Guest Blogger: A European Perspective

I am excited to have another amazing guest blogger. Her name is Gaby and this will be her first cruise, coming all the way from the Netherlands! She loves all the boys but loves Brian just "a little bit more" than the rest ;) Since I'm a naive American, Gaby is graciously offered to help provide a local perspective on the cruise and share some insight on what we can expect traveling in Europe.

Hey guys! So, Laura has given me the opportunity to write a guest blog for you, and I’m very excited! I love this blog and it’s been extremely helpful getting ready for my first cruise. I would like to give something in return, so I hope you will enjoy my post.

I am so, so happy that the Boys really do listen to us and are giving us the European cruise so many of us have been asking for. I’ve been wanting to go on a Backstreet Boys cruise for years, but unfortunately I could never afford the pricey cruise as well as the additional travel to the USA (even though I desperately wanted to because I LOVE the USA!).

So… Europe. I can imagine that a lot of this year’s cruisers have never been there before. While most of Europe is considered “Western” and isn’t shockingly different from the States, there are some things you should take into consideration, I believe. Hopefully this post will give you some useful information so that you can spend all of your time and energy on preparing for the most important part: cruising with the Backstreet Boys!

The Language
While most people in Northern Europe speak English, this is actually not the case in the Mediterranean. It is my experience that very few people there speak English, and if they do it is usually very limited. I would advise to learn some basic phrases in the languages you need (or carry them with you on paper or your phone). Even if you can’t pronounce it correctly or can’t understand the reply, when people see you are willing to make an effort to speak their language they will be much more inclined to do the same. If you go up to someone and assume they will speak English, you might be in for a surprise.

Also, the majority of the locals in Barcelona speak Catalan. Most of them can also speak Spanish and signs, menus etc. are usually in both Catalan and Spanish.

The Food
These days there are more and more American chains in Europe (McDonalds, Burger King, Hard Rock Café, Starbucks etc.), but most of the food is different. Pretty much every country has its own cuisine, and even different regions have different food. In Barcelona you will find a lot of seafood and, of course, “tapas”. The kind of food associated with “haute cuisine” is usually French. Italy has a lot more to offer than just pizza and pasta! Keep in mind though that most menus will not be in English (there are a few exceptions, e.g. Hard Rock Café), so if you are allergic to something it might be a good idea to look up the translation beforehand.

If you’re staying in a big(ger) hotel, it will most likely serve a “continental breakfast”. This usually includes bread, cereals, eggs, pancakes, bacon or sausages, yoghurt and fruit.

Also, meal times are usually quite late in the Mediterranean – lunch around 2 pm and dinner no earlier than 9 pm is not uncommon.

Also, a little warning: if you're used to very clean & safe tap water, it might be a good idea to only drink bottled water in the Mediterranean. The quality of water can be different and I wouldn't want anyone to spend their cruise on the toilet! 

The Money
Spain, France and Italy all use the Euro (€), but if you’re also traveling to other countries it might be a good idea to check their currency. Most EU (European Union) countries use the Euro, but there are some exceptions (e.g. UK, Sweden, Switzerland). At the moment, €1 is worth about $1,05.
Most hotels and the bigger stores and restaurant will accept credit cards (mostly Visa and Mastercard), but this is not always the case with for instance local stores. It’s a good idea to have at least some cash on you.

The Weather
This cruise is going to be a little different weather-wise… While the Mediterranean usually has the warmest weather of Europe, it is never a guarantee. In early May, it can be very hot and sunny but also chilly and rainy. It will most likely be chilly once the sun goes down, especially on the boat. Be sure to pack a pair of jeans and a warm sweater!

The Siestas
It is possible that some shops and restaurants are closed in the early afternoon for “siesta”. Exact times vary, but between 12 pm and 2 pm is a good indicator. You will probably not find this in the bigger cities (except maybe some small, local shops).

I hope that was helpful! If you have any other questions, please leave them in the comments and I’ll try to answer them.

Good luck with all preparations and I hope to see you on the boat!

Hayley's 2014 Cruise Review

Hi loyal-readers. I know I've been slacking in the writing department as we're in between cruise excitement, but fortunately I have another wonderful guest blogger and friend of mine, Hayley who is sharing her 2014 cruise experience with ya'll. I personally love reading other reviews because even though we're all on the same ship, we all have different stories and moments to share. This one is no exception.

A little more about Hayley - she is a Nick girl from Texas and one of the sweetest girls I've met. She's super friendly and loves meeting other BSB fans, so feel free to say hi and friend her on Facebook. I know she'd love to chat with you.

Hi, I’m Hayley. I had the fortune to meet the wonderful Laura on the 2014 BSB cruise, and I was more than happy to share my experiences as a first-time cruiser on her blog, which I read religiously before embarking on this journey. I first heard about the cruise in May of 2011, and immediately got on my phone to call my sister and try to convince her to come with me on the one coming up in December. The dates didn’t work for her, and I was way too scared to go alone. **Side note: major props to anyone who has the guts to go on the cruise by themselves. Y’all rock and can I have some of that courage?**  Fast forward to August 2013, and my sister and I were standing in line at the merch booth at the IAWLT concert, and I made her pinky swear that we would go on the next BSB cruise. There were witnesses, so she could not renege on the almighty and legally binding pinky swear.  January came, reservations were made—BSB cruise 2014, here we come!

We flew into Miami the day before because my anxiety couldn’t stand for a day-of arrival flight.  We stayed at a hotel right on Biscayne Bay and it was really nice. We arrived after midnight, so all we really did was sleep. The next day, we hailed a cab and arrived at the Carnival terminal around ten and it was already PACKED. There were already fans, four rows deep, waiting around the cordoned off area where the guys were going to board. The goody bags were just what I expected from my “research” of Laura’s blog, but the scavenger hunt was a new activity. My sister and I looked over the clues, but we were confused on the how the hunt was actually going to work. We were doubtful that we would be on the ship early enough to have a chance, so we didn’t really form a plan to look for clues. Then, the screams of fans told us it was time. The boys started arriving. Oh my gosh, y’all—nothing could have prepared me for this moment. It was so thrilling to be that close to the boys. I have been to a bunch of concerts, but had never been THAT close before. And then in one moment, I was closer to the Backstreet Boys than I had ever been in my life! My cheeks hurt from smiling when they finally made their way out of the terminal and into the gangway.

My sister and I went into this cruise vowing to not have unrealistic expectations. If we got a picture with one of the guys outside of the scheduled meet-and-greet, we would be overjoyed. I’m a Nick girl and She’s a Brian girl, so we hoped for our favorites, but we knew not to be picky.  Spolier alert: We were not disappointed. So, if you are looking to go on a BSB cruise for the first time, I think it’s important to set realistic goals, because you don’t want to be crushed when things don’t work out exactly as you had planned.

When we finally boarded the ship, it was a little overwhelming. I wasn’t sure what to do with myself. So, naturally, we headed to the bar. We had to wait a while to be served, but as soon as we were at the counter, we were given recommendations for our drink order by some very nice fellow cruisers—a mom and her two teenage daughters.  Already, I was taken aback by how friendly the fellow passengers were. We took their recommendation and ordered a drink called “Kiss on the Lips” in the BSB cruise glass.  We then took the obligatory pictures with the large cardboard cutout of the guys. We wandered the ship a little trying to get our bearings, attended the super fun and super mandatory lifeboat training, and waited for the sail away party to begin. We were waiting outside on the Lido deck in the dreary weather trying to get as close to the stage as possible without being trampled when it was announced that the party was being moved to the atrium. Ultimate chaos. We rushed inside, but we weren’t quick enough to snag a spot on the railing.  We didn’t have the best experience at the party, because standing on our tippy toes and craning our necks to get a peek at the guys grew tiresome. Plus the boat began moving through very choppy waters in the middle of the party, so it was a challenge to stay steady (unfortunately, this was a common occurrence on the cruise). However, we met some very nice girls that stood at an angle so that we could see better and offered to send us photos of the event. Again, I was thankful for the kindness of strangers and I was hopeful that the evening would only get better.

