Rose Tour Feedback Survey

I know I'm a few days late, but you should've received a survey from Rose Tours via email a few days ago. I probably take these a tad more serious than I should, but I do find they did incorporate a lot of our suggestions from last time. Thus I wanted to share a few of my thoughts that I plan on submitting. 

Overall I try to stick with constructive criticism. Whining won't get us anywhere, so lets think how they can improve things for next time to make the 2014 cruise even better than this one!

Things I Liked

• Whoever thought of the sailor suits deserves a raise
• LOVED the smaller picture groups. Do that again!!
• Overall a huge improvement from the past two cruises. I really appreciate that Rose Tours seemed to take our suggestions from last time. I could definitely see that the boys and Rose Tours stepped it up.
• Loved half moon cay/private island much more than the public beaches from years prior. Definitely prefer this for future cruises.
• Rose Tour staff was great.
• Very much enjoy the random drawing of names for events because it gives everyone a fair shot.
• LOVED the addition of solo events- definitely do that again! I'd say Howie's and Kevin's were my favorite and I'd gladly have those same 2 events done again next year.
• Really happy they brought back the Q&A and got rid of karaoke. The Q&A is a must-have on every cruise!
• The boys were especially good at working the events having 2-3 of them on stage entertaining the crowd and the others taking pictures and doing autographs. I think this worked well.
• Did a great job of having some events that were just the boys on stage and others where for other events they were able to incorporate fans. I felt like there were a lot of opportunities to have a special moment.
• Loved having their logo on more things throughout the ship- ie napkins, photo backdrops, elevators, etc Its all of those little extras that make a big difference

Areas for Improvement

• 4 day cruise next time! My feedback after the first 2 cruises was to have more activities to fill the downtime, and Rose Tours sure did listen. I almost found the opposite problem this cruise where there wasn’t enough downtime. And I know I sound like a spoiled fangirl complaining about too many BSB activities. I'm not suggestions they cut back on events, but rather spread them out more evenly over a 4 day cruise to allow us all a bit more time to relax (including the boys)
• Game shows- While the game show this year was enjoyable, I think they need an event that features fans with boys rather than fans versus boys. Hope that makes sense. But I look at last year's In It To Win It and I think it makes for a more fun and entertaining dynamic. I also liked the format of In It To Win It better with lots of little challenges to keep it interesting. As entertaining 'Are you Smarter than a Backstreet Boy' was, the trivia concept can get old rather quickly.
• I’d love to see more of the boys throwing out cheap giveaways like the beads at bachelorette night. Something little like this goes along way for the fans.
• I realize there was a lot to pack in, in a short amount of time…but its definitely a shame when events have to overlap and we’re forced to pick between events and/or eating. For example Kevin’s event ran into dinner and the Halloween night overlapped with Nick’s event.
• Brian’s fashion show- If he were to do it again, they really should have catalogs, promotions, or merchandise available to make it easy for us to buy the products afterward. Seems like a missed opportunity for him.

General Suggestions for Next Time

• Encourage the boys to make announcements on the PA system
• BSB TV. Always a nice feature- would’ve liked to see newer footage. Also would love if that footage was turned into a DVD for purchase
• Encourage the boys to revisit the concept of randomly knocking on cabin doors.
• Beach games are great. Obstacle course was a lot of fun, particularly because it was fresh. I'd suggest trying some new games next time because musical chairs and limbo, while fun, are starting to get a bit old after 3 years and I think would be nice to try some new games.
• Would like to see some fans have the opportunity to attend the soundcheck- whether its random drawing, door decoration contest winners, etc
• Nick’s event- As much as it pains me to say it- it was good, but not great. I think the other events were unique to the cruise, which made them that much more special. Nick DJs all the time. So next time I'd love to see Nick do something more unique. 
• Solo events- I liked the ones that incorporated fans and would like to see more of that next time where possible.
• Having things like those commemorative cups and poker chips is so smart & we really love that. I think it would also be neat to sell a “commemorative set” of glasses for example and featured a different guy on each cup. Or if they had a different cup for every day, perhaps to reflect the theme nights.
• They should broadcast the alternate groups event on the TV so the rest of the ship can simultaneously watch and not feel left out. And continue to air all that footage the remainder of the cruise, similar to how they do it on a ‘regular’ cruise.
• I think there needs to be a monitor or screen at the deck parties with a live feed of the event in order to make it easier for people to see. I know the Destiny was more conducive for that, and I'm sure other ships offer similar functionality. Unfortunately the Imagination does not.
• I liked how on the cruise in 2010 you would upgrade girls to front row for each event via a random drawing. I'd like to see that brought back.
• No major complaints about the Imagination but I think it would be nice to try a new ship next time. I also think other ships have a main lounge that is more conducive for a concert. The Imagination's lounge isn't meant for people to stand up, which made it difficult for a lot of fans to see during the concert.

