Intimate scenes, fresh from my dreams...

**BSB Cruise 2011 - Day 3 - Day At Sea**

If you've missed my previous cruise reviews, check them out:

**2011 Pre-Cruise Wylee Party**

**2011 Hey Sailor Pre-Cruise Party VIP Package**

**BSB Cruise 2011 - Embarkation Day**

**BSB Cruise 2011 - Day 1 - Part 2**

**BSB Cruise 2011 - Day 2 - Beach Party**

**BSB Cruise 2011 - Day 2 - Group B Concert**

**BSB Cruise 2011 - Day 2 - The Perfect Fan Prom Night Deck Party**

I know this post is a very long time coming since it has been months (okay two months shy of a year) since we got off of the Carnival Imagination.  Sometimes life just happens.  This is the last of my BSB Cruise 2011 reviews so I hope you have enjoyed my reviews as much as I enjoyed being on the cruise.

Ashley and Cortney's
Winning Door

The last day of the cruise began with the phone ringing in our cabin.  All I could think about was the fact that it had been another late night the night before and I still had another 30 minutes until the alarm went off.  I had no idea who was calling and I thought maybe the clock on my iPod was off and we had overslept and were going to miss the photo.  I answered the phone and heard Ashley's excited voice on the other end.  She was calling to tell us that her sister and she had won the door decorating contest!  Their prize was front row seats to the group A concert that evening...the lucky ducks were going to get to see the concert again!  Their door was great and they totally deserved the win.  

After Ashley's phone call, all I wanted to do was crawl back into bed and sleep for days.  However, we had a full day of photo shoots, karaoke, enjoying the sea, and the pajama deck party.  I decided to drink down a 5 hour energy shot to see if that could get me going.  Between that and knowing I would be meeting BSB again in a few short hours, my energy was back and I hoped I could make it through another long day and night.  We got dressed for our photo and decided to explore some more door decorations.  There were some very creative doors and we loved seeing all of them.  There were not nearly as many as last year.  My guess is that it had something to do with the fact that no official door decorating contest was announced.  After we killed some time, we decided it was time to go get in line for our photo with the Backstreet Boys.  

Bottom Row:  Jen, Ashley
Middle Row:  Cory, Chrissy, Laura
Top Row:  Anne Marie, Cortney

Fans were supposed to be in groups of 8 for the photo (2 girls for each boy).  We had seven and hoped that there would not be an individual to be put into our group (although I would not be the one to be alone with the Backstreet Boy of my choice).  However, there was an individual person who needed a group and it just happened that she wanted AJ, who happened to be the Boy with only one person in our group.  This fan seemed nice enough and was very grateful we let her into our group.  We took some nice photos while waiting to meet the Boys and tried to get over the nervous feelings we were all feeling.  Yes, I have gotten several photos with the Boys but still get star struck every time I meet them.

We spent the biggest marjority of the time in line figuring out what kind of pose we wanted to do.  It was decided that we would each do "Huggie Pose" and have everyone hugging whichever Boy they were paired with.  We had it all planned out but as we got closer and closer, some girls decided to get a bit nervous, especially after the security guard told us "no hugs."  They didn't want to get in trouble if we did huggie pose.  The rest of us knew that it was going to be okay, it was more that we couldn't give them hugs before or after the photo.  As we got closer, we got into the order we needed to make the photo go smoother and faster...we didn't want to be scrambling when it was actually time for the photo.  Howie was up first and I told him how much I loved his album and he thanked me for the compliment.  Then I asked Nick if he would be coming to Chicago for his tour (he had released some of his tour dates but had announced that there would be more dates added).  He told me "probably."  That made me happy.  By that time we were all next to the person we were going to be standing next to in the photo so we all stayed where we were as we knew we could continue with the rest of the guys as we left the photo.  Brian squated down in the front of the group and Cortney and I kneeled down with him and then threw our arms around him.  As we did, he giggled and stated, "Oh their holding me."  It wasn't until I got the photo that i realized that he had his hand wrapped around mine.

So it appears that two of the girls chickened out on "huggie pose," I guess that is their loss!  After the photo we continues on with the rest of our greetings.  Brian shook my hand and said, "It's good to see you again Kentucky Girl."  I couldn't believe it!  He had remembered me three days later, in a different setting, and a different outfit.  I simply placed my hands over my heard and exclaimed, "Oh, you remembered?"  He smirked and nodded his head as I moved on to shake the hand of the final Backstreet Boy, AJ.  I also told AJ that I loved his album.  Even with all of the amazing things that happened on that cruise, I think this was my most memorable moment because it was a special personal moment.  It made me truly believe that Brian was actually starting to remember me.