As the party was dying down, I made my down the steps and came out on the landing by the atrium elevators. That’s when I saw Kevin. A crowd quickly formed and I was in the front row of the horde of fans. People were freaking out when Kevin passed by flanked by his bodyguard. By “freaking out,” I mean I saw one girl straight up slap another girl hard in the face because this girl claimed that the other had pushed her. The security guards did not see it happen, so the fan that assaulted the other was not led away in zip tie handcuffs like she should have been. This was my first time seeing fans getting more than a little crazy, and it was not my last. At that same event moments later my sister was waiting to try to snag a selfie with Kevin when another fan punched her hard in the arm. When my sister recoiled in confused terror, the fan pushed in front of her and screamed “KEVIN, I’M PREGNANT” before grabbing onto Kevin and taking a selfie. The overzealous, pregnant fan was gently removed by Keith (Kevin’s bodyguard) and Kevin dashed away to safety.

Next we had the game show: BSB loves the 90s. Laura already described it better than I could in her post and her pictures and quotes are spot-on. But, suffice it to say, that any moment where we can watch the boys just hang out and make fun of each other—on inflated furniture, no less—is a good time. It’s moments like these that allow fans to see just how much they are like brothers. Some of the highlights were Kevin’s near-constant Snoop Dogg impersonation, Nick’s cheating at, I mean playing, Mario Kart, and AJ’s less than stellar Skip-It skills. It was also at the game show that we were told by Jen that “We are not going to Half Moon Cay.” As you might guess, the reaction was not a positive one, but most people settled down when Jen explained that we were just switching days. The seas were so choppy that we were forced to re-route our course, making it impossible to make it to the beach the next day. While it ended up working out just fine, the planner in me was thrown by the sudden change of schedule.

After the game show, we took on the adventure of finding our assigned dining room, which was pretty tucked away. The host led me and my sister to our table where we discovered that our tablemates were the same girls who offered to share the railing at the sail away party! We also met a mother and daughter and a lone male cruiser (which pretty much made him a mini celeb in his own right, plus the fact that he is hilarious.) That dinner was one of my favorite moments on the cruise because it was the first time I had ever met so many people who had the same level of fandom as my sister and I and I loved the exchange of our favorite BSB-related memories and moments. It was this dinner that created a little BSB cruise family to share this crazy adventure with. We arranged a meeting place by the elevators for that night’s deck party.

We had heard that the Studio 54 deck party was being held in the atrium because of the weather, and based on our so-so experience at the sail away party, our hopes weren’t high. Deciding where to be at the start of a deck party is kind of like gambling. You don’t know where the guys are going to enter or where they’re going to go, so you just pick a spot and hope for the best. We settled on a spot two floors above the ground floor of the atrium, where the main stage and bar are located. It seemed like a long shot as it was relatively far-removed from the action. The boys finally arrived (Backstreet Time) and did their thing on the main stage. But then all hell broke loose when Nick and AJ hopped in the elevator and stopped at OUR floor. This spot of luck led to my sister and I getting selfies with Nick, Howie, and AJ all in the span of fifteen minutes.  

DISCLAIMER: Backstreet Amnesia is a real thing, y’all.

The brief moments spent with our esteemed gentlemen are quickly clouded over and exact word-for-word quotes go out the window. I remember that AJ said he liked my turban (it was leopard print) and that Nick looked just a little bit concerned with his daunting situation (the clamoring crowd of fans) when I asked for a picture. Anyway, needless to say, my steadfastly realistic expectations had just been blown out of the water. After the so-so Sail Away party, we could not get over our good fortune.

Switching the Day at Sea and the beach party threw us all for a loop, but it meant we were a day closer to our guaranteed moment with the boys.  We woke up really excited for the moment we had been waiting for—The Meet and Greet. We had a leisurely brunch and then got in line early for our photo session, which was already a couple hundred people deep. Because of the long wait, I had plenty of time to freak out about not having a group together for our photo. My sister and I kept our eyes open for any other singles or duos waiting in line. We were told in advance that if we didn’t have 4 or more in our group, we would be paired with someone, but it still made me nervous. I was also freaking out about picture position, and of course the little fact that I would soon be as close as I would probably ever be to the boys. As we waited, word spread about the positions of the guys and I really wanted to stand between AJ and Nick. My sister, who is much calmer and less prone to anxiety attacks, reminded me that everything at this point should be considered a bonus. The second before we got into the lounge for the photo, we met two girls who needed a group and it was fate—where they wanted to stand fit perfectly with what we wanted.

At that point, I was practically hyperventilating at the thought of hugging all five members of the group in the span of a minute. And let me tell you, when it happened, it was surreal. My biggest regret was that I rushed myself. I was very conscious that time was limited and didn’t want to get the “hurry up” warning. I had every intention to just hug each boy and say thank you. Well, I did that. I also managed to squeeze a few other things into that minute: almost tripped and fell into AJ, was mentally rushing Kevin when he was very sweetly greeting me in his Southern drawl (what is wrong with me?), broke away from Kevin when he pulled me into position for the picture (it was the wrong spot, but really, I repeat: WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!), and had a one-sided conversation with Nick Carter after the picture was taken. (Read: total Nick girl) I say one-sided because after Nick called me “sweetie,” I had a complete synaptic collapse and was only capable of grinning like an idiot and nodding. After walking away in a daze, I ran back to give Brian a hug and then continued my mental breakdown in relative privacy. I cannot, on pain of death, remember ONE thing Mr. Carter said to me. Backstreet Amnesia was instantaneous. I just remember his friendly face and the kind way he spoke to me and it still makes me get all moony-face.

After collecting myself, my sister and I decided to go down to the pool for a bit. It was just what we needed after the stressful morning. At the pool we met more friends, drank beer, and went on the waterslides. Did I just describe the most perfect day so far? Why, yes. Yes, I did. It gets better. The next event was “Don’t Forget the Lyrics.” I expected something like The Singing Bee, and I was right. I really enjoyed this event and appreciated how much effort they took with involving the fans in everything. The Guys vs. the fans makes for pretty good entertainment. My favorite moments included Brian impersonating Justin Timberlake when forced to sing a few lines of an N’sync song—“I’m gonna be seasick, ladies!,” listening to Howie singing Enrique Iglesias—“You can take my breasts away…,” and then Nick enthusiastically said “Ok, raise your hand if you’re a virgin!” (the rest of the guys groan, protest, or chastise Nick) and then Nick saying “Why didn’t anyone raise their hand?!” Nick—you’re so pretty.

After “Don’t Forget the Lyrics,” a bunch of us were hanging out at tables outside of the casino, waiting for dinner when we spotted Howie on his way into the casino. A couple of us, including my sister, rushed over to get a quick picture. I couldn’t get over the hype that you could run into a Backstreet Boy at any moment on this ship. My sister (the Brian girl), ran into Nick several times when he was almost completely alone. Understanding that he was trying to sneak away undetected, she just gave a quick wave or smile and went on her way. Keeping your cool is one of the most respectful things we can do as BSB fans and they obviously appreciate the heck out of that.

