Recap 2013- Day 2

I swear the alarm went off 10 minutes after I fell asleep, but I still eagerly jumped out of bed knowing the fun we had in store. Beach party day! Turns out the weather set things back like an hour and half, making things run even more on Backstreet time. So I decided not to rush down to get in line for the life boats but rather grab a semi-leisurely breakfast. I also took some time to stroll the halls and check out the door decorations.

Beach Party

Around 12:30 we finally decided to head over to Half Moon Cay. So gorgeous! I decided to set up camp towards the back-ish and wait for the boys to arrive. Eventually the boys would make their way to the island via a motor boat. Nick couldn't even wait until they got to shore- he dove right into the water and swam up to the beach. Next the boys went up to grab their lunch thus I sat around and awkwardly watched Nick eat some chicken wings. Meanwhile the sky was growing darker- seriously I just want one backstreet cruise where it doesn't rain! .

The boys took to the stage started entertaining us by dancing, playing with their water guns- squirting each other and us. Nick proceeded to yell at all of us for being too quiet. Fortunately the rain didn't last long and they were able to get underway with the games. First up was a wet t-shirt contest. My favorite part of the wet tshirt contest was this Nick quote afterward...

"I feel like we could do a little bit better but you girls got some daggers for eyes out there. You all need to simmer down a little bit. She's like 'Why did you bring her up on stage. That's bullshit. I paid just the same amount of money.' "- Nick

Oh lordy....they really do know what's going on in our heads, huh? I honestly can say I don't disagree with the guy! Limbo was up next and a couple lucky fans got to go on stage with the guys. I did enjoy seeing Howie try to limbo without putting down his beer. And in typical Brian fashion when it came to his turn, he decided to jump over the limbo poll rather than go under. Oh Brian! Is it just me or are his antics becoming more and more predictable?

Brian holding the limbo pole

After limbo they brought back the infamous coconut game- played to 'Under the Sea' from Little Mermaid. I think this year I found it more comical than anything. Howie ended up winning this game, I guess all that beer helped him out. Then they did musical chairs. Sidebar- I realized I really do like AJ hosting all the game he is pretty good at that. I think he lost musical chairs the first round on purpose so he could just get back to being a ham on the mic, which was fine by me. As the game continued, Nick used his water gun to squirt the fans and distract them. I feel like that was more of a Brian move but I did like how Nick got so into it. There was some funny interaction between Kev & Nick when they got into it over their sports teams...

Kevin was giving Nick a hard time about the Bucs

This somehow segued into the first ever Backstreet obstacle course. I happened to be right in the middle where they parted the fans so I ended up with a great view of that game. I really enjoyed this one. Could've been because I had a good view. Could've been because it was the first time they did the game. But I think the dynamic of putting fans with each of the boys and then having them go against each other works nicely. I liked how Nick had his team stretching off to the side to prep (even though he still ended up losing) I liked how competitive the guys get. I liked how AJ encourages Brian to finish the course with his eyes closed. I liked how badly Kev lost that second match up. All in all a lot of fun- lets hope that bring this one back next time.

Brian winning the obstacle course

When the games were over it gave me a bit of time to relax. AJ went off on some jetskis, some of the other boys stuck around and did pictures, and some left early. The beach started to clear off and I was torn between wanting to stay a bit longer but also wanting to get back to the ship for AJ's event. I ended up staying a bit longer and am so happy I did. I ended up getting a picture with Howito while he was on his way out. He actually took my camera and took the picture himself, so that was pretty cool.

Me and Howie

Howie double fisting his beers

AJ covered in sand

Kev dancing

Nick and his team stretching before the obstacle course

Another successful Backstreet beach party under my belt, I hightailed it back to the ship. Well, at least I attempted to. Even though I had like 45 minutes until AJs hip hop flip flop, it somehow took over an hour to get back. The tenders were super slow, which was killing me because I didn't want to miss AJs event. I was seriously ready to jump over the side and swim back to the Imagination. And what made it worse was the sky opened up and started down pouring on us. Ugh. So there I was on the tender in the rain praying for Backstreet time to work in my favor.

I did make it back to the ship just in time to find out they were going to "reschedule" his event due to safety conditions, which of course never did get rescheduled. Part of me understands, but part of me was bummed they couldn't squeeze it in. Just another reason they need to make it a 4 day cruise next time!

