Cruising with Brian

Last, but certainly not least, in my miniseries on cruising with the Backstreet Boys- Mr. Brian Littrell. He brought his amazing sense of humor and surprising inner party animal to the ship.

Gotta love Brian's Smile

Favorite Brian Moment #1:

Hands down my favorite Brian moment was the first lunch on board I was able to get a picture with him.  My mind was running a mile a minute that whole lunch because I was still in shock of finally being on the cruise. I felt like a little kid in Disney World. What do you do first? I wanted to catch up with my brother whom I hadn’t seen in months, meet all my friends that I had made online prior to the cruise, take in the fact that Howie and Brian were eating a few feet away from us, tell everyone I knew from back home that I was practically eating with the Backstreet Boys, and actually eat lunch because I was hungry. My brain was on overload lol.  Just when I didn’t think it could get any better, Brian decides to hold a mini photo session with his fans. It was just too much to take in but I loved every second of it.

Favorite Brian Moment #2:

In between events, I had ventured to the pool deck to get some fresh air and check out what was going on. The Carnival staff was hosting a game of bingo, so I decided to stick around as a few of my friends were playing. I would've played but 1- it cost money. And 2- seeing as how my brother often hosts bingo, I didn't think it would be a good idea for me to play in case I actually did win. Anyway, as the sky darkened and a few rain drops started to fall, I noticed a rather bright orange shirt on the deck above me, which was Brian. He was surrounded by his friends and family. This was definitely another time I did not feel appropriate to rush up to him and ask for a picture or hug or anything of that nature. I just found it really neat to see Brian on a vacation. Its definitely not something you see every day. I felt like what I was seeing was a picture you'd see in the tabloids.

Favorite Brian Moment #3:

Masquerade night was awesome. I’d argue that Brian made that night extra special for me. I didn’t meet him or get a picture with him or anything. I think what made this night crack into my top 3 Brian moments was that it was just very unexpected. He’s notorious for not showing up to after parties, so I really didn’t have high expectations for him at the deck parties. But he completely surprised me and turned out to be the life of the party. I really enjoyed seeing him in this different light. He was in the spotlight for most of the night, singing, dancing, and goofing around. He also had Leighanne with him, who also seemed to be enjoying herself that night. You can’t help but smile when you watch these two. The Brian highlight of the night was when he threw some beads into the audience and my brother grabbed them for me. I know its not that big of a deal to most of you folks, but I NEVER seem to have luck catching anything from them or being picked to go up on stage for whatever reason. So you may laugh at me, but I have those beads draped over a picture frame of me and Brian from the cruise.

Other Brian Highlights

Let’s not forget about any of these classic Brian moments as well:

• Dance off with AJ during international night where neither of them can seem to remember the dance steps
• Basically anything that came out of his mouth during the Q&A had me laughing hysterically

 Brian imitating Kevin. Just one of the many hilarious things he did during the Q&A

• Brian doing the limbo.

 How low can he go?

• During the Shes a Dream Dating Game, I liked when he snuck over to the girl's side and was feeding them answers.
  
  
  
  Even when its not his turn, you can't keep Brian off stage.

Favorite Brian Quotes

• “What is your favorite position? Awww….It wasn’t me. G-d forgive me"
• “I can never watch extreme home makeover without crying. It’s like being on Oprah. 
• “We walk around with Nick all the time and we’re like say no to crack ”

What I’m looking forward to most from Brian on cruise 2011?

I'm very excited to see what he wears for the theme nights. After all, he has to outdo himself from last year. I also am looking forward to his sense of humor bringing all of the events alive. He especially surprised me during the deck parties, and I hope he brings the same level of excitement to the deck parties next year. I also seemed to have the most luck running into him around the ship. Not sure if it was just pure dumb luck or he was truly out more than the other Backstreet Boys. Whatever it was, I'm hopeful that will be the case for next year as well.

Brian looking good at the Beach Party

Cruising with Nick

I’m doing another mini-series on my blog and doing a post on Cruising with each Backstreet Boy. Since Nick is my favorite, I’m going to start with him. I’ll cover favorite stories, memories, pictures, quotes, videos, moments, what I’m looking forward to in 2011, etc for each Backstreet Boy as it pertains to the cruise. So here goes!