After the photo session we knew we had time to kill before karaoke began.  We did what we always seemed to do when we had time to kill...we ate.  We also took the time to grab some photos around the ship.

As we waited on the Lido Deck for Karaoke to start, we noticed the skies getting darker.  Karaoke was a little different during this cruise than the previous.  Before the cruise, Rose Tours sent out an e-mail with a sign up for karaoke.  Those who could potentially sing, were picked and placed into the VIP area.  The guys then had the names of the people and songs in their pockets that they chose from so not everyone who was originally sent an e-mail was chosen.  But first, karaoke started with something very special.  A fan had tweeted the guys sometime before the cruise explaining that she would be going through chemotherapy and wanted them to shave her head for her.  So that is exactly what happened.  I thought it was a very cool thing for the guys to do and an experience for the fan to maybe associate something good when she was going through chemo.

BSB Hair Cut - Part I

BSB Hair Cut - Part II

I think that was the shining moment of karaoke on this cruise.  I have to say that, overall, I was not impressed with the event for a number of reasons.  First, the location of the event was not ideal.  The bars on the deck made it difficult to see at times.  Second, the guys weren't as into it on this cruise as they were the last.  Granted they would sing every now and then with the girls, they didn't do all of the dancing that they did the previous year.  They did bring back the "Baby Got Back" fan but if you were on the first cruise, it just wasn't as good because you knew it was coming.  It wasn't as spontaneous and surprising as on the first cruise.  Karaoke was also cut short when it started to rain.  I think that shaving the girls head took them a little longer than they had expected, which also cut into the actual singing.  While I think this was my least favorite of the events, it still had its funny and good moments.

My favorite featured none other than my favorite Backstreet Boy, Brian Littrell, singing a little country music....and divulging a little information about fellow group member, AJ, regarding a situation with an ex-girlfriend.  (I had to take my video of this song off of YouTube because of copyright issues but I'm trying to find a way to get it on here for all of you.)

The Backstreet Boys decided to do a song with just them.  Again, not as good as "Bust A Move" from the 2010 cruise, but its still the Backstreet Boys singing.  They could sing the alphabet and I'd love it.  Now, if only they truly understood how sexy they really were.  

BSB Sing "I'm Too Sexy"

After karaoke, my roommates and I decided we needed to grab a quick snack since we still had some time before dinner so we made our way to the sushi bar.  There we chatted away about anything and everything we could think of.  We also had a Lauren and Nick sighting in the casino as we sat there.  Finally, we made our way to dinner....where we totally took advantage of paying for the food with our cruise fees.  Several other of my dinner mates and I decided that we wanted two appetizers and two main courses....as well as dessert.  And it was all delicious.  Dinner just wasn't the same without Ashley and Cortney since they were at the concert because of their door decoration win.  Dinner was also very hard because we knew at that moment, the Backstreet Boys were performing a concert and we weren't there to see it.  I think we were also getting to the point that we knew the cruise would be ending soon...it was our last night together and with the Backstreet Boys.  After dinner, we all went back to our rooms to change for pajama night and attempt to pack so we wouldn't have to do it later, when all of a sudden we heard an announcement that the deck party location would be changed to the Atrium due to the weather.  Laura and I bolted out of the room and joined the hundreds of girls running towards the atrium to get a good spot.  Apparently, they had made this same announcement at the end of the concert because the atrium was already full of girls.  Despite the change, this ended up being the best night on the ship!  

First of all, my group had shirts made for PDA Pajama Jam night that said, "I dream of BSB," as well as pants that had "BSB Cruise 2011" down the pant leg.  While I purchased these items, I went a different approach with my pajamas...the University of Kentucky approach.  This included a Kentucky t-shirt over a long sleeve shirt with UK repeated on the sleeves, UK pajama pants, my UK shoes, and my UK earrings.  I also ran into what appeared to be a fellow Wildcat fan (sometimes I don't know if fans wear it because they are truly a fan or because Brian is a fan).  The only problem with my ensemble was that it was HOT during the "deck" party and the shirt layers were not helping.  I know some of the girls actually went and changed from their pants into their shorts at one point because it was so hot.

As I mentioned earlier, this was, by far, the BEST night of the whole cruise.  I was truly grateful at this time that this cruise happened to be a full charter so that they could move the deck party into the atrium.  This avoided the disaster that was Black and Blue night on the first cruise.  I don't know if this particular night would have been the same if we had been out on the deck so I was perfectly happy with the way things happened to play out.  So why was this evening so good?  Three little words for you....TRUTH OR DARE.  Words cannot really explain this evening in its entirety so I'm just going to have to show you.