Dinner was a little more eventful as Kevin was tickling the ivories in the lounge right outside of the main dining room. He was preparing for his one-on-one time with the very lucky winners of the Scavenger Hunt. It was the moment for the Kevin girls of the group. They bailed out on most of dinner to get a moment with their guy and seeing their faces upon their return was another one of those “only on the cruise” moments. We had the concert next and then the Halloween deck party. We engaged in the debate of getting ready before the concert or after. We decided to live on the edge and attend the concert sans costume. It was fun to see the costumes of those who’d dressed early. Not everyone can say they’ve attended a Backstreet Boys concert with a mummy and the Bride of Frankenstein. 

The concert was amazing and it’s where some of us let our true fan freak flags fly. You truly jam out as hard as you want and you don’t care because everyone is doing it. Everyone is shouting the lyrics at the tops of their lungs and jumping up and down. My sister and I generally try to keep a low profile and avoid fan-girling, but when in Rome… Our friend, the solo male cruiser commented about our sudden shift, “Wow, I didn’t realize how big of a fan you were until I saw you guys at the concert.” If you’re going to go wild, the concert is the place to do it.

There’s nothing like a cruise concert. The guys are more relaxed and goof up tons of times to hilarious effect. I also really appreciated the cheesiness of the song intros—I hope they were winging it. The guys did a pretty great job with the choreography considering that the boat was rocking and roiling through the whole show. It was a sentimental and nostalgic show for me. Strong feelings and memories are attached to their songs and some new memories have joined the party. Now, I can’t hear “Straight through My Heart” and not think about how Kevin hates that song (it wasn’t on the set list initially, but Kevin accidentally promised it would be, so they had to accommodate) and Kevin doing the Carlton dance when making fun of the peppy chorus. “Hot Hot Hot” became a favorite after the concert thanks to the guys’ total synched choreography (HA). “Just to be Close” was such a special treat and when the idea of an a cappella concert was brought up, I shrieked like a five year old. WOULDN’T THAT BE AMAZING?! When the concert ended, we rushed down to our room to prepare for the Halloween deck party.

We got to the Lido deck with time to prepare ourselves for the general madness and mayhem of a deck party. The guys revealed their costumes (Wizard of Oz) and messed around a bit before dispersing for selfie hour. I found myself in a throng of girls surrounding Nick. Let me preface this by saying, I try my absolute best to follow rules, even the silly ones, and to avoid warnings. I absolutely hate the feeling of being reprimanded or getting in trouble for something like standing in the wrong place. I was really close to Nick and his bodyguard and the girls behind me started pushing forward, worried that Nick was going to walk past our cluster. I was literally being pushed into Nick’s bodyguard’s forearm, which he extended to protect them. Nick turns to take a picture with me and his bodyguard says to me “You need to stop pushing.” I said, “I’m not pushing, I promise. I’m being pushed into you.” Then he says, “Okay, but stop pushing.” I’m fully aware that Nick is watching this interaction. He’s not taking pictures with any of the waiting fans, but is silently watching. I was so embarrassed. It was fully a worst-case scenario for me. Nick very kindly takes my phone and snaps a picture of both of us.

I take my phone and leave and the bodyguard says “Thank you” to me. I’m not sure if he was thanking for me keeping cool and calmly leaving or what, but I spent the rest of the party in a funk. I felt like I looked like a crazy fan. This experience and the rain that eventually poured down on us (completing soaking my costume, which was still wet when I got back to Texas) really put a damper on the party for me. After the boys made their escape, we returned to our cabin to wring out our costumes and get some sleep before the Beach Party the following day.

My sister and I fully expected to be waiting around all day (or at least until noon) to be called to board a tender to Half Moon Cay for the beach party. We had blue wristbands, so we weren’t exactly VIP. So, we woke up expecting to have a leisurely breakfast and plenty of time to get ready. We’re up and about for no more than 3 minutes when they call blue wristbands to the deck to board. We threw on our swimsuits, grabbed some sunscreen, and ran to the boarding area. I looked a mess and totally had “just woke up” face. Not good. On the bright side, it was a beautiful day—the absolute opposite of the weather we left behind in Miami. My sister and I had never been to the Bahamas, so we were in awe of the beauty of the island. We found a spot near the stage but not too close and set our stuff down. We headed for the water and swam for about 30 minutes until the boat carrying the boys made a line for the shore. We were in the water when they arrived, but got out and made our way to stage shortly after.

The guys did their customary “just hanging out” stuff but with water guns and no shirts. They were plenty of beach games, which included the fans, and it was entertaining to see a Backstreet boy with literal egg on his face. After the water balloon toss, AJ tossed several of the extra balloons into the crowd. I turned my head to look out at the water, and I turn my direction back to stage to see AJ tossing a balloon and it was coming at me fast. It was such a direct hit to my chest, I was pulling shards of rubber balloon out of my swimsuit top. In summation, AJ threw a water balloon at my boobs. Only on the cruise. After the games were over, the vibe shifted to a deck party where each guy had a twenty-foot radius of fans waiting their turn. Before this happened, I literally walked into AJ when he was alone on the sand near the stage and he stopped for a photo. While, we’re trying to take the picture, some of the entourage started spraying water guns at us. AJ is holding me for a picture while we are being sprayed with water guns. AJ yells “Stop! We’re trying to take a picture, man!” and we get our photo. This moment is significant for me because it was pretty much the only time I got lucky enough to find one of the guys relatively alone.

I did wait in the water for a photo with Kevin. I actually enjoyed the wait because Kevin and his swoon-worthy bodyguard, Keith, are well versed in handling the crowds and keeping things calm. Kevin kept saying, “Be cool. I will rotate in a circle and I will take a photo with everyone.” Keith was keeping it entertaining by interacting with the fans. He actually smelled and fluffed a girl’s hair and finger wagged a girl for getting something signed and then requesting a photo.

My sister actually got lucky with one-on-one time with Kevin when she was swimming by herself. This is her story:

Hi, my name is Lauren and I’ve been a BSB fan since I was thirteen (I’m 31 now). Throughout my adolescence my walls were literally covered with Backstreet Boys posters and memorabilia. I even had a 7 foot promotional cut out that I stole from Sears (one of the sponsors from the Millennium tour). And while I met and hung out with member of BSB in my wildest dreams all the time, I never truly believed that I would have a one-on-one encounter with one of them in real life. As my sister mentioned earlier, we decided to be as realistic as possible, and since we had already gotten to meet AND hug the boys, I was pretty content with my cruise experience. This is probably why instead of combing the beach for potential BSB moments, I decided to spend our last hour or so in Half Moon Cay enjoying the crystal blue waters of the Bahamas. 

I wanted a little peace, so I decided to go swimming as far out as I could (there was a rope cordoning us off so we couldn’t swim off and get lost). I was floating out there peacefully, when suddenly someone popped up right next to me. I assumed that my sister had decided to join me, so you can imagine my surprise when I turned my head and came face to face with Kevin Richardson. Anyone who has met Kevin can attest that time seems to just sloooow down. We chatted briefly, and I asked him if he was having a good time. He said that he was really enjoying today and commented that he didn’t get to swim or tan last year because the weather wasn’t as nice. Ever the gentleman, he then reciprocated and asked if I was having a good time. I said, “Of course!” He then asked what had been my favorite part of the cruise. I said that today was amazing, but I also loved the concert, even though I now would never be able to listen to “Straight though My Heart” without wanting to do the Carlton Dance. He laughed and said sorry. I said it was worth it.

