Post-Cruise Recap

Welcome back cruisers. I'm in the throws of post-cruise depression. Not to mention I'm still exhausted and busy digesting everything that happened the past 5 days or so. But here's some of my quick down and dirty thoughts about this cruise while I catch back up on life and write a proper review.

• Overall I thought this cruise was phenomenal and ranked right up there as one of the best. I think they really tried to make up for the last one and they knocked it out of the park.
  
  
• Highlight for me was Millennium Night. And funny enough the Fast Times at Backstreet High was also one of the best deck parties but it ended up being completely overshadowed by Millennium Night. I know they didn't end up doing as many selfies but I absolutely loved that about both nights because they sang BSB songs. I felt like we got 2 extra concerts and not just any concert, but freakin the entire Millennium album.
  
  I would best describe Millennium night as...okay you know when you're hanging out with your friends and you just put your iPod on a Backstreet shuffle playlist and then sing along and tell funny stories in between the songs? Well imagine you're doing that but WITH the Backstreet Boys performing those songs and goofing around with you. And then Nick and AJ decide to spontaneously jump in the pool with you while Kevin is off serving drinks to you. Definitely a deck party for the record books and I hope the boys take note that we want more of this!!
  
  

  

  Millennium Night (Not sure who put this together to give credit to, but I loved it! and think it sums up the cruise)

• Another highlight for me was the concert. I feel like I leave every cruise and say 'that was the best concert ever' and this was no different. I loved the funny interludes and untold stories that we've never heard before. And I loved the setlist. My fave was Climbing the Walls <3
  
  
• Sneak Peak with AJ and Kevin. AH-MAY-ZING! It makes me feel good that they acknowledge the fans who go on the cruise are superfans and that they trusted us to play new music. This is an example where it seems like fans behaved and didn't try to sneak in cameras (at least i haven't heard about it yet) and I hope that it pays off and they'll trust us to do more of this in the future.
  
  As for the music - it was almost too much to process at one time but I loved hearing a lot of the new songs. I do hope there is more uptempo songs on the new album because based on what Kevin shared it seemed there were definitely more slower songs. AJ's new music also sounded great and I hope that he can actually follow through and actually release them!
  
  
• I'm not sure who this Nick Carter we got on this cruise was, but I was super glad to have this version of him. Historically he is notorious for being the least accessible but this cruise he stepped up in the best of ways and we noticed! I loved his little game the first day on trying to find him for a selfie and the fact that he did a random selfie line on the third day for hours on end - LOVED IT!
  
  I thought Kevin and AJ both were also both rockstars in terms of taking pics with fans. They've always been great in the past so I wouldn't expect anything different this time around. Both Kev and AJ were super accessible and stayed out super late on multiple occasions taking pics with the fans with their massive selfie lines. And I find whether you're first in line or 500th in line they are still as nice and engaging.
  
  Meanwhile I thought Howie and Brian weren't as great about pictures as they normally are or the other 3 boys. I heard that AJ even tried to encourage Howie to start a line and his response was that he'd rather be drinking on stage. Not gonna lie, a little disappointed. And not to say that he didn't do any pictures, because he certainly did.  I think Brian made it up to the top deck on the 2nd night for pictures and did pictures side-stage or randomly around the ship for a bit. So I certainly give him credit, but I suppose when he's always the first to peel away from the deck parties it's easy to see that he's missing from picture time.
  
  
• I think this may have been the only cruise that we had all deck parties outside. And I loved it!! It makes a huge difference and I hope our bad weather curse is over.
  
  
• I can't stop picturing Nick dressed up as baby spice and it makes me laugh without fail. The Spiceboys costumes were epic!
  
  
• Overall I thought the vibe of this cruise was laid back, appreciative, and nostalgic. As far as the fans I didn't personally experience any pushing or excessive amounts of rude, aggressive fans. Now granted I wasn't up front except for 1 event so maybe that was it. But coming off the European cruise, I could definitely feel the difference.
  
  I thought the boys overall seemed to have their guard down and were just loose and having fun - sharing stories and just reflective of their 25 year journey of how they've gotten to where they are today. I loved it!
  
  
• For me the only negative of this cruise actually came from the fans. I could not believe my eyes that people were stealing the decorations on the 2nd day of the cruise! Shame on you for ruining this for others. I agree with the announcement that "this is why we can't have nice things." I wouldn't be surprised if they don't do those next cruise as a result, and that would make me really sad.
  
  Similarly I heard that fans were stealing door decorations and Kevin's signatures from the doors. Again, just so disgusting and selfish and I hope Backstreet karma bites you in the ass.
  
  
• And I'll end with... 3 words...