Recap 2016: Day 1 Part 1

It's always so exciting starting off my cruise review, starting at a blank screen and anxious to let all my stories fill the page. So without further ado, I'm going to dive right in!

Pre-Cruise
I generally don't like to spend a lot of time going through my pre-cruise adventures but I'll do a quick overview.

Long drive to Newark airport. Long plane ride to London. Long layover at Heathrow. Not quite as long flight to Barcelona. Rain. Sagrada Familia. Rain. Another church. Lunch. Rain. Another Cathedral. Time to head to the cruise terminal!

2 things I want to discuss before jumping into the fun stuff.

1. I have a new appreciation for all you non-Americans who have traveled to the US for past cruises. It's something I've 100% taken for granted how quick, cheap(ish) and easy it is to cruise in my home country. The travel itself is incredibly exhausting and the time change on top of it - forget about it! I found it difficult to start the cruise already zapped of some energy.
2. This was the first year that my friends and I did Airbnb for our accommodations. We got a 3 bedroom apartment with a kitchen and the 8 of us had SO much fun hanging out before the cruise. I think we'd be inclined to try this again in the future, and I encourage other larger groups of cruisers to do the same. The alternative would be to get 4 hotel rooms and this way we saved money on the room, got excited for the cruise together, and were even able to cook some meals to save more money.

Me and the gang before we head to the port

Boarding
The morning of the cruise I wake up, and it feels so surreal that the day has finally arrived. For many reasons, it just didn't feel like a typical BSB cruise to me. I suppose it's because we were in a new city and headed to a new cruise line, new terminal, etc.

I am amazed that we got 8 girls ready, packed, and out the door....not just on time, but early!! I suppose anytime you tell us that Nick, Brian, Howie, AJ, and Kevin are waiting, we can actually get ready on time. I feel like that's a good trick for any husband/boyfriend to use in the future. Hmm...

Anyway, we took a cab over to the terminal and it finally started hitting me. I was going on cruise #5 with the Backstreet Boys!!! Seriously, I love my life.

The terminal experience was wildly different from what we're used to sailing out of Miami. The nice piece is that we were able to check-in right away. No waiting around. However the bad piece is that we were able to check-in right away. And by that I mean, there really wasn't a way to watch the Backstreet Boys board which is always a thrill. Yes, I could've waited outside, but I didn't know that at the time! I felt like a first time cruiser. I was just going through the process, expecting to be held up at some point, but before you knew it, I was on the ship!

So while I missed the boys actually board the ship, my understanding is that due to the overwhelming reception they received in Barcelona airport, they had to have military personnel escort them on board. Oy. I had a feeling in my gut that this was probably a good indication of what we can expect with the rest of the cruise.

Getting on board earlier than normal was super nice this year. Even lunch wasn't open yet! It allowed us time to explore the ship a bit, get our bearings, take pictures of all the cute BSB decorations on board, and of course, take pictures with the infamous cardboard cutouts. Which later we found out, Kevin also participated in the fun. I don't know why seeing the boys take pictures with their cardboard cutouts is so amusing to me. But it is.

Kevin with cardboard Kevin

After I posed with with the elevators (well that's a weird sentence taken out of context!) I was able to get a leisurely lunch with my friends and catch up with everyone. It was so nice!! We then headed to our cabin a bit early (read as, snuck into our cabin a bit early) and started getting our door decoration up.

Having fun putting up my door dec

My cabinmates and I decided to reuse our 'FRIENDS' themed door decoration from last year, for numerous reasons.

1. We didn't want to travel with anything bulky across Europe for 2 weeks
2. It was already done and given our busy schedules, we just didn't have the time to start from scratch. But I feel obligated to point out we did make some updates - about 50% of the memes were new this year. I'll post those later :)
3. Save money
4. We couldn't come up with another concept we loved as much
5. As far as we know, AJ never did get to see the door last year and I still reallllly wanted him to see it in person (yes I know, I'm still stuck on that idea even 2 years later!) We knew we were on the same deck and same side of the hallway this year, so fingers crossed!!

The final product...