Seeing as how AJs event was cancelled and the other group had their concert, it was a light evening for me. I took a shower and freshened up before having a lovely dinner with my girlfriends...and Brian & Howie eating right around the corner :) But before I hit dinner- I swung by the main lounge to get a good listen of their sound check. Maybe its just me, but even the audio is super exciting. And despite the fact that they had signs on their doors, saying 'no peaking'.... I most definitely stole a peak or 2...or 3.

Me peaking in soundcheck despite the sign. Shhh dont tell!

Dinner with the gang

Halloween Night
After dinner it was time to go get ready for Halloween night. I'm really not a Halloween person and was struggling to come up with a costume. I decided I wanted to try and do something related to the TV show, Friends, because I love that show. I seriously watch it every night before I go to bed. I was thinking I could either be the holiday armadillo or Spudnick, and Spudnick ended up being a lot easier to pull off. So that's just what I did!

Me as Spudnick and Chrissy as a UK cheerleader

Before I made my way up to the deck- I wanted to swing by the main lounge again. Even though I couldn't go in and see the other group's concert, I figured I didn't have much better to do so I had fun sitting outside listening. And by the end of the show the doors were actually open, so I could actually peek in. At one point Leighanne came out of the theater and asked me what I was doing. I told her and she was so sweet about it. She was like, "Oh I wish you told me and you could've sat with me." I really don't think she was serious but I thought it was still pretty cool she made the offer. How neat would it be to actually see a concert with one of their wives?

By the last 5 songs, the crowd around me grew and we actually were all having a ball sitting outside singing and dancing together. The boys were winding down the show, singing Everybody, and I figured that was probably a good time to leave. I wanted to beat the crowd to the deck party. But minutes before I was ready to go, someone from Rose Tours nonchalantly strolled over and whipped out a pack of VIP bracelets for the deck party that evening. He only had 5 which got snatched up immediately before I could grab one. My heart sank. But then he reached in his coat pocket and pulled out another sheet of them. I was able to grab one for myself and I boldly asked for 1 more for a friend. He actually gave me both!! I thanked him profusely. As much fun as it would be to get one just for myself, it wouldn't have been the same if I couldn't share it with a friend.

Now my mind is running in a million different directions. I was so happy and to finally get an opportunity to check out the VIP area on deck, but I was also in such a tough situation. I had 1 extra bracelet to share and like 20 girls I wanted to give it to and like 2 minutes to figure out what to do. It was almost a blessing and a curse. I scurried up to the pool deck and found my group of gals. Appropriately I had to pull a move from Friends.... Remember the episode where Monica let Rachel and Phoebe decide who would be her maid of honor? Yeah, that's what I did. I let them decide who would get it.

Anyway- back to the deck party. With my VIP bracelet in tow, I went upstairs to check out what all the fuss was about. I was actually one of the first people up there, which was nice so I claimed my spot right up front by their little restricted area. The crowd continued to grow as the night went on. And in an ironic and unfortunate twist for me, the boys did not enter up through the VIP area as they did the night prior. Nor did they make their way up there for at least the first 30 minutes of the deck party. I was trying to be so patient hoping they would eventually make their way up top, but I finally got to the point where I felt like I was missing all of the fun down below. So I gave up my spot and headed back downstairs. I just have to laugh how things turn out sometime. I suppose the VIP would've been a lot better for Neon night, but sadly it didn't get me anywhere that night. I'm still really happy I had the experience to at least know for the future that I'm not missing much.

Overall I thought Halloween night was good, but maybe not their best deck party either. They all came out dressed as the Village People. Its funny how it never occurred to me that they'd do a group costume, but it makes sense when I stop and think about it. I was actually pretty impressed by all of the fans' costumes. I was expecting a lot more slutty ones than were actually there. I thought people got really clever with it- some Backstreet themed, a lot not.

The boys as the Village People

The deck party was pretty much your typical deck party. Fun banter, fun music, dancing, etc. They brought fans up on stage to bob for apples, which I give them credit for trying something different. Eventually AJ made his way through the crowds and I saw him start to head back upstairs so I went back up to the VIP area hoping maybe I'd get lucky with a run-in or picture. And I did! AJ saw my costume and he loved it- he got the reference. We actually chatted for all of 15 seconds about Friends. He said he could've gone as Chandler except for his beard. That interaction was super fun, probably one of the highlights of the trip for me. Here's the pic we took...

Me poking AJ's eye out as
"Spudnick"

I don't even care that he isn't looking at the camera. I do however care that it appears I almost poked his eye out with my antenna. I didn't even realize it until I looked back at the picture. Oopsies! Thank goodness it was just aluminum foil. So in the end my VIP bracelet did end up paying off, just maybe not in the way I expected it to.