At this point people on the shore had spotted Kevin and were beginning to wade out to us. I turned to Kevin and said, “You better go now.” He laughed and drawled “Yeah” before diving and swimming past the cordoned area. After he slipped under the rope, the girls all arrived. Several had cameras and items that they wanted signed. Considering that Kevin had been standing in the water signing and taking pictures for the better part of an hour, I figured he deserved some peace. I said, “Girls, I think he just wants some alone time.” The girls looked a bit deflated, but they understood and headed back to shore. I began floating again and had just started to relax, when someone else popped up beside me. Sadly, it wasn’t another Backstreet Boy, but it was the next best thing, Keith, Kevin’s hunky bodyguard. Our encounter was short, but funny. He immediately asked, “Where is he?” I laughed and said, “He went off the grid.” Keith grumbled good-naturedly, “Well, how am I supposed to do my job?” I smiled and shrugged, and he dived under the water to go protect Kevin.

It was definitely a surreal experience to have a casual, non-rushed conversation with a Backstreet Boy. It was also pretty cool to be floating out there in that gorgeous water knowing that several Backstreet Boys were actually just a few yards away—Howie eventually joined Kevin past the cordon and they were just floating and laughing about something. It was little stolen moments like these that made my cruise experience unforgettable. Okay, now back to Hayley’s review…

After my photo with Kevin, I went back to my towel on the sand and just sat, soaking it all in. I’m a planner, so I researched pretty extensively before coming on the cruise, and pretty much all my info on cruises in general and BSB cruises in particular was gleaned from reading Laura’s blog, this blog. If you asked my sister, she would say one of most used phrases on the cruise and in the months leading up to the cruise was “Laura says…” It was my BSB cruise Bible. So, when I was sitting on my towel on the beach, I saw Laura on the beach and called to her like we were already friends; I mean, I already felt like I knew her through her blog. We chatted for a bit and I got to hear some of the experiences of  “the luckiest girl on the 2014 BSB cruise.” It was great meeting Laura and seeing that a lot of the feelings that she had expressed in her posts about past cruises rang true for me on the 2014 cruise.

After getting our fill of the beach, we boarded and made our way back to the cruise ship. More pool time, beer, and waterslides. Then it was time for the “Show ‘Em What You’re Made of” Premiere and Q & A.  They showed us about 15 minutes of the documentary (tears were certainly shed), and then the guys fielded questions from the audience. They strategically showed us pieces that wouldn’t give away any surprises or plot points, so the questions we could ask were kind of limiting. After about three questions were asked, I couldn’t think of anything new to pose a question. It did get repetitive and was not what everything I was hoping for.

The Anything But Clothes deck party had a different vibe than the previous ones. I’m not sure if it was because it was our last chance to interact with the boys or because there was a lot more flesh on display (both from the boys—primarily Nick and AJ—and from some of the cruisers), or maybe because it was the only deck party that was actually on the deck the whole evening. Needless to say, it was quite an experience. When else would you ever have the opportunity to eat chocolate kisses off of Howie’s chest or popcorn from AJ’s crotchal region? The theme lent itself to a super fun ABC fashion show, so there was more entertainment provided at this party than all the others. Our male friend was picked as a finalist for his gladiator outfit so he got to catwalk it up and chat with Kevin, who was serving as the MC. One of fashion show participants tried to dirty dance with Kevin and when it got a little too suggestive, Kevin tried to tactfully push her off his front side but was really awkward in the process. It is little moments like that that I will always cherish. The night was a blur of running around and taking advantage of the last few moments with our favorite guys.

My sister even finally got to have her moment with Brian. She had been foiled several times by some over enthusiastic fans who were more than willing to get physical. She was able to catch Brian as he came down the stairs from the deck and asked for a quick picture. Brian nodded to his bodyguard and said, “OK, just this one,” before posing for my sister’s selfie and dashing away with his wife, Leighanne. Brian is the only Backstreet Boy I didn’t get a picture with, but I’m glad my sister was able to get one, since she has always been a total Brian girl. We both ended the evening exhausted, but with huge smiles on our faces.

All of the guys were so amazing, patient, and kind. They took plenty of time to reach out to fans and take pictures. Seeing their dedication and love for their fans has made me respect them so much more as just genuinely good human beings. I consider myself so lucky to have been on this adventure. It breaks my heart that can’t attend the 2016 European BSB cruise, but I’m looking forward to another cruise in the near future. A big thank you to my BSB cruise family and all the people who made the 2014 cruise such a blast!

BSB Forever...But What About Those Other Guys?

In light of nsync and BSB joining forces for Dead7, I thought the timing of this blog was quite perfect. I have a very special guest blogger for you today. She is actually an Nsync fan… *ducks from flying objects*. Hear me (and her) out!! I’ve loved chatting with her and learning more about the Nsync fandom. For starters, just the fact that the nsync fandom still exists was a surprise for me. I’ve been learning so much from her, and the biggest thing I’ve actually taken away from our conversations is just how lucky the BSB army is to have all the opportunities we do. As easy as it is for us to complain the cruise is too much money, not the right region of the world, not the right cruise line, etc, etc, ….hearing from a fan in the nsync community has really put things into perspective for me and made me super appreciative of everything our boys do for us after all these years. Cruises, Concerts, VIPs, After Parties, books, TV shows, documentaries. The list goes on and on. 

I also thought this post was timely after 1D announced their hiatus. A lot of parallels were drawn to Nsync's 'hiatus'. So I’m thrilled to have my friend, TSL, shed some light on the nsync fandom. Her favorite Nsyncer is Chris and favorite Backstreet Boy is Brian. So without further ado…. 

First and foremost, I would like to thank Laura for being such a gracious blogger as to let this Nsync girl into her (and your) world and I am so honored that she asked me to be a guest on her beloved blog.  It’s been quite a fascinating experience to learn about each other’s fandom, and I think I can speak for both us when I say it has been a lot fun being each other's boy band tour guide! :)
Secondly, I'd like to thank you guys, the readers, for this opportunity to share some updates about my boys and my perspective on the Nsync fandom.  You may not have thought much about us since the heydays of TRL and would probably be surprised to know that yes, there are Nsyncer’s still going strong!

In truth, a lot of Nsync fans don’t even know what’s going on with the guys since each member has been doing his own thing for a long time now.  Plus, we don't have a formalized place to get official updates so it’s easy for the casual fan to miss out on what’s going on.  In all honesty, my own interest has waxed and waned over the years, but nostalgia and curiosity always pull me back in and I fall in love with them all over again!

So I thought I’d start off with an update on the individual guys, going in order of how their names appear in the band’s name:

JustiN 
The most visible of the members due to his successful musical career, movie roles, SNL appearances, and business ventures with Target and MasterCard, as well as his own clothing line and tequila brand (you might have seen his commercials; yes, that talking lime head is Justin).  He’s also well-known for his bromance with Jimmy Fallon (they even voiced those iPad/iPad mini commercials together). Oh, and did you know the McDonald’s catchphrase came from one of his songs? Youtube it and you’ll hear that familiar “bada ba ba baah - I’m loving it”

On the personal side of things, Justin has been married to actress Jessica Biel for almost 3 years and they recently had a baby boy, Silas, named after his maternal grandfather.

ChriS 
Happily married since November 2013 and lives in Florida where he runs a music studio, produces music for local artists, and is in a rock band called Nigel's 11. He has a charitable foundation and is involved in many local events benefitting underprivileged children.  Most recently, he had a small part in Sharknado 3 and I was surprised to learn he will be appearing in Dead 7 along with Joey.