Event suggestions

• ‘Boys will be Boys’ Battle of the Sexes
• ‘Incomplete’ Name that Tune
•  ‘Downpour’ Pool Games- Similar style to the beach party but at the pool on the lido deck
• ‘If you Stay’ Survivor- Boys and fans in various survivor like challenges. I.e eating funny items.
• ‘Hey Mr. DJ’ Dance Class- We got to sing with the boys in karaoke, what about dancing with them?
• Backstreet Boy Roast
• Do some sort of brunch/lunch with the boys for a smaller group of fans. They have to eat anyway...
• Do a townhall like the New Kids- whereby it gives the fans a chance provide feedback to the boys.

Don't forget fill out the survey here if you already haven't. Feel free to use some of my ideas above when filling out your survey, should you agree. Alternately, if you have anything I may have missed, let me know!

2013 Cruise Cliff Notes

Welcome home cruisers! I can’t believe its all over, it really went by so fast. But the good news is that they strongly hinted at a 2014 cruise multiple times throughout the trip so hopefully we’ll be able to do it all again soon. Hope everyone had an absolutely amazing time, I know I did! Just wanted to provide a quick brain dump of a few of my thoughts coming off the cruise before I get to my full cruise review.

• I’d say it was probably the best cruise yet. I think the boys and Rose Tours both really stepped up their games. Even though it was their best cruise, I oddly still can’t say it’s necessarily my favorite one. I still maintain that there was a special magic that I felt on my first cruise that could never be matched.
• I thought the guys were rockstars with how patient they were taking pictures with all of the fans, most notably Kevin. I was impressed. Obviously Nick still has some work to catch up there, but that’s nothing new.
• Loved all of the extra BSB branding around the ship from the poker tables, to the carnival glasses and cardboard cutouts (until they were stolen of course) . I think all of that made it that much more special. Even playing BSBTV throughout the ship in public areas was nice.
• Loved the addition of the solo events. I’d be content if they all did a mini solo concert as Howie and Kev did, but they were all great. Definitely gave us a lot more entertainment!
• Even though Nick didn’t do as many fan pics as the other guys, I still thought he really stepped up his game at the events and was a lot more engaged with us.
• It’s funny because in years past I felt we had too much downtime and I hoped they would add more events. This time they added a bunch more events and I ironically thought it was almost too much. Sunday was almost brutal with like 8 things going on. I found myself missing the downtime. Not only for myself, but it was also less opportunity to run into the boys outside of the events, which are usually my top memories of the cruise.
• Overall I think the door decorations seemed toned-down this year. I suspect a lot of repeat cruisers are more or less getting tired of it. I think I’m just about there myself.
• This year I went down 2 days early and stayed after the cruise for an additional 2 days and did absolutely nothing on both ends. I really loved this because it stretched my trip out and I was able to get excited beforehand with my friends; and then afterward relive it all. I think the worst moment is being forced off that ship at such an ungodly hour and then fly home all by my lonesome. Staying after for a few days really eased the “backstreet hangover”. Plus it gave me a chance to finally get some much needed R&R!
• So happy that they made the picture groups smaller. I knew they’d throw us a curveball, I just didn’t expect it to be in our favor. I still had to laugh though because of all the planning everyone did with their photo groups.

So Nice Meeting Everyone!
I want to personally thank everyone who came up and said hi to me from recognizing me through my blog. You all made me feel super special and I got a teeny tiny taste of what the boys must go through. It was so nice meeting you :) Im so sorry I didn’t have more time to chat with everyone, but I felt like I barely had time to eat this cruise! And conversely, there were a lot of you I really wanted to meet and just never had the chance. So hopefully  we’ll have a chance next cruise if not before then at a concert or somewhere else at a BSB event.