I love the playful side of Nick. Here he is playing with a water gun.

Favorite Nick Moment #1

Before I set sail for BSB cruise 2010, I had never met Nick. He was the one I was most excited to meet and see up close, but also the one I was most intimidated by. To me, he’s just the epitome of a sexiness. Even if he wasn’t famous and wasn’t a Backstreet Boy, I would be intimidated seeing him walk down the street.  So when I first saw him on the cruise just chilling by the elevator, I was so taken aback. He was actually the first BSB that I saw after I boarded, which was probably about 20 minutes or so after I stepped on the ship. I saw him casually waiting for an elevator with a pair of headphones around his neck. The 15 year old girl inside of me wanted to squeal with delight and run over and ask for a picture or hug. But the 24 year old me just stole a quick glance and tried to whisper to my brother who was with me at the time: “Oh my gosh, its Nick!” I’m pretty sure I didn’t succeed in it being a whisper though. I know you can barely call this an experience, but since it was my first BSB sighting on board, I still have fond memories of those fleeting 10 seconds.

Favorite Nick Moment #2

As you probably already know, I was too excited to eat pretty much the entire first day on the cruise. Our first dinner in the main dining room was incredible, we had the second best table in the room. I only say second because I would have preferred to be sitting at the table WITH the Backstreet Boys. But the table right next them was almost just as good. I truthfully didn’t have a great view of Nick as his back was to me, but that was still good enough for me. I enjoyed just eating in the presence of Nick and the other Backstreet Boys. The only downside was watching him and Lauren with all their PDA going on. I just don't think its appropriate when you are eating around your fans, your friends, children, and really just any other human being in general. So that part wasn’t my favorite, but that part was soon forgotten when I saw Nick get up from his seat and head towards the middle of the room where he got up on the chairs and started busting a move to ‘Low’, with AJ quick to follow. What was neat about this for me, was that since we were seated so close to the Backstreet Boys, we saw them get up with their security before the majority of the rest of the room had any idea what was going on. Thus we got to experience the brief dance in its entirety.

Nick and AJ dancing during dinner

Favorite Nick Moment #3

Typing out my personal favorite memories made me realize I really didn’t have that many Nick encounters throughout the cruise. But the last one I can fondly recall was when I was on the lido deck strolling through to get to the buffet and I ran into him. I was quite taken off guard upon this “meeting” as well so I didn’t really do much of anything beyond walk past him and smile. The only thing about this that I can still vividly recall was his security guard yelling at me. Again, not much of an experience, but there’s something special about running into a Backstreet Boy when you aren’t expecting it.

Other Nick Highlights

So those were MY favorite moments because they were largely unique to me. Well, the dining room not so much.  But I still loved it! Here are a few Nick highlights that I think the majority of people who might share with me:

• He previewed 2 songs from his new album, which at the time wasn’t released yet. I thought that was very cool. Though I hate not knowing the words to a BSB song.
• Nick letting loose at the beach party a bit
• Bartender Nick during Masquerade night- handing out shots.

Nick handing out shots

• Nick fixing his fly during the concert

Oh Nick....
Favorite Nick Quotes

• “I’ve got a high crack, man”
• “I would dress like Elvira… I would have some big you know what’s right here”

What I’m looking forward to most from Nick on cruise 2011?

I’m also hoping to see him loosen up a bit with the fans this cruise. It was very evident that the guys were very nervous the first time around, but now that they know what to expect, I hope that Nick will warm up to the fans and be more willing to interact, take pictures, etc. Or maybe we just need to get him a new body guard.

I want to see more of Nick interacting with the fans like he did at the beach party

Another thing I’m excited for, even knowing there’s a good chance that it won’t be me who gets lucky, Nick invited maybe 10 girls or so back to his room. Just the thought that there is a remote possibility of this happening again and me being in that room gets me super excited. Here's a review from one of those lucky girls.

Top 14 Moments of BSB Cruise 2010

I tried to narrow this down to my top 10 memories of the cruise but I just couldn't pick as there were too many great moments, so you get 14 of them.


14. Meeting the Backstreet Boys for the second time during the PDA Photo Session and being able to get a picture with AJ. It was the perfect culmination to my trip.


