Recap 2016: Day 3 (Italy)

Today started by waking up in beautiful Italia around 6:30am. Though I should caveat, my roommate was the unlucky one who had to wake up that early for an 8am excursion. Fortunately, I had seen Pisa a few years ago, so I went right back to bed.

I woke up probably a good 5 hours after that. But watching her have to wake up an hour after she went to bed, it just occurred to me how having these sorts of action-packed ports were not at all conducive to a Backstreet cruise. The boys are up until the wee hours of the night partying, but then they expect people to get up for an 8am excursion if they want any chance at all to see the sites? Great in theory, but I don't think it works.

Livorno
Because I decided to get some beauty rest and sleep-in, most of my friends were already off the ship getting their gelato on, or whatever else it is they were doing in Italy. So I ventured off the ship hoping to run into someone I knew and explore the port. Maybe go to Pisa. Maybe just get some pizza and head back. I honestly didn't have a plan and I liked it that way!

I get off the ship and learned the only way into the downtown area was via a shuttle where we had no choice but to pay €5. Not a huge deal, but I think some fans (and even Rose Tour staff) were a little peeved about that. Not everyone has the cash handy.

When I arrive in Livorno I run into a few good friends right there in the main square. Perfecto! Couldn't plan it better if I tried. We were toying with the idea of going to Pisa but it looks like we were a little too late because there wasn't enough time to go, do the site, and come back in time before the ship leaves.

So instead we just walk around town, go into some shops, get gelato, etc. Nice and low key, which is just what I needed amid the craziness of a BSB cruise.

Me and Cort enjoying some gelato

Mix It Up with Howie D
I haven't seen a Backstreet Boy in over 15 hours (unacceptable on a BSB cruise) so I was excited and ready for some Howie D!!! I loved his solo event last year so I was really excited to see what he came up with this year.

When Howie came out he explained that his event would be all about drinks. Not really my cup of tea, but it involves Howie, so I'm there.

"Are you guys sober. Well I am and I'm ready to drink!"

"I didn't wake up until 2:30 and I'm very thirsty. It's too long for my body not to have a little bit of  alcohol in it."

Oh Howie, if you were anyone else I'd probably think you're an alcoholic.

This event basically consisted of a Carnival staff member showcasing his drink making skills while Howie attempted some of his goofy jokes and antics. In my opinion it sorta worked. I don't know that Howie has a bold enough personality to carry an event like this. I think the Carnival guy almost overshadowed him (don't hate me!). Here's a few minutes for your viewing pleasure:

This is How-ie Do it!

The second half of the event was watching Howie play beer pong with a couple of fans. In my opinion, this was great for the few fans who got to play with him, but it didn't really translate into a spectator sport. It would've been alright for like 5 minutes, but it just went way too long. I wanted to see Howie more engaged with the crowd but he was more focused on the game.

Maybe I'm just becoming more jaded and cynical as I go on more of these cruises. I don't mean to come across all negative. I swear! I think he just set the bar really high from his last solo event.

After Howie's event I went and actually enjoyed the balcony in my cabin that I paid an arm and a leg for. Did the whole dinner thing. And next on the agenda....best part of the cruise!!

Show Em What You're Made of Acoustic Concert
I just don't even know where to start with this because no matter what I write up, will not capture the magnificence that was this concert. It was absolutely amazing from start to finish. I LOVE that they did an acoustic set and I LOVE that they only sang 2 singles. I LOVE that they finally understood that the fans on the cruise don't need to hear I Want it That Way. We're super fans and want to hear the rare gems.

Best setlist ever.

This concert was phenomenal. I wish they did more concerts like this. Here are some of my favorite moments:

• The boys entered the concert by walking down the aisle and Brian was just an arm-lengths away as he walked by. Gosh, it really never does get old.
  

  

  So close to Brian!

• Let's Have a Party - Oh my gosh, AJ rapping his part brought me so much joy! I wish I could've had the homecoming video playing side by side.
• Just to be Close to You- Geez, another oldie but goodie. At this point its feeling even more like the Homecoming concert. Super special to hear this one live.
  
  
• Darlin - Brian was the first to sing his solo. I know it can't just be me - I still get a little nervous about Brian's voice. But as he finished up the last notes of this song, we all got a little emotional. He's still got it!!
  
  
  
  Darlin
• Don't Wanna Lose You Now - AJ prefaces this song by getting the crowd riled up asking if we'd want the Millennium 2.0 tour. That would be amazing!! But the song itself was simply beautiful! Reminds me how much I love the Millennium album.
• Safest Place to Hide - It's by this point in the set that I'm actually comprehending how amazing of a show this is because there's no singles. Highlight: Kev gets choked up singing his part. I suppose that's not really a highlight, but I still felt the need to mention it. Mainly because after the song Howie joked that he was crying in his hotel room in Barcelona as he practiced the songs with his wife. At which point he said Kevin is channeling himself in Howie. More funny banter ensues. Feel free to check it out here along with Nick's beautiful rendition of 'I Got You'.
  
  
  
  I Got You
• I Got You - Aaack my favorite Nick song!! I was super excited. It was super nice to hear this song with the rest of the boys singing backup vocals. We also found out that Max Martin initially recorded this song about his child. Thus Nick shared the song now has new meaning for him. And that's your Backstreet fun fact of the day!
  