While we sometimes wonder how each of the members feel about Justin, Chris seems to be the one that every member loves. I think it’s because he’s the most “normal” and unchanged by fame and they all have such an affinity for him. Case in point – his wife planned a surprise for his 40th birthday in which the other 4 guys showed up at his house and they just hung out until 6:00 in the morning. It was the first time they spent any alone time together in about 5 years, and I don’t think it would have happened for anyone else in the band.

JoeY 
Has become somewhat of a TV personality, having appeared in a few kid shows, a couple of cooking competitions on the Food Network, and Dancing with the Stars.  He also hosted some tv shows including NBC’s Celebrity Circus, The Singing Bee, and My Family Recipe Rocks (on the Live Well network).  Joey was on Broadway (in Rent, and Little Shop of Horrors) and earlier this year he was in Rock of Ages in Las Vegas.  Perhaps most famously, he was in My Big Fat Greek Wedding and in fact, recently finished filming the sequel in Canada.  Oh, and of course you guys know that Nick asked him to be a part of his SyFy movie, Dead 7.

On the personal side, Joey has been married to his high school girlfriend for about 11 years, and they have two daughters, ages 14 and 5.

LancetoN 
Hosts a radio show on Serius XM called "Dirty Pop" in which he plays a countdown of songs, talks about pop culture, and has celeb guests stop by. He’s currently broadcasting from New York while also working on the Meredith Vieira daytime talk show as one of her pop-culture panelist. Lance is probably most well-known for coming out as a gay man on the cover of People magazine in 2006. Since then, he has become a major advocate for the LGBT community, appearing in magazines, speaking at public and private events, and using his production company to create documentaries about LGBT issues.  Late last year, Lance got married which was documented in an E! special, Lance Loves Michael.

In 2007, Lance released a book, Out of Sync, which chronicles his struggle as a gay person growing up in conservative Mississippi and being in a world-famous band with a huge female fan base.  His book gave us a first-hand account of the band’s history but in doing so, caused a lot of heated discussion within our fandom as it exposed the circumstances that surrounded the band’s indefinite “hiatus.”

Oh, and if you’re wondering about his name, it isn’t actually “Lanceton.”  The band originally had a member named Jason (so the “N” came from his name) but he quit and was replaced by Lance, so the guys gave him this awkward nickname to fit in with the acronym.  Silly, I know, but hey it works.

JC
The only member who is still single. He released an album, Schizophrenic, in 2004 and appeared on many tv talk-shows to promote it and was even scheduled to do the half-time show for the NFL Pro-Bowl, but it got cancelled after the fall-out from Justin’s performance with Janet Jackson at the Super Bowl just one week prior.  In 2007, he was preparing to release a second album but his record deal fell through and it never got released.  JC considers himself a writer and producer more than a singer/performer and in fact invested in a music studio several years ago.  In 2013, he put together an all-girl group modeled after the popular “super groups” in Asia but it never amounted to much and disbanded.  JC appears happy to work behind the scenes with other artists and will occasionally perform with them, most recently with Smokey Robinson and the Blues Traveler.  He has done some light acting over the years and was getting ready for a huge cross-country tour of Andrew Lloyd-Weber’s Jesus Christ Superstar but it was abruptly cancelled last year.  He may be most known post-Nsync for being a judge on MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew for 7 seasons.

Ok, so moving on…

Here’s a trivia question for you guys: When did Nsync officially break up?  …Don’t know? Well neither do we! Sadly, I’m not even kidding.  This may not be common knowledge, but Nsync never officially announced their break-up.  In 2002, they told us they would take a half-year hiatus to pursue individual projects then come back together to work on their fourth album.  Those 6 months eventually turned into 2 years and all the while they repeatedly said that they did NOT break up. But as time went on, with Justin’s career blowing up and no reunion in site, we were left to conclude on our own that Nsync was not getting back together and had indeed broken up.  As such we can, to a certain extent, empathize with the One Direction fans.  Our band’s break up is a touchy subject in our fandom, so we hope the 1D’ers don’t have to go through what we did.

While we don’t know the exact date that the Nsync broke up, we do know the last time they performed (prior to the VMA reunion) was at their sixth annual Challenge For The Children charity event in July 2004. It was a rather poignant moment because they had not sung together since their Bee Gees tribute at the Grammys in February 2003, which in itself was a pretty big deal since Justin had already made a name for himself with the release of his first solo album.  Following the CFTC event, the buzz about the band’s break-up was even louder and in fact MTV reported that the boys would be meeting to discuss the fate of the band after that weekend’s festivities.  Well, the days came and went and no press-release about their break-up.  The following year, in 2005, the band fulfilled their commitment to host the CFTC for one last time.  Fans who attended described it as bittersweet – they were happy to see the band together but the spirit and mood was noticeably different; supposedly the guys appeared to be somewhat distant and disjointed.

We only learned definitively what happened thanks to Lance’s book. In it, he revealed that the band did indeed meet after the 2004 CFTC to discuss the state of things and it was then that Justin said he would not be coming back to the band.  There were some fans who challenged the validity of Lance’s account as they found inaccuracies in his statements and timelines throughout the book. Regardless, he gave the fans who were already leery of Justin more fuel for their disdain and countless arguments about his actions and intentions ensued.  The mere uncertainty of what truly happened created tons of blame and speculation about who-did-what-to-whom-and-why and caused major in-fighting among the fans.

For those of us who remain active in the fandom, the lines are still drawn: On one side are those who have extreme hatred for Justin and see him as selfish and egotistical.  On the other side are fans that support Justin’s decision to take a golden opportunity which he adeptly parlayed into an incredible career.  In the middle are fans like me who have a love-hate relationship with Justin: we are upset by his actions that led to the untimely end to Nsync and may not like him, but do applaud his accomplishments and acknowledge his meteoric rise to fame.

To me, the most hurtful thing was not that Justin left – after all, you can’t deny someone with immense talent who is destined for stardom – but rather, the way it was handled by everyone involved and especially that no one told us what was going on.  How could they not give us the courtesy and respect that we deserved after all we’ve given to them?!  …Argh, even as I type this, I can feel my temperature rising!  Sigh…but what’s done is done and we’ve all accepted that our life is now basically this:

So as you can see, we’re a very fragmented fandom, one of many emotions and differing opinions about our very own boys. But what we can all agree on is the absolute joy they gave us as a band, and we are completely happy and certain in our choice that Nsync was the right boy band for us.

Well, I hope you enjoyed reading this as much I enjoyed writing it.  There’s so much more I would love to share, but maybe we can save that for another time.  For now, I will close by saying that Laura and I have had tons of fun talking about our boys and it’s been an incredibly enlightening experience! She is quite the ambassador for your fandom and I feel so fortunate to have met her.  I appreciate her taking an interest in my fandom and engaging in in-depth discussions with me.

At the end of the day, I am left with these final thoughts...

1. Your band loves you and that is SO awesome! I have always had the utmost respect for the way BSB treats your fandom; they have been open and honest with you guys all along the way and I envy your ability to get the answers and closure you deserve. On top of that, Laura has shared all the tremendous opportunities you have to meet and interact with the band and I’m genuinely happy for you guys.
2. No one band is “better” than the other. There are so many facets that make a band great and when it’s all said and done it's just a matter of personal liking. For example, why do some people like the color blue and others like the color red?  One is not innately better than the other and there is no right or wrong answer. Similarly, each of us likes one band more than the other for whatever reason; it’s just our preference…so no need to get upset about it! ;o)
3. After all these years our boys still give us the feels!  Yep, we still go crazy for them and obsess over everything, but we’re also a lot more mature now. We can actually acknowledge positive things about the other band (gasp!) and even be critical about our own band (gasp again!)  So yes, the passion is still there…we’re just not as blinded by it as we were before.  So YAY to us for being older and wiser and sticking by our boys’ side through thick and thin, and especially for still having fun and keeping the love!! 

