*BSB Cruise 2013 Updates**
So the BSB Cruise 2013 is just a little over a month away and I realize I haven't really mentioned anything about it other than the fact that I am going. My travels have been crazy this year and I have so much catching up to do! But, I guess a few words about the cruise is needed first.First, I do not like the fact that I feel totally in the dark about this cruise compared to the first two. It wasn't until recently that the themes were announced and there is still no word on a pre-cruise event. Furthermore, we have no idea about any of the activities that might be happening this year, other than the Q&A that was announced. Lastly, all we really know is that we are going to the Bahamas but it has never been displayed as to where we will be docking in the Bahamas. I'm guessing that since it says a "private island beach party," we will be docking in Half Moon Cay since this island is owned by Carnival. This is also where we were originally supposed to dock last cruise until it was changed to Nassau so that Kevin could join in the fun. Still, this has not been announced.
I guess I should talk about what we do know. First, the themes. I know that some people voted on the themes based on the guys and what activities they could do and what they would be wearing. I was not one of those people. I voted based on what I wanted to wear. I know I am going to be happy just being there with the guys, despite what they are doing or wearing. Plus, I HATE dressing up. Give me t-shirts and jeans any day of the week. Second, I wanted themes that would be easy for me to find outfits and accessories for because I may be in the process of moving between now and then (my husband and I have just put in an offer on a house that has been accepted and are now just waiting on the inspection and appraisal). I knew for a fact that I wanted the Glow Night because this seemed like it would be the easiest theme with which to work. None of the other themes really stuck out at me as a second choice. If we were going to have a formal night I tended to see the Platinum theme as an option. The more specific, the better for me. At least the Platinum theme narrowed down which colors for which I had to look. So I voted for that one a couple of times. I also voted for Drowning a couple of times because one of my friends seemed to really like that one. I didn't see how it was going to be much different from the Beach Party and didn't want to have to be stuck in beach wear for longer than necessary. As far as the Halloween theme that they announced when we were doing our voting, I could take or leave that one. Halloween has always been my least favorite holiday because I don't really do costumes.
What were my initial thoughts on the announced themes?
Glow Night - I was extremely happy about this one since it was my first choice. I've already done my accessory shopping and my group is working on a little something as far as the clothes. It is going to be simple and I am going to be comfortable.
Halloween Night - The last two cruises, I have been able to incorporate the University of Kentucky into one of the themes (2010 - Black and Blue Night, 2011 - Pajama Night) so I am taking the opportunity to do the same on this cruise. I ordered my costume last night and it came very close to $100. This is one of the reasons I hate Halloween...you spend money on something you will only, more than likely, wear once. Could I have gone a different route and done something much cheaper? Yes, but when this idea came into my head, I knew I wanted to do it. Plus, I can wear it for an actual Halloween costume, as well. I like my idea because I incorporate something else I love and I won't be wearing next to nothing like I think many others will - yet, another reason I dislike Halloween. I do need to work on losing a few pounds though with this costume I think though.
Bachelorette Party - I have only ever been to one Bachelorette Party in my life and that was my own (and it was absolutely awesome I must say). I was NOT happy at all about this theme, especially when they specifically mention to think about club attire. I hate even dressing in business casual wear for work...what makes you think I will want to wear club attire? This is especially true since I have gained some weight since the last cruise and am right at the point that I just don't feel comfortable in everything (trust me, I'm trying to work on it). My friends and I have decided to go another route with the attire we will be wearing so I feel a little more comfortable with it now. I am interested to see what types of activities they will be doing for this deck party though.
I am extremely happy that they are bringing back the Q&A this year, as that was one of my favorite events on the first cruise. I love the fact that they are also doing it like on the first cruise, where you submit your question beforehand so that they can be reviewed. I think this prevents some of the not so great questions that you get during sound checks from happening. However, I do not like the fact that you can only submit one question.
I hope the fact that they haven't asked for Karaoke submissions means that they will not be having Karaoke on this cruise. I really enjoyed it the first cruise but not so much on the second.
My guess is that the onboard concert will be a recreation of the In A World Like This show, rather than the fan voted songs of the 2011 cruise since they didn't have a tour that they had done that year (at least not one that they had done on their own since they toured with NKOTBSB). I'm okay with this because it is such an awesome show!
I like the fact that they have said the beach party will be a private beach party. We had to deal with non-BSB people during 2011 because it was at a resort in Nassau but I also think those people did a pretty good job of staying out of our way. I do not like the fact that some of those people got to play volleyball with Brian, Howie, and Kev though. Seriously, my ultimate goal for one of these cruises is to get on one of those volleyball teams. I'm not too bad of a player...just sayin'.
The fact that they have not announced a pre-cruise event scares me because I really want there to be something. I would prefer a concert like the acoustic show from the 2010 cruise over the pre-cruise party at the dance club from 2011. Seeing them sing is much more enjoyable than just watching them stand there, DJ, and dance with other fans. That is just my opinion.
A few members of our group are actually going down two days early this year so that we have some time to explore Miami, which we haven't really gotten to do the last two trips because of the pre-cruise events. Our hotel is booked (Holiday Inn Port of Miami) and it is where we have stayed the last two cruises. We've been pleased with it so we figured we'd stick with it, although we debated on staying at the recommended hotel.
We also decided to extend our trip this year. Let's face it, the Backstreet Boys Cruise is far from a relaxing vacation. The amount of standing, dancing, screaming, and just pure lack of sleep put you in a pure state of exhaustion by the time you debark. We figured we would take some time to recuperate for a few days after the cruise in Ft. Lauderdale, staying at the Pelican Grand. I'm not sure how many activities we will be doing, as I think most of us really just plan on laying out by the pool/on the beach and catching up on some needed rest. We figured if we were going to rest, why not do it in the Florida sunshine?
I am very eager to see Kevin and how he handles this cruise. He got a small taste of the cruise life on the last one. From the way he has handled the after parties this year after the concerts, I think he will be able to do just fine. It will be interesting to see for sure.
It's amazing to think about how this will be BSB's third cruise and each of them will be different in so many ways. The first was just a half charter and four days long, while the second was a full charter and only three days long. Unlike the second cruise, this will be a sold-out full charter, at a different time of the year, with all five guys present the whole time. So once again, no one knows what to expect on this one as it will compare to the last two. There is one thing that I do know though...not to go in with any expectations. By doing so, you are setting yourself up with disappointment if it does not live up to those expectations. Yes, I look forward to this cruise because it is the Backstreet Boys. However, one of the other things I look forward to is just to be there to have a good time with my friends. If I do that and just get to see the Boys, I am a happy girl!
**Title Credit - "I Need You Tonight" - Millennium - Backstreet Boys**