  
  
• Get Another Boyfriend- I don't know how AJ gets outvoted every tour and this one can't make the setlist,!! Sorry I'm clearly run out of adjectives to describe these songs, but 'amazing' just works so well. They sang the 'Good G-d!' part and put a cool breakdown in the middle. Definitely a cool rendition.
• Drowning- I enjoyed their intro to this. Mainly because they were just joking around. Howie tried beatboxing and AJ lovingly teased him. Then they tore apart their first Drowning music video (though I don't know why they hating on it. I enjoyed Spider boy AJ).
  
  
  Drowning and Back to your Heart
• Back to Your Heart - So happy this one made the setlist. I love, love this song. And Kev did a great job with it even getting choked up multiple times. But I love how they changed it up just enough to make it interesting but not losing the initial integrity of the song.
• Siberia- This was oddly my least favorite. Only because I feel like I've heard it plenty of times at various soundcheck parties, etc. Nonetheless, it was a beautiful rendition. All I'm saying is if I picked the setlist, I would've chosen another song here that I don't get to hear as often.
• Spanish Eyes - This was my favorite song of the evening. I thought Howie's intro to the song was endearing. He joked that it was hard to pick a song in his extensive catalogue of solo hits with BSB. Awww Howito! I also found myself tearing up a little bit during the song. It was just so beautiful!
  
  
  Spanish Eyes
• Just Want You to Know- I'm so happy that AJ told us to all stand up. I was ready to get on my feet and jam out. Too bad they didn't whip out the Spandex though.
• Incomplete- I was actually okay with this single making the cut because I adore AJs opening in this song and they killed the acoustic version.
• Lay Down Beside Me - The entire song was me repeating "Please let AJ hump the floor. Please let AJ hump the floor." I really just wanted to see him recreate that iconic moment. I heard he did it for Group A but sadly Group B wasn't quite as lucky.
• Everybody- Perfect way to end the show! Though of course I didn't want it to end.

Acoustic Concert

I think the concert was the highlight of the cruise for many people. I wish I could articulate why it was just so meaningful. There was just something extra special hearing the boys sing these songs that they haven't sung live in probably 20 years. It was almost like things were coming full circle. Being there transported me back to 1999 when I was an awkward teen watching the Homecoming VHS tape on repeat dreaming of the day I'd get to meet the Backstreet Boys in person. Fast forward 17 years later - I've grown a lot. The 'boys' have grown a lot. This concert was almost like a time capsule that really demonstrated how far we've come and how far the boys have come. Whenever they're asked to describe a show, they will say "It's a trip down memory lane". But this concert in particular really was for the die-hard fans who have been there since the beginning and haven't left.

Casino Royale Night
After the concert I was coming off a high and ready for Casino Royale Night. Sadly this night got rained out and we had to move inside...again. Seriously why do we have such bad luck!? Thus we all crowded into the atrium and I decided to go no where near the front. Not worth it after my experience from the first night.

The boys arrived looking dapper as heck to James Bond music. 

Boys. Backstreet Boys.

 

Credit to Backstreetboys.com

Once again the boys started off with everyone on stage and their brief introduction. The DJ got the music going and the boys quickly dispersed throughout the atrium to start their nightly mingling. Thus I assess the situation. 3 of the guys were down in the mosh pit and AJ had a nice orderly line. At this point I legit feel bad 'bugging' AJ again and trying to get another moment. But it was either wait in a nice line or deal with a mosh put. I opted for the line.

Before long I made my way to the front and had a nice quick interaction/hug with AJ. Sadly they're all blurring together so I don't remember specifically what was said. Though I guarantee it was delightful :)

Candid of me and AJ

Me and AJ during Casino Royale Night

Later that evening I saw that Kevin form a line for pictures. In case you can't tell, I'm a big fan of the lines! He seemed to be having fun and doing his typical Kevin routine. He'll dance in between chatting with girls and seems to take the time with each person. I could tell he had been drinking and was having a good time. He was pretty quiet with me, which is fine. He leaned in for the pic and this is the magic that was captured:

Me and Kev

Post-Party
Once the party died down, I went up to check out the club scene (which in real life is totally not my scene!) But given that a few of the boys were supposedly up there, I wanted to at least go check it out.

In a nutshell the post-party consisted of:

• Howie DJing with a tiny crowd of girls surrounding him. Leigh was also partying with him.
• A roped off VIP area where Nick was hanging out/mingling/taking pics, etc
• Alongside the rope were a bunch of fans trying to get access to the other side of the rope
• At one point Kevin showed up and took some pics with fans but didn't stay super long

I didn't have any success interacting with the guys, but I wasn't super focused on it that night. I was content hanging out with my friends until the wee hours of the morning (aka like 5 or 6). I just remember being super  hungry and thinking if I just waited a little longer breakfast would be served :P I honestly haven't been up this late on a Backstreet cruise in quite some time! I think the time change was working in my favor as well as the boys favor. Eventually I decided to retire because I knew the next day was going to be a long one!

My friend, Lucy, and I in the club

The Itinerary Has Arrived for #BSBCruise2016!

It's my favorite day of the year! It's like Christmas in April! Without further ado...the Itinerary. My thoughts and analysis below.

