Chrissy's Best of BSB Cruising

I'm happy to feature another one of my favorite gals as a guest blogger- my roommate, Chrissy! She's currently living in Indiana and to say she is the biggest Brian fan I know would be a huge understatement. Seriously, if you want to talk anything about Brian, she's your gal. You can find her on twitter @BRokKentuckyGrl or check out some of her other Backstreet adventures on her blog- From The First Day. Chrissy has been on all 3 BSB cruises and in this post she's taking a look back at all of them and sharing her favorite parts of each one.

When I first started writing this guest blog post, I was set on sharing my top moments of BSB Cruise 2013 with you.  I had written about one third of it when I decided that I wanted to go a different route.  I decided that since I have been on all three cruises thus far, I would bring you a post in which I gave you the “Best Of” for each portion of the cruise.  To me, if each of these different parts were taken from each of the cruises, it would make the perfect BSB cruise for me.

Pre-Cruise Event
The “Bigger” Acoustic Show from the 2010 cruise wins this category by far!  Who doesn’t want to see BSB singing???  Plus, this was the first time I got to see them do an entire acoustic set in person.  Our VIP photo afterwards was probably one of the most disorganized photos I have been a part of when it came to the Backstreet Boys (I believe two of the girls weren’t even standing next to a Boy and Howie’s face was hidden), but it was also my first time meeting AJ, Howie, and Nick.  The 2011 Pre-Cruise Party at the Cameo Nightclub brought a much better VIP photo, however.  Unfortunately, the 2011 pre-cruise event brought us very little Brian viewing and not much Backstreet singing.  And as many of us know, there was no pre-cruise event for the 2013 cruise.  Hopefully, they bring this back for 2014.

Sail-Away Party
The 2011 Sail Away Party wins this for me.  Don’t get me wrong, the Captain’s uniforms for the 2013 cruise were absolutely amazing!!!  However, my friends and I had the front row for the 2011 Sail Away party and I feel like we got much more interaction because of this.  In 2011, all four of the guys were present and “performed” for the audience the entire time.  They were requesting songs, dancing, singing, and just having a great time.  I feel like this wasn’t as much the case for 2013.  Kevin disappeared for a really long time and Brian didn’t seem to be as present either.  I also feel like they just weren’t having as great of a time with the music…there wasn’t nearly the same amount of singing and dancing as in 2011.  Now, we were a little further from the stage in 2013 so that could have a large part in this.  And of course, there was no sail away party in 2010 because of the half chartered ship.

Game Show
“In it to Win It” in 2011 wins in this category.  While the guys are still hilarious with trivia like games, watching them try to accomplish tasks and competing with one another, rather than as a team against fans, is much more fun.  We were able to add words to the Backstreet Dictionary when Brian commented that his team had played “betterly” than the other.  We saw the guys get up close and personal during Coconut Smoochie.  Brian sang to a Christmas tree.  Howie was a Flippy Cup master.  Brian rode a children’s tricycle way better than any adult should.  And in true Backstreet fashion, there was usually one member that was confused and wasn’t following the rules of the game.  2013, however, did allow more fans to participate because they brought several different groups of girls up and randomly picked girls from an envelope to make participation a little fairer.

Dinner
Because of the nature of the 2010 cruise, dinners were much more eventful than the 2011 and 2013 cruises.  The half charter of this cruise allowed for the guys to actually eat dinner at the same time and in the same dining room as all of the Backstreet cruisers.  Because of this, we got AJ and Nick getting “Low” and AJ dancing with a fan (who just happens to be a friend of mine that I had met that night when her mother and I sat at our table).  Just that little bit of extra Backstreet when you didn’t expect it was a nice touch.  Now with full charters, this just won’t happen again.  The guys might have events for the other group when your group is eating, cruisers are now split between the two dining rooms which also means that your group might be split up, or one of the Boys might be in your dining room but they are eating before they have to rush off to an event and that is it.

Beach Party
I think some will disagree with me on this one but I think I actually liked the 2011 Beach Party the best of the three.  First of all, seeing Kevin with the guys after him being gone was just exciting.  Sure, he was back with the guys in 2013 but the novelty of having him back for that one day before he officially announced his return was a thrill.  I wasn’t anywhere near the stage for this Beach Party but I loved that fact that I was able to catch up on some much needed sleep on the beach as I awaited the arrival of the guys.  I had not relaxed at all during the 2010 Beach Party because I hadn’t known what to expect and was on constant look out for the guys. 

I very much enjoyed the introduction of Musical Chairs and the fact AJ had no idea how to play at the time.  We got some a cappella from the guys.  And probably my favorite part of the 2011 Beach Party was the volleyball.  I had missed the volleyball in 2010 because I had made my way back to the ship like I was supposed to and there was no volleyball in 2013.  And, well, I love volleyball.  We were right against the back serving line so Brian was right up next to us several times when he went to serve.  Oh, and how can I forget the fact that I caught some beads from Brian.  Some of my friends got some photos with some of the guys; I had not because I had just been chilling and enjoying the beach.

Q&A
The 2010 Q & A session wins this category for me.  I enjoyed the questions more during that Q&A and I thought all of the guys were equal in answering.  For this past 2013 cruise, Brian was unbelievably quieter than I am used to him being.  Anyway back to the 2010 Q&A….there were so many good quotes taken from that Q&A.  Brian and Nick recreated scenes from Titanic.  Brian did Kevin impersonations.  It was really confirmed that AJ was not the greatest with geography.  I also loved the fact that the Q&A was in the lounge so that we could sit and relax while we just found out more about the guys.  My feet hurt so much during the 2013 cruise that some of my friends and I went upstairs to sit during the session and I wasn’t able to see all of the guys then.  I know that having the Q&A on the Lido deck is probably the best way to have it now with the full charter so that they don’t have to break it up into two sessions.  I was glad that they brought back the Q&A after its absence in 2011.

Karaoke
First of all, I was very happy that there was no karaoke this year.  It was great during the 2010 cruise but I did not find it enjoyable on the 2011 cruise because it was just old by that point.  So, as you can tell from that, 2010 wins this category.  The guys seemed much more involved in 2010 because they were constantly singing along with the fans and dancing.  There was not as much of that in 2011.  Of course, the best part of the 2010 was the “Baby Got Back” performance.  It was completely unexpected and that particular fan was just fun to watch.  However, it was brought back again in 2011 and just wasn’t as exciting because we had already seen it.  It was also a much better venue when it was in the lounge, rather than on the Lido Deck.

Concert
2011’s Cruise Concert wins this category for me because it was different.  We got the This Is Us show on the 2010 cruise and the In A World Like This show in 2013.  Don’t get me wrong, both of those were excellent shows and it was great getting to see them multiple times between the actual tour and the cruise.  However, the set list for the 2011 cruise was set by voting from the fans.  We were in control of which songs the guys would and would not be singing….well, for the most part.  I still think the guys snuck some of their hits in there that maybe hadn’t been voted on (like “I Want It That Way” which I think many fans could possibly go without hearing).  Because of this control, we got songs like “If You Want It to Be Good Girl,” “Don’t Want You Back,” and “Siberia.”  I also LOVED the fact that we also got solos from each of the guys.  You can probably guess that my favorite was Brian’s solo but the fact that he was in tears from singing “Mary Did You Know” and got the audience tearing up, as well, was such a special, touching moment.