Guest Blogger
I also want to invite anyone and everyone to be a guest blogger if you want to share a review of the cruise, your favorite memories, how you thought it compared to what you thought it was going to be, or whatever your heart desires! If you don’t want to  go public, I'd still love to hear your stories. You know where to find me...

Updated FAQ, Packing Lists, and More

Hello cruisers!!! A few items...

1- I updated the FAQ page, trying to answer a few more common questions. So if you're a first time cruiser, def go check that out. And keep the questions coming!! I love answering them!

2- Packing Lists. Seeing as how that really doesnt change from year to year, minus the different themes, I'm just going to refer you back to my 2 previous packing list posts. Sorry for being lazy here, but I think they should still be quite relevant.

• Packing List- Everything you could need and then some.
• Packing Light- A condensed version of the full packing list. 

3- In case you're not pumped enough, lets remind ourselves what's waiting for us in less than 1 week!!

2013 Itinerary

So exciting we finally have our itineraries! Here was the email in case you missed it...

Did someone ask for an itinerary?

So were reading on Twitter that there were a few requests for the Backstreet Boys Cruise itinerary.....Well, your wait is over.....

Attached for your for your viewing pleasure, we present the 2013

Cruise Itinerary
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We have just a few updates to mention. We were informed that Balmoral Island is not fully operational. Since we want everyone to have a fabulous experience, we are now sailing to the beautiful Half Moon Cay, Bahamas.

Half Moon Cay is a private island paradise. You will find a sun-drenched island hideaway where you can play in the turquoise seas, ride horseback on powdery white sand, and encounter silky stingrays.

If you had previously purchased a shore excursions in either Nassau or Balmoral, Carnival will be refunding your money.  Of course, there are some really great excursions availabe on Half Moon, such as horseback riding on the beach or taking a sail on a glass bottomed boat.

Shore excursions in Half Moon Cay will be available to book by Friday, Oct. 18th, 9am ET.

Half Moon Cay Excursions

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CABANA RENTALS:
We are pleased to offer you the opportunity to rent private cabanas in Half Moon Cay. In addition to the below amenities, all paid Cabana guests will receive priority departure to Half Moon Cay.

The standard Cabana is available for $500. You can have a max of 4 guests. Your cabana will be outfitted with a refrigerator, ceiling fan, air conditioner, table and chairs inside, as well as deck chairs and misting shower on the private terrace. You will be provided snacks and an assortment of soft drinks and bottled water to quench your thirst. Snorkel fins will also be available.

Beach Villas available for $1000. You can have a max of 8 guests. Enjoy the ultimate in luxury during your stay on Half Moon Cay with the use of your own deluxe two-story beach villa. For your comfort, you will find your villa outfitted with air-conditioning, a 5 person capacity hot tub, refrigerator, ceiling fan, air conditioner, dining area with table and chairs inside, misting shower, and private sun deck. You will be provided with fresh fruit, vegetables with dip, and chips and salsa to snack on as well as an assortment of soft drinks and bottled water to quench your thirst. Floating mats and snorkel gear are also included for your use throughout the day.”

The Private Oasis is available for up to 12 guests for $2200. In the exclusive 1,620 square foot grand cabana you can enjoy the following: full wet bar and refrigerator, indoor teak dining table seating six people, outdoor teak lounges and bar stools 2, iPod music system, multi-colored Bahamian tapestries, men’s and women’s changing rooms, indoor and outdoor showers with heated fresh water, 100-foot walkway with misting stations and privacy gate. Your package includes the services of a butler, personal chef, bartender, cabana Steward, and lifeguard along with the following:

• Whole fresh fruits, chips & salsa.
• Beverage package with Domestic and Imported beers; house pouring 'wine by the glass' (Red, White and White Zinfandel); Cocktails (Bahama Mama, Rum Punch, and Yellow Bird); frozen tropical classics (Pina Colada, Strawberry Daiquiri, Banana Colada, Margarita); mocktails (Virgin Pina Colada, Virgin Strawberry Daiquiri, Virgin Banana Colada).
• BBQ Lunch Buffet with selection of two salads, grilled hamburgers, hot dogs, fresh island fish, barbecued chicken, brownies and cookies.
Please submit your Cabana Request below no later than Monday, Oct21st.

