No More Complaining

First let's take a look at the Backstreet Cruising experience as a whole:

Complaining about the Backstreet Boys isn’t something you can avoid, it’s a primary feature of the cruise. The BSB fan club probably would’ve collapsed due to lack of interest if people didn’t have various aspects of the cruise to bitch about. We should be applauding Ground Ctrl and Rose Tours for keep coming back to plan more cruises for us in spite of all the complaints they receive. Not to mention the Backstreet Boys as well.

It always amazes me that fans seem to complain no matter what. I think we're all guilty of it at times, myself included. It's almost tough not to when the expectations are so high. But I decided I'm going to tackle some of those more common complaints and give you my opinion on the matter.

"How they pick the fans that participate in the events isn't fair."

I'd say this is the number one complaint. I've heard fans complain about how the staff picks fans on the spot isn't fair. How it shouldn't be based off of physical appearance. I've heard how they pick them randomly in advance isn't fair. It should be based off of who puts the most effort into the theme outfit, door, etc. The reality is that the process will be fair for those who end up getting picked, and isn't fair for those that don't. End of story. This will never change no matter how they pick fans.

 "The Backstreet Boys aren't spending enough time with the fans."

I personally think this complaint goes back to having unrealistic expectations. I don't think its feasible that the boys are with us every minute of the day. They need a break. I know if I was in the midst of all that craziness I couldn't handle it for more than the amount that they do. I'd obviously love if they could spend more time with us, but I certainly don't fault them for not doing so. I say take what you can get. I feel like I get to spend more time with them in 1 hour of the cruise than I do in an entire year of random BSB events.

"The Backstreet Boys aren't interacting enough with their fans."

I just am not sure what some fans expect. They must think Nick is going to tuck them every night. I personally disagree with this and think they do a great job of interacting with the fans. The only reason they don't do it more is our own behavior. If we didn't act like wild animals around them, they'd be more inclined to spend more time mingling with us. Once again, I think it goes back to having unrealistic expectations.

"The BSB cruise isn't as good as the New Kids cruise because the New Kids are a lot more hands on."

I get irritated when people compare BSB to New Kids in this fashion because its like comparing apples and oranges. They're completely different people. If New Kids are more hands on, that's because its their personality to be that way. Our boys maybe aren't as hands on but that's why I love them. I don't expect Brian to be ripping his shirt off at the beach or grinding with girls in the club like Donnie might. And I don't expect AJ to be out late every night and partying like Jordan might do because it means he's staying healthy and sober. And if Howie or Nick were as "hands on" and dancing with every girl on the ship, I would probably lose some respect for them. I just don't think you can compare what New Kids are doing to what BSB is doing. Sorry for the rant but thats my story and I'm sticking to it.

"It costs too much money for what we're getting."

Yes the trip costs a lot of money but I personally feel its a great value. If you consider that they charge $520 for a platinum VIP which lasts maybe an hour; the cruise costs an average of $1,000-$2,000 for 3-4 full days with the Backstreet Boys. It is what it is, so in my mind there's no use complaining about it.

These are just a few of the complaints I hear a lot. There are tons and tons more. I could have a whole separate blog just addressing complaints of the cruise. I can only imagine what sort of things Rose Tours must see on a daily basis.

As I said, we're all guilty of voicing a few complaints. I know I've done it before so hopefully you don't think I'm too hypocritical. But now that my head is slightly out of the BSB Cruise fog I can now step back and look at it with a level head. I realize there's really a method to their madness and I shouldn't be so quick to complain. Sometimes we all just need to step back and remember how special of an opportunity this is and check the complaints at the door.