We experienced the splendid pomp and circumstance of a grand evening at the Royal Citadel in Hue, the former Imperial City of Vietnam. It was a good 90 minutes from the ship, but well worth the drive. We received a regal welcome as we arrived at the entrance of the Royal Palace and were donned in royal costumes in preparation for the festivities. They even had a special prince outfit for Ryan (as opposed to the king and queen outfits for me and John).

Outside the Royal Citadel, we were treated to a brief show reminiscent of changing of the guard in London. Inside, we made our way through a maze of people, grabbing drinks and some courtesy folding fans to keep us cool (it was a *hot* evening!). While we navigated the mass of people (this event was for all world cruisers, so a good 400+ people from the ship) we saw some incredible dragon costumes that consisted of two people, with one hopping on top of the other person’s shoulders to create a standing dragon that danced. It was a fun sight to see.

We made our way to our seats, which unfortunately were a bit far from the stage but fortunately were close to a fan to help cool us down. It evened out. A show commenced on stage that consisted of cultural dance performances accompanied by the sounds of Nhã nhac or Royal Court Music, which has been recognized by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. This unique artform reached the peak of development during the Nguyen Dynasty when emperors declared it as the official court music and became an essential part of royal palace rituals.

During the performances, we were treated to a dinner “fit for kings with culinary selections traditionally served to the royal family with free-flowing wine” – we opted for sodas and beer. 😊

The servers were both cute and efficient. It was incredible how they were able to keep the various courses coming with so many people. It never felt like we were left waiting for too long in between food options.

After the dinner and show, we made our way back to the ship. It was a bit chaotic trying to get so many people back but it somehow happened. We learned the next day that one person (or maybe a couple?) was accidentally left behind, but thankfully they were placed in a taxi and made it back safe and sound. Overall, it was an enjoyable evening and an experience to remember.