BSB Cruise 2016 - Itinerary

Day One: Tuesday May 10, 2015

12:00PM- 2:30PM                   Arrival Onboard Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas

4:15PM                                    Mandatory Emergency Boat Drill

5:00PM                                    Anchors Away Sail Away Party – Pool Deck 11 & 12

6:00PM                                    Dinner Group A

6:00PM                                    Doors Open Group B* Pacifica Theatre Deck 5 & 6

6:30PM                                    BSB Game Night Group B Pacifica Theatre

8:15PM                                    Dinner Group B

9:00PM                                    Doors Open Group A* Pacifica Theatre Deck 5 & 6

9:30PM                                    BSB Game Night Group A Pacifica Theatre

11:30PM                                  IN A WORLD LIKE THIS deck party – Deck 11 & 12

Day Two: Wednesday May 11, 2016

CANNES FRANCE
Arrival at 9:00 AM
All guests must be back onboard by 5:30 PM

6:00PM                                    Photo Session Group B – Colony Club Deck 5

6:00PM                                    Dinner Group A

8:30PM                                    Dinner Group B

9:00PM                                    Doors Open Group A* Pacifica Theatre Deck 5&6

9:30PM                                    Show Em What You’re Made Of Acoustic Hour Group A Pacifica Theatre

11:30PM                                  A NIGHT AT THE CINEMA Deck Party – Deck 11 & 12

Day Three: Thursday May 12, 2016

LIVORNO ITALY
Arrival at 7:00 AM
All guests must be back onboard by 6:30 PM

6:00PM                                                Dinner Group A

6:30PM                                                Mix it up with Howie D – Pool Deck 11 & 12

7:00PM                                                Doors Open Group A

7:30PM                                                Dead 7 Screening and Q+A Group A

8:30PM                                                Dinner Group B

10:00PM                                              Doors Open Group B* Pacifica Theatre Deck 5&6

10:15PM                                              Show Em What You’re Made Of Acoustic Hour Group B Pacifica Theatre

12:00AM                                             CASINO ROYALE DECK PARTY – DECK 11&12

Day Four: Friday May 13, 2016

DAY AT SEA

10:00AM – 2:00PM                             Blackjack Tournaments – Casino

11:00AM                                             Photo Session Group A – Colony Club Deck 5

2:00PM                                             Feed the Body & Soul with the Littrell’s-Pool Deck

2:45PM                                                One on One with Kevy Kev - Pool Deck

3:30PM                                                The Friday Tease with AJ McLean - Pool Deck

4:00PM                                                BSB: Behind the Scenes– Pool Deck

5:00PM                                                Just to be Close to You: A Guinness World Record Attempt – Pool Deck

6:00PM                                                BSB Trivia with Rose Tours

6:00PM                                                Preferred Event – Colony Club – Only those who booked Suites, D1, DP or DAS cabins can attend

6:00PM                                                Dinner Group A

7:00PM                                                Doors Open Group B Pacifica Theatre Deck 5&6

7:30PM                                                Dead 7 Screening and Q+A Group B Pacifica Theatre

8:30PM                                                Dinner Group B

8:30PM                                                Blackjack Tournament Final Table– Casino

11:00PM                                              50 Shades of BSB Leather & Lace Deck Party – Deck 11 & 12

Other Royal Caribbean activities are available to all guests, please check the dailies for times and locations.

*all events subject to change*

Day Five: Saturday May 14, 2016

Day of Debarkation
8:00 AM                                              Arrive at Port of Barcelona Cruise Terminal

Additional Information

* Guests with Early Dining are in Group A.
* Guests with Late Dining are in Group B.

* You will receive your dining room assignment at check in.  Seating in the dining rooms is open.
Please arrive at assigned dining room with your party, the Maitre D’ will seat you. Reservations can be made to any of the specialty restaurants.

Merchandise Store Hours:
The merchandise store is located in the Gift shop on Deck 5.

Day One: Tuesday May 10, 2016
5:30PM – 11:00PM

Day Two: Wednesday May 11, 2016
6:30PM – 11:00PM

Day Three: Thursday May 12, 2016
7:30PM – 11:00PM

Day Four Friday May 13, 2016
10:00AM – 11:00PM 

Hospitality Desk Hours:
The Hospitality Desk is located near the Royal Caribbean guest services desk on Deck 4.

Day One: Tuesday May 10, 2016
4:00PM – 8:00PM

Day Two: Wednesday May 11, 2016
9:00PM – 10:00PM

Day Three: Thursday May 12, 2016
8:00PM – 10:00PM

Day Four: Friday May 13, 2016
8:00PM – 10:00PM


My Thoughts/Pre-Cruise Analysis

I am THRILLED with the itinerary. Seems like Rose Tours and the staff have really listened to feedback and are trying some new things and bringing back some fan favorites.

Solo Events
I love that they brought back solo events for each of the guys, which is very exciting! It really helps fill up the day and give us cruisers a ton more activity, while still giving the guys not as much work. You figure while any given Backstreet Boy is doing his event, the other 4 can rest. Win/Win in my mind!

We already have details on Kevin and Brain's solo events. Mix it Up with Howie D....not sure what to fully expect here. But I'd be willing to bet a hefty sum that alcohol will be involved in some capacity. I really loved his last solo event, so that will be tough to top, but I'm loving where it's headed. 