B.A.C.K.S.T.R.E.E.T <3

B.A.C.K.S.T.R.E.E.T <3 Part 2

Ok. Back to the cruise. Next up it was time for the muster station drill. I know girls had been camping out by the stage with their suitcases waiting for the sail away. I can't imagine how they felt when they were told they had to move for the drill. Speaking of, Royal Caribbean was A LOT more strict than Carnival with this. They actually took roll call.
I headed down to my station and had a pleasant surprise when I ran into Nick and Brian on the way to their own muster stations. Eeeep! My first Backstreet Boys sighting!!! There were a lot of fans surrounding them both but Brian stood up on a chair real quick and joked around that we all needed to go to our muster stations and get our life jackets on. I remember laughing at the time, but now I can't remember exactly what he said. Knowing it was Brian, I'm sure it was funny though :D

After the muster station drill, there was quite the comical scene of every single fan on board stampeding up the stairs/elevators to the pool deck. And I can't laugh too hard because I was one of the girls in the stampede. I didn't stand a chance to get anywhere close, so I honestly don't know why I even bothered.

Sail Away Party
I found myself off to the side of the stage, which conveniently was the side that the Backstreet Boys entered the event. So I got a nice up close view of all the guys in their sailor outfit get-ups as they made their way to the stage. I then decided to head to the upper deck so I could get a good view.

Captain BSB

Overall I found the sailaway party to be fun, probably not one of the best, but still had a great time. It was raining so that dampened the mood a little bit (pun not intended!). They did their typical cruise introductions. Made funny jokes. Nick did an impromptu poll on which Backstreet Boy is the freakiest of the group. They also took a poll of first time cruisers, second time cruisers, third time, etc. The comical part is that they seriously had no idea how many cruises they had done. They kept going back and forth. Guys, the answer is 5. You've done 5 cruises *shakes head*.

 The boys poll the audience on who has cruised before. Bonus - The clip starts off with Nick talking about Howie's underwear.

The poll did reveal that there were a lot of first time cruisers, which was to be expected. So as the deck partied continued, the boys were mingling around the deck and I noticed Brian head upstairs on my direction. Queue the nervous butterflies! Unfortunately he came close-ish but not quite close enough. Isn't that feeling the worst?? So close but so far.

However my luck hadn't completely ran out as AJ popped up behind me and without any trouble at all my friend and I were able to get pictures and a brief convo!! We told him about our door decoration and we officially challenged him to Friends trivia. He seemed receptive and seemed to grasp what we were telling him. Thus the first seed has officially been planted.

Picture with AJ. Check!

To be continued...

Welcome Back Cruisers

Well I'm finally back after an exhausting but super fun cruise/European adventure! Lots of fun stories and pictures to share. For now just a quick recap of my takeaways as I unpack, battle jetlag, and recoup!