Since there are only a limited number of cabanas available, we have decided to randomly select passengers for the rentals. If you are selected, you will be contacted via email.
At that time, we will need the 4 , 8 or 12 names , fin sizes and soda selections for each Cabana.
The Cabana rental fees will be collected at the Cruise terminal prior to boarding the ship at the Customer Service Counter paid in cash only.

Cabana Sign Up

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Spa Carnival:
There’s so much to do. So little time. So… just relax. The ultimate mental escape – Relax and rejuvenate in the Carnival Spa. Our onboard spa offers a variety of indulgent therapies and treatments which will leave you utterly relaxed and sumptuously renewed. Choose from an assortment of complexion reviving facials, therapeutic massages, exotic body wraps, restoring Medi-Spa services,and the latest in salon hair and nail treatments.

To book your spa apointment, just log into your carnival account and from the "TO DO" drop down menu -  select the PLAN ACTIVITIES tab

Why Book a Spa Treatment:

• Pre-booking ensures you will receive the treatment you desire at the time you choose.
• We offer a vast selection of soothing treatments at a great value.
• We guarantee exceptional service in a tranquil setting.
• Ensures you will be at your most refreshed and beautiful during your vacation.

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AJ McLean Blackjack Tournament:

Ever dream of playing blackjack on the High Seas? Ever dream of playing blackjack on the high seas with one Mr. AJ McLean?

Well, here is your chance.

On Sunday, Oct. 27th, AJ is hosting his first ever Backstreet Boys Cruise - Blackjack Tournament.

For just $25 dollars (payable to the casino host on-board), you can have a chance to play in the grand finale with AJ. The top six chip winners from the qualifying rounds (starting in the casino at 10am) will test their skills against AJ himself.

The three players with the most chips will win cash prizes. The player with the highest amount of chips will also win a very special BSB Cruise prize!

Submit your name, email address and dining time below. We will randomly select amoung all entries. You will receive a schedule with your table time in advance.

Good luck!

Sign up for Blackjack
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So get packed, get excited and get ready to have the time of your life.  See you next week!

BACKSTREET BOYS Cruise 2013 Itinerary

My Analysis
Congratulations if you made it this far in the post. A bunch of items to discuss!

• Looks like our beach party has been moved from this Balmoral Island to Half Moon Cay. Personally excited about the change, I love Carnival's private island and really have been wanting to go there since day one. Glad I didn't buy any excursions, not that I was planning to, but I think it just reinforces to never do too much planning with BSB. They always like to throw us these last minute curveballs
• Anyone want to go halvsies with me on a private oasis cabana?? Just teasing....goodness gracious thats a lot of money! Definitely passing on the $2200 cabana.
• AJ's Blackjack tournament- Sooo happy he's doing a solo event! Following in Donnie's footsteps too; as he does them on the NK cruise. I think its great, just wish I was more skilled to actually feel good enough to enter. I still plan on entering, but realize my odds of actually getting to the point where I'd play with AJ are probably hovering around the 2% mark.
• Are you Smarter than a Backstreet Boy game show- So appropriate for this group of guys! I'm already laughing just thinking about it.  This is one game show I think I'd feel confident getting up on stage and competing in!
• AJ's Hip Hop Flip Flop- No idea what this is and Im kind of okay with that. All I need to know is that AJ will be there, thus I will be there. I think this is the solo event I'm most excited for!
• IAWLT Concert- Yayyy! I have to assume that means they're doing the show they're currently doing on tour and I LOVE that show so I'm more than happy to see it again.
• Nick at Night- As I said with AJs event, all I need to know is that Nick will be there so Im game. If I was a betting gal though, I'd bet he'll be DJing for us in the atrium. 
• Rum DMC (Dorough Music and Cocktails)- A very Howie event. Seems like it'll be quite chill hanging by the pool with a delicious strawberry daquiri. What's not to like??
• Cover Story with Kevin- Based on the earlier rumors it sounded like this might be instrumental/music related. But the word 'story' is throwing me off. This is another one I'll just have to be patient and see.
• Wylee Fashion Show- It appears a lot of fans were complaining about this event. Now that I have the itinerary I can chime in a bit more educated on the topic. Previously I figured it would be a bonus event and was quite excited about. Now I can step back and see that each boy is having a solo event, and that this happens to be Brian's. I'm still excited, but if Im being honest here, its definitely not the solo event I would've picked for him. So I'll just leave it at that.
• Q&A- Happy to see that they're only doing one of these and its on the lido deck. This is one of those I would've definitely been trying to sneak my way  in to the other group's if they had two of these sessions.