“You asked for it…Let’s show these young boys how to do it.”
- Justin with Nsync, 2013 VMA

Scavenger Hunt: Callie & Kristie's Casino Time with Howie D

As promised, Callie is back along with roommate Kristie to share their super exciting experience on winning the Howie scavenger hunt. I absolutely love this story, and part of the reason I love it so much is because I played cruise matchmaker setting these 2 gals up. This is yet another example of what can happen even if you have no one to travel with....I swear after reading this post I thought these girls were lifelong friends. but it was their first BSB cruise! Love these girls!

A little about Callie- Aside from being a huge Brian girl, she's super sweet and the mother of the two cutest boys I have ever seen! So don't forget to follow her on twitter @calliewoodland or on Facebook.
A little about Kristie- She is a huge Nick fan from New Jersey. And by huge Nick fan....even her boyfriend is named Nick (ha! sorry I find this really amusing). She's so much fun to hang out with so make sure to follow her on on twitter @kristie_sacch.

Now that our post cruise depression has FINALLY somewhat subsided, we figured why not relive the memories of one of the best BSB events that we have ever attended-- the BSB Cruise 2014, specifically Howie’s scavenger hunt event. This article is written by cruise roommates, Kristie and Callie, from Callie’s perspective.

This was both Kristie and I’s first cruise, and we were super excited, and had no idea what to expect! While checking in at the port we learned that something new was happening on the cruise this year; a scavenger hunt.  The prize was special time with the Backstreet Boy whose clues you had solved!  As soon as my roommate Kristie and I learned of this information we were determined, we were competitive, and we were certain that we were not going to lose.  In fact, from that moment on we began strategizing. We did everything from looking up maps of the ship online to placing ourselves at a good spot for getting onto the ship early once they started boarding.

The scavenger hunt form and first clues

Scheming in the terminal right before we are about to board

Soon after the Backstreet Boys boarded, the employees released the rope and began general boarding.  Kristie and I flew through the embarkation picture, ran up the ramp and were the first two people to board the ship. With Kristie being a Nick girl and I being a Brian girl, we hoped to find either of their clues. We finally decided that we would start with Nick and then if that plan failed, then try for Brian. As soon as we boarded, we soon realized that this was going to be much harder than we originally thought.

Clue #1 for Nick: “Typically Sunday is a day of worship for many including Nick during the months of September through February. Where would you find Nick and the object of his desire if he were to worship this coming Sunday on the ship? If you are a lucky BUC then you will find the next clue”

From this clue, the first place we wanted to look was a bar, thinking that it had TVs to watch football on Sundays. The first bar we came across on the ship was the piano bar.  We flew into the piano bar and what did we find?  We found Kevin, who was checking out the ship and playing around on the piano.  Although we were frantic, and in quite a rush to find the clue, we certainly found time for a quick selfie with Kevin. 

Kevin and I

Kevin and Kristie

We were not even 2 minutes into our first BSB Cruise, and we already got a selfie with one of the boys- we knew this was the start of something great. However, despite our high hopes, we didn’t find the clue in the bar.  In fact, we didn’t find the clue (or any clue) in the next 257 places that we looked, or those we relooked and then looked again.  We did all of this while carrying our super heavy carry-on bags and running around outside on the Lido deck in hurricane-type wind and rain (I may be exaggerating there slightly, but not much); but really- we almost slipped and broke an ankle many times.

After what seemed like an eternity, we still had not found the next clue for Nick, the Backstreet Boy we were searching for. We also came across a group that had already found the majority of clues for Brian, so we knew that us winning was a lost cause. We retired to our room to begin hanging our door decorations and pout in the fact that we didn’t win.  When we emerged, Kristie had gone to the bar to get the rum punch drink in the souvenir Carnival glass [this is actually an important detail to the story which you will find out later], and we also learned that some of our friends, Chrissy and Cory, had won the AJ event.  Other friends of ours, Laura, Annemarie, and Ana, had won the Kevin event.  We were also told by the Rose Tours employees that both the Nick and Howie prizes had not been claimed.  This reignited our fire, and we began searching again.

Kristie and her rum punch drink

Since we were not having any luck finding clues in places we thought they were, Kristie and I came up with a new strategy of just going somewhere completely new that we had not yet been. We entered a random restaurant/nightclub and found a clue envelope taped to the wall. Hoping and praying that it was for Nick or Brian, we opened in in great suspense. It was clue #3 for Howie.  Even though it was not one of our top choices, we were ecstatic that we even found one clue. This meant we were one step closer to winning SOMETHING!

We currently have misplaced clue #3, so we do not remember exactly what it said, but bottom line is that it lead us to the lounge to search for clue #4. We ran into Laura, who had just won the Kevin scavenger hunt, and helped us find clue #4. Thankfully, she was with us, because we were so close to having it stolen by someone else. This was found taped to the backside of a speaker in the lounge. Thanks Laura! Clue #4:

“On the 2013 BSB Cruise, Howie hosted an event based on his favorite alcohol to drink. Soon yours and Howie’s glasses will be able to clink. Go to the nearest bar and buy this type of alcohol, and bring it to Rose Tours Hospitality Desk. We are on Promenade Deck by the car.”

So, remember that drink that Kristie brought before and was carrying around in her hand? Well, it just so happened to be RUM, Howie’s favorite drink!

Kristie's winning rum drink

It was fate, and Kristie must have fortune teller tendencies! So we brought it to the Rose tours desk with all of our other clues, but we were still missing clue #2. They informed us that we must have ALL the clues to win the prize, therefore we we were required to find clue #2. They sent us on our way to find clue #2, and told us to come back with it AND with some of the drink left. So there went Kristie’s idea of drinking on the job! Of course, we looked over the first clue again.

Howie’s clue #1: “Oye! Howie loves to catch sun in his mother’s native land. He loves laying out, splashing in the pool and shaking his culo (booty) to the music. You can also do all that at the ship’s party headquarters. This is where you will find your next clue, and hint, it’s red white and blue. Dale!”

We searched and searched where we thought for certain it must be based on the clues given and still could not find it.  My roommate and I were convinced that someone else had found the 2nd clue, taken it and just not been able to follow it to the 3rd clue.  After returning to the hospitality desk AGAIN and talking to the Rose Tours employees, we were told that they would chat with higher ups and determine what to do and that we should check back.

When we checked back we were told that we absolutely had to have the 2nd clue, because someone had not already found it.  By this point, we were slightly bummed that our first day of our cruise was not spent relaxing like everyone else’s, and we felt like we were wasting our time. It was almost time for the sail away party, and we were exhausted from running around the ship, and soaking wet from the wind and rain. Although all of these feelings were occurring, we felt like the end result was worth it, and we would do whatever it takes for BSB!

Therefore, we dissected that first clue and looked some more.  Eventually, miraculously, we found the clue hidden inside a plant next to the “Blue Iguana” bar on the Lido deck.  Clue #2 obviously would have led us to the random restaurant to find clue #3 (where we started). Kristie and I were overjoyed as evident by Kristie screaming to me across the Lido deck, “I FOUND THE LAST CLUE! IT WAS IN A PLANT!” As you can imagine, everyone on the deck, both BSB fans and Carnival employees, were staring, in confusion, at the girls screaming waving a drink and piece of paper around in their hands. But we had NO shame; we knew that we had just won a once in a lifetime event with a Backstreet Boy.  