'The Friday Tease with AJ McLean' is super intriguing! I literally have no guesses here, but if its at the pool deck, I'm sure we'll have a great time no matter what he's doing. Any guesses??

Nick's Dead 7 Screening....as a Nick girl I'm slightly disappointed. I think there's a good number of fans who've already seen the movie, myself included. Thus I'm personally not anticipating this event as much as the others. But hopefully the fans who haven't gotten a chance to see it yet will enjoy. And I'm optimistic that the Q&A portion will be a lot of fun!

Game Show
I always love the game shows, so glad they're keeping a cruise classic. I do find it very interesting that they don't have details on the game show announced yet. Generally for past cruises, they've told us in the itinerary what the game would be. Maybe they're still trying to figure it out ;)

BSB Behind the Scenes
This sounds super exciting!! Obviously not sure what to expect here, but based on the description, it sounds like an event I've always wanted. I think it may be my business/marketing background, but I'm just fascinated by the business of the Backstreet Boys and what goes into their brand - the marketing, the legal, the finances, all of it! Heck, Howie always says that being a Backstreet Boys and being in show business is just as much about the show, as it is the business. I hope we get a glimpse into this.

Concert
We already knew we were getting an acoustic concert. I suppose the new piece of information here is they're clearly calling it "Acoustic Hour". Thus I suppose we should psyche ourselves for an hour-long event. I was hoping for a little longer, but then again, can we ever have a Backstreet Boy concert that's long enough? I'd always want more!

Blackjack Tournaments
Seems like they're bring back blackjack, which is good. Hopefully my luck from last year will continue. I do wonder which Backstreet Boy will be hosting though, as the itinerary didn't state. In years past its been Howie and AJ. So we'll see if they keep taking turns, or perhaps Howie & AJ are the resident card sharks.
Also - keep your eyes peeled for another email from Rose Tours on this. They've generally done sign-ups in advance.

Just to be Close to You: A Guinness World Record Attempt
The Backstreet Boys do seem to like to take after the New Kids, and on the last New Kids cruise they tried to break the record for the most number of selfies in a given time. If I was a betting woman, I'd say the guys will try to do this. Plus with the event name 'Just to be Close to You'...I think it adds up. It'd be great if all the Backstreet Boys participate, but I for some reason I bet AJ would be the host of this event. He does like his selfies!

BSB Trivia with Rose Tours
I have mixed emotions. I am really happy they've finally added in bonus events like this that don't involve the guys, but still are Backstreet related. It sounds like sooo much fun! The reason I have mixed emotions is because they scheduled the 'Preferred Event' at the same time so I won't be able to go #SpoiledBSBFanProblems

Preferred Event
I'm glad they didn't forget about this one! No further clues as to what the event will be, except the fact that its held in the Colony Club. See picture below. If nothing else, the room size tells us about how many fans to expect at this event. I'm really excited though!

Overall 
I am sad that there's no beach party. Even though we already knew that, I suppose I still had some hope they might change their mind. It's definitely a bit different that we have 2 entire days with no events during the day. Depending if you're in Group A or B....one of those days at port will be pretty light on BSB. 

I'm also sad there's no Q&A. That's always a favorite event of mine. But I most certainly not going to dwell on that. I realize they can't do everything, even though I wish they could. 


The other thing I noticed about the itinerary is that for Group A, a couple of events conflict with dinner: the Preferred Event as well as Howie's solo event. Fortunately I'm in group B so it doesn't impact me. But even if I was, hands down, I'd choose the BSB events and skip dinner. Just part of the sacrifice of a BSB cruise.


Also - I'm already anticipating how tired I'm going to be on that last sea day! Its going to be so busy but so much fun! Its really starting to feel real!

Acoustic Concert

I totally just jumped up in my chair when I saw this email come through. I'm so excited they've listened and we're finally getting an acoustic concert on board!!

BSB 2016 Acoustic Song Selection

You guys have been asking for it, and we're all about making you happy. This year, we're doing something extra special: we'll be doing a full acoustic show onboard #BSBCruise2016. That's not all.... you get to suggest what songs of ours you'd like us to perform. Nothing is off limits...

Vote HERE for what songs you'd like to see in our full acoustic show onboard

-BSB

So what is everyone voting for?? All I know is I don't want to hear singles. I want to hear some unreleased songs or other songs we don't get to hear too often. Here are a few I'm thinking...

• Back to Your Heart
• London (AJ)
• Crawling Back to You
• Spotlight (hey, its worth a shot!)
• Undone
• I Still
• Get Another Boyfriend (I'd like to see them tackle that haha)

My only lingering question here...is this THE concert or is it in addition to a "normal" concert. I'm assuming its our one and only concert but certainly hopeful its not. Can't wait!!

Recap: Pre-cruise 2014

I can't believe I'm writing my 4th cruise review. Even after the fourth time around, it still feels like such a surreal experience and it still hits me like its the first. It still stings to cut off the wristband and post-cruise depression seems to only get worse each subsequent time. But I want to focus on all the highlights of my trip, starting at the beginning...

Wednesday, Oct 22nd - Nick & Knight

As soon as I heard that Nick would be performing with Jordan a couple of days before the cruise, I knew I had to be there. It seemed silly NOT to go if I was going to be in Miami a couple of days later anyway. Right?! So I flew into Fort Lauderdale that morning and had an uneventful flight. Just savoring those last few minutes of peace and quiet before the craziness that I knew would ensue.

