since funds generated will be going towards charitable activities for underprivileged children and emergency medical services for the victims on Aksa beach,” says the commanding officer Commodore F H Dubash. But it looks like most of the party animals are heading toward the sea. Launches have been booked way back in September anticipating heavy rush and boat owners could well be the ones ringing the cash registers. All the boats stand to make over a whopping Rs 30 lakh after a single night at sea.

According to launch owner Kamil Bamne, who operates from the Gateway of India, all the 69 boats have been booked at prices ranging between Rs 25,000 and Rs 30,000. On ordinary days, the same 60-passenger capacity launches could be hired for around Rs 1,500 per hour. The situation at New Ferry Wharf Terminal is no different. An estimated 69 launches plying from the wharf have been booked sometime between September and October this year. But the biggest party seems to be the Yacht Party catering to nearly 3,000 people onboard a barge anchored two kilometres off the Gateway. “The barge is 25,000 square feet and is larger than a football field,” says Rajiv Dhuri from the event management firm Cloud Nine. And since the Gateway will be among the most crowded places in the city, guests will board at Ferry Wharf.

The rest will be shipped in batches using launches. While a party on one of these launches would earlier cost around Rs 3,000, their owners have jacked up rates in the range of Rs 30,000 for a night cruise off the Mumbai coast. Despite the fantastic price, there is not a single boat up for hire.

Some frolickers might ask the skipper to take the launch as far as Rewas or Uran on mainland, 14 nautical miles south.

Sources in Mumbai harbour revealed that it is not only the cruise that has attracted frolickers, but the freedom to consume liquor at sea. Most of the boats will be heavily laden with booze before casting off.