Overall- I'm getting super pumped. I think by adding these solo events we're getting a LOT more entertainment than we have in previous cruises. I feel like there's a ton more to be said, but my poor head is about the explode trying to process this new information. So I'm going to let this digest some more and check-in later.

My Travel Plans and Last Minute Questions

Well cruisers, we are officially in the home stretch!! I still can't believe that the cruise is already here, I feel like it snuck up out of nowhere. It's funny, while I'm super excited for this trip, it's been a different kind of excitement for me this go-round. In all honestly, its probably a much healthier level of excitement. I've spent a fraction of the time preparing this year compared to what I've done in years past, and I think that's a good thing. Keeping my expectations in check and not letting it consume my every thought. I'm not sure if its because I've been distracted by my "real life" or if its because this is the third time and some of that initial novelty & not knowing what to expect has worn off. It's kind of like the first time you got to see them live in concert. While other shows are super exciting, nothing will ever touch your first concert. Hopefully that make sense. Not really sure what the point of this rant is, curious if some of you other repeat cruisers share this sentiment or maybe its just me? Don't get me wrong though, still SUPER excited!!

My Travel Plans
Anywho...just wanted to update you all on my travel plans. I'm flying down to Miami next Wednedsay, arriving early afternoon. Going to spend that time before we set sail just relaxing with my girlfriends. I've learned my lesson from past cruises not to overexert myself! I will NOT be sick boarding this trip haha. So nothing but eating tasty food and relaxing by the ocean for me. 

Obviously Friday is the big day and we'll all be cruising together with the Backstreet Boys!!! Wow, still can't believe I can say those words. Still no itineraries, so no idea what's going on when. Hopefully we'll get those soon. Then after the cruise, I'm sticking around and doing some more relaxing in Fort Lauderdale for 2 days. For both of the past cruises I felt so rushed leaving that last morning and didn't get a chance to say goodbye or even recoup from the trip. Thus why I decided to extend this trip on the back-end as well for some much needed R&R. I'll definitely be updating you all on my adventures when I return and catch up on my sleep so be sure to check back here afterward.

I Want to Meet You!
Yeah, you! I so appreciate all of you for sticking with me on this blog and if you're going on the cruise, I REALLY do want to meet you. I love meeting other fans and swapping stories. I'll be in cabin U229 so please feel free to swing by and say hi. Or if you see me wandering around the ship, also feel free to stop me and say hi. Otherwise shoot me an email and we can swap contact info to try and meet up on board.

Any More Questions??
Final thought, if you have any last minute questions that you're still unclear about, or something I may have not covered, or even if its something I've covered a hundred times, I don't mind answering it again! I'll do my best to clarify whatever I can. No question is too silly! Again, just email me or post below and I'll get back to you. I promise! :)

Information At Last!

Check your emails, cruisers, we finally have some more information from Rose Tours. In case you missed it....

BACKSTREET BOYS CRUISE
CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES/ROSE TOURS INSTRUCTIONS


Dear _____,

We would like to take this opportunity to thank for participating in the
3RD Annual BSB Cruise aboard The CARNIVAL IMAGINATION.

Please review below information necessary to ensure a trouble free, relaxing vacation for all. Your booking number is six characters, three letters and three numbers.

All guests sailing on Carnival are required to complete an online check in no later 11:59 pm the night prior to sailing. Once the 4 Step Online Check In process is complete all guests can proceed to print their Boarding Pass and Luggage Tags. Taking a few minutes now will let you start enjoying your long-awaited cruise that much sooner.

 To begin the Online Check In process- Go online to Carnival.com and click on Manage My Cruises

 Or access web page – www.carnival.com/bookedguest

 Click on Login, Register or Access Your Booking Now and provide the following:

 Carnival Booking Number

 Guest Last Name

 Date of Birth

 Ship Name: Carnival Imagination

 Sail Date: 10/25/2013

  Step 1 Provide Guest Information: You will be required to provide personal information such address, an emergency contact, and your travel documentation information

 Step 2 Onboard Expenses: You will open your onboard expense account by providing credit card information or can select to provide cash upon embarkation.