Nick at Night

The deck party was still going pretty strong but we also had Nick at Night starting up. I got there a tad late and the atrium was packed. For some reason I didn't think it would be as crowded as it was, particularly since there was a still a lot of action on the lido deck. But alas, I forget that it's Nick and even at 2:30 in the morning, fans would anxiously be waiting for him.

I wish I could say something more exciting happened at this event, but it was pretty much what I expected. Nick DJing for a while. Not a whole lot of interaction with fans or anything noteworthy, in my humble opinion. But it was still a good time. I'll never turn down a chance to see Nick!

Nick at Night in a nutshell

So after Nick at Night, I strolled back to the lido deck and of course Howie is still up there partying. Gotta love his energy! I hung out for a bit but it seemed like not much else was going to happen. He was up in the VIP section mingling so I decided to head down and call it quits for the night.

I made it down to my deck and saw a crowd of girls huddled around the stairs. I figured they were the same crew camping out in the hallway outside the boys' cabins. But I quickly realized something else unique was going on.... AJ was chatting to the 20-30 girls who were there. OMG!! I had flashbacks to the past cruise where AJ was chatting on the back of the ship. I couldn't believe my luck that I stumbled onto this again!!! I was so excited. I caught the tail-end of his little chat but apparently he was there for 10-15 minutes or so answering questions. He talked a little about bachelorette night and gave us a preview of what to expect. He also talked a little more about Friends, go figure!  Made few Friends jokes...and then went off to bed. This was definitely a highlight of the trip for me, even though it was short. I just love the unscripted moments that not everyone gets to experience. And it also reminds me why I stay up to such an ungodly hour every night. A lot of my best moments tend to happen after 4am.

AJ chatting with a few fans in the wee hours of the morning

FAQ

I'm so overdue for an FAQ section on this site as this blog is accumulating more and more posts. I find people reach out to me and largely ask the same questions. So not that I don't love hearing from you all, because I most certainly do, but I figured I'd aggregate all of those questions for you in 1 place in hopes to answer the most often asked questions. I also hope to keep adding to this as needed so keep checking back.


I hear the guys go around knocking on cabin doors, is that true?

Yes, AJ did go around knocking on cabin doors the first cruise and visited with fans. Supposedly Howie stopped by a few cabins as well. AJ made his way to 2 decks. Thus there is always the possibility they'll do it again, but nothing I'd want to get my hopes up for.

When did they announce the themes last year?

Last year the themes were announced on August 19th, which was a little over 3 months out.

What's the deal with the pre-cruise party?

For both of the past cruises the Backstreet Boys held a pre-cruise event the night before in Miami. In 2010 they did an acoustic show with the option for a meet & greet; in 2011 they did a club event also with the option of a meet & greet. In 2013 they did no pre-cruise event. When they did have an event, it's something that wasn't announced until 1 month before the cruise. So please keep it in mind as you make your travel arrangements, but my advice would be not to count on an event.

Do you get the meet the guys?

Yes, you get to the Backstreet Boys at the meet & greet photo event. That is the ONLY time you are guaranteed interaction with them. That said, there are plenty of other opportunities during the cruise to see them and interact with them- both at official events and just roaming around the ship. I think a lot of it is luck and a lot of it is just how assertive/dedicated you are.

What's the deal with the plug situation?

I seem to remember 1 outlet in the room and maybe 1 in the bathroom. Basically count on a limited number of outlets. Some people like to bring surge protectors, however I've also heard they can get confiscated. So bring at your own risk. We had 3 girls in the cabin and managed just fine sharing. It just takes coordination and consideration of your roommates. I think the only thing I used an outlet for was my hair straightener and to charge my camera. I didnt need to charge my phone since I wasnt using. Overall it wasnt really an issue.

How do I buy VIP?

I think this is one of the most popular questions from new cruisers. You CANNOT buy a VIP for the cruise. They do have VIP sections for certain events, however its primarily designated for the boys, their friends, family, staff, etc. The staff have been known to hand out VIP bracelets to randomly chosen cruisers so its 

Tips for dressing around the ship/theme nights? How many formal outfits do you need?

So at night definitely consider the fact that you will be outside on a windy deck with the ocean. It will be chilly. Pack layers and plan your theme outfit accordingly. I know there were a couple times I had my nice theme outfit planned and it pretty much was all for nothing when I had to throw a sweatshirt on over it.