Sure enough, I had a mild panic attack in the cab as I realized I left my concert tickets at home. I couldn't believe it. Very unlike me to forget something so important. Of course my head isn't thinking straight, so I'm mentally preparing just to buy another pair of tickets when I get to the venue. Fortunately my level-headed roommate Ana suggested I call Ticketmaster....and luckily they were able to help. Phew! I just had to switch my tickets to print-on-demand. Crisis averted! But I did learn an important lesson in the process. Triple check that packing list before leaving. And when all else fails, call Ticketmaster ;)

With my freshly printed tickets in tow, we headed to the venue to find a line of girls already wrapped around the building. I was so happy to reunite as well as meet so many friends before any Backstreet events had even officially started. I just wish I could pause time and be able to chat with everyone, it was so hectic. But a good kind of hectic.

Lucy and I at Nick & Knight

The gang at Nick & Knight

Rebecca and I at Nick & Knight

Stephanie, me, and Jessica and Nick & Knight

Me and Jocelyn at Nick & Knight

I clearly killed a lot of time in line taking pictures ;) Once inside, the soundcheck party was a bit of a clusterfuck, but what else is new? I should've expected that with such an anticipated large crowd. I still had a lot of fun though.

Before the show I was being a total dork and tried to recreate Nick's selfie....

The show itself was excellent. I won't go into details, but I did get abnormally excited when Nick mentioned that this concert was the best pre-cruise party ever. Totally agree! Whether you're a fan of the newly formed duo or not (and to clarify, I am a huge fan!) I think the 2 have an undeniable chemistry and they're a lot of fun to watch on stage together.

Nick & Knight bromance

Thursday, Oct 23rd - Nick's Acoustic Dinner

I woke up to another rainy morning in Fort Lauderdale, which kind of put a damper on my plans for the day. I was hoping to relax by the pool or beach and maybe get in a little shopping. Instead I decided to tag along with a few of my girlfriends who were doing brunch with Jordan, and just find somewhere to eat nearby. Alas, I couldn't quite justify the $215 price tag for brunch with Jordan. But at least it'd get me out of the hotel.

We all pile into the van and head over to the W. Just as we were pulling in, I notice a suspiciously familiar blond leaving the hotel. Eeeek - a Nick siting! Our timing was almost perfect. I think if we were 30 seconds earlier we could have caught him before he got in the van, but I will gladly still take a glimpse. And I wasn't about to go bother him, as he was clearly headed somewhere. I honestly didn't think he'd be staying where Jordan's brunch was held, I figure he headed to Miami the night before. But certainly no complaints from me!

So while a bunch of my friends head off to their brunch with Jordan, Cory and I decide to do our own brunch next door. Same delicious food at a fraction of the cost. And over brunch we streamed 'I Heart Nick Carter' on our phone since we missed it the night before. We were as happy as clams. Not to mention we did get a few peeks of Jordan as well.

Me watching 'I Heart Nick Carter' over brunch

Nothing eventful happened for the next few hours, we just made our way to Miami. So I'll fast forward to Nick's acoustic dinner.

Nick's Acoustic Dinner

I had sooo much luck this cruise and it actually started with getting picked to ride in the Wylee hummer over to the Wylee party. The initial plan was to head to the Marriott and be among the first to get a ride to the Wylee party, stay there for an hour or so, and then head over to Nick's dinner. I was hopeful that Nick would be running on Backstreet time, which would allow me to do both. However I realized that I was being overly ambitious and I didn't want to be late for Nick's event. So incredibly reluctantly I decided to just go to Nick's event early and plop myself in line so I could get a good spot.

Turns out, I think I made the right decision as Brian's event was running on Backstreet time. I really didn't think he'd be in the hummer, but he did drive the first batch of girls over to the event. From what I hear from those who went to Brian's event- it was very crowded and the venue really wasn't set up for this type of event. Brian did do pictures with everyone, which I was upset to miss. But unfortunately I just wasn't able to be in two places at once. Hopefully if and when they do this again, they'll coordinate so we're not forced to choose.

Back at the Hard Rock, I was one of the first few in the venue and was able to get a front row spot up front. My hours of waiting paid off. The event was not quite as "intimate" as Nick described. There were easily over 200 fans there. They really didn't keep us waiting too long at all. Shortly after everyone was seated, the food was out and Nick arrived. Nick essentially made his way around the entire room, chatted with fans, and took pictures with everyone. I was too nervous to eat as I watched him slowly make his way around the room. You'd think I'd never met the man before with how nervous I was.

Nick managing to surprise me

Finally he inched his way closer to my table, but somehow he still managed to catch me off guard as he popped up around a giant pillar. He was very sweet, and surprisingly didn't rush us at all. My friend, Anne Marie, and I chatted with him for a couple of minutes. We mentioned that at Jordan's brunch that morning they discussed the idea of doing Nick & Knight on the cruise. Jordan seemed actually really into the idea, but his take was that Nick didn't think the boys would go for it. We told Nick we would've loved to see a Nick & Knight show at the brunch. We also spoke to him about what he was recording earlier that morning, and he told us it was hopefully going to be new Backstreet music that he would pitch to the other guys. I joked with him that he really doesn't waste any time. I would think he'd want to rest up before the cruise, but no, instead he goes into the studio with his free morning. Again, not that I'm complaining. After a little more banter, we snap our pictures.