• Most. Epic. Concert. Ever! Seriously, that concert was the greatest. There was just so much energy from the crowd and it was super special to not only have an acoustic concert, but a set-list full of songs we haven't heard live in YEARS!! I could seriously watch that concert every day and never get sick of that. So freakin good!
• Anyone else think that AJ was a rockstar this cruise?? At least in my humble opinion, he seemed to be going above and beyond every day to make sure he could get as pictures with as many fans as possible. Though all the guys were really amazing putting up with us <3
• Loved that they brought back the solo events. It was great to give each guy his time to shine and give us cruisers that much more Backstreet in our day. I think my fave solo event was AJ...but then again, tough to compete with hearing new music!
• Having that 4th day back was phenomenal! Really hope that they continue to keep it 1 day longer. It really makes a huge difference.
• I have been going back and forth if I like the 2 days of ports/sight-seeing as compared to one day with the beach party. I did enjoy 'sleeping in' and leisurely exploring the ports (granted I didn't do excursions). Meanwhile it appears the fans who did do excursions went on little to no sleep. I got tired just thinking about it! All that said....I really do like the beach party and enjoy spending the day with the boys and I missed it this year. I know we can't have it all, but suppose if I were to plan up my dream itinerary, I'd love a 4 day cruise with 1 day beach party, and the other day as a free day to explore whatever port. Best of both worlds.
• I also have been going back and forth if I prefer Carnival to Royal Caribbean. It seems that both had their pros and cons. Carnival had 24/7 pizza which was super handy after a deck party, though that's all they had and the line was atrocious. Meanwhile Royal had a lot more food options with no lines, but it ended at 3am. I loved Royal's main theater, a lot easier to see with no cocktail tables in the way. But on the other hand, I think Carnival's atrium worked better for the indoor deck parties. There were a lot more differences, perhaps I'll do an in-depth post later, but those are a few things that stood out to me.
• I was happy to see Rose Tours trying new things years and taking some of our suggestions to life. I've been suggesting BSB trivia for years now, and they finally did it! I sadly missed it because I was at the preferred event, so curious to hear from other cruisers how that event was. Also, other new things like the Guinness Record was a lot of fun. 
• Oh the preferred event. *sigh*. Not sure where to even start with this one. I know many fans left this feeling really disappointed. I rarely, if ever, complain about things on a BSB cruise..... Here's the thing - I loved the IDEA of the event, as I think many fans did, but unfortunately it failed in execution for numerous reason. Too many people, boys didn't/couldn't move around the room without being mobbed, boys weren't spread out enough, fans still were asking for pictures instead of mingling, an hour was clearly not enough time to get to everyone, etc. I actually wouldn't mind seeing them attempt this event again, but it just needs some tweaks and a lot more structure.
• Selfie lines were great! I'm looking at you, AJ ;) Just wish more of the boys did this than the not-as-popular 'Mob the Backstreet Boy' approach. Ugh.
• The little touches also don't go unnoticed... This was the first cruise we had a big screen on the pool deck and I thought it was an awesome addition to this cruise. I loved seeing pictures of fans scrolling; the movies playing; and of course live feeds of the events where possible. 
• I noticed there were not a lot of door decorations this year. Not sure if people didn't know about it (as a contest was never officially announced), or its just a natural decline in interest every year. 
• I'd be remiss not to talk about some of the negativity floating around on social media after this cruise. It honestly makes me sad, which is why I really try to stay away from it. It seems that as a whole, veteran cruisers were a little disappointed this time around with generally more aggressive crowds and some logistical mishaps.
  As far as the crowds were concerned- I agree the fans were definitely, how shall I put this, the most 'passionate' this time around. Lots more pushing, following the boys, and I even heard some fans were bitten??? Goodness, ladies, we're grown adults! I was really hoping those were rumors, bad sadly I don't think it was. I'm not going to dwell on this point though, we've all heard enough of it.
  It seems like fans were also disappointed with the majority of the deck parties being moved inside and the space not being very accommodating. I'm really starting to think BSB cruises are cursed with rain, we've had it every single time! It's easy to point fingers at the staff, we want to blame someone, but the reality is the weather just sucked this cruise and sadly the atrium wasn't the best place for a deck party. Sadly we can't control the weather.

Full recap and analysis coming soon, but wanted to share my initial thoughts. It feels weird to say, but I think this was my least favorite cruise. Not so much because of the pushing or whatever other reasons people didn't enjoy themselves, but I think it's because my personal experiences and interactions from the last cruise were just so hard to top. As much as I tell myself not to compare the cruises with one another, its hard not to! Just to clarify - that doesn't mean I didn't have a great time. It means that I rate this cruise a 9.7 out of 10 instead of a 10 out of 10.

What did everyone else think??

Happy Cruising

Well fellow cruisers, the time has arrived! Can't believe I'm flying to Barcelona tomorrow!Just want to wish everyone happy cruising before I leave.

My Travel Plans
Pre-Cruise- As I mentioned, I'm flying out to Barcelona a couple days earlier in order to do some sight-seeing and get my body adjusted to the time change. I plan to hit up Las Ramblas, Park Guell, Sagrada Familia, and whatever else we have time for. Unfortunately I'm not staying in the official pre-cruise hotel; I opted to go with Airbnb.

Cannes, France - Given that we're going to be there the first day of the Cannes Film Festival, and seeing as how the one thing I know I'm good at is celeb stalking... I fully intend to just take in the city and see if I can find some movie stars. Fingers crossed!

Livorno, Italy - I still don't know what the heck I'm doing in Italy. I've already been to Florence and Pisa before, so I don't feel an overwhelming desire to hit the ground running to explore these cities. I'm honestly going to see how I feel and I may decide to stay in Livorno and rest up. Or if I have the energy, I may decide to go to Pisa or another nearby town that I haven't been before like Lucca.

Post-Cruise- As I've learned from experience, I'm building in a day post-cruise to sit at the hotel near the beach and do nothing. Even though it may not be great weather, I need a day to recuperate. After some rest and relaxation, then a few of my friends/cabinmates and I are going to do a 5 day tour of Spain. We're going to Madrid, Seville, and Grenada. Can't wait!

Come Say Hi!
Every year I say this, and every year I mean it....I really do want to meet you all. Please stop by my cabin if you'd like - I'm in cabin 1074. Or if you see me roaming around the ship or hanging out at an event, feel free to say hi.

I wish everyone safe travels and hope everyone has a wonderful cruise. Once we get back, I want to hear your stories!! Feel free to email me if you want to chat. I also invite you to be a guest blogger to share your stories :) As usual, my plan is to share my cruising adventures as soon as I get back to the United States and catch up with work and life.

Merchandise from 2014

Hey cruisers - I've seen a few folks ask about merchandise that's available on board. Sorry for the haphazard and delayed post as I frantically try to get myself packed! But I still wanted to share a few pics and prices of what they had on board last time.

Magnet - $10
Foam Bottle - $20
Cruisin Trucker Hat - $25
Sunny Set Tote Bag - $30
Half Moon Indigo T-Shirt - $35
Showtime Gold T-Shirt - $35
Photo Stack Jr T-Shirt - $35
Late Night Jr Tank - $45
Half Moon Jr Sweatshirt - $50
Cruisin Beach Towel - $65
Sunburst Hoodie - $85
Post Cards - $15

Note that clothes in sizes 2XL cost $5 more.

Gold T-Shirt - $35

Sunny Set Tote Bag - $30

Half Moon Indigo T-Shirt: $35

Water Bottle - $20; Sunny Seas Magnet - $10; Trucker Hat - $25

 

The Ridiculously Overpriced Sweatshirt - $85

Tank Top - $45

Behind the Scenes, Blackjack, and Guiness World Record, Oh my!

Nothing distracts me more from work than a Backstreet cruise email! Oh boy! We have 3 new items to discuss! Below is the email in case you missed it...

Hello cruisers…only two more weeks until we are all sailing away on the Brilliance of the Seas.  We have just a few more items up for business:

BSB:  Behind the Scenes:
You know those burning questions you always wanted to ask the boys?
Well, here is your chance!
We're having a Q & A session with the BSB – so bring em on.
We will be randomly selecting among your questions, so submit them here by May 2nd

Blackjack Tournament:
Ever dream of playing blackjack on the High Seas?
Well, here is your chance.
On Friday, May 13th, AJ is hosting his first European Blackjack Tournament.
For just $25 dollars (payable to the casino host on-board), you can have a chance to play for a cash prize and, more importantly, the chance of beating Mr. McLean himself
The top six chip winners from the qualifying rounds (starting in the casino at 10am) will test their skills in the grand finale.

The three players with the most chips will win cash prizes. 

Submit your name, email address and dining time below. We will randomly select among all entries. You will receive a schedule with your table time in advance.

Please submit your request HERE May 2nd
Good luck!

Just to be Close to you – A Guinness Book of World Records Attempt!
Most Nationalities in a Jacuzzi:

We have so many countries represented in our Backstreet family – over 47 on the cruise alone.  How could we not try to beat the world record for the most nationalities in a Jacuzzi?  However, we need your help.

We need one volunteer from each country on board to get in the hot tub with the BSB!

If you would like the chance to get wet and possibly be a world record holder – please sign up here!  We will randomly select one participant from each nation.

** If selected, you must present a valid passport for the nation you are representing **

My Take
Lots to process!

BSB Behind the Scenes
Well, it looks like this event isn't quite what I had initially anticipated. I was hoping for the boys to share some of the behind the scenes stuff we normally don't get to hear a lot about. Slightly disappointed this isn't the case. Nonetheless, I'm always a fan of the Q&A so the disappointment is short lived. I just submitted my question, so fingers crossed!!

Blackjack Tournament
I also signed up for the blackjack tournament! I always figure there's no harm in signing up and trying. For $25 you get the chance to play with a Backstreet Boy. Totally worth it in my opinion. I encourage everyone to give it a shot, even if you're not a big blackjack player. The other new piece of info we got today is that AJ will be hosting it this year! Woohoo!