Some people like to dress up for dinner every night. So if that's something you like to do, pack a few nicer outfits. The dining room does have a dress code. Though if it's not your thing, there is nothing requiring you to get dressed up and you can always eat at the informal buffet should you choose.

As for walking around the ship during the day, many people opt for beach/pool type clothes. You'll also see BSB shirts floating around. I'd recommend something comfortable and something you're okay possibly running into a Backstreet Boy wearing.

How does the group photo work? How many people and when does it happen?

For the photo shoot- you basically get in a group with 10 girls and show up to the photo session at your designated time. On the past cruises its been held on the last day. Ideally you want to form a group with other people in your dining seating (either Group A or Group B) and you find all your Howie girls ahead of time. Sorry- but you know I speak the truth! If you don't have a group ahead of time, or your group is incomplete, don't worry. Rose Tours will make sure you have a full group before getting your photo taken and match you up with others who also need a group. But I think its best to be prepared if you're particular on who you stand next to.
UPDATE- On the 2013 cruise they changed the group sizes to 4-5 girls. For the 2014 cruise they have been promoting smaller group sizes thus I would anticipate it to be around 4-5 fans this upcoming trip as well.

What time in the morning do the events typically start?

Typically there were no events in the morning. The earliest we ever had something was noon- which was the photo shoot. So feel free to sleep in should your heart desire.

When should I arrive to the port in Miami the day of the cruise?

This is another common question and the answer is- it's really up to you. You can get there as early as you'd like. They let you on the ship as soon as its cleared by customs and the previous cruise has emptied off. The BSB cruise website says we board at noon, and generally speaking they'll let us on around noon or even as early as 11am. That said, it could be earlier or later. You just NEED to be there before the ship sets sails at 4pm.

The Backstreet Boys themselves generally get there on the earlier side. I'd say 10ish. They will check in separately in a special VIP area so they aren't mobbed by fans. They will also board prior to everyone else. If you want to see them board, get there early.

As for me, I personally get there as early as possible. In my head the sooner I get to the port, the closer I am to the front of the line to board, and the sooner I can get on that ship and start my vacation. I probably shoot to get there around 9-9:30. Im also a paranoid traveler and don't like to take ANY chances missing that ship. I also find these few hours while you're waiting in the terminal is a great place to meet up with friends you've been looking forward to meeting because once you're on the ship, all hell breaks loose.

Can you tell me more about the door decorations?

They hold a contest where you can opt to decorate your door with any sort of BSB-related decoration you'd like. The winner will be announced during the cruise and in the past the winner gets front row seats to the concert on board. If you're looking for ideas- generally the ones with a clear theme seem to do well. Lots of people put up collages of sorts but the themes help set you apart. I've seen a lot of people do Christmas themes, beach/cruise themes, and movie themes were popular. I also found that having something 3-D makes your door stand out. And this is something you don't have to participate in if you don't want to. No matter what you decide, just have fun with it!

Can you tell me more how the roommate match program works?

If you are a solo traveler and are so gung-ho about going on the BSB cruise but can't convince anyone back home to go with you, the roommate match program is for you! When you book your cruise you have the option to book a cabin with the roommate match program, and you will be matched based on several different criteria. You will not find out your roommate until a little over a month out from the cruise. I did this program the first year and didn't have any major problems. Most people I know who have done it were very positive with their experience. My biggest frustration was that I couldn't work on my door decoration until last minute. But I would definitely recommend this for anyone who is traveling solo.

Will I get sea-sick? If so, what should I do?

Hopefully not, but you should prepare yourself, particularly if you've never been on a cruise before. If you're prone to motion sickness, you should take even further precaution. Since I luckily don't really get seasick, here are some words of wisdom from my not so lucky friend who did....

If you're prone to motion seasickness, seasickness is nothing like it. It's much worse! And I found that regular motion seasickness medication didn't work. If Nick Carter points out that the ship is rocking, you will instantly feel it - even if you didn't before! Haha. I went to my doctor and she prescribed those bracelets that some people wear. I'm sure those and other knickknacks work for mild sickness, but I'm not willing to gamble my once in a lifetime experience again. I got REALLY sick. That said, not everyone will. I just think it's better to be prepared for it then to spend the first day curled up in a ball.  The best advice I have is to get on the boat and hit the Customer Service desk. For a couple of dollars you get four pills. Each pill lasts twelve hours. Most importantly - take it a half hour before the boat departs. Once you're seasick, it can't be undone.

To expand on her experience, guest services will give you medique (meclizine hydrochloride) 25 mg. It’s an antiemetic. Apparently good stuff.