13. Having a wonderful dinner with Jessica and her mom on the second night only to be interrupted by AJ asking her for a dance.

12. AJ and his friend Madonna Mark singing ‘Like a Virgin’…then AJ seductively crawling on the stage and imitating Madonna.

11. Nick getting up in the middle of the Q&A session to pee and bringing his microphone with him.


10. Seeing AJ in person wearing a kilt. Too funny.


9. Brian during the dating game “What is your favorite position? Awww….It wasn’t me. G-d forgive me”

8. During the Q&A: When a Backstreet song comes on the radio do you sing along or change the channel?

AJ: “It depends on what song it is. If its one that we haven’t heard in a while. Like All I have to Give came on the other day. I listened to it. I didn’t sing along. Looking like a dork…Cant pull up next to a car with your windows down and singing your own song”
Nick: “It’s so funny because I don’t ever hear it on the radio. I hear it in an elevator or grocery store. And its freaken elevator music half the time so I have to listen to it while I’m buying milk”
Howie: “I actually get excited when I hear it in the grocery store. I like want to tell people ‘Hey hey, thats me! In LA especially nobody cares there. Whatever dude. Do your thing. You crazy nut.”

7. Nick came down to the bar during masquerade night and was handing out shots.

6. Catching AJs ‘one-man show’ in the casino. Totally unexpected but one of the best parts of the trip for me. It was great watching him goof around and be himself while playing some blackjack with only a few fans nearby. He made us feel really welcome.

5. Beautiful beach in the Caribbean. Free drinks. Mexican Buffet. Me chilling with my friends and the bro. Sun setting over the ocean.


4. First lunch on board eating next to Howie and Brian’s table. It was that initial adrenaline rush of knowing we’d actually be hanging out with the Backstreet Boys for the next 4 days, very indescribable.


3. AJ singing London at the masquerade party. Absolutely incredible.

2. Nick and AJ dancing to ‘Low’ by T-Pain in the dining room on the first night. Great vibe and happy to be part of it at the best table in the dining room.


1. Meeting Nick, AJ, Brian and Howie for the first time at the acoustic show. I had major butterflies in my stomach but it was everything I had hoped for and more.

Recap: Day Two Key West

I woke up on Friday still unsure of whether or not I wanted to get off the ship to see Key West. Figuring I could decide over breakfast, I grabbed my bacon and eggs and sat near the pool under the beautiful Key West sun. Somehow that quick breakfast turned into an hour just relaxing, chatting with friends, making a few phone calls, etc. Thus I decided to stay on the ship and skip out on going to explore Key West. I just needed the time to unwind do nothing.

I turned out to be quite happy with my decision. I took the time to explore the halls and check out everyone’s door decorations. I had put mine up the day prior:

Not going to lie, I was kinda upset that I didn’t get at least an honorable mention.

I had tons of fun making this, even though it took quite a while. It’s basically thousands of pictures of the guys that are arranged to make up one larger picture. I just knew I wanted to do something different than your average collage. Though I probably should have taken my own advice and done some sort of theme as those were the ones that seemed to catch the judges eyes. I really enjoyed walking down the halls and seeing how creative people got. I could have spent 5-10 minutes at each door appreciating all the subtle nuances of each one, but I didn’t have quite that much time or energy.


For future reference, these are the doors that received an honorable mention/won

• Pirates themed
• Now Showing Backstreet Boys' movie theater theme going all out with curtains
• iPod
• Love Boat
• 3D Diorama of the I'll Never Break Your Heart Rooms
• Disco Ball stage
• And the Grand winner of front row seats to the concert did a locker theme

Here are some pics of the doors that caught my eye:

INBYH door

Everybody themed door

Pirates of the Caribbean Theme

My Neighbor's Door with their concert tickets

Winning DoorInside of Winning Door

Q&A

This was another one of my favorite events (Yes, I realize I say that about all of them, but they were all great!) I was pleasantly surprised how long this event ran and how thoughtful and unique most of the questions were.