We ran to the hospitality desk, for what felt like days, but was really hours, the last time, and we were given an envelope with instructions to meet Big Pat (the security guard) in the atrium at 5:45 the next day. The ladies at the desk told us that we will be having a special event with Howie that he chose for us to participate in together. Kristie and I spoke about that since Howie and Nick are best buds, MAYBE there will be some way that Nick would be involved; but it was a HUGE stretch, so really it was discounted as a possibility. However, the more real this notion became that we are actually getting one-on-one time with a Backstreet Boy, the more excited we became, and those worries started to fade. With anticipating what our special Howie event would entail, some of our guesses included salsa dancing or bartending [based on Howie’s drinking track record LOL], but we really had no idea; we were just excited and ready for some fun with a Backstreet Boy!

And here it is - the prize of a lifetime!

The moment had finally arrived. I cannot even explain to you the excitement that we felt in anticipation of our Howie event.  While getting ready, we literally went back and forth between jumping up and down from excitement and feeling like we were about to throw up from the anxiety! We headed down to the atrium with Chrissy and Cory who won the AJ scavenger hunt, to find out that Big Pat was not waiting for us, and we were confused.

From L to R: Chrissy, Cory, Callie, Kristie

Therefore we paid yet another visit to the hospitality desk to ask what was happening. They had informed us that, in true Backstreet fashion, the event had been pushed back until the next day, but they did not know what time it would be; just that it would be at some point after the beach party. We were so disappointed and extremely nervous that our event would not occur. So what do we do when you can’t hang out with real BSB?? Take pictures with the cardboard BSB (a must-do on a BSB cruise)! We made a quick stop there first before participating in the other events of the night.

Kristie and Nick

Callie and Brian

So the next day at the beach party, we figured that just to be safe, we would leave early, so that we had enough time to get ready for our Howie event. Once we felt that nothing else important was happening at the beach party, we decided to leave. Later on, we found out that our friends who we were hanging out with found a hidden spot where Brian and Nick (our two favorites) were playing beach volleyball, and they got to play with them! We were super bummed, but hey, at least we got a private event with Howie. We got back to the room and started getting ready. We finally got our call from Rose Tours to establish a time that our event would take place- 5:30PM. So then it finally hit us—it was REAL and it was ACTUALLY going to happen! Time to fangirl!

FANGIRLING.

We were ready early, so we decided to wander around. As we left our cabin, Kristie, the “fortune teller”, said “I just have this funny feeling that Nick is in the casino; I don’t know why, but I feel like we should go and check it out.” Well, as fate would have it, we walk into the casino, and there is Nick, looking as good as ever, playing craps. Kristie and I had a drink, and walked around the casino for about 15 minutes. Knowing that you can run into the boys on the cruise at any point was still such a cool feeling that we could not get over, and now we got to hang out near Nick while he gambled in the casino. But little did we know, the best was yet to come.

About 15 minutes before our Howie event, Howie comes up to the table and starts playing craps with Nick. Our first thoughts were- “Oh I guess Howie is playing craps for a few minutes before he has our event with us?” As it became 5 minutes until our event, the progression of our thoughts became “Is Howie going to ditch us? Our event is so soon- what is he doing?! What if we’re playing craps with him? No way, we would die. We’ve never gambled before!” Then of course Kristie’s out-loud thoughts became- “But Nick is there- what if we’re playing with him too?!” With Kristie’s track record of her somehow knowing the future, it was all too much to handle and it was impossible to contain our excitement. So with those thoughts in our head (and some said aloud), we headed to the atrium.

Arriving at the atrium, Big Pat was waiting for us.  After verifying that we were in fact the winners he asked us a question: are you ready to play craps with Howie?  Kristie, the “fortune teller” and I just stare at each other open mouthed, and we both scream “no way- we were just up there, and thought that!” Kristie I freaked out a little bit, as we had never played craps before, but Big Pat assured us that Howie was going to be there to teach us how.  On our way up to the casino, Pat said, “Nick is going to be mad because we’re going to have to kick him off the table.” I could almost hear Kristie’s thoughts in her head and it went a little something like this: “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!” Kristie asked if maybe he could stay, and Pat said no, so Kristie’s dreams then became slightly crushed, although she was still excited that she was the one girl on the cruise going to get to kick Nick off the table, so that she could play craps with Howie.

Entering the casino, Howie (and Nick) were still at the table.  Big Pat went to him and said, “These are your winners.” He then pointed us towards Howie.  I walked up first, hugged Howie said “Hi I’m Howie, what’s your name?”  At the time I thought this was hysterical-here a Backstreet Boy was introducing himself to me!  Of course I knew he was Howie!  Howie of the Backstreet Boys!  Then Howie said “Hi” to and hugged Kristie, and it was time to play craps. Right away, Howie pulled a wad of money out of his pocket and said, “We are going to be playing craps courtesy of the Backstreet Boys.” Then he threw $150 on the table-$50 for each of us.  He also ordered us a drink.  When asked what I would have, I said I would take a rum punch as I knew rum was Howie’s favorite.  Kristie ordered a rum and coke. As you can probably imagine, the only thought that fulfilled our brain at the moment was “We are playing craps courtesy of a Backstreet Boy, AND he just bought us a drink?! IS THIS REAL LIFE?!” Furthermore, Kristie had an extra thought in her head: “NICK WAS STILL HERE!” And here’s an important fact- Nick never left the table! Kristie, the Nick girl, (and “fortune teller”), was dying inside. Our arrangement around the table went myself, Howie, Kristie, a bodyguard and then Nick.

And there we were, with Howie AND Nick (and Nick looking angry because he was watching the football game on TV)

Howie taught us to play the entire game of craps.  Although he did a great job of walking us through the game and explaining things, I was so nervous that I basically just did whatever Howie did.  At one point I could feel myself rubbing shoulders with him (we were standing in pretty close proximity next to each other at the table). My first instinct was to step away give Howie some space.  But then I realized that I was rubbing shoulders with a Backstreet Boy-there was no way I was going to move!

Kristie and I concentrating on How teaching us how to play

We continued to play, chatting the entire time.  The three of us talked about everything.  We discussed how Kristie and I had met, the concert the night before and even whether there would be another cruise. Howie also asked where we were from. I said I was from Kansas City, and Kristie said that she was from Central New Jersey. Howie then asked Kristie if he had met her before. Kristie was shocked because although she had met Howie many times, a few years ago, she had an in-depth conversation with him about New Jersey and how both she and his wife’s family live in the same vicinity, etc., and she could not believe that he remembered! So this was a turning point for Kristie in being completely 100% satisfied that we won the Howie event. It was really cool to see that Howie finds meaning in conversations that you have with him.

 
A few of our favorite moments are as follows:

• Howie blowing on my dice for luck before I rolled them!
  
• Talking about our kids.  This was a big one for me.  I have 2 boys, as does Howie.  They are around the same age and it was lots of fun to tell him about my children and share stories of our kids. 
  
• The casino had been one of the places on the ship where Backstreet Boys music was playing constantly.  At one point while we were playing Howie looked up, listening to the music.  He looked over at Nick and said, “Nick, is this you singing?”  Nick gave Howie a funny look and said, “Yeah, this is ‘The Answer to Our Life’-one of our songs.”  In response to which Howie was like, “Oh yeah-that’s right.”  I found it so absolutely funny that Howie didn’t even recognize one of his own songs! 
  