What should a first time cruiser expect?

I would say to expect to have the time of your life with your friends, meet some wonderful new friends, no sleep. You'll laugh, you'll cry. Tons of great unique BSB events that you can only get on the cruise. On the flip side I would NOT expect to literally hang out with the backstreet boys for 3 days.

What's the best part of the BSB cruise?

Everything!! Seriously though, its such a unique experience that nothing else even comes close. A concert is only 2 hours of BSB but on the cruise is 3 days! And in that 3 days there are so many special moments that you can only get here. Like you'll be eating dinner and casually look across the room to see Brian eating with his family. Or you'll be chilling at the pool and see Nick walk by.

On top of that the events themselves are so unique. You get game shows, beach parties, deck parties, etc. I just feel like you dont get to see BSB in some of those environments anywhere else. Even outside of the events there is BSB-stuff everywhere! BSB TV, door decorations, music playing by the pool, etc. In the "real-world" I jump for joy hearing IWITW on the radio....on the cruise its everywhere. Like a magical Backstreet utopia!

Beyond BSB themselves- for me its all about hanging out with my friends & making new friends who all share the same level of passion I do for BSB. These people all understand 110% what the backstreet boys mean to me and its so nice to share this experience with them. You can walk up to anyone on that ship and just talk for hours to them sharing stories and experiences. This is really my favorite part! I know have so many life-long friends because of the past 2 cruises.

What's the worst part of the BSB cruise?

The only negative thing for me is that there is so much anticipation leading up to the trip and my expectations are so high for it that its tough for the cruise to live up to my expectations, though so far its been able to. Its just natural that things won't always go as you envisioned so I've found you can't let the little things get to you or it will ruin your trip. Things will inevitably go wrong. You might have someone spill a drink on your outfit you've been planning out for months. You might end up getting seasick. Whatever it is. Just stay optimistic and have the time of your life!

Any suggestions if I don't have anyone to travel with?

If you decide to come by yourself, they do have a roommate match program so they would pair you up with 1 other random roommate. I've heard mostly positive things about the program. Another idea is to search on the fanclub, twitter, or facebook for other people going and looking for roommates.There are a couple closed facebook groups that I'm more than happy to invite you to, just shoot me an email and I'll get you invited!

When we book a ticket, is there a payment program?

They do have a payment plan. If your room was $1000 you pay the $300 deposit, then $300 a few months later, and $400 for the final payment. And obviously that would adjust depending how much your cabin cost. Rose Tours requires 3 payments. But I know some people will call more frequently, say the end of every month, and pay less for each payment. I've found Rose Tours is very willing to work with you on your payment as long as they get their money at the end of the day.

How much time do you actually get with the Boys? 

So time with the boys...this is a tricky one to answer. As I've said numerous times, you need to go in with realistic expectations. If you think you're going to have dinner with Nick every night, you'll be sorely disappointed. There are 2000 girls on the ship and only so much BSB to go around. You can probably do the math. The only guaranteed interaction you have will be at the M&G/photo session. However I think its fair to say you'll see plenty of them. You'll prob see them wandering around the ship, at all the events, maybe catch them at a few of the meals, in the elevator, etc. My advice here is go in expecting very little interaction, and you can only be pleasantly surprised when you get more.

I'm traveling from overseas. Is it worth the thousands of dollars it would cost me to get there? Or should I just buy a VIP the next tour?

Well, I think so but with a few caveats. Obviously this is a trip you only consider if you can afford it. If you're going to rack up major credit card debt, it's not worth it. But assuming you can afford it, I think if the roles were reversed and the boys did a cruise outside the US; I would probably make a vacation of it and extend my trip. So I'd recommend anyone traveling to the states to take a few days to explore Florida, go to Disney World, or even fly to other major cities in the US that interest you.

I think a lot of this cruise is what you make of it. If you have a positive attitude and make the most of it, it will be a great trip and thus worth the money. My other advice is try to meet some new friends. That's one of the best parts for me. Being able to share your love for BSB with girls who feel the same. Plus theres a lot of down time. BSB doesnt entertain us 24/7. So having people to hang out with during those down times is great. The cruise is such a unique experience that you'll remember forever. A VIP is so quick. I def recommend the cruise over a VIP.

Do you have to participate in everything?

You dont have to participate in anything if you don't want to. A lot of people bring their boyfriends/husbands who dont really go to the events, they'll just choose to hit the casino or something instead. It's your vacation so you can do whatever you want. Some girls would rather go explore some of the islands rather than go to their beach party, because they've traveled so far to be there. But I do highly recommend in participating in everything they do.