Just to be Close to you - A Guinness Book of World Records
Well this is definitely not what I thought it would be, thats for sure! It sounds like a fun concept, but as an American, I feel at a slight disadvantage. Obviously depending on what country you're from, your odds of participating are going to be much higher or lower. I also question if they may not even pick an American if the Backstreet Boy will fill that slot. Hopefully thats not the case, but if they're trying to break a world record, I wouldn't doubt it. It'd just be slightly upsetting knowing I have a 0% chance instead of a .05% chance. Geez, maybe I should look into getting a passport from like Cameroon or something :P Nonetheless, I threw my name in the hat for this one too and we shall see what happens!

Good luck to everyone entering all the contests!!

9 Things I Wished I Knew Before Cruising

After 4 Backstreet Boys cruises under my belt, I'd like to think I've honed my Backstreet cruising knowledge. Too bad that's not a skill I can put on my resume! The good news is, I can share my relatively useless knowledge with my lovely readers. So looking back, I put together a list of things that I wish I knew before I embarked on my first:

1. I think I was an hour into Cruise #1 when I realized my camera wasn't going to cut it. Many fans like to use their phones for pictures, in fact, I may be the oddball who still uses a point-and-shoot camera. But if you do like taking pictures and videos as much as I do, I'd suggest investing in a decent camera and LOTS of memory. You don't want to feel limited by not bringing enough, and its expensive on the ship (yes i learned the hard way)
   
   
2. It's going to be an emotional roller coaster. I went into my first cruise with super high spirits and tons of excitement. It's safe to say on every cruise I've shed tears in some capacity or another (Try not to judge me too much!) Sometimes its happy tears, sometimes its just out of sheer exhaustion, and other times it's because I set myself up for disappointment with unrealistic expectations. Overtime I've learned to just feel all feels!
   
   
   
   
   
3. One of the most exciting things I discovered going on a Backstreet cruise is that I'm not alone!! There are other fans just like me who still love the Backstreet Boys. That was super refreshing for me to experience.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Don't overdo it before or after the cruise. One year I went to Disney World before the cruise and while I had a blast, I will never do that again! I've learned to build in relaxation days before AND after the cruise. Whenever possible, I try to take an extra day off work on both ends of the cruise because I find before a Backstreet cruise I'm usually running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Having a day or two solely dedicated to taking care of those last minute things is so helpful! After the cruise, I also find I need a day to decompress and literally just process everything.
   
   
   
   
   
5. There are really not many downsides to a Backstreet cruise. One of the very few negatives of a BSB cruise is that they are addicting. Once you do it, it's hard to stop! At least I haven't been able to break the habit...not that I really want to ;)
   
   
   
   
   
6. If you thought post-concert depression is bad, post-cruise depression is waaaaay worse. Sitting in that airport terminal on the way home is such a weird feeling because you're still riding off the high of the trip, but also realizing that the trip of a lifetime has come to an end. What I've done to help ease the PCD is extend my trip and spend an extra couple of days with friends. It's so nice to have the support of each other and tell each all all the stories over and over (even though they were there with you for those stories!)
   
   
   
   
   
7. This one could just be me, but I almost have as much fun planning and talking about the cruise as I do on the cruise. I really enjoy chatting with other fans, speculating, getting costumes and door decorations ready. I really have learned to enjoy the build-up of getting ready for the cruise because lets face it, those 4 days with the boys go by a heck of a lot quicker than the 350+ we had to wait for it to get here.
   
   
   
   
   
8. Given the nature of a Backstreet cruise, the green-eyed monster can and will rear its ugly head. There's no doubt it's tough to watch other fans get picked for something you wanted so badly; or get special interactions that "should've been yours." Sometimes I just can't help but feel jealous. The reality is we all want to feel special when it comes to the boys and there's only so much Nick, Howie, Brian, Kevin and AJ to go around. I just try to remind myself that other fans' stories don't take away from my interactions in any way!
   
   
   
   
   
9. One thing that I never anticipated is that my perceptions of the boys changed as a result of cruising. I found that being with them 24/7 for a few days you saw different sides of their personalities come out. Things that are tougher to capture in a concert or on TV. For example, if you've been a long-time reader, you may know that after the first cruise I developed such a love for AJ! It was on that first cruise I really saw first hand how down to earth and genuine he is. I also came to really adore Howie and Kevin because I saw how much time and effort they put into mingling with fans and taking pictures. For me, things like that really went unnoticed and unappreciated until I started cruising. 
   
   
   

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!