 Step 3 Cruise Ticket Contract: You will need to accept Carnival Cruise Ticket Contract (Please note you will not be able to complete the online check in without accepting these terms)

 Step 4 Check In Summary: You will receive a message you have completed the Online Check In and can now proceed to print your boarding pass and luggage tags.

If you are having technical issues while checking in please call Carnival at 1-866 236-6670 for assistance. If any of the pre- populated information in your online check in is incorrect (example: date of birth) please contact Rose Tours.

 Please remember to bring your Boarding Pass and all Travel Documentation with you to the Pier. 

 Please note, your luggage tag located is on the last page of your documents.

Everyone must check in at the pier. (IMPORTANT - Please remember to fill out your FUN pass/Boarding Pass and Bring with you to the pier for Check In)

It is suggested that you put all medication in your carryon bag. Your luggage will not be delivered to your stateroom until a later time.

Once you arrive at the Pier, go to the Reception Area to check in. **Please have your proper identification with your Boarding pass (valid Passport or State Issued Birth Certificate and government issued photo ID) for cruise check-in.

You will receive your Sail & Sign /Cabin Key/ Wristband and Final Itinerary from Carnival at the pier.

You must wear the wristbands for the entire cruise. Each passenger will receive one wristband, which is non-transferable and will not be replaced.

BEACH PARTY - BALMORAL ISLAND, NASSAU, THE BAHAMAS
Take in the aqua-blue waters of the Bahamas during our Balmoral Beach Party with the BSB!
The luxurious island experience features a plunge pool, and a pristine white sand beach.

Highlights:

    Beautiful plunge pool
    Pristine white sand beach
    Dolphin encounters are available for an additional cost

Try a new luxury destination when your Carnival Cruise calls in Nassau, Bahamas. Transfer from the pier by boat to the private island.

    Transportation, a bottle of water and a boxed lunch are included. (Additional beverages/alcohol are available at an additional charge)
    Your shipboard Sail & Sign card may be used for purchases in Balmoral.
    Bring your own towel.
    Sunscreen and beach gear recommended.

ALL EVENTS ON BALMORAL WILL BE GENERAL ADMISSION

All guests must take their sail & sign card and a photo id  to depart the ship.  If you are going to sight see in Nassau, you must have cash or a valid credit card for purchases.

BSB CRUISE RULES & OTHER INFORMATION

AUTOGRAPHS:
No autographs will be given at the photo sessions. You are more than welcome to ask BSB for their autographs when you see them around the ship, however please respect their privacy if they request it.

PHOTO SESSIONS:
We will have groups of 8-10 passengers for each picture with the BSB. This way we will be able to see everyone, no one will be left without a photo. Please respect this group policy. Group A wristbands begin at11:00 AM and Group B wristbands begin at 1:00PM. These sessions will be in the Xanadu Lounge on Promenade Deck 5. Please arrive at the Photo Session with your group! NO CAMERAS, MOBILE PHONES, GIFTS OR BAGS WILL BE ADMITTED INTO THE PHOTO SESSION. If you do not have a group of 8-10, please go into the Disco to make up your group. Once you have your group of 8-10, please get in line. If you do not get a group of 8-10 you will be added to random passengers in order to get your photo.

PERSONAL CAMERAS / VIDEO CAMERAS:
Please feel free to bring your personal camera to all events except for the official photo sessions. We are providing an official photographer who will be circulating at all official events. Photos will be available thru a website. The link will be provided at a later time. If personal cameras are brought to the photo sessions, you will have to return it to your cabin. Video cameras allowed only for personal events. They are not allowed at official BSB cruise events. NO PROFESSIONAL CAMERAS ALLOWED AT ANY TIME. (SLR, DSLR, HD VIDEO, ETC)

WRISTBANDS:
You will receive your wristband at check-in. There are 6 wristband colors , these colors represent the zones in the Dynasty Lounge. Your wristband will have your exact seat assignment and either an A or B, which will denote your dining and event time. Wristband color and seat assignment number was determined by time of booking. Please note that these wristbands are required for all events. DO NOT REMOVE these wristbands until the end of the cruise.

