Studio 54 Night

In a nice turn of events, our first official theme night was announced quite early and its Studio 54 Night!! I like that they provided a teaser video for us, though it almost spoils the fun of being surprised to see what they're going to wear on the cruise. Well, I guess I'm going to have to do shopping!

 

Studio 54 Night

Preview of what's to come

21 Simple Backstreet Cruise Hacks

Here are 21 (hopefully) helpful cruise hacks for both you first time and repeat cruises!

1. Bring a water bottle. I found standing on that lido deck all afternoon under the hot sun- a water bottle would've been super helpful. Its a lot of general admission types of events so if you don't want to forgo your spot, be prepared to stand there for a while and stay hydrated.
   
   
2. Comfy shoes. I cannot emphasize this enough. Lots of standing around.
   
   
3. Don't ask the boys for pictures before or after the meet & greet. They JUST took a picture with everyone on board and I don't think its fair to ask them for anymore. I've seen cruisers ask Brian for photos and he'll actually make this same comment. Be considerate.
   
   
4. Bring extra camera batteries and memory if you get snap happy like myself.
   
   
5. Take a moment and appreciate where you are. So simple but many fail to do this.
   
   
6. Don't wait to take pics with your friends. So often I'd run into a friend and say "oh we'll take a picture later" but later never comes.
   
   
7. Try to come down early or stay later in Miami if you can. Lots of fans in the area and its a great way to relax a bit amid all the chaos that is a Backstreet cruise.
   
   

   

   Downtown Miami
   
   

8. You have a better chance of a run-in when there is a solo event or everyone is aggregated at an event waiting for the boys. So for example when everyone is out on the beach waiting for BSB to show up, there's an increased likelihood of seeing them out and about on the ship. Similarly if everyone is up on the lido deck watching Howie's solo concert, there would be lighter crowds elsewhere on board.
   
   
9. Best time to go merch shopping is first night during your dinner when the other group is in their event. Just sneak out in between courses. There's no one there and they still have all of the items available.
   
   
10. Arrive at the cruise terminal early enough and you'll be able to see the boys arrive and board before everyone else.
    

    

    Boys arriving at the cruise terminal
    
    

11. Take advantage of the live streams of the lido deck on the TV in your stateroom. Good way to quickly check the weather or crowds without ever having to leave your room.
    
    
12. Nick, Howie and AJ to a lesser extent all seem to like to hang out in the casino if they have some down time. I'm just saying if you have to cross the length of the ship, may as well pass through the casino. 
    
    
13. Take pictures with the cardboard cutouts sooner than later because last year they were stolen (dont even get me started on that) before the cruise was over.
    
    

    

    Cardboard version of Brian, Kevin, Howie, Nick & AJ
    
    

14. Act normal. Such a simple concept but as long as you stay cool, the boys will stay cool. As soon as things get out of hand is when they'll pull back from us.
    
    
15. Get to events a little early if you can. Sometimes if you're lucky there might be a bonus sighting. I'm thinking of Kevin's solo event when he came out before he was supposed to and practiced on the piano a bit.
    
    
16. Keep your eyes peeled in the main dining room during dinner for the boys. I've seen Brian and Howie eat there. Heard about Kevin eating in there as well. Meanwhile I believe AJ has been spotted upstairs in the buffet for dinner. Unsure about Nick but I've never seen him in the main dining room for dinner except that first year.
    
    
17. If you need anything the first 6 hours or so on board, pack it in your carry-on. Otherwise be prepared that you might not see it for a while. (Credit to Cory)
    
    
18. Don't waste time trying to meet people at certain places/times. It rarely works. Its easy for one of you to get caught up because you spotted Brian taking pictures somewhere or whatever the case may be.
    
    
19. Pack layers for the deck party and plan for all types of weather. In the past we've experienced it all from hot sun and rain to cold windy nights. (Credit to Cory)
    
    
20. To dial your friends cabin you need to enter the deck number then room number.
    
    
21. Don't feel pressure to spend a ton on your theme outfits or door decorations. You can do as little or as much as you want in either category and be totally fine.

The Who's Who of BSB Cruising

A reader suggested a while back that I do a post on all the important people in the BSB and BSB cruising world. And I know she asked me ages ago, but better late than never, right?

Backstreet Management

Jenn

Melissa

Jenn Sousa- BSB's manager. Super sweet. You'll most likely see her hosting the game shows.

Melissa Mondello- Assistant Manager.

Ground Ctrl- They manage the general day to day interactions between the Backstreet Boys, their management, and the fans. You'll see them on board but they are not the ones you go to for most cruise related issues.

Eddie and Justin (Left to Right)

Eddie Meehan- CEO & Co-Founder of Ground Ctrl. You'll probably see him around the boys taking care of loose ends. I believe last year he was interviewing a few girls for some video that I have yet to see.

Justin Segura- Photographer/Event Coordinator of Ground Ctrl. He'll generally be the one with the camera.

Rose Tours- Company that organizes theme cruises, including the BSB cruise of course. You go to them for any questions/concerns related to the cruise.

Complete Rose Tour Staff

Michelle (back row 2nd from left) and Jeannie (far right).

Hal Roseman with the Backstreet Boys

Bill & Suzanne Roseman with Brian

Michelle Moore- Event Coordinator of Rose Tours. As her title suggests, she runs the BSB events on board.

Jeannie Gearhart- Manager of Rose Tours. She's the one you'll most likely email or speak to with any issues/concerns before the cruise.

Hal Roseman- President of Rose Tours

Bill Roseman- CEO of Rose Tours

Suzanne Roseman- CEO of Rose Tours

Lots more important people who work there, obviously, but sadly I don't know everyone so just highlighting a few.

Backstreet Boys' Security

Backstreet Boys Security Team

In order from left to right:

Mike E.- Nick's bodyguard.

Aaron- Sorry, don't know his name. Anyone out there know it? *Update* His name is Aaron per 'Anonymous' below. Thanks!

Keith- Kevin's bodyguard   .

Drew P.- Head of security. Brian's bodyguard.

Josh N.- AJs bodyguard.

Family & Friends- With every subsequent cruise this category has dwindled down, so I'm not going through everyone. I'll just cover the important people I can remember who attended the last cruise, as I assume they'd have the greatest chance of attending in 2014.

Curtis, Leighanne, and Jodi on the 2013 cruise

Howie & his bro, John, on the 2013 cruise. (And AJ enjoying some pizza.)

Leighanne Littrell- Brian's wife and CEO of Wylee. 

Jodi & Curtis Hartley- Friends of Brian & Leighanne. Jodi is also a Wylee sales rep.

John Dorough- Howie's brother.

Backstreet Boys- Can't forget these 5...

Captain Backstreet Boys

Howie- The "latin one." On the cruise can generally be seen with at least 1 drink in his hand and closing down down the deck parties, winning the honor of last Backstreet Boy to go to bed.

AJ- The "bad boy." On the cruise can generally be seen doing whatever it takes to make sure us fans have a good time.

Kevin- The "mature, responsible one." On the cruise can generally be seen spending hours in the same spot surrounded by mobs of fans taking pictures and signing autographs. Seriously, the man has the patience of a saint and deserves some sort of award.

Nick- The "cute one." On the cruise can generally be seen working the crowd from the stage and seductively hamming it up for the fans.

Brian- The "funny one." On the cruise can generally be seen doing the same silly antics he does on-land, but now on the high seas.

Seasoned cruisers and fans- please comment below if I mis-stated anything or missed anyone. And shout out to my girls- Ashley, Chrissy, and Anne Marie for helping with this one!

5 Theories why the Cruise isn't Sold Out Yet

First things first, in case you may have missed it, Ticketmaster is doing a cruise sweepstakes (just for US citizens) so be sure to sign up for your chance to win!

Enter Here for Chance to Win a Free BSB Cruise

I assume other contests as well cruise deals will start popping up soon. It seems like we're repeating 2011 and the cruise just isn't selling very well. I have a couple of ideas as to why....

Why the Cruise Isn't Sold Out Yet

1. Need a New Itinerary- It's the same itinerary and more or less the same ship as before. Yes, its technically a different ship, but its the sister ship the the Imagination thus its virtually the same thing. At least in my opinion. We're also sailing out of Miami again and going to Half Moon Cay. While I personally don't care that we're going to the same ports, particularly because I really like Half Moon Cay, it's still nothing new. But bottom line- they're not giving repeat cruisers a compelling reason to return.
   
   
2. No Buzz- Last year there was a lot of excitement around the 20th anniversary and Kevin returning. They just simply don't have that same level excitement this year to act as a draw.
   
   
3. Cost- Money. Period. This is not a cheap trip and I think some fans just don't have any more to give after 3 cruises and the IAWLT tour. VIP prices are going up; concert prices are going up. It's hard to justify keep pouring money into the Backstreet Boys as we get older and have more grown-up responsibilities. Now I don't fall into this category ;)... but I think some fans do.
   
   
4. It's Getting Old- A lot of repeat cruisers have now done this up to 3 times, and I think some fans have "gotten their fill" of the BSB cruising experience. I find the experience to be a ton of fun, but its a bit formulaic at this point. We know we'll get concerts, beach parties, deck parties, game shows- just a matter of different themes and different game. Its a fantastic formula, but I feel like they need to push themselves to think outside of the box. Give us a reason to keep coming back. Do a pool party. Do Brunch with the Boys. Do a slumber party in their hall. I think in conjunction with having the new fun activities, they need to PROMOTE them. We don't get the fun details on what they're doing until 2 weeks before the cruise. So how can they expect to attract new cruisers this way?
   
   
5. European Tour- By having the European leg of the In a World Like this tour, I suspect many Europeans are struggling to justify the added expense given that they had a chance to see the boys just a few months before the cruise.

Europe Cruise

So I stumbled on this video from a recent sound check party where the fans ask the boys if they would consider doing a European cruise.

Boys discussing a potential European Cruise

I found the answer quite interesting. Typically when they've been asked this question in the past, the simple reply was, "We'd love to do a European cruise." Well this time Kevin chimed in and said they've actually trying to develop a relationship with a cruise line that operates in the Mediterranean. I still don't know how seriously they're entertaining the idea, but it certainly got me thinking.

As an American, of course I'm biased and hope they decide to stick with the US. As much as I've always wanted to do a Mediterranean cruise, I think combining that with a BSB cruise isn't necessarily the way I'd choose to go. For starters the cost scares me immensely, especially factoring in the conversion rate. Now I'm starting to fathom what you international fans must go through! I also don't think I'd be able to enjoy the ports because there would be too much Backstreet activity to focus on. I barely get to see any of the islands we do now. 

There are clearly still so many unknowns, its hard to say if I'd actually go. So many factors to consider- from cost to timing. I do know I'd try my best to be on that ship because at this point I don't think I could miss a BSB cruise. I also imagine I'd extend my trip and make a point to see some of Europe.

Putting aside the fact whether or not I would go, I do think it makes business sense for them, just given how high the demand is in Europe. I suspect one of the reasons the cruise hasn't sold out this year is because there's a European tour. Fans simply just don't have the budget for both. 

One last thought- if they decide to use a European based company aside from Rose Tours, I think the cruise has the potential to be very different. Rose Tours has a strict formula that they stick to. Beach Party + 3 Themed deck parties + Game show + Concert =  BSB Cruise. Not saying thats a bad thing, because it really is a great formula. But I can only imagine that if a different company were running the show we might have a totally different experience.

UPDATE
Found another video at a recent after party where AJ brings up wanting to do a European cruise. Granted we can't always trust AJ, but they're definitely talking about it.

Cruise talk starts 3 minutes in.

Top 5 Merch Items from 2013

It feels like every year the merchandise gets more and more expensive, but they continue to have some neat items that make me want to my rack up insane charges on my sail & sign card. Today I'm counting down my top 5 favorite items from the last cruise.

5. Beach Mat ($30)
I give them credit for coming up with something different. And it makes my list because its practical and could've been used at the beach party. 

4. Silver Picture Frame ($65)
While I personally think $65 for a 4x6'' picture frame is completely unreasonable, I figure it's a good way to store those great memories.

3.  Yellow T-Shirt ($35-$40) 
This seemed to be the most popular choice of T-shirt this year because of the fun, bright color. Now I'm kind of regretting not getting it.

2. 20th Anniversary Cruise Tote Bag ($55)
Practical and cute tote to bring to the beach party, or carry your goodies around the ship. I also like it because it's subtle.

1. Pink Hoody ($85)
Even though these hoodies get more and more ridiculously priced every year they're always my favorite. I think this one is better quality than years past. And it gets extra bonus points for being a fun, pink color this year.

Runners-Up 
AKA other cool things you can buy:

• Nick's Book- Facing the Music and Living to Talk About it ($25)
• Howie's CD- Back to Me ($30)
• AJ's Skullee Rose Baseball Hat- ($30)
• In a World Like This Tote Bag- In case you missed getting this on tour
• Kevin's Cup ($20)
• Beach Ball ($30)
• Gray Cruise Tank ($40) & White BSB Tank ($65)

• Pink Long Sleeve Shirt ($65) & Gray T-Shirt ($35-$40)

• Beach Towel- This doesn't make my list because historically the material has been so cheap and practically disintegrates upon first use.

Hope this helps give you an idea of how much to start saving for next year. Happy shopping :)

Denise's Cruise Review

I'm so excited I have yet another awesome guest blogger for you, one of my good friends, Denise. She is a Nick girl from Chicago and she's been a diehard fan ever since she saw “As Long As You Love Me” on the VH1 countdown. The 2013 cruise was her first and she's excited to share her stories with you. She also has a super fun blog, The Life of a Backstreet Boys Fan, where she shares some of her other encounters. I love being able to share other reviews of the cruise because I obviously can't  be everywhere at once so Denise is going to share her play by play of the cruise. Enjoy!

DAY ONE: Friday, October 25, 2013

Friday morning, I woke up around 7 a.m. which was really 6 a.m. for me. I took a shower and got dressed and went downstairs in hunt of food. I think there were 31 floors and I was on the 14th floor, but when I got to the main floor I went to the café. It was all pastry stuff. I needed some heavier food that wasn't all sweets. I ended up eating at the buffet at the restaurant in the hotel. It was really good. I couldn't eat a lot though because I kept feeling like I was going to choke because of my coughing. I got a really nice bacon and cheese omelet and some hashbrowns and chamomile tea. I also tried some yogurt and more bacon lol. After I got done eating, I went back upstairs to gather my things and get ready to leave for the ship! I ended up walking to Ashley's room on a different floor to see if she and her roommate still would want to split a cab ride. We met downstairs and I checked out of my room. Then we found out about a shuttle for $6 to get from the hotel to the port and we took that. It took awhile for us to get going because they wanted to make sure that the whole bus was filled to get their gas worth, but we finally left. The whole bus was filled with BSB fans and some were playing BSB music!!! The cruise and BSB sisterhood was officially starting! It was nice to look at Miami on our way down to the port. I found some of the houses to look run down and when Ashley and I were walking outside by the hotel, it kind of smelled bad. If I ever move to Florida to get away from this crappy Illinois weather, I would probably pick Orlando or Tampa to move to over Miami. Anyway, it was still fun to look around.

When we arrived at the port, we got our luggage and made our way inside to the line to get in and for security. I took a picture of the Welcome to the Port of Miami sign and a security lady told me I had to delete it because it had the security men in the picture. I deleted it, but found it odd. After security, we went inside and were able to see BSB make their way to board the ship! That was so cool and I'm glad we left early to see that. It does pay to leave early just for that. All the fans were cheering and I ran to catch a glimpse and almost went passed the guy who gave me an itinerary, but I still got it. After that, we got in line to check ourselves in and then we had to find another person to give us a number to go in after that. When our number was called, which I think was 31, we proceeded inside to get a picture taken. Us three ended up getting our pictures taken together and I ended up buying this one because the guy took individuals of us, but my arm looked fat in the one of just me and I thought it would be nicer to have one of us three. After this, we boarded the ship!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When I boarded the ship, I looked around and instantly noticed a lot of BSB decorations and the bright, big elevators. I actually teared up a little because I couldn't believe I was actually on the BSB cruise! We tipped to have our luggage sent to our room, so I just had my carryon bag. Us girls parted ways, and I started taking pictures of everything and visited practically every deck. It was fun to explore the ship this way. I was getting pretty tired of lugging my carryon, but I think that was the right way to do it. It took awhile to get the luggage to the room and they just set it outside, but I'm still glad I did it this way because there would have been no way for me to get up close to the guys when they made their first appearance on the ship. I also took this time to find my room. I went into the cabin M124 first before my roommate I had from the match program was in there, but I didn't leave any of my stuff. I took pictures of the room too. My roommate from the match program also had the name of Ashley and she is really nice. We talked via email a few times before the cruise and on the cruise ended up hanging out here and there.

I made my way to the lido deck after getting some more pictures and ate a cheeseburger and fries and pretty soon it was time for BSB to come out! I remember asking some girls if I could sit at their table and they said yes. Then after about 20 minutes, they left and I guess one of their friends came back. This was the first rude encounter I had. She said I was in her seat. LOL I looked at her like she was nuts. There were like four other chairs empty at the same table and she wanted the seat I was in. What a weirdo. Luckily, I was done eating my food so I just gave her a weird look and left.

It was also around this time that I seen Brian and Leighanne checking out the food on the lido deck and got a picture, but the girl's head was in the way. Oh well.

During this time I also got some wine glasses that had the BSB cruise logo on it that girls were just going to throw out. They were selling them for $17, but I didn't want the alcohol and they were selling them without the alcohol but the same price.

Before BSB made their first appearance, AJ was walking by the buffet and I was able to get a picture of him and I, but a rude girl smacked my camera out of the way right when I was snapping the picture so you have half of AJ's face and mine. That was really uncalled for and my second experience with rude fangirls.

When we had to do the emergency drill, I of course ended up being right along the edge of the boat. I'm kind of afraid of heights, so that made me nervous, but that quickly went away and it was time for the BSB to come out!!!!!

For the Hot Hot Hot Sail Away Party, BSB all came out wearing captain uniforms looking VERY handsome. I thought that was such a nice idea. The party begins! I don't remember too much of this except that the guys were interacting and dancing and it seemed to have went by fast.

I also was able to touch Nick's back a couple of times when he got off the balcony during the Hot Hot Hot party.

I thought the music during the whole ship was perfect, especially what Nick played during his Nick at Nite djing. Every song he played I have on my ipod. After the BSB introduction, I ended up going back to my cabin and putting my luggage away. I met two girls along the way that were really nice and we had lunch together. We tried some of that Mongolian food, but it was a bit too spicy for me and I was afraid I might be allergic so I quickly stopped eating it. I actually lost weight on the cruise because there was so much to do, running around, dancing, and the buffet food wasn't that great so I just ate the dinner food. The water was also terrible on the ship. It tasted like rocks were on the bottom of my cup. I couldn't stand it and my roommate was nice enough to let me complain and have some of her bottled water. For the first night's dinner, I got the steak. It was really good and came with a baked potato. I remember getting some strawberry cheese cake that was good too, but nothing compared to the chocolate lava cake. I don't like chocolate at all, but this was so good and was more like a brownie. Also, the wait staff did a dance to Flo Rida's Low which was kind of awkward because one minute everything was so fancy and made me feel like an out-of-place hillbilly (lol) and the next minute they are dancing to a rap song. They also had these weird characters that would come up behind you while you were eating and take a picture of you. I remember a zombie and a pirate. Didn't really care for that.

Since I was in group A early dining, We waited until after 9:30 p.m. for the boys to do Are You Smarter Than a BSB? My seat for this and the concert was all the way in the back in a booth but still on the first floor. For this one, I could see really good but for the concert it wouldn't be that great of a seat. Anyway, the guys were goofing around with the shadow on the backdrop they had and it was so funny. They kept making the microphones look like their members lol and Howie took it to a whole new level when he opened a bottle of champagne lol. I remember AJ saying something about how they get dirtier as they get older and that seemed to be true lol, but it was so funny and just great to see them act like themselves and normal down-to-earth guys. I wish I would have gotten picked for anything on the cruise, but I didn't. Luckily, I got pretty close with every event. (I've been looking at pictures online and it seems like girls were so lucky to have gotten individual pictures with all five guys. Unfortunately, I wasn't that lucky.) For this event, Nick was really determined to win and I thought it was funny when each of the guys had to wear the dunce cap. I thought some of the questions were hard, but it was funny to see the guys being goofy. Nick was using some boxing gloves to punch Kevin in the butt and his hand got stuck in between his legs lol. Brian kept playing with a bouncy ball and it was cute how Kevin still had his captain uniform on and AJ said the rule was we had to salute our captain lol. It was also funny how they each came out and Nick came running out like a nerd and AJ knocked over a chair to show how he was a bad boy. Overall, this was a nice event to see the guys be funny but I wish I could have gotten picked for something, especially the coconut game with Nick, but I didn't even know they did that until after I seen pics online when I came home.

At midnight, the Don't Put Out the Glow Neon Party took full effect! I was so excited about all the themes because all the themes I voted for were picked, but I recommended this theme so I was especially excited about this. I would say that this was probably my favorite of the parties, or at least tied with Bachelorette Night, because it was the first party that started the whole cruise, was the theme I suggested, and was just awesome to see Nick play the drums on the balcony!

I ended up wearing the tie-dye Miami shirt I bought the previous day and the glow necklaces I brought with. The glow stuff I bought from Wal-Mart didn't work that great, but oh well. I actually had the same exact glasses Nick wore that glowed green but didn't bring them because I thought my luggage would be too heavy if I kept adding stuff. Turns out my luggage was only 30 lbs.

After BSB made their way onto the main stage in the middle of the lido deck, I had fun partying. BSB was giving away free drinks and I was given a blue one that had Malibu rum in it. I didn't like the taste, but took a couple of sips. I usually don't drink because I can be drunk all on my own lol, but I had to because it was just a special moment. Once I realized that Nick was up on the balcony, I quickly made my way to right below it. I got a really good spot right in front of him. It was the best moment just to see him let loose and play the drums and sing. AJ was up there with him and Kevin ended up joining too.

I think it was at this party where AJ was teasing Howie because he didn't want to stage dive and AJ said to make sure to grab his balls lol. I was able to help Howie stage dive and Brian.

At one point Nick got a TMNT knit hat from a fan and put it on and then threw it to where I was. I ended up catching it along with two other girls. The one girl gave up pretty quickly and it was down to me and this other girl. I really would like to believe Nick remembered me from Chicago and wanted to throw it to me, but who knows. I'm also a big TMNT fan from when I was a kid so I really wanted this. This girl ended up yanking it right out of my hand really nasty, I mean really nasty, and then laughing and smiling to her friend. Honestly, she is lucky she is still alive. I had to do everything in my power from not smacking her upside the head or ripping her hair out. Kind of an ugly side to me I know, but I didn't do it and I wasn't the one that cockily laughed in someone else's face. Also, I think this girl is on facebook saying how sweet she was behaving on the cruise. Pfft. I really was upset when this happened, but I got the last laugh because I ended up being really close on Bachelorette Night and caught a couple of things Nick threw out. This is when I realized that there were some real bitches on the ship.

I found myself wishing I was up on the balcony, so I asked security how I can get up there. They said that I would need a special wrist band. I asked how you get that and the guy said he didn't know. I ended up going all the way around the other side and got up there, but they had it barricaded. A lot of the girls up there looked skanky, but that's usually how it goes with anything like this, not just BSB. I ended up going right up there after the party was over but no BSBs were there. This was after waiting and resting inside the ship.

The best part of Glow Night was just seeing the BSB be themselves and have fun. I really enjoyed seeing all their smiles throughout the whole cruise and am glad they were having fun too! I really did enjoy Nick playing the drums so much and liked how they had the drums lit up. It was also really cool how Nick was singing to some of the songs, like the new Eminem song.

Because Denise's review is so amazingly thorough, I'm going to point you back to her blog to read the rest of it. Plus it has a ton more great pictures! Day 2; Day 3; Day 4.