Nick and I (with Eddie photobombing)

I had to laugh because he made his way around another table or two and then came back to us. He approached me again putting his arms out for a hug, and I had to gently remind him that we already met. I probably should've kept my mouth shut to get another picture....but I wanted to be fair about it. I did take a second hug though. If Nick Carter comes up to you with his arms out, can't turn that down! I'm only human after all.

After I got to chat with Nick, I actually ate some of my dinner and went to the bathroom before the show started. I came back to find that about 20 girls had shoved their way in front of my friends and I. I can't even begin to tell you how upset I was. I felt like everyone was behaving so well and we were all being so calm and respectful, up until that moment. I watched girls literally try to crawl over fans in wheelchairs. I was so appalled. And the fact that security was doing nothing and just watching it all happen. I tried so hard to stay in the moment and not let it get to me...but its hard not to. Okay, sorry for the rant, but sadly I think many of you can relate to that feeling.

My friends and I at Nick's dinner

Back on track to the happy stuff. Nick finally took stage and his set was incredible. He joked that this was the longest meet & greet he ever did, which I believe. He sang 7 songs- I Got You, QPG, Falling Down, IWITW, Help Me, Incomplete, and Halfway There. He sounded phenomenal, it was just him and his guitar. My personal favorite was Help Me, just because I haven't heard that song in the longest time. He shared that his favorite place to play is in dive bars. He also apologized for the rainy Florida weather. And he teased that fans gave him a hard time for chewing gum as he was walking around, but said he needed it because he had bad breath.

Nick performing Help Me

It felt like I blinked and the show was over. I could've sat there for another 5 hours listening to him sing, but it was probably for the best that the evening come to an end so I could get back to the hotel and get some sleep before the cruise. I knew we had a busy few days ahead of us! 

Best Cruise Quotes

Acoustic Show

Fan- “What do you want to accomplish?”
Nick- “We haven’t finished this cruise yet, or even started it, that’s a goal baby.” *Said with terror in his voice*

Brian (during Siberia)- “If you want to talk…you can send me an email.”

AJ (Referring to Christmas Time)- “Is that like the official H&M Christmas song because I hear that in every H&M around the world.”
Howie- “At least some places play our songs.”

AJ- “How do you guys know what hotel, floor and what room we’re at before we get there?!”
Brian- “AJ! AJ! I’ve got an answer to that….I put my location on my twitter.”


Family Feud

AJ- “Sorry, they gave me a mic, what do you expect?”

AJ- “Dude, what did you guys think Howie used to look like?”

Brian- “Did you say long and hard?”

Howie (In response to fans thinking he wore a dress)- “It wasn’t me, you got the wrong Backstreet Boy!”

Name something Nick does on tour.
AJ- “Remember this is FAMILY feud”
Howie- “I know the real answer but this is a family show…Be honest Nick”
Nick- “NO, you're not going to get it from me!”

If not a musician, what other career path would AJ have chosen?
Brian- “A porn star.”
Howie- “A driver of the short bus.”

Dating Game

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

Fan- “Te Amo Howie”
Brian- “She said I love you Howie for those of you that need a translation”

Howie- “What is your treasured position and why…Possession!”

International Luv Night

AJ- “How many of you guys want to see Nick naked?”

AJ (in Scottish accent)- “I like my ladies thick, and I like my ladies drunk. But most importantly, I love all of y'all."

AJ- “I mean shit, I’m in a fucking kilt”

AJ- “Now Im gonna go to bed….No I’m not going to bed. But I’m going to be naughty with the wifey. Is that OK? Do you wanna see pictures?!”

Q&A

AJ (on forgetting the lyrics)- “For some reason undone, because I started right before the verse comes in What are the words? What are the words? What are the words? What are the words? What are the words?.....Your words but…. Thank G-d”

Howie- “My autopilot is off. I don’t know what happened. It went off somewhere. Off track.”

Brian- “I can never watch extreme home makeover without crying. It’s like being on Oprah.”

Jenn- “If you were drag queens, what would your stage name be?”
Howie- “We need to talk about this, its not a good question.”
Nick- “I would dress like Elvira… I would have some big you know what’s right here”

Howie- “With these tight pants you gotta wear nowadays and everything, I can’t wear no boxers. They don’t feel good anymore. I’ve gone back to briefs. Its crazy. Tighty whities are my friends.”

Brian- “ We walk around with Nick all the time and we’re like say no to crack ”
Nick- “I’ve got a high crack, man”

Brian (referring to buying 2 cars)- “I was like I’ll take it. The guy was looking at me like, is your dad here?”

AJ- “I would love to go to Greece….We should go down there and put on a concert by the Colosseum”
Brian- “She said the Colosseum is in Rome, AJ”

What do you miss more about the early part of the BSB years?
Howie- “I miss Lou Pearlman’s house”
Fan- “Yeah, but you paid for it!”

Brian- “You cannot take AJ anywhere”
AJ- “Yeah, Brian doesn’t like going to the mall with me.”
Brian- “He walks in like ‘Hi im AJ!’”

