Where to Drop Anchor for Parties

New Year’s Eve. Our uncles called it amateur night--largely because, back then, they drank as if it were a career and anyone who celebrated with champagne was a rank amateur.

The uncles were a little scary, sure, but they had a point. We all know that even well-intentioned people will drink too much on New Year’s Eve, then misjudge their tolerance and get behind the wheel of a car. An amateur is a dangerous thing.

If you want to avoid the nightmare of driving on New Year’s Eve, you’ve got a few choices: Entertain at home and let your guests face the perilous highways, take cabs everywhere (an expensive proposition), or stay where you party.

Long Beach has at least three party-and-stay-put options, if that’s what you decide.

One of the most popular annual events is on the Queen Mary. This is one of those shipwide events with themed parties: Las Vegas, Top 40, Big Band, Latin and Country Western, all in different salons.

Except for last year, when the ship was closed, a New Year’s Eve party has taken place there for the last 20 years. Generally, all 6,000 tickets are sold. That’s a lot of people, but the folks who run the Queen Mary swear they’ve got experience and the ship won’t sink.

Tickets are $29 per person. All 365 hotel rooms on the ship are spoken for, but the Long Beach shuttle goes by every 15 minutes and it’s a short, free trip to any downtown hotel. The Queen Mary is located at 1126 Queen’s Highway. Information: (310) 435-3511.

Don’t like large, well-organized theme parties? Recession getting you down? Perhaps a blues bash would be more in line with the times.

Big Time Blues is offering a New Year’s Eve Blues Bash in the Grand Ballroom of the Golden Sails Hotel, 6285 E. Pacific Coast Highway. This party features a return to the stage for 64-year-old Nappy Brown, who wrote the 1957 hit “(The Night Time Is) The Right Time.” Now, that would be something to see.

Blues guitarist Smokey Wilson also will be there, singing from his just-released album “Smoke ‘n’ Fire.” Both artists will be backed by the Bernie Pearl Blues Band. Tickets are $27.50 in advance; $32.50 at the door. Information: (310) 426-4616.

Maybe you don’t want to spend that much money. Well, there’s always the big downtown street party on Pine Avenue between 1st and 3rd streets, which rages on within stumbling distance of a number of hotels. You’ve got bands, food, a laser show, a super confetti surprise at midnight. What else could you possibly ask for?

Tickets are $7 in advance and $10 on New Year’s Eve. Information: (310) 436-4259.

All parties start at 8 p.m. and last until about 1 a.m. Dinner and drinks are always extra and the roads are always scary. Be safe.