PERSONAL GIFTS TO BSB:
Gifts will NOT be permitted at any BSB scheduled events.
Gifts can be left at the hospitality desk located in the Circle C Lounge on Atlantic Deck 8. Please consult your itinerary for Hospitality Hours. Your gifts will be delivered to BSB.

SEATING:
All seating in the Dynasty Lounge will be reserved. Your wristband determines which zone you are in and your Seat Number. Please look at the seating charts provided at check in to see where you will be seated. Please respect the seating policy and do not switch seats during the events. Please be respectful of others when entering the Dynasty Lounge.

CONCERT:
The BSB Concerts will be reserved seating in the Dynasty Theatre. Each group gets ONE concert. NO ONE WILL BE ADMITTED INTO THE OTHER GROUPS CONCERT. Please respect your fellow guests during the concert. VIDEO IS NOT PERMITTED DURING THE CONCERT!

DRESS:
Dress during the day is casual (shorts, shirts, skirts, jeans, etc.) Theme nights are as follows:

Friday, Oct 25th  DON'T PUT OUT THE GLOW NEON PARTY.
"Stay here, don't put out the glow..."  Join the party in your favorite neon clothes and accessories. The brighter the better!  Don't forget your glow sticks!

Saturday, Oct 26th BACKSTREETS BACK HALLOWEEN PARTY
There ain't no party like a Backstreet Halloween Party!  In honor of Halloween, we're throwing a massive costume party.  BSB related or not, get creative! After all, what's Halloween without an epic costume?

Monday, Oct 27th BACKSTREET BACHELORETTE PARTY
It's ladies night and it's guaranteed to get wild. Think club attire. Sexy, chic and ready for a good time.  You be the bachelorette and we'll be your eye candy!  P.S. Fellas are still invited too!

Beach & Swim Wear, Tank Tops, Tennis Shoes, Flip-Flops are Not Allowed in the Dining Room.

DINING ROOMS:
Guests with Early Dining are in Group A. (Spirit Dining Room or Pride Dining Room)
Guests with Late Dining are in Group B. (Spirit Dining Room or Pride Dining Room)You will receive dining room assignment at check in. Seating in the dining rooms is open.
Please arrive at your assigned dining room with your party, the Maitre D' will seat you.
Other options include 24 hour Room Service, Buffet on Lido Deck or the 24 hour Pizzeria.

SPA CARNIVAL:
'Everybody' the spa onboard invites you to pamper yourself while sailing on this special cruise.

'Larger Than Life' Relaxation

Choose any combination of three treatments (60 minutes total) - Only $129 - Save $100! 'As Long As You Love Us'

    Back, Neck and Shoulder Massage
    Full Body Brush Exfoliation
    Pressure Point Foot and Ankle Massage
    Scalp Massage
    Hand and Arm Massage
    Hydrating Spa Facial

There's 'More than That…. '
Upgrade your Back, Neck and Shoulder massage to a Bamboo Massage or Aroma Stone Massage for only $25.
Offer may not be combined with other discounts or promotions.

Full itineraries to follow!

Thanks and See you on board!

My Take
Wow, a lot of information to digest! Here are my thoughts

• "We will have groups of 8-10 passengers for each picture with the BSB"
  I honestly have to step back and laugh at this with everyone working so diligently on getting groups of 10. I figured as much they'd throw us a curve ball, but alas, this is a better curveball then them saying 12 people per picture. I think we would've had a mutiny on our hands.
• Beach party sounds AWESOME!!!! The island looks gorgeous! Anyone else want to sabotage the boats back to the ship with me so we can be stuck here with BSB??? Just teasing....kind of ;P But seriously, I'm really happy they're doing the beach party on a private island this year. THIS is what its all about!
  
  
   
• All of the policies are nothing new, at least as a repeat cruiser. But I want to call out for first time cruisers that its very important to check-in and print off your fun pass.
• Spa treatments are always tempting. They're clearly just trying to sell more by throwing a backstreet lyric in front of the existing package, and gosh darnit, I think its gonna work on me!
• Unrelated to this email, but rumors of a Kev solo concert are floating around.... @TheRobGonzales tweeted the following @MikeyBoyCanada @cdubyah76 yes I am!!! Opening for Kevin's solo set and then jamming on the piano with him while he sings! Can't wait!
  That would be super exciting!!! Obviously never seen Kevin really do any solo stuff so this will definitely be a treat. And now we have a Brian & likely Kev solo event....so I'm hoping we'll go 5 for 5 on the solo stuff!
  