Do you think booking the more expensive cabins are worth it in order to get better seats?

I personally don't think so, but I know many girls who disagree with me. My personal opinion on the matter is that its not worth the extra hundreds or even thousands of dollars to get a few rows closer. The lounge is small enough that even being in the last row isn't that bad. You'll have plenty of opportunity to see them up close around the ship and you also have to remember that not all the events are held in the lounge. Last cruise there were only 2 events in the lounge. Plus you could put that money towards another cruise or doing a VIP on tour. If you are lucky enough to book early and get a good reservation number, than you should be fine. My advice is save the money!

But to make Im impartial and present both sides, I have friends who did the suite. They like it and will do it again because they liked not having to worry about possibly being in the back and risk not being able to see.

If you book early, will you have a better seat for the BSB shows on board?

Yes, the earlier the book the better your seat should theoretically be. If you book a suite- it shouldn't really matter because you'll be guaranteed to be in the first 6 rows regardless. However if you're gonna book a cheap cabin like me, the earlier you book the better. They will assign the rest of the seats beyond the 6th row based on your reservation number. So the earlier you reserve, the closer you'll be to the stage.

How do they pick fans to participate in games/concerts/events?

Fans are picked differently depending on the event. For some events- like karaoke, you got an email before the cruise started and you could sign up. Then Rose Tours randomly selected a few people to be chosen. Then there's things like the prom queen, and those girls were chosen because they had a lucky item placed in their goody bags when they got in the room. So that was random.

The girls who got picked at the beach party were a mixture of the boys picking people on the spot. But also members of the Rose Tour staff seemed to be grabbing people to sign up as well. If you ever see a Rose Tour staff with a clip board before an event, thats generally where you should be. For the game shows- I think you have to show up early and Rose Tours staff was picking people. In 2013 they started drawing names from a bag, which I like because it gives everyone a fair shot. I think those are your primary ways to be chosen. I have yet to be picked for anything, so as always, take my advice with a grain of salt. But it seems to be a lot of luck or being in the right spot at the right time.

Will my cell phone work on the cruise?

When we're in the middle of the ocean- no, you will not have service. When we're docked in port, it will work, but if you're outside your country you will most definitely incur crazy roaming fees. My advice is to turn your phone off once we set sail and not turn it on until we're back in Miami. I've just heard such horror stories on coming back to obscene bills. If you simply can't go 3 days without your cell phone and need to get in touch with work or loved ones back home, I recommend checking with your carrier and adding the appropriate international voice/data plan.

When do we get the itinerary?

Two weeks before we set sail.

Do I have to tip?

No, your tip is included in your fees. Though feel free to leave an additional tip for your cabin steward or waiters if you feel they've gone above and beyond.

How much should I expect to spend?

In short, a lot. I'd budget at least $2,000 and even more depending on your cabin. The lowest I've heard someone spend on the entire experience was $1,800. Factoring in the cost of the cruise, travel, accommodations, pre-cruise shopping, merch/drinks on board, pre-cruise events, etc. It all adds up to a lot more than you'd anticipate.

How much cash/spending money should I bring? Do I even need to bring cash?

I personally am not a big spender on the cruise. The items that cost extra are drinks (including sodas), spa services, casino, shopping, specialty restaurants, excursions, cabanas, etc. But you don't pay cash for any of it- its all on your sail & sign card. You can tie your sail & sign card to your credit card and not have to worry about carrying cash at all on board.  Even the backstreet boys merchandise, you can charge to this card.
As for how much- it really depends on your spending habits. You can get out of there without spending any extra money- but realistically if you want some souvenirs and or splurge on any of the extras you'll want anywhere from $100-$300.

Are there professional photographers on board?

For BSB events- Justin will be taking pictures. He'll post them on backstreetboys.com afterward. Though in my opinion, there weren't a whole ton of pictures. There will also be a videographer, though for the 2011 cruise they never did anything with that footage. So I wouldn't count on these pictures, even though you'll see them feverishly taking videos/photo.

What does Group A do when Group B is having their event & vice versa?

Short answer- whatever you want! Generally when the other group is having their events, in some ways its a bit more relaxing because I know exactly where the boys are and that I cant run into them. But I also find I'm anxious because it KILLS me knowing they're doing a concert like 30 feet away and I'm not there. Some times the other groups event will be happening during your dinner. So you'll still have something to do. And if not Id suggest its a good time to relax, get ready for your next event, or even steal in a quick nap.