Solo Events
Since the 2013 cruise is the only cruise that has occurred with solo events, it is obviously the winner.  The fact that they added these solo events made this year’s cruise extra special and much different than the past sailings.  Each of the guys got to shine in their own right and we got a great variety.  My favorite solo event had to be Kevin’s, followed shortly by Howie’s.  Kevin’s event was so intimate and emotional and I loved seeing that side of him, even though I think we see that side in him more often than we see it from the other guys.  One of my favorite moments of this past cruise was also when Kevin was doing his sound check and playing “Incomplete” on the piano while the fans in the atrium sang the song.  It was just a cool moment.  Howie’s event was the opposite, as it was just a fun party time.  We got to hear all of Howie’s little corny jokes as he gave us a mini-concert of his songs.  It really made me want a Howie solo tour more than I already did. 

I was actually in Brian’s solo event as one of the Wylee models but I was one of the last to go so I was stuck behind the stage for the largest majority of the fashion show and did not get to really see much of it as a spectator.  This solo event did get me a photo with Brian and a hug, but not really much interaction with him like some of the others got.  As a matter of fact, when I walked to the side of the stage where he had been messing around with one of the other fan’s Wylee products, he went back to the front of the stage.  He did eventually come back to give me a hug though.  I completely missed Nick’s event because I was out at the deck party and it’s not like I haven’t seen him DJ before.  I did not enter the Blackjack tourney and didn’t see the final round of the tournament so I wasn’t able to see this AJ event, plus his belly flop competition got cancelled due to the weather.

Group Photo
Whoever decided to have smaller groups for the 2013 cruise needs a raise.  Whoever decided to have the guys wear their Captain’s uniforms, needs an even bigger raise.  This year’s group photo wins without a doubt in this category!

Length of the Cruise
2010 was a four day cruise.  The other two have been three days.  And while the 2010 was only a half charter, that extra day with the Backstreet Boys makes a huge difference and makes it the winner in this category.  There have may have been more down time but I actually really liked the fact that we got that day in Key West to do non-Backstreet stuff and just explore like tourists.

Cruise Ship
I think I prefer the Imagination over the Destiny.  I found I got lost much less on the Imagination and by having the two “stages” on the Imagination, you get the guys coming out into the crowd to get from one area to the other.  The negative with that is that you don’t know which area they will be coming out at the beginning of the deck party.  This was a bummer when Laura had gotten us VIP bracelets on this last cruise but the guys came out on the center stage and then we missed the first part with the guys because we were back in the crowd in the VIP section because we had been waiting for them to come out on the top balcony.

Deck Parties
I’m doing this category last because I am having a really hard time deciding the winning cruise for it.  There are bits and pieces of the deck parties that I liked for each year.  Overall, I think I enjoyed myself the most for the 2010 cruise.  Now, I know MANY people disagree with me on this one so let me explain why I enjoyed myself the most at the deck parties on this cruise.  I liked these deck parties because the guys were pretty much present at all times “performing.”  The guys were above us on the balcony singing, dancing, and just talking.  One didn’t disappear to go take photos for long periods of time.  They were always just there.  Don’t get me wrong, I love that the guys are braver and are now trying to go out and get as many photos with fans as possible during deck parties.  However, this leads to one of two things.  One is that fans who want photos are waiting in line to get a photo with that one member and is then missing out on what the others guys might be doing.  The other thing that is happening is that if you are content without a photo, you are now watching only some of the guys while some of the others have disappeared to take photos.  Either way, you are missing out on something.  In 2010, the guys were there at all times to watch and you weren’t missing out on anything.  They would sing their own songs when the DJ would play them, they would dance to their own and other’s music, they premiered “Don’t Turn Out the Lights,” AJ sang two of his solo songs and got some additional help from some of the others guys.  Now, the deck parties didn’t last as long in 2010 but I just feel like we saw more of them.  While I enjoyed the 2010 deck parties, overall, I feel like I should mention a few more things. 

The best deck party between all of the cruises was the PDA Pajama Jam during the 2011 cruise.  Everything about this deck party was amazing and I think having it in the Atrium due to the weather made it much greater than it would have been if it had been out on the Lido deck.  Many people were able to get a great view of the events because of the many levels in the Atrium.  But, what made this deck party so great were the things that the guys were doing…crowd surfing, doing the worm across the bar, pillow fights, pretending to make love to a pillow, spanking fans….  It was a side of BSB that fans had NEVER seen before.  It showed that the guys were finally not afraid to loosen up in front of us and show us a different side of them. 

Deck Party (Outfits)
The best theme nights as far as the guys outfits occurred during this last 2013 cruise.  The fact that the guys coordinated for both the Halloween night and Bachelorette night made it super fun.  The fact that the outfits that they coordinated in were AMAZING made it even better.  I mean the Backstreet Boys as the Village People and as the Chippendale Dancers…who wouldn’t LOVE that???

My favorite themes from a fan’s outfit perspective were from the 2011 cruise.  I enjoyed planning all of my theme outfits for that year, unlike this last year when I had no excitement at all about what I would do for the Bachelorette night.  While I didn’t hate any of the 2010 themes, I had no idea what to expect for these deck parties and would have probably changed some things if I knew then what I know now.  However, my favorite outfit overall was from this last cruise when I dressed as a University of Kentucky cheerleader for Halloween night.

So, as I have demonstrated, I don’t know that I have an overall winner from my perspective for the deck parties.  I know other fans have a clear winner but I just couldn’t come up with one no matter how hard I debated the issues in my head.

So, there you have it….my “Best Of” list.  Please remember that different fans may have completely different experiences.  These were just how I would compare each of the three cruises.  I know many who have been on the last three sailings have said that the 2013 cruise was the best by far.  I did enjoy myself immensely.  However, by looking at my list I guess you could tell that the 2013 cruise doesn’t win in a lot of the categories.  I think I just have different preferences when it comes to some events and to me that is perfectly fine!    All three cruises have been special for one reason or another and that’s what makes going on these cruises amazing in my eyes

My Routine for General Admission Events

In case my last post didn't give you enough info on how to approach a GA on board, I'll go through my experiences and my overall observations with the general admission events on the cruise.

My Experience with GA Events

So I lucked out right off the bat and had front row for the sail away party. I maybe only put in 30-40 minutes of waiting and it paid off tremendously. It was great to be up front and be super close to the boys, but along with that came all the negatives of a GA event. Was it worth it? Absolutely. But because I was up close for that event, I didn't worry too much about it for the remainder of the trip. My general mindset was that I knew I couldn't be front row for everything, so don't stress myself out over it.

For the theme nights, it varied every day. For 2 of the nights, they had a concert right before the deck party. So I knew if I did go up early to wait, it would be a while before the boys showed up to either of those deck parties. I also went in with the mindset that it was more important for me to be up close for prom night because I figured it might increase my odds of getting picked for prom queen. However that proved to be moot. I would later realize PJ night was the key night to be up close. But these are things no one really knows until you get there, so as much planning as I did, it didn't really matter. I personally didn't show up very early to any of the deck parties just because of the nature of the events and the schedule. There's not really a "performance" where its key to be up front. Its more about just being there. Hopefully that makes sense.

The Beach Party was an event that most closely resembled your normal GA event because there was 1 main stage and a lot of waiting. By the time my bus dropped me off, there was already a massive crowd in front of the stage. Thus it made sense for me not to stand around for hours in the back of a crowd. I may have changed my mind if there were only 1 or 2 rows of people in front of me when i got there. However it worked out well because I was able to relax on the beach and get some lunch. I also had a fantastic view in the back anyway, so it didnt make much of a difference. The boys also moved around a lot and crowds shifted with them. It worked out in the end and I had a front row at one brief point and was able to snag a picture with Brian. No complaints here at all with this event and I didn't have to stand and wait at all.

Karaoke was the last general admission event. I did get there semi-early that day because there was more of a "performance" to watch. Maybe 45 minutes early or so? My memory is a little fuzzy, but that sounds about right. However because the boys were elevated on a higher stage, it proved not to make a difference whether or not I was up front.

One other thing that is pseudo-GA is dining. Both in the lido buffet and in the main restaurant. I found the experience to be the worst on 2010 cruise during dinner because all of the boys ate with us and it was a mad dash to be at those tables closest to them. Girls would start lining up over an hour early to get a prime spot. But as with any BSB event, there was cutting in line, pushing, shoving, and trickery to get in. What else is new? Since there wasn't any set schedule or dining room for the boys to eat in 2011, it was a lot more relaxing and not nearly as much waiting. I think people only waited outside because they wanted to eat dinner.

General Observations

Now that you've heard my experiences, I'll back up and speak to my general observations. I personally felt that as the cruise progressed, it got harder and harder to get good spots without putting in some serious time. I felt that as everyone got more acquainted with the cruise and how things were run, you'd see girls camped in front of the stage earlier and earlier. At least that was what I noticed. This was another deterrent for me to get to events too early. I knew I'd be able to see what was going on no matter where I was, even if I didn't get there super early. And for me, I didn't want to spend my whole trip waiting and not enjoying my vacation.

I also didn't think it always made sense to "camp out" for a good spot on the Imagination because of how the deck was set up. There were 2 stages, and the boys utilized both. So I knew if I was in the front for 1 part of the event, I'd be in the back for the rest. Which brings me to my next point. If you're patient, you will have your moment. I seriously can't stress this enough. For most events the boys moved around a lot. Even though you might not be up front in the beginning, doesn't mean you won't be next to them at one point.

I can think of countless instances where this proved to be true for either myself or friends. At the pre-club event I went upstairs just not to be packed in like a sardine. I didn't have to wait long before Nick went upstairs and was 2 feet away from me. *Swoons at the thought* This sort of thing happened a lot. Another example is Brian roamed around the deck at the sail away and even went to the upper deck. I also felt the boys moved around a lot at the beach party. Everyone is able to have a good spot at one point.

Another factor in deciding whether or not to wait around for a GA event is to prepare for the unexpected. There were instances were the staff might tell you the boys will be mainly on 1 stage but in actuality, they were mainly on a different stage. This resulted in some upset fans. Or look at the last night, the event was last minute changed to the main atrium. Had you been waiting up at the pool deck, it wouldn't have mattered.

Last point. I also notice that when you shy back a bit and are away from the massive crowd, it can pay off as well. If you think about it, the boys don't generally stop, take pictures, and talk to people who are in the mosh pit. But I do see them stop if you're maybe on the upper deck or just away from the main crowd in general. That's how I was able to grab my solo picture with Howie and Kev this past trip.

So in conclusion. You'll get to see plenty of BSB no matter where you are. Just be patient.

Karaoke Unabridged

Karaoke took place during the last day of the cruise and it proved to be a very different experience than karaoke from the 2010 cruise. Most notably it took place outside on the pool deck, which in theory was a nice concept but due to rain that didn't work out so well. Also, I think due to the railings and karaoke equipment, there weren't too many good spots on deck to get a good view.

But anyway, karaoke of course was running on Backstreet time and they boys were running late. Before they came out, Hal Roseman came out and announced the winners of the door decoration contest. Congrats again Ash and Cort!

At this point Howie announced that they would be shaving a fan named Michelle's head because she was about to start cancer treatment. It was a very touching moment.

About 20 minutes later karaoke finally started. The fans who got to participate were pre-selected and informed via email that they would have an opportunity to sing with the boys. You had to sign up to qualify and give your top 3 song choices. I signed up to participate and was half disappointed I didn't get picked, and half relieved. I would've been a wreck up there. Talk about nerves. So I sat back and enjoyed the show.

The songs in order were:

• Wannabe
• Raise Your Glass
• The Thong Song
• Before He Cheats
  
  This was one of my favorite moments of karaoke.
  
  
  Brian- “She dug her knife into his into his seat and 7,000 dollars later. And he didn’t even cheat.”
• I'm Too Sexy

 Nick- “Who wants to get wet with Backstreet?”

• Baby Got Back
• Lady Marmalade
• Livin' La Vida Loca
• I Kissed a Girl 

One of my other favorite moments was the ending banter between the guys. In fact I think it was the best part of the event. They had some great zingers in there. Just watch...

Nick- “Chestnuts roasting on Rochelle’s dinner plate.”

Karaoke had a lot of sexual comments throughout, which I can't pretend I didn't enjoy. I wish we could see this side of the Backstreet Boys more often.

Karaoke was ultimately cut short due to the weather. I have to say, this was probably my least favorite event of the cruise (which is again probably evident in the length of this post). But still being my least favorite event on a BSB cruise still trumps any other possible activity. So on a scale of 1-10 it may have been a 15 instead of a 20. After all, its still an event with the Backstreet Boys.

There were a number of reasons why it wasn't my favorite. It started off late due to the boys being late and it was further postponed by the head shaving, so I was already antsy by the time they started. I also think that leading into the karaoke with such a somber event set a rather gloomy tone. Furthermore it was tough to see given the setup of the stage. The rain wasn't ideal. Expectations were high from the previous cruise. I felt the boys weren't as into it. And there were a few other reasons for why I just wasn't feeling it.

Gosh, I feel bad being so negative. Again, still had fun, but just not as much fun as say the beach party. The boys are definitely spoiling me and it's not good. Now I call it a "bad" event if there aren't at least 2 Backstreet Boys with no shirts on. All that said, Karaoke did have various elements that I did like. I thought it was very well organized in how they picked contestants. I like that it was pre-selected randomly to give everyone a fair shot. It minimized chaos at the event. I think it's nice they give the opportunity to a lot of fans to be on stage with them. Plus I enjoy the fact that you can't really get that kind of karaoke experience with BSB anywhere else. It's unique to the cruise.

I personally think they should retire doing karaoke but if they do bring it back I think they need to bring a new twist to it. Maybe have the boys split into 2 teams so they can go head to head. The boys seem very competitive so I think they'd get more into. It just needs something to make it fresh again.

PS- Thanks again to Anne Marie for letting me borrow her vids.

Your Favorite Memories

You may have noticed that I asked everyone for their favorite memory in my Backstreet Cruisie survey but didn't give any awards for that category. I know I'm being cheesy here, but everyone is a winner! I had so much fun reading everyone's response so I felt it deserved its own separate post.

Here are all of YOUR favorite moments from the cruise. If you didn't get a chance to take the survey or you may have skipped that question, feel free to post your favorite memory in the comments section below or email me and I'll update this post. You can also email me if you want me to link your memory to your blog/twitter/etc. Enjoy!


Chrissy

Brian remembered me during the photo session from the Wylee Party and the Pre-cruise event and called me "Kentucky Girl" as we had been discussing the University of Kentucky at the Wylee party.  I was taken aback when he remembered me.

Anne Marie

Getting a picture with Kevin on prom night.

Erin

I got to swim with Nick in Nassau & got a group hug from him, that was the best.

Anonymous

Every second was so amazing to me! I have so many memories and friendships that I have made that I know will last forever!

Melissa Duncan aka @melissa8313

Nick: running into him in the hallway deck 6 at 330am.  Having a moment with him during 80's night.  "look at that hair,  omg nick,  that's hot,  touches hair,  he grabs my hand...
Brian: talking to him during sail away about nicks pants,  getting him to sign my flag of him,  yelling at fans to get out of the way at the beach party so he could pass.  Watching him be free on pj night,  brian taking my camera and taking a pic of us on 80's night. 
Aj: getting a picture with him o.  80's night when i went in for group photos he says nice to meet u... Im like wtf nice to meet me then i grab his ass.  Lol.  Seeing him in the hallway deck 6 at 6am acting a fool with others.  Grabbing his butt multiple times on pj night and getting a pic.  Lol. 
Kevin : getting a pic with him,  saying ty so many times. 
Howie: pic on 80's night and at the beach.  Enjoying his other side... The machine who parties all the time.  And with nick and aj,  the private conversation on the lido deck that was funny and memorable.

Silvia Machielsen

Meeting Howie at the Bahama's on my Birthday

Venus

Walked up the stairs and saw Nick. I said Hey Nick and he motioned to go give him a hug.

Desiree (SingleMomDes)

At lunch the first day Howie walked past me just as I was starting to eat, I asked for a photo and he said sure and waited patiently with his arm around me as we got my camera turned back on...waited 14yrs for the best photo I took all weekend, I'll always be thankful for that

Melissa

NY best friend Danielle rocking out pinks raise your glass at karoake & being with my BSB fam

Melissa

Getting picked to play truth or dare.

Anonymous

Partying with HOWIE alllllll night!!!

Ashley

Winning door dec!!!!

Chelsea Smith

Being with nick and AJ up on the deck after the pj party. Hearing AJ talk about his wedding, nick (drunkenly lol) talk about his life and about the fans, was just a really special thing to be a part of. It was a smaller group of ppl, everyone put their cameras away, it was just really nice.

Kristen

I have to pick just one? Impossible!

Jennifer Blackwell

I just met brian littrell at the same hotel that i was stay for the night... i met aj mclean at the beach for the first time and they are the best people that i really want to meet for a long time since i was 14 years old... I really want to said thank them to be nice to me to take a pic with me because i was their awesome fan in the world....

Brandy

We randomly ran into Brian twice in the hall...just me, my friend, him and his bodyguard...the night of prom night. It was awesome because he just talked to us for a few minutes without any other fans being around.

Anonymous

Meeting new and other BSB friends.

Natizb

"I just said ""Hi AJ"", and he said ""How you doing sweet"", and my brother recorded!"

Kathryn

Has to be Brian crowd surfing! Right before he started I thought to myself JOKINGLY, "I should touch his butt!" I decided to be good & not grabby though. But lo & behold, that is the part of him that was passed to me! I also ended up holding his legs because NO ONE else around me was. When I couldn't move any further, I had to let go of him & that's when he fell on that girl! I am super glad though that no one around me knew what to do, though! It was so awesome & it made the trip for me!

Cynthia Irani

Being Nick's prom queen.  He made me laugh and it was an amazing experience :-D

Babybsbgrl

Kevin on prom night turning around to take a pic with me specifically! Awesome.

Anonymous

My best memory is Brian crying while singing Mary did you know. I cried too, it was very emotional and a very special moment that I'll remember the rest of my life. Also getting a pic with Nick at the beach party.

Salena

Hanging out on the back of the boat with Nick while he was in his ninja turtle pj's having "deep thoughts" :)

Mascia Cantoni

When i took the pic with him!!! i know, it could look stupid but... it was very important to me!

Tati Brayner from Brazil

Nick  giving me his bottle of water at sail away event. an than coming back just to give me the cap.

Cortney

Having Howie sing Helpless when she smiles to me at group A's concert.

Anonymous

Meeting Kevin, it made the experience of meeting the guys this year complete

Jay

Gosh getting a photo with Kevin <3

Anonymous

DJ Yo-C

Anonymous

Seeing Kevin!!!

Sammi Goff

I got to talk to Brian about how much I wanted his pink shoes, talked to Howie before In It To Win It, talked to Kevin about how awesome I thought it was that he was there, Nick liked my tattoo and remembered it the next day, and got to hug AJ 3 times even though I wad too nervous to have a decent conversation with him. Lol. Oh.. and Brian tried to tackle my friend because we were wearing Colts jerseys hahaha. It was awesome.

Janine

I don't think I can pick just one memory, and there isn't enough space or time to even begin on my favorite parts of the cruise.  :)

Anonymous

Nick and AJ said they liked my t-shirt during the meet & greet/photo session

Bethany Drader

Concert, the boys came up to the second level and each of them held my hand while singing As Long As You Love Me to me!

Anonymous

Seeing the concert first row!!

Gaby Zamudio

I have a lot of memories,HOWIE i signed my t-shirt, Nick and Kevin i was greeted, the last day ran into Nick on the boat and we could talk with him and AJ, Howito took my hand when we ran and good of all i got very good moments, the day of the meet & greet brian approached to greet me was in shock and nervous ... everything was awesome

Anonymous

The best memory certainly when we arrive in the boat ...we were at the bar drinking our first drink of the cruise and Howie just appear behind us ! Alot of girls jump on him ...we just stay there and smile to him ...he smile back and say thank you ....Or at the cameo club AJ kinda remember we were from Montreal and on our way down Leighanna spot us and was so happy to see us ! She wave to us like a crazy loll

Debnick

My best time was just when I met Nick in the elevator .. I did too much fun when I made ​​a funny face for me that I was photographing!

Jennifer Hall

When nick held my hand & was looking right at me while singing. I wanted to melt. Lol

Natalie

As I sat down to think about my favorite moment of the Backstreet Boys cruise, I realized two things. First, it’s hard to choose only one. Second, it’s hard to express in words the excitement you feel every single minute on that boat! If I had to choose one thing though, the highlight would have to be the entire concert. Even though I have seen BSB live multiple times, this was by far the best performance I’ve ever seen from them! And the thing is… they didn’t need fancy choreography, new music, or an expensive set to put on a good show. It was so special to see the boys be themselves onstage, getting emotional, joking around with each other, and forgetting a few lyrics here and there because they were too busy partying with us the night before to rehearse.  Like many fans, I grew up listening to them and seeing them sing “Don’t Want You Back” for the first time in over a decade was a dream come true. AJ and Nick seemed just as excited!  “If You Want It To Be Good Girl”… who would have ever thought we’d get them to perform that one?! Kevin coming onstage to perform “Drowning” at the very end of the show was the icing on the cake! Although there were hundreds to choose from, the shared connection I felt with the boys and my fellow fans in that moment tops everything.

Thank you everyone for sharing your favorite memories!

2010 vs 2011

Happy New Year everyone! Before we kick off 2012, I wanted to take a look at the 2010 cruise vs the 2011 cruise. Now for my reviews I really tried not to compare the two cruises. But there were definitely a bunch of differences, both positive and negative. So I'm getting it all out there now.

Most Improved

• Kevin. Don't think I need to elaborate much on this point. Loved having him there.
• Beach Party- All around this event was a much bigger success than last year. Logistically I thought the venue worked better because they had a nice big stage and anywhere you stood you pretty much had a good view. They also did a ton more events.
• Sail Away Party- This was a new addition in 2011 and I really liked having a proper start to the cruise. Sure it helped I was front row for this event, but still a great way to get everyone pumped for the cruise to come.
• Pajama Night- Probably the most successful theme night across both cruises. I loved how they added the truth or dare element to it to make it more entertaining for everyone in attendance.
• Had a nice event/last evening to bring the cruise to a proper end. Last cruise that was a huge complaint.
• Concert- LOVED the unplugged concert this year and the fact we could vote on the set list.
• Lots of fun banners and signs around the ship, which they couldn't do last time.
• The Backstreet Boys themselves appeared to be a lot more interactive with fans and comfortable with the whole experience AT the events. Last year you could tell they were very apprehensive, but by this year they definitely let loose.
• I thought they did a much better job of trying to give everyone their “special moment” with the boys. Lots of opportunities at the concert to go on stage, at the beach party to play games, karaoke, game shows, even at deck parties. Even though I wasn’t so lucky, its nice that a lot of girls were.
• Game Show- Debatable if this was improved or not. I thought the quality of the show was better and more entertaining than last year. Though last year we had 2 game shows. So I suppose it about evens out.
• Howie! Don't know where that Howie has been hiding all these years but I want to see more of him.

What I missed from the first cruise:

• Obviously 2010 was a day longer and I personally felt a huge difference between the 3 and 4 day cruise. I think they packed 4 days worth of activities in there, but it was a lot less relaxed.
• You seemed to run into the Backstreet Boys more around the ship last time around. I definitely missed those random run-ins with the boys.
• I really missed the Q&A or really just any event that was solely the boys.
• I miss not eating dinner with them (though a few boys were spotted in the dining room some nights) but no where near the same experience.
• As a whole, I thought the deck parties were better in 2010 (with the exception of pajama night) I liked how the boys were more interactive and engaging for everyone last year.
• Karaoke was clearly better last year. In my opinion, I don't think they should've done it again.
• Can't say this applies to everyone, but I felt like people were friendlier last year. I think most people had their friends established by this cruise and didn’t seem as open to meeting new friends.
• The hallways seemed deserted this year, or maybe it was just me. But I missed the feeling of walking down the hall and always running into people . Not sure where everyone was.
• Door decorations were waaaay better last year. No one really did them this year and the few that dad weren't nearly as elaborate. I felt like I saw every one's door decorations in 30 minutes where as last year I dont think I even got to them all.
• I even missed all of their entourage not being there. It was nice last time that if you weren't running into a Backstreet Boy, you'd run into one of their friends or family members. I missed not chatting with Howie's mom or Rochelle this time. 
• Not in anyone's control, but the ship wasn't nearly as rocky last year. At least I don't remember it being that bad. Seems like a lot of girls got seasick this year.
• Backstreet TV seemed better last cruise. Lots more fun videos I hadn't seen before. This year they cycled through the same 5 or 6 music videos. Got old pretty quick.

It's really tough to say which cruise I enjoyed more overall. They were both so different in their own ways and I had such memorable experiences on each that make them both my "favorite." If a genie granted me one wish to go back and relive only one of the cruises, I'd have to pick the first one. My reasoning though is because it was the first cruise and everything was new, exciting, and no one knew what to expect. My level of excitement on the first cruise was probably 10 times that of the second cruise and regardless of what actually transpired on each cruise- that feeling could never be replicated.

Once again, Happy New Year everyone. To a happy, healthy, and Backstreet-filled 2012!

Recap 2011- Day 3

I woke up the third morning of the cruise to an early morning phone call. And by early I mean 9:30. It wasn't that early but it felt like I had only slept for like 10 minutes. I had no idea who might be calling, but I was so excited to get a call from my friend Ashley who had just found out she won the door decoration contest. If I couldn't win, I could think of no better people than her and her sister Cort to win that contest. And if you remember, I had Ashley previously post her door decorating tips. See folks, even if I don't always have a clue what I'm talking about, I won't steer you wrong! Hopefully she'll be willing to do a follow up post for us (not to put her on the spot or anything :P)

And speaking of door decorations, I took that morning to walk around the ship and see what people did this year. I was surprisingly underwhelmed this cruise. There weren't nearly as many doors decorated this year, which was a bummer. Though I'll post a few of my favorites for you:

Door Dec Contest Winner

Sphynkter Stage

Life sized cardboard cutouts of BSB and even little giveaways

Game of Life BSB Style

Meet & Greet

Before the meet and greet I grabbed a quick brunch so that my tummy wouldn't be grumbling in the picture. Then we headed downstairs to wait in line to for our turn to meet the boys. At this point we only had 7 girls in our picture, and most of us didn't really care who we stood next to. But in the end we interestingly had 2 open spots for AJ and 1 for Nick. I was seriously debating who I wanted to stand next to down to the last minute. I figured that I was going to meet Nick in February when I see him for the I'm Taking Off tour, so I was actually leaning towards AJ. However just at that moment Nick decided to walk by thus I decided I want to stand next to Nick!

Waiting for our meet & greet

Rose Tours seemed to be a bit more strict this year in enforcing groups of 8, which I think is only fair. So we had an AJ girl join us at last minute. I seem to be a lot more nervous waiting in line to meet them than actually out and about around the ship. We inched closer and closer to them and I was so excited. I was expecting a quick encounter, which is just what it was. I went down the line and shook all of their hands and said "thanks for another amazing cruise" to all of them. Nothing horribly exciting, but I couldn't come up with anything else intelligent given the time constraint. Then I parked myself next to Nick and stood on my tippy toes just to make sure I wasn't covered.

The goal was for everyone to do the 'huggy pose'. We almost nailed it but not quite.

I'm mostly happy with how the picture turned out. Everyone looks good and no one is blocked. I just wish AJ would've been a little closer.

After the meet and greet, I went back for lunch #2. Yeah, I really did. We also had a few hours to kill until our next event, karaoke so eating seemed like a good way to kill time.

Karaoke
My friends and I got to karaoke a bit early and staked out a good spot. Though I was getting nervous since the skies were getting darker and darker. I wasn't sure what they would do if it started storming. I just remember waiting around quite a while for the event to start. Before the boys came out, Hal Roseman announced the winner and runner ups to the door decoration contest. Congrats again Ash and Cort as well as to the honorable mentions!

Soon after, the Backstreet Boys came out and announced they wouldn't start the karaoke right away. First they were going to shave one fan's head because she was just starting chemotherapy treatment. Just another reason why I love these boys so much. I looked around the deck and noticed not a dry eye in the house. I think this took a little longer than expected, because we started karaoke 40 minutes late, plus I don't think they made it to a good portion of the girls who were picked to sing.

Now I enjoyed karaoke, but it just didn't have the same energy as I was hoping. Could be many factors at play- weather, song choice, boys just not as into it, my personal view blocked by railings, or maybe a combination of everything. But for whatever reason, this just wasn't my favorite event of the cruise. I think my favorite moment of karaoke was when Brian was ribbing on AJs ex:

Brian cracks me up

So after standing in the cold rain during karaoke, there was only one thing to do afterward. Hot chocolate! That totally hit the spot at that moment.

The rest of the afternoon/evening went by in a haze. I'll be the first to admit that I was pretty bummed that night at dinner. I think it was a combination of being physically and emotionally exhausted coupled with the fact that it was our last day and the other group was simultaneously having their concert. It was at this moment when I was hating the full charter. I know I was acting childish because I had seen them perform the night before, but I just hated knowing I was missing them when they were so close that I could even faintly hear the concert. The only shining moment of the afternoon was spotting Nick in the casino for a brief period of time. He can always cheer me up!

In attempts to distract myself, my friends and I went to see the comedian on board. That didn't help much because the comedian didn't exactly share my sense of humor. So I left and figured I should pack and get ready for pajama night. Side note- sorry for being a debbie downer, but its how I was feeling at the time. I promise it gets happier.


Pajama Night
As I was laying in my cabin and watching the Backstreet channel, we were interrupted by an announcement that the deck party was moved inside to the atrium. I don't think Ive ever bolted out of bed so fast. My immediate thought was that we need to get there quickly and get a good spot. Even though my roommate and I were probably in that atrium within 30 seconds of that announcement, it didn't do us a whole lot of good because I guess they announced the change of venue at the concert so all the good spots were already taken. Though we found ourselves a decent spot on the next floor up.

Pajama night was by far my favorite theme night of the cruise. We had Howie dressed up as Hugh Hefner, Nick dressed as a Ninja turtle, Brian with his sesame street look, and AJ with big feet? The boys were really engaged and entertaining this evening. I have no idea how Nick kept that costume on all night because I was roasting in my PJs. Sadly my planning for colder outdoor weather backfired this night, so I had to go back to my cabin to change at one point.

The boys in their PJs

One of the best ideas of the cruise was to do Truth or Dare during the deck party. It was fun for the girls participating as well as for everyone watching, which is key. So many surprising moments! I was shocked when Brian willingly went crowd-surfing. I seriously wondered what that man did with Brian because the Brian I know would never go crowd-surfing. I was just dying to be on the floor during that moment, but still had a ton of fun watching from above.

I couldn't believe how open the boys were to let the fans touch them this last night between massages and tickling dares. It almost made me embarrassed to watch knowing that these are married, engaged, and taken men. But nonetheless, the guys seemed in good spirits. One of the highlights of the evening was Howie molesting a pillow. I'm actually laughing out loud just thinking about it.

 Howie's Dare with a Pillow

The crowd didn't seem to thin out like it had the prior 2 nights, the place was still packed around 3 in the morning. The boys took a brief break after the truth or dare game, but came back out for some pillow fighting.

At this point the party seemed to be winding down (minus Howie of course) so I decide I needed some pizza. I was finishing off my last slice when I spotted a smallish crowd in the corner of my eye outside behind the pizzeria. Figuring we didn't have much to lose, we wandered out and found 50 or so fans just gathered there. I didn't really know what was happening at first, but I quickly realized I had stumbled onto a really special moment. Nick and AJ were outside chatting candidly about a variety of different topics. No microphones, no cameras, no hugs, no autographs- just the boys speaking what was on their mind. I couldn't even see Nick or AJ. I just had my eyes closed and listened to every word they said. This was probably my favorite moment of the cruise even though I only caught about half of their talk. I was kicking myself for not getting their earlier, but also so fortunate that I was able to catch a part of it.

I'm also choosing not to publish anything that was discussed that last night, because it was clear they didn't want it recorded and spread on youtube. I just left that talk full of emotion. It was the perfect way to end the cruise. I think that night can also teach us all a valuable lesson for future cruises and Backstreet experiences in general. If we behave well and don't bombard them, we will be rewarded. Easier said than done, I know.

I had another night of about 2 hours of sleep and had to rush off the ship to catch my flight. I did catch one last glimpse of Brian and Nick leaving that morning, which was a bittersweet moment.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I shed a tear or two on my plane ride home. Just months and months of anticipation and excitement finally coming to an end.  The whole experience was a whirlwind and it was everything I had hoped for and more. I want to thank the Backstreet Boys for yet another amazing cruise as well as my friends and you, my readers, who helped make my experience what it was.

And so winds down Backstreet Cruise 2011.

Recommendations for Rose Tours

I'm taking a brief break from my cruise recap to call your attention to a survey request from Rose Tours. You should've received an email from Rose Tours today asking them for feedback about the cruise. As a general reminder to everyone out there I think it's so incredibly important to not only fill this out, but make sure you give constructive criticism and point out everything that you liked about the cruise. If all they hear is complaints, they won't be as likely to do another cruise in the future! So really take some time to think about what you liked, what you didn't like and what you'd like to see more of in the future.

As a point of references, here's what my comments for Rose Tours are. Let me know if you agree/disagree or maybe I missed something big.

What I Liked

• Loved the banners and cardboard cutouts around the ship. Would love to see more of this.
• BSB channel on TV. Always a nice touch.
• Great selection of merchandise
• I liked having new and different games. In it to Win it was a lot of fun!
• Loved that there were lots of little goodies thrown into the audience- beads, shirts, pillows, candy, etc. Even something super cheap, if thrown by a backstreet boy, is priceless to us fans. So a little bit of money can go a long way. Would like to see even more of this next cruise.
• You really did a good job of giving plenty of opportunities for a lot of fans to have their special moment with a backstreet boy- whether it was playing games on the beach or selected to be prom queen.
• Loved pajama night. Not sure if it was just the event itself or the location in the atrium that made it better. On a related note I think adding games to the deck parties was a great idea. I also loved having that ‘goodbye’ moment which we didn’t have last year. I think its important to end the cruise on a high note.
• Cable Beach was set up much nicer for our event than the beach last year. Lots of room with a big stage. Everyone had a great view. Also loved the addition of lots more games.
• Ability to choose your own seats in dining room
• Sail Away party was a lot of fun and a nice new addition this year. Great way to kick off the cruise.
• Rose Tour staff was great, friendly, and accommodating with 1 exception (see below)
• LOVED the concert. I like the fact that we could vote on the songs and it was an unplugged set. Would love to see this again!!
• I liked how you picked contestants for karaoke. Gave everyone a fair shot and brought a sense of calmness to the process because it was pre-decided.

What I Think Could've Been Improved

• Minor complaint but I didn’t care for the naked mermaid logo that was used throughout the cruise. It makes it harder to wear the merchandise later on.
• Need to clearly announce the door decoration contest and dimensions of door, if there was going to be a contest
• When planning events, consider what it is like for the other fans watching more so than the ones playing. Overall you did a great job with this, but personally I didn’t enjoy watching them play beer pong. It was fun for the girls on stage but not for everyone else. I'd argue the same for prom night.
• DJ was very repetitive. May want to try a new DJ next year
• It seemed bringing back karaoke wasn't nearly as successful as it was last year. It seemed forced to me. I think for next time either scrap the event all together or bring a new refreshing twist to it. Maybe its a karaoke contest. For example Nick and Brian with fans vs AJ and Howie with fans. It seems like the Backstreet Boys have a competitive side so that might be more entertaining all around.
• I also plan on telling them as nicely as possible that I think Hal Roseman’s behavior was wildly inappropriate. Quite frankly his behavior was disgusting, unprofessional, and I think he poorly represents Rose Tours as the face of their company.

Suggestions for Next Time

• Event suggestions
• Have the boys do a roast. They seemed to start on that during karaoke a bit and I think it would be a great event if they are willing.
• Battle of the Sexes- I think this would be extremely entertaining
• Some sort of audience participation game. Royal Caribbean does a game called Quest and its basically an interactive adult scavenger hunt which might be fun if adapted properly. But what's nice is that even if you aren't on stage you're still involved
• You should broadcast the alternate groups event on the TV so the rest of the ship can simultaneously watch and not feel left out. And continue to air all that footage the remainder of the cruise, similar to how they do it on a ‘regular’ cruise.
• It was apparent that the cruise had trouble selling this year. Meanwhile I also noticed that subsequently, many contests for cruise giveaways started popping up giving away free accommodations, exclusive meet and greets, and even access to sound check. You may want to consider offering similar rewards/incentives for people signing up early. It doesn’t have to be money off, but perhaps something like “if you sign up by X date you get exclusive access to the sound check party” or “the first 200 people who sign up get a bonus meet and greet”
• I’d love to see the boys do solo events. You could possibly have 4 events at the same time allowing for a more intimate event. Or do them at separate times, allowing the other boys a break.
• Clarify that if a deck party starts at 11:30, it doesn’t mean the backstreet boys get there at 11:30. Same goes for beach party. I personally understood the concept, but many did not and were complaining.
• I think there needs to be a monitor or screen at the deck parties with a live feed of the event in order to make it easier for people to see. Also would’ve been nice at the beach party or during the main events in the lounge. It’s tough for shorter people to see over the crowd and I think a screen is crucial to fully enjoy those events.
• Minor suggestion, but Hal was the one who announced the door decoration contest winner. I think it would be a nice touch to have the backstreet boys announce it next time. The fans work really hard on those doors so any way to give the winners extra credit would be nice. Also announce more runners up.
• Create an ultimate fan trivia event. BSB doesn’t even have to be there, but it would be fun to do during down time or while the other group has their event.
• I really missed the Q&A this year. I think its important to have at least 1 event where its just BSB on stage with no fans (aside from the concert) just to see them. After all, that’s why we’re there.
• I liked the selection process for karaoke and think it should be more widely adopted next time around. It gave everyone a fair equal shot at getting picked; it didn’t allow any bias in terms of race, ethnicity, physical appearance, etc.  It also brought a much calmer atmosphere to the event because girls knew that the contestants had already been decided. I don’t suggest this for everything, as I also think it’s nice for the Backstreet Boys themselves to pick fans in some scenarios. But I think this is more fair approach than having Rose Tour staff hand pick girls on the spot because it appeared to many of us that there was some prejudice in that process. Whether that’s a true statement or not, that is the widespread perception.
• I liked how on the cruise in 2010 you would upgrade girls to front row for each event via a random drawing. I'd like to see that brought back.

I feel like my list could go on and on, but this is what I've come up with so far.

Return of Karaoke

Fresh off the presses...

Karaoke with the Backstreet Boys!

The Backstreet Boys will be singing Karaoke on Lido Deck with a few lucky guests.

If you would like a chance to possibly sing with the Boys, please give us your name and top three song choices (does not have to be a Backstreet Boys song).

We will be randomly selecting participants among the entries received.

Please submit your information below by Thursday, Nov. 24th.  Submitting your request is not a guarantee of participation.

We have an exciting cruise planned for you all and we can't wait to see you in December!

Now I'm torn on:

1- If i should sign up at all. I'm waaay to shy to sing in front of that many people, let alone with the Backstreet Boys. I need to rally a group of people to go up with should I get lucky enough to be picked.
2- If I do sign up, which songs should I pick? Such decisions!

Right now I'm just most excited we're actually getting some information and a taste of what to expect on the cruise! So who's going to sign up?

Cruising with AJ

 

 AJ at the beach party

Part 3 of my miniseries on cruising with the Backstreet Boys. Time for AJ! I mean, what’s not to love about AJ? This sensitive “bad boy” stole quite a special place in my heart after last year’s cruise.

AJ during the She's a Dream Dating Game

Favorite AJ Moment #1:

Most of the Backstreet Boys were seen in the casino at the tables, but normally you could walk by them without even noticing they were there. After all, they are all just regular people like you and me so they do blend in to the crowd. However the one exception to this was AJ. People 3 decks below him would know where he is. He has such a unmissable presence. That's why on the third night after karaoke, I very quickly spotted AJ in the casino. When the other Backstreet Boys were playing, the most I did was steal a quick look and continue on through. However when AJ was playing that was nearly impossible to do. He was probably only sitting down 10% of the time because he was so animated telling stories, interacting with the fans, and just having a good time. It was almost as if he was inviting you to come join him because his vibe was just so friendly and warm. He is the only Backstreet Boy I really got that feeling from which is why I decided to stick around and just watch him play poker. There were maybe 20 fans around the table, so it was just a really neat experience. I wouldn't classify it as "meeting AJ", it was more like I was hanging out with him as a friend. So even though I didn't work up enough courage to actually say anything to him, I still rank this as one of my top moments of the trip.

Favorite AJ Moment #2:

Another instance where I would really say I was more so hanging out with AJ opposed to just running into a celebrity was in the club that very same evening. After the casino was closed, AJ moved the party into the club. By this time it was 4am, so while there were still a good number of people awake, there were also a lot that had retired for the evening. At first AJ stuck to the VIP area, but it didn’t take too long for him to come join us on the dance floor. That's right- no stage acting as a barrier, no ropes or barricades to keep you back, and even no security to push you away. There was nothing between you and AJ, except for maybe a bunch of other girls trying to dance with him as well. I loved this moment because it truly felt like I was clubbing with AJ.

AJ in the Club

Favorite AJ Moment #3:

One of my favorite AJ memories from the cruise occurred towards the end of International Luv night. The crowd had tapered off slightly as the night progressed, but I was on an adrenaline high and wasn't about to go to bed as long as the Backstreet Boys were still on that deck. At one point AJ decided to come down to the pool deck, but unfortunately he was on the other side from where I was standing. I grabbed my friend Anne Marie and we bolted to the other side of the deck to get a good view of him on the bar. We somehow ended up with a great spot and closed out the evening just listening to him ham it up with his microphone. He just made silly banter with the crowd- asking us questions like "Who went on the New Kids cruise?" and "Who thinks the Backstreet cruise is better?" Even though I didn’t go on the New Kids cruise, I still find myself screaming at an incredibly high decibel.

AJ hamming it up with the mic

Other AJ Highlights

And a few other awesome AJ moments from cruise 2010 that you other cruisers may remember:

• AJ making a valiant effort to knock on cabin doors in the middle of the night.
• AJ and his friend Mark singing Like a Virgin:
  
  
  
  Gotta Love AJ Singing Madonna
• AJ wearing a kilt for international luv night
• When he danced with my friend, Jessica, during dinner one evening.

Favorite AJ Quotes

• “I would love to go to Greece….We should go down there and put on a concert by the Colosseum”
•  “Sorry, they gave me a mic, what do you expect?”
•  “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?”

What I’m looking forward to most from AJ on cruise 2011?

Everything! Most of my favorite moments from cruise 2010 involve AJ in some way. I literally can’t wait to see what he’s going to come up with for cruise 2011 because I don’t think I can even fantasize the amazing moments that are sure to come. I really hope he decides to go around and knock on doors again, but I could see him doing something even more special. Ironically he is the only Backstreet Boy I didn’t really run into in the elevator, at the buffet, or around the hallways. I hope that changes this time around.

I want lots more of this on cruise 2011!

Cruising with Howie

Part 2 in my mini-series on cruising with each Backstreet Boy. Next up on the list, bringing those infamous famous latin moves to the high seas, is the one and only Howie D! 

 Howie playing twister at the beach party

Favorite Howie Moment #1:

I did not previously publish this story for various reasons, but anyway, here goes! I basically had the opportunity to go backstage during the cruise so after the Q&A session I decided to head backstage and try my luck at running into a Backstreet Boy. I figured I may be able to catch AJ on his way out for a smoke break or something. Well, I did not catch AJ but rather Nick and Howie coming out after the show. I had a very brief chat with Howie as they were waiting for the elevator. I was so nervous I can't even remember what we talked about. This was obviously a really cool moment for me because I’ve never had the opportunity to be backstage before let alone talk to a Backstreet Boy backstage.

Favorite Howie Moment #2:

I woke up early for breakfast one morning because I was having trouble sleeping, even though I was so tired. I think the adrenaline kept my body from staying asleep too long. Normally I have trouble sleeping after a concert, but trying to get sleep on the cruise, it’s like 20 times worse. Anyway, I grabbed some food and tried to find a familiar face so I wouldn’t have to eat by myself. It didn’t take too long before I found a lovely girl who I met from Australia the day prior. So I joined her while she was finishing up her breakfast. We were probably chatting for a good 5 minutes or so and she abruptly said, “You know Howie has been eating right behind you?” Me- “NO!” Then I pull an awkward maneuver trying to turn around and catch a glimpse of him without it seeming terribly obvious. The rest of my breakfast involved my trying to maintain a normal conversation with this girl, but in my head all I’m thinking is “Omg, Howie is right behind me!” When Howie finished up his breakfast, he graciously decided to take a few pictures. I tried to grab my spot in the mere resemblance of a line and unfortunately just missed him. That’s happened to be several times now so I’ve decided I’m a jinx when it comes to getting a picture with Howie.

 

Favorite Howie Moment #3:

During the last day at sea, I went to the back pool area to scope out some snacks. After grabbing an ice cream cone, I grabbed a seat to just enjoy a calm moment to myself away from the craziness. Not long after I had grabbed a seat, Howie strolled by with apparently the same idea. I didn't approach him, follow him, or whip out my camera. I just continued with my snack and took in the moment. Nothing like hearing the sound of the ocean and relaxing with with some ice cream with Howie a few tables away. Oh how I wish I could rewind to that moment right now.

Other Howie Highlights

In addition to my personal memories, here are several that I think most of you previous cruisers remember:

•  The ironing board story. If you were on cruise 2010, enough said.
•  The fatherly side of Howie definitely came out with him playing with James pretty much the majority of the cruise.
  
  
  
  Howie and James. So cute!
• Howie rapping during karaoke night

Howie rapping!

Favorite Howie Quotes

• “Actually my house payments depend upon on you guys so I can’t live without you guys.”
• “I actually get excited when I hear [a BSB song] 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.”
• “What is your treasured position and why…Possession!

What I’m looking forward to most from Howie on cruise 2011?

Getting a solo picture with Howie! He is the one Backstreet Boy I wasn’t able to get a picture with so that is my goal for the upcoming cruise. I’m also really looking forward to seeing him interact more with his son. This was just so adorable. With his son being a year older, maybe we’ll see them in the pool or around the ship even more than last year.

I’d also really like to see him get more involved in the deck parties. Last year I felt he was probably the quietest BSB at the events so I’d love to get some more cerveza in him so he loosens up ;)

Lets start a campaign for more outgoing Howie next year!