I found the Q&A to be quite an informative hour and a half. I learned not to get Howie an ironing board; that Nick has a ‘high crack’; AJ’s drag queen name would be Priscilla Queen of the Desert; and Brian bought his wife 2 cars in the span of a week . I was seriously laughing for the entire time. I just about lost it when Nick got up to pee in the middle of the event.

Here are a few of my favorite clips:

Howie's Ironing Board Story

Brian Emulating Kevin

Nature calls for Nick

After the Q&A, my tummy was grumbling, though I wasn’t nearly as hungry as Nick seemed to be. Unfortunately I was not the only one who had the idea to head to the grill so the lines were crazy long. However, as I was headed across the pool deck to go wait in line, I bumped into Nick and his bodyguard which was absolutely delightful. There were no other fans around, so I shook his hand and had my fleeting moment with Nick. Even though I wasn’t going to ask for a picture, his body guard still yelled “No pictures!” He should just record himself saying “No pictures!” so he can save his voice.

Next item on the agenda- hit up the BSB merchandise store. They had lots of fun goodies- tshirts, hoodies, key chains, shot glasses, tote bags, beach towels, etc. I did some major credit card damage in here. I had always wanted the ‘This is Us’ hoodie , so I decided to splurge on that along with a few other cruise themed items. Toting all my loot, I headed back to my cabin and got ready for the Captain’s dinner.

Waiting for the Captain's Dinner

This night, dinner was slightly more chaotic, and would get increasingly more crazy as the days passed. Once people realized where the Backstreet Boys were sitting, people got pretty agressive and were fighting over where to sit.

We managed to snag another great table near the Backstreet Boys and met some other great fans at our table. The best part of the evening was when AJ came over and danced with our friend Jessica, who happened to be sitting next me.

Masquerade NightThis was my favorite deck party of the cruise. It was nice to see everyone dressed up including Nick in his scary mask. Overall just a great vibe. They were throwing out bead necklaces into the crowd and I was able to catch one from Brian :)

Masquerade night

Nick with his creepy mask

I thought they did a nice mix of their songs, music by other artists, and even some stuff not released to the public yet! They played a new NKOTBSB song- 'Don't Turn out the Lights Now' and a few songs off of Nick's new album. The fact that they played these new songs for us made me feel really special. One of my highlights of the whole trip was when AJ sang London. Something about this song- I just love it!

My absolute favorite song- London

New NKOTBSB song- Don't Turn out the Lights Now

After the party was over, I headed to bed with the anticipation that AJ may come knocking on my door to wake me up. By the way, that's such a fantastic way to head to bed. Wish I could do that every night. And I'm not going to lie, I got slightly dressed up to sleep that night, but unfortunately I didn't have any luck. Though from what I understand AJ did hit a few decks that evening and treated many fans with a surprise. While I wasn't one of the lucky ones, I thought it was just great that he did this. They really do care about us fans :) I don't think I managed to get to sleep until 5:00 that night due to the anticipation.

Theme Nights

Theme nights were just recently announced:

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Thursday, December 9^th- INTERNATIONAL LUV NIGHT

Away, Internationally, Away, Eh….

We are all going AWAY together on a four night adventure. Let’s start the cruise off right by celebrating us all coming together from around the world and showing off your Country pride with flags, Tshirts, Countries colors, etc. Let’s see how each country represents!

Friday, December 10^th- MASQUERADE NIGHT

It’s a Masquerade, A Love Parade, So wont you stay and dance with me…

Let’s dress up and dance the night away at our Masquerade ball – feathers, beads and lots of fun!

So all you solider boys and beauty queens better be ready to lose control!

Don’t forget to bring your mask!

Sunday, December 12^th – BLACK AND BLUE PARTY

You were there from the start! We know who you are…and this one goes out to you!

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I’m thrilled with the themes and how they all relate back to the Backstreet Boys. From what I understand, Masquerade night will take place the same night as formal night. Though theoretically you can change into anything you want after dinner.

Another thing to keep in mind when planning these outfits is that I imagine they will take place on the lido deck. At night when the sun goes down and the wind picks up, it can be quite chilly. I plan on incorporating either a shawl or sweater to keep warm for all of these outfits.

I’m most excited to see what the guys end up doing, particularly for the Masquerade night. Perhaps we’ll see AJ as we saw him back in old days: