The Elusive VIP

There seems to be a lot of confusion surrounding VIP on board so I want to do my best to clear that up. I noticed on the last cruise that there were several fans who obtained another wristband which allowed them into VIP areas. I should first state that I did not have this wristband nor did I know anyone directly who did get it. So this is all merely out of my observation and few reviews that Ive seen.

So basically the wristband would allow you access to the roped off area in the disco where the Backstreet Boys were and a blocked off section of the lido deck during the theme parties at night. I also understand that the wristband allowed you access to an open bar. There could have been other benefits and VIP areas, but none that I was aware of.

If you had the VIP wristband at the disco, it really allowed you close access to the Backstreet Boys. Well, at least the boys who showed up to the club. AKA- everyone but Brian. There was a small corner of the room blocked off by security, and if you were one of the lucky few to get in, you were maybe one of 50 people in that area and could theoretically go up to any BSB member.

As for the deck parties, the wristband allowed you up to the deck that the Backstreet Boys were performing on. Thus you could get a little closer to the boys than the fans who were on the lower deck. But you couldn’t as freely mingle with them at the deck party as you could at the disco since there was still a rope separating you from the boys. I did notice that the guys would every so often and go talk to the group of people on either side of the VIP deck though. The other key benefit is that it allowed you access to an open bar, but aside from that it didn’t seem to have any other benefits.

So I guess the big question is, how do you get a VIP wristband? You CANT buy these. There are no VIP packages for sale, similar to how they do it on tour. While I personally did not receive one, the only way I believe you could get one is from a member of the BSB entourage, crew, and quite possibly the Backstreet Boys themselves. I’ve heard stories where members of Rose Tour staff was handing them out, including the president and CEO- Hal Roseman. I did notice one girl who was visibly very friendly with one of the BSB crew, if you know what I mean... I personally have a lot more self-respect than that. But it seems as if the majority of the girls did not have to take that approach. My guess is that if you weren’t stalking them every second of the day and they saw that you could behave like a normal human being, you might luck out by getting a VIP wristband.

Personally, I didn’t feel like I missed out on anything by not having that wristband. I’m not a huge drinker, so having an open bar isn’t a huge deal for me. As for the deck parties, being on the lower deck allowed me to have a centered view so I could see everything. And the disco was small enough that you could still see the Backstreet Boys from across the room even though you weren’t in the VIP area with them. I’m not going to lie and say I didn’t want one. But I still had a great time without it, plus I was able to stay with my friends.

Hopefully after the cruise next year I’ll be able to tell you in full detail how to get one *crosses fingers* Though if any of you past cruisers have any more info about this, I'd love to hear from you!