• While talking about the concert the night before I mentioned to Howie that it really was just like the Homecoming Live in Orlando concert.  In fact, I told him that it was one of my favorites and that I had just watched that concert 5 days before in preparation of the cruise.  (Did I admit to too much fangirling here in front of a Backstreet Boy?!?  Haha!!) Then, for laughs, Kristie said, “So, Howie- want to know how old I was when Homecoming was released?? Fourth grade.” Howie laughed, and said “Whatttttttttt?! Thanks for making me feel old!” Making a Backstreet Boy laugh- let’s check that one off our bucket lists!
  
• Snapping a selfie with Howie during the game
  

  

  My selfie with Howie while playing craps

After about 30 minutes one of Howie’s bodyguards tapped him on the shoulder and let him know that he would need to start wrapping it up as he needed to get to the question/answer session. We finished our round. Howie thanked us for playing with him and gave us each a big hug.  He told us that the money, including any winnings, was ours to keep.  He also told us that later that night, if he was playing again he would be happy to continue coaching us.  Unfortunately this never happened, as it was the final night of the cruise and after the deck party, the casino was closed.

At this time we (Howie, Nick, my roommate Kristie, and I) all got into line to cash in our chips. Again, was this real life?!  Originally, Howie was behind Kristie and me, but we encouraged him to go ahead of us, as we knew he needed to get to the event quickly.  Nick was at the cashier cashing in his chips and I began thinking to myself that it would be awesome to get a photo with him commemorating our time playing craps together.  I pulled my cell phone out so I would be ready if I had the opportunity.  Nick’s bodyguard, Mike, saw me with the phone and said, “No pictures.”  I was like, “Oh, okay” and put my phone away.  When Nick was finished cashing in his chips, I thought I would at least try to say goodbye.  I stepped up to him and said, “It was fun playing craps with you today.”  Nick said that he had fun too and then said something totally unexpected.  He said, “Would you like a picture?”  Nick Carter was asking ME if I would like a picture with him?!?  Well, of course I do!  We snapped a selfie, he gave me a hug, and I was in heaven! Kristie was looking on trying not to die and only hoped that he would ask her the same. Sure enough, he walked over to her, and said “Would you like one too?” and they took their picture. Oh Nick, what a gem. This was more than Kristie could have ever hoped for a Howie event.

Nick and Kristie in the casino after playing craps

Nick and I in the casino after playing craps

The event was awesome.  I fully understand that we were so lucky to be able to participate in a once-in-a-lifetime event with not one, but TWO Backstreet Boys.  It was something that we had never even dreamed of, because we never knew it was possible.  My roommate and I had Howie’s full attention for about 30 minutes.  We talked about real life.  Plus, we had the added bonus of playing with Nick as well.

A very happy Kristie back in the cabin with her winnings

As previously stated, this was our first Backstreet Boys cruise, and we chose to make the most of it (luckily, we were fortunate enough). We also found out that we prefer to complete scavenger hunts backwards and that Kristie should have been a fortune teller. Who knew BSB cruises could be so fun AND educational! Our entire cruise, especially the last night was AMAZING. In addition to our Howie event, we celebrated at dinner with part of our large group of friends, who happen to also win the Kevin and AJ events. There was definitely luck running around our group. It was so hard to believe that on a ship filled with almost 2000 BSB fans, our group made up 7 out of the 11 girls that got to spend extra one-on-one time with a Backstreet Boy. Between winning this event and all the other amazing aspects of the trip, including the many selfies we were able to take with the boys, I don’t know that another cruise will ever be able to live up to this one.  Until the next one though, we have many once-in-a-lifetime memories made from this cruise with our boys.

Cheers to the luckiest girls on the 2014 BSB cruise!

Callie's First BSB Cruise

I'm pumped to have one of my good friends, Callie, be a guest blogger and share her experiences coming off the last trip as a first time cruiser. I really wanted Callie to share her story because I think it's so relatable. I hear from so many of you in her exact same situation - wanting to go on the cruise but no one to go with. So I hope her story can inspire some of you for next time that it is not only possible to travel solo, but well worth it and totally doable! Callie is a Brian girl from Kansas City, MO. She's super sweet and she'd love to meet more BSB fans so feel free to follow her on twitter @calliewoodland or on Facebook. She'll also be doing a special follow-up post on her scavenger hunt prize with Howie.

I’ve been a Backstreet Boys fan forever. Or, at least it feels that long. I’ve always been amazed to “just be breathing the same air” as a Backstreet Boy, I about died at the This Is Us tour when AJ brushed my hand and it was a full on dream come true when I met them in 2011. I’ve always wanted to go on a Backstreet Boys cruise, what megafan wouldn’t? But, scheduling, money, the fact that no one else I knew was as nuts about the BSB as I was therefore I didn’t have anyone to go with-all held me back. This past March, I happened to stumble upon Laura’s blog. Reading through past entries and living the cruise vicariously through Laura I realized that I had to make this happen. I had to go. I emailed Laura with some questions, and she emailed me right back. She was extremely friendly, easy to talk to and she urged me to go if it was at all possible for me. A few days later I received another email from Laura. Another BSB fan she knew, Kristie, was considering going but also didn’t have a roommate. Laura asked if it was okay to give Kristie my info, Laura thought that we both possibly needed this extra little push to go. Sure enough, within just a few days of Kristie and I talking we had a stateroom booked together.

Now I can’t say that I wasn’t a bit anxious about going and not knowing anyone. In fact, for my level-headed and extremely protective husband, going on a cruise out of the country with someone I had never met was about one of the most insane things a person could do. But, this was something that I really wanted to do and since I knew the Backstreet Boys would be on the ship I knew I would have a good time.

Here is the thing. Although I knew not a single person going on the cruise (not even my roommate) when I booked the trip, I can honestly say that I was never without a group of friends for a moment on the cruise. For starters, I met lots of people on social media sites. Through BSB Cruise and general Backstreet Boys Facebook groups I began to converse with and make friends with people from all over the world right from my home. I even met some people from my hometown of Kansas City who were going on the cruise. Some of those people and I became really great friends before the trip-meeting up with our kids for playdates where we could talk about the trip, hours at night through Facebook chat planning our theme night outfits and what boy we most wanted to meet.

Callie, Nikki and Ashley hanging out before Halloween Night

Once in Florida I found it easy to make friends as well! The night before the cruise Brian’s wife Leighanne had a Wylee Party promoting/selling her fashion line. Since Brian is my favorite Backstreet Boy, there was no question I was going to be attending this event (which also just happened to be on my birthday), even though my roommate (who was a huge Nick girl) was going to be attending the Nick event. After getting ready at our Miami hotel I took a taxi to the venue the event was being held. There I met fan after fan who was friendly and ready to talk. You have to remember that in this type of setting and on the cruise-everyone has an instant connection. Every single person is there because they are a huge Backstreet Boys fan. That automatically gives you something you have in common, something to start a conversation with. After meeting new people, browsing and taking a selfie and picture with Brian I headed back outside. Some girls I had been chatting with inside were outside waiting for a cab to grab something to eat, and invited me to join them. So, I did! I had a great birthday dinner with my new friends at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company.

Once aboard the cruise ship I continuously met knew people. Many were friends of my roommate Kristie’s. Some were people I stood in line next to for hours holding my spot for a show. All were so friendly. If you have ever considered going on the cruise, but didn’t because you didn’t know anyone or didn’t have a roommate-don’t let that hold you back. Put yourself out there. Step outside your comfort zone a bit. Consider the roommate match program; I’ve heard great things about it. Take the time to get to know people through social media before leaving. Start conversations with total strangers (possibly to become new friends) while waiting. Going on this cruise was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I had the time of my life. Much of that was due to the new friends that I made along the way.