Will there be time to change for the theme nights?

In years past some people would get dressed before dinner- but i also feel it really depends on the theme. You could wear a prom dress to dinner, but not a Halloween costume. There is time in between events to change. Remember, they run on backstreet time! If they say the deck party starts at 12, you can safely assume the boys wont show up at that time. They're gonna be putting on a concert and then need to go get ready themselves. So dont stress about not having time.

The only caveat here is that like most events- the sooner you get to them, the better spot you'll have. So by taking that extra time to change later in the night, might set you back a tad. But if you're not the type who needs front row for everything, then you'll be fine. Plus its kind of hard to define what a good spot really is, because the guys move around the deck anyway.

How do you meet up with people? Should I bring walkie talkies?

I know I put walkie talkies on my packing list, and I've tried bringing them before but they ended up sitting in my suitcase. I found they were too burdensome to carry around. Maybe there are smaller models these days, but Im not sure. I ended up meeting my friends the old fashioned way, remember those days before cell phones? Yeah, we were able to function! So basically just deciding on when and where to meet. You can also call each others cabins, so jot down all your friends' numbers. Otherwise I find people generally hang in the same spots. Some will like to hang in the lido buffet, others by the pool, casino, etc. Generally if I wandered around for 10 minutes I could find my gang or I'd run into someone else I knew. The ship isn't that big.

I have a gift I'd like to give to the boys. How do I give that to them?

So here's the official word on gifts:
"Gifts will NOT be permitted at any BSB scheduled events. Gifts can be left at the hospitality desk. Please consult your itinerary for Hospitality Hours. Your gifts will be delivered to BSB."
I personally wouldn't want to leave a gift for them; half the fun there is seeing the reaction. But there is this option if you don't care about giving it to them directly. The only time you are guaranteed to interact with them is at the meet & greet, and they are VERY strict about not letting you bring anything in there. The only other way to get them a gift is getting lucky. You might have a chance elsewhere on the ship if you run into them. So if you're dedicated to the cause, you can carry it with you and hope you'll bump into one of the guys and give it to them then.

What do people wear to dinner?

Honestly you see a range of everything from fancier dresses to borderline t-shirts. You'll fit right in if you want to get dressed up. Though sometimes they have formal night where people do get a bit more dressed up. Personally I like to do a sundress to dinner on most nights.

FYI the dress code:
Ladies - Casual dresses, casual skirts or pants and blouses, summer dresses, Capri pants, dress shorts, jeans (no cut-offs). Not permitted in the dining room during the Cruise Casual dinner for ladies and gentlemen: shorts, gym shorts, basketball shorts, beach flip-flops, bathing suit attire, cut-off jeans, & sleeveless shirts.

 

Backstreet Cruise Dictionary

I’m taking a little bit of a different approach on this one, hope you enjoy it.

Merch- Short for merchandise store/booth and it’s a place where your credit card will hate you because will easily spend $100+ on some cheaply made items plastered with the Backstreet Boys faces. Also a place where you seem to throw all sense of logic out the window and you think that $40 for a t-shirt seems perfectly reasonable.

Deck party- A better version of an after party except there isn’t much dancing but rather masses of girls are just standing around awkwardly gawking at the Backstreet Boys. A deck party also has an assigned theme which gives women yet another excuse to dress in brazenly slutty clothing to try and desperately capture the attention of their favorite BSB or crew member who could allow them access to their favorite BSB.

Full Charter- A cruise containing 93% females (primarily between the ages of 18-45); 2% gay men; and 5% reluctant obliging boyfriends/husbands/significant others.

Half Charter- A ship where half of the people are emphatic Backstreet Boy fans and the other half are poor unsuspecting souls who didn't have a clue what they were getting them self into.

Meet and Greet- The place where your dream of meeting the Backstreet Boys finally becomes a reality. Though it seems go down a little differently than you envisioned because your entire 20 seconds with all of the boys is clouded by the sounds of the photographer yelling at you to speed it up and security cutting off your almost hug with Brian because “only handshakes are allowed!” You can also expect that the years of rehearing what you would say if you met the boys seems to all go out the window causing you to sputter off some nonsense. Thus you leave feeling dejected as you miserably trudge to the buffet and drown your sorrow with some cheesecake as you sadly replay how your 15 year long dream of meeting the Backstreet Boys actually played out.

Goody Bag- Found in your cabin on the first night, a bag which you almost throw away. Then you open it and wonder to yourself why you the cabin steward put a bag of random knick-knacks in your room. Then you realize this is actually meant for you. The entire contents of the bag could not be worth more than $1.23, which seems about right considering the average cost of this cruise is $1,300.