Howie- “I actually invited Brian and Nick to the Atlanta Falcons Bucs game the other day.” Brian- “And then you were a dog because you were sending me pictures of field side. And he’s going ‘Wish you were here. Thinking of you’ No you're not! And you're rubbing it in”

Howie- “Actually my house payments depend upon on you guys so I can’t live without you guys.”

AJ (on his regrets)- “My hairstyles period. The one that looked like a dog with the braids. What I was thinking, I have no idea. “
Howie- “Chris Kirkpatrick”

AJ- “Is anyone else feeling nauseous right now? Im sitting here trying to listen to you talk. Just go straight man! Straight! Who’s driving the boat?”
Brian- “I think Kevin is.”

Howie (telling us that they will be in NY for the ball dropping but clarifies)- “I’m not saying dropping our balls. In New York city!”

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

Who is your favorite Backstreet Boy?
Nick- “Um, I kinda like Howie man. Howie’s a cool guy. But…”
Howie- “Stop right there. Howie was cool.”

Brian (advice on marriage)- “Its not 50 50. Its 100 and 100. That was the advice given to me by a friend of mine. I gave it to Howie and I was saving it for AJ. Still saving it for AJ…Because some days you’re only going to have 85% and some days hes going to have to have 125. And some days you're going to have 150... Listen I ain’t doing math for ya’ll”

Nick- “My favorite home cooked meal now is dill salmon, in a poached type of salmon with some really cool complex carbohydrate vegetables. Sorry I'm getting scientific with you. With maybe some brown rice on the side instead of 2 high starch type of stuff. I love veggies so I make sure that its about 20% animal protein…”
AJ- “ I don’t want to follow yours because that sounds really weird.

Beach Party

Brian- “OK ladies and gentleman, the Backstreet Boys are starting their twitter game, Uh twitter..Twister game.”

Brian (hosting twister)- “Anything on anything”

In the club

AJ- “I am the only Backstreet Boy that is awake right now.”

AJ- “So do you guys want to hear some naughty music? I mean really freaky. Like seriously I feel like this is girls gone wild. Everyone keep your clothing on.”

AJ- “C’mon ladies, I wanna see all ya’ll work it like you’ve never worked it before. Work it like you stole something.”

Black & Blue Night

Brian- “Howie was coloring back in the back with his little crayons."

Brian- “You hear it here first…..We’ll see you next year on a cruise near you!”

AJ- “This has been an absolutely amazing cruise. We definitely want to do this again and again and again.”

AJ- “It’s really windy out here isn’t it? We just came from Mexico and now we’re in Chicago”

AJ- “I do like my shirt. We are not Backstreet Boys we are Backstreet men!”
Nick- “You reversed that buddy”

Nick- “Hey, everybody seriously be safe. This boat is rocking. Don’t get too close to the edge. I don’t want to be diving in after you all naked and shi…stuff. But if you want to fall in the pool…well they’re empty.”

Concert
Brian- If they mess up “Forgive us, we’ll call it the boat is shifting”

Top 14 Moments of BSB Cruise 2010

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


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


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

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

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


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


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

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

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

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

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

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


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


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

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


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

Recap: Acoustic Show in Miami

The trip finally started with an early wake up call on December 8th so I could make my way down to Miami. Met a few interesting characters along the way- got to sit next to a pilot on the plane and a scout for major league baseball in the terminal. They both had some pretty cool stories, but my mind was really only focused on the trip ahead.


Once I finally touched down in Miami airport, I could see the palm trees and was ready for the vacation to begin! I knew I wanted to get to the venue as quickly as possible for the show that evening (darn general admission) After a lot of running around and some gross McDonalds French fries, the 4 gals arrived at the venue to see that the line was probably already 100 people long.

Waiting in line for the show to begin

I’ve been to many BSB concerts in my day, but this acoustic show ranks up there as one my favorites. It wasn’t a long set, maybe 9-10 songs, but it was so nice seeing them in a different element and being themselves. They sang a lot of their classics along with Siberia, Undone (LOVED THIS), Drowning, Bigger and a few others. The concert was interspersed with some questions from fans in the audience. One fan asked for them to sing Happy Birthday while another asked them to sing Christmas Time. Hadn’t heard that one in quite a while.

Undone- My favorite of the night (Pardon the shaky camera work)

My favorite question was “If you could be any character, who would you be?” AJ immediately chimed in with ‘Chandler’, which would be the first of many times he referenced Friends throughout the trip.

"Who's Chandler?" Seriously, Howie??

Once the concert was finished, time for the meet and greet! I was so nervous/excited because I had only met Howie previously.


The process was incredibly rushed and at the last moment they decided to add 3 more people to our picture. I know people had it worse than we did, but I was determined to make the best of the moment. So that is exactly what I did. Iwas able to squeeze in next to Nick. I knew he would be a lot harder to track down on the cruise (which turned out to be pretty accurate) so I'm glad I got my picture with him then.

Poor Howie got blocked :(

After the show I was on cloud 9, and I wasn't even on the cruise yet! I didn't think it was possible for the trip to get any better, but it certainly did. I only managed to eke out a few hours of sleep due to all the excitement.