• I was looking for the itinerary but caught it said "Full itineraries to follow!" Guess they're trying to finalize a few more items. Rose Tours apparently also runs on Backstreet time....

Wylee Fashion Show

Looks like we're going to have a fashion show, ladies!

@WyleebyLL
Bon Voyage! Wylee will be on board the @backstreetboys Cruise! Now is your chance to be a part of the fun. Details: pic.twitter.com/mBMpWmXU3k

Based on their flyer, Brian and his wife will be hosting a fashion show. I'm quite excited for this! Glad to see at least one of the boys doing a solo event. Hopefully indicative of the others doing something as well. This should also be neat because it hasn't been done before; and we'll have Brian hosting! So you know he'll turn into a comedy show for us.

If you're interested in being a model, make sure to email cruise@wyleebags.com! Good luck to those entering.

5 Tips for First Time Cruisers

I'm noticing that even though this is the third Backstreet cruise, there are still a bunch of first time cruisers, which is so exciting! I think the allure of Kevin returning with the combination of it being their 20th year anniversary has a lot of fans wanting to come out and party on the high seas with the boys. So here's my attempt at some tips especially for you first time cruisers...

1. Group photos- If you're a first time cruiser, you probably see a lot of these types of conversations/tweets/posts...
   

   "Have 2 Nick girls, 1 AJ girl, and Brian girl..."
   "Im looking for 1 Nick and 1 Kevin spot for late dining."
   "Early Dining Photo Group: we need 2 Howie, 1 Brian, & 1 AJ."

   You get the gist..... So here's the lowdown. Every cruiser is entitled to a group picture with the Backstreet Boys- which will include 10 fans and 5 boys. So if you do the math, thats one person on either side of each boy. Some cruisers like to get their groups arranged early so that they can all stand next to their first choice member. I would recommend starting to find a group if you 1) want to stand next to Nick (and I wish you good luck on this endeavor, not easy to find a group with Nick openings) or 2) you have a strong desire to stand next to one guy in particular.
   
   If you don't meet either of these criteria, I would say relax and you can easily find people on board. There will be members of the Rose Tour staff helping to match groups up the day of the photos. If you do want to arrange your group beforehand, there are a lot of places to go, which brings me to my next tip....



2. Get Social- Particularly if you're a solo traveler, I encourage you to get on twitter, the fanclub, facebook groups, and of course my blog to meet other fans. Everyone is so welcoming! For twitter, Id suggest starting off the the @backstreetboys cruise list. On the fanclub, I'd suggest searching for 'backstreet cruise' and there are at least 10 groups that I'm aware of. If you have trouble finding them, shoot me an email and I'll invite you. And in the fanclub, there is an entire section of the forums dedicated to the cruise. So many ways to meet people before you set sail!



3. Door Decoration Contest- Just recently they announced a door decoration contest. You do not have to do anything if you don't want, but I think it's a lot of fun. You can do as little or as much as you want. Some people slap a few old magazine and posters up; while others do a full-on theme with flashing lights, music, etc. I've included a picture of a door from the Carnival Imagination with measurements. Note that this happens to be my exact cabin so your door may look different!
   

   

   Carnival Imagination Door

   
   
4. Sleep Now- As the boys themselves have said, sleep now. You won't be getting a lot of sleep on the ship. There's a lot of fun to be had around 5 in the morning with drunk Howie up on the lido deck and you won't want to miss it. So be prepared for minimal sleep. My rule of thumb is I won't go to sleep until the last Backstreet Boys is in bed.



5. No Expectations- I know its tough not to get excited thinking about running into AJ in your hall; but my biggest advice to first time cruisers is go in with no expectations and you can only be pleasantly surprised. If you expect to chilling in the hot tub with Kevin all cruise, you're only going to set yourself up for disappointment. You need to go in with an open mind, and heck, sometimes what actually happens is better than what you could dream up anyway.