Door Decorations- A display of elaborately decorated doors where the vast majority of them look like an issue of Teen Beat threw up all over it.

BSB Game Show- An event where you spend the bulk of your time thinking how much more you deserve to be up on the stage than the girls who they selected because it is clear that you are a much bigger fan and ten times wittier and nicer than the girls who got picked.

Wristband- A colored paper bracelet you keep on your wrist the entire cruise which is basically a way for people to either smugly show off how good their seat is; or it’s the source of why you are crying yourself to sleep in your cabin every night.

VIP  Wristband-  Another wristband that allows you entrance into designated VIP areas. Side effects of this wristband include a surge of people suddenly wanting to be your best friend because they think you can get them into VIP as well. And when they find out you can’t, they will call you a myriad of degrading names.

What to Expect- Deck Parties

The deck parties were probably the best part of the cruise for me. Just a great energy with all the fans and the Backstreet Boys themselves. Most of the deck parties started after 11pm so it would allow you plenty of time after dinner to get changed. Each deck party had a different theme, which were just recently announced. As a reminder, the themes this year are 80's night, PJ party, and Prom night. You can definitely expect everyone to be dressed up according to the theme, including the Backstreet Boys. Most everyone participated in some way. Some outfits were a lot more involved than others so you don’t have to feel the need to go all out, but I would highly recommend you do something related to the theme or you will probably feel left out.

The deck parties tended to last about 2 hours (weather pending of course). They take place on the lido deck, but note that the pools and hot tubs are closed at that hour. There was not any food at the party, but the bars were open. If you do get hungry, there is food available at other locations around the ship. Overall think of a deck party as an after party, but like 20 times better. They would play a good mix of current music as well as Backstreet Boys songs. They even played some new stuff for us from their upcoming albums, which was awesome! The Backstreet Boys hosted the events from a private area on a balcony above us. The Imagination is set up a little differently than the Destiny so I don't think it will be quite the same. In between songs they would engage the fans by asking questions or just goofing around amongst themselves. There would occasionally be some lulls in the action, but for the most part they were pretty engaged. They would also sing along to many of the songs or ad lib some dancing. And on Masquerade night they also threw some beads into the audience. Maybe they will have more free little giveaways for us on the upcoming cruise. It was all unscripted and just a lot of fun to watch them and be a part of the excitement.

From day one Nick prefaced the entire cruise by saying that if we just act cool, they would come down and party with us. That clearly did not happen. Some of the guys made attempts to come and interact with the fans, but people were still too intense, in my opinion. I’m really hopeful that by the next cruise, most fans will have gotten out of their system so as a group we can be more relaxed and have the guys chill with us.  Brian tried to come down once and just walked through the deck to see the fans. He was mobbed so I don’t believe he ever came back down. Howie maybe came down once. Nick came down to the bar on both international luv night and masquerade night. He would ‘bartend’ and interact with the fans. AJ also came down the bar several times and made his way through the crowd to get us pumped up. He was arguably the bravest of the bunch.

A handful of fans were able to hang out on the deck above us with the Backstreet Boys, if they had a VIP bracelet. As I noted in a previous post, it appeared as if they didn’t get too much VIP treatment except that they were a little closer and did have an open bar. I also noticed that the boys would occasionally go over to them and interact a bit, though they were still roped off. I was perfectly content where I was with the majority of fans because I felt like I had a better view and was actually participating in the deck party rather than watching from above.

Some of you have expressed concerns over the crowds at these events. Personally I was never bothered by the amount of people. I feel like I had enough space and never felt like anyway was on top of me. I could leave my spot to go to the bathroom or grab a drink and return with no issue. The only exception to this was if a Backstreet Boy was nearby. If you get claustrophobic, there are plenty of good spots for you on the upper deck away from the majority of the crowds and you will still have a great view. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd rate the crazy factor of these events at about a 5. I've been at events far worse than a deck party, but you are still dealing with drunk girls near the Backstreet Boys thus some sort absurdity is inevitable. Lets not forgot about girls diving in the hot tub and revealing their backside to the whole ship in order to grab some masquerade beads from the boys.

It’s hard to actually describe these events because it’s like nothing really happened, but yet so much did happen. It’s one of  those things that you have to experience for yourself to truly appreciate how amazing it was because its tough to capture the vibe in writing. I can't wait for the deck parties this year and am praying that the weather cooperates with us!

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!