Miami Acoustic Event Overbooked

A few fans received an unfortunate email yesterday from Ground Ctrl basically saying that their tickets for the acoustic show have been refunded. Apparently the fire marshal changed the code and they had to cancel several orders. Thank goodness I haven’t received any such email, but here is a copy of the email in case you’re interested:

We regretfully write to tell you of an unfortunate situation that has recently been brought to our attention. The venue for the Backstreet Boys Fan Club event taking place in Miami, FL next Wednesday has placed a restriction on the capacity of the event that directly affects the quantity of seats that were originally approved to go on sale. Although it is the very last thing that ground(ctrl) wants to do, and we have fought for all other possible alternatives with the parties involved, we are being forced to refund your ticket to this upcoming event.

Order Number Affected -###### - If you have other orders for this event those will still be valid.

You DO NOT need to do anything as the refund will be issued to you via check. If you would like to check the status please feel free to contact us @ support@groundctrl.com or 1.877.GND.CTRL / Monday - Friday between 9:30 am and 5:30 PM PST. If you would like to be refunded via PAYPAL please call us at 1.877.GND.CTRL and we can process the same day.

Although we know that we cannot replace this exact event, we want to make this up to you as best we can. We would like to offer you a complimentary Bronze VIP package the next time Backstreet Boys come to a venue near you, or a credit toward the purchase of a higher level VIP. All you need to do is contact us at support@groundctrl.com or call us at 877-GND-CTRL Monday - Friday from 9:30am - 5:30pm PST whenever the Boys are coming to your town, and we will gladly accommodate you with a Bronze VIP or VIP credit to your show.

We apologize from our hearts about this unfortunate situation over which we have no control, and we thank you for your continued support and loyalty to the Backstreet Boys and the Backstreet Boys Fan Club.

My heart just sank for anyone who got this email. It’s nice that they are offering a VIP package to rectify the situation. However if you’re traveling from overseas I dont think that would do much good. All I know is that I would not be a happy camper if I received this.

Acoustic Show in Miami

300 lucky fans, myself included, will be attending the acoustic show in Miami the night before the cruise on December 8th. I’ve never been to an acoustic show or such an intimate fan event before so I’m very excited. I was also lucky enough to get the meet and greet option, which will be my first time meeting them (except Howie) Here is the announcement from the fan club in case you missed it:

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Miami Acoustic Fan Event

The long-awaited Miami Fan Event is finally going to happen on Wednesday, December 8th at the Byron Carlyle Theater in Miami Beach!!! You heard it here first!
For those of you who attended the Napa Fan Event or the NYC Fan Event earlier this year, this Acoustic Fan Event is going to be the Miami equivalent of those shows. There will be an intimate, acoustic performance from the guys, a Q&A, and last but not least, a M&G and group photo taken.
This event will go on sale on Friday, October 1st at 10am PST to Fan Club members only. This is a LIMITED SEATING event, so act fast.
Tickets will be $199 which includes all of the above (performance, Q&A, M&G etc). This is a General Admission Event.
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Logistics

The Byron Carlyle theater is located at
500 71st St., Miami Beach, FL 33140



I went to Miami taxi fare finder and if you are staying at the Holiday Inn- you can expect around a $32 cab ride. If you are staying at the Marriott- you can expect about a $30 cab ride. If you happen to be renting a car (which I'll be doing) parking is free after 6:00.


Waiting in Line
Good ole general admission....always translates into lots of waiting around. I anticipate the lines will form early, but it also sounds like there are many who are going to forgo waiting in line to explore Miami. The venue is small, so all seats will be good, however there isn't much in Miami that I particularly wanted to do. So I will probably head to the venue once I get settled into the hotel and grab a bite to eat. I'm also looking forward to meeting people and line and getting to know my roommates better before the event.

The Fun Part
While the email doesn’t give too many specifics, I’ve spoken to a few girls who attended the New York acoustic show and they gave me a better sense of what to expect. While we are not guaranteed the events will be identical, it should give us a good sense.

I was actually surprised to hear that the fans were quite cordial, perhaps because it is such a small venue. Let’s hope this will be true of the Miami event as well. I was also told that there was no opening act, and when they came out (on Backstreet time of course) they would alternate between songs and taking questions from the audience. Each guy would then select someone at random from the audience to take a question.

After the concert portion, those girls who had the meet and greet option were given a special bracelet and would get in line for the pictures. As they made their way through the line, the security guards would then collect the bracelet so that you couldn’t get back in line for another picture. I also gathered that security complicated things by throwing extra people into pictures at the last minute. I’ve already spoken to the girls I’m rooming with we’ve established who we each want to stand next to. But I’m also going in with the mindset that we’ll need to stay flexible.

Then arrives the moment I’ve been waiting for…for a good 10 years…finally being able to meet the Backstreet Boys! I’m so excited at the thought that these next 48 days can’t go by fast enough. A few tips and things to expect:

• Plan out your entire outfit. The pictures will be full body shots so keep this in mind when deciding what to wear.
• If you plan on getting in line early, you may want to bring a change of clothes. That way you can wear something comfortable in line and not risk ruining your outfit by getting it dirty before the concert
• Supposedly you get hugs from all of the guys *sigh* Let’s hope they do this in Miami.
• Think about what you want to say. Again, I’ve had 10 years to think, so let’s hope I don’t mess this up. I was also told that you have to be slightly assertive on this, as the guys will not strike up a conversation with you. But if you make the effort, you will get your small amount of time.

Does anyone else have any tips that have met them before?