Brian crowd surfs and it wasn't even a Dare

Nick shares his marshmallows with some fans

Brian's Dare - The Worm

Howie's Dare - Love the Pillow

AJ's Dare - Tickle Nightmare

Nick's Dare - Massage by Fans

Fan Dare - Booty Dance with Nick and AJ

Fan Dare - Beg to be spanked by Brian and Howie

There....I hope those videos explained to you why exactly this was the best night of the cruise.  Because of the lighting, it was difficult to get good photos at times but here are some of my favorites from the evening.  I think the two photos with alcohol pretty much sum up that night on the cruise for Nick and Howie...

We left the party sometime after 4am but we weren't quite convinced to go back to the cabin to sleep just yet even though we were tired, our legs and feet hurt, we were starting to get some cold like symptoms, and we really just wanted to do this right where we were...

We thought we would grab one last bite to eat in the 24 hour pizzeria (most brilliant idea by the way) before we went back to our cabin to call it our last night.  As we ate, we kept hearing cheering coming from the balcony just behind the pizzeria.  We thought that it couldn't really have anything to do with the Backstreet Boys at this hour of the night.  We were pretty sure that all of them had gone to bed.  However, it piqued our interest.  As we stepped onto the balcony there was a large swarm of girls surrounding Nick and AJ.  They were having a nice intimate Q&A session...no photos, no videos allowed.  It was very hard to hear them at times because they were just talking and there were some very rude fans behind us who wouldn't stop talking and laughing.  Because of the nature of this event, I feel like it is my duty to keep what was said private.  There may be others that have discussed what was talked about but I don't feel like its right for me to divulge what was discussed.  The fact that this happened is one of my top cruise moments because of its intimacy and the fact that we have stumbled upon it by chance.

I honestly don't know what time we finally went to bed that night but I do know that we had to get up early the next morning to debark the ship.  It would be the final moments on the Carnival Imagination with the Backstreet Boys and my friends.

And I'm stuck in a moment...

**BSB Cruise 2011 - Day 2 - The Perfect Fan Prom Night Deck Party**

If you've missed my previous cruise reviews, check them out:

**2011 Pre-Cruise Wylee Party**

**2011 Hey Sailor Pre-Cruise Party VIP Package**

**BSB Cruise 2011 - Embarkation Day**

**BSB Cruise 2011 - Day 1 - Part 2**

**BSB Cruise 2011 - Day 2 - Beach Party**

**BSB Cruise 2011 - Day 2 - Group B Concert**

Day 2 of BSB Cruise 2011 was definitely the best day for Group B as far as the amount and quality of events went.  We had the Beach Party, our Cruise Concert, and then it was time for The Perfect Fan Prom Night Deck Party.  We had already discovered that the Prom Queens had been chosen at random, signified by a crown in their goody bags.  Needless to say, neither me nor my friends received one.  One day one of us will get our special moment with them like that.

My prom dress was actually my wedding dress.  Back when we thought that one of the theme nights was going to be a white night I had decided that I was going to wear it for that.  I thought the Prom Night would be appropriate for it, as well.  This was actually my third time wearing it...once for my wedding, once for my sorority formal my senior year of college, and now for the Backstreet Boys.  I believe I have now gotten my use out of it.  I also noticed that there were some other girls wearing theirs, which I knew going into it through the fan club and Facebook pages.

Kevin leading the group to the deck party

Because I have worn this dress three times, a clasp had broken off of the halter part.  Before going out onto the deck, I had pinned it but the pin kept on popping out.  I decided to run back to the cabin to grab more safety pins so that I could fix it better.  The Boys had not shown up yet so I figured I had time to do this.  As I was heading back up to the Lido Deck, the elevator stopped on the 6th floor, which is the floor that the Boys happened to be on.  A Rose Tours staff member was waiting to get on and signaled for me to get off.  I thought that he thought I was getting off on that floor and was just being polite.  I told him that I was going up.  He then said to me that he needed me to get off of the elevator.  Recognition dawned on my face...the Backstreet Boys were coming and I relunctently stepped off of the elevator.  Kevin was the first to walk by, looking especially handsome in his classic tux.  Next came Howie, Nick, AJ, and Brian.  I can't remember then if I bolted up the stairs or waited for the next elevator.  Whatever I did, I arrived to the deck before the Boys did and exclaimed to the girls that I had just been kicked off the elevator because of BSB.  I gave them a rundown of what each Boy was wearing and we quickly fixed the problem I was having with my dress.  We all looked so gorgeous all dressed up.  The Boys finally came out and also looked very nice.  As I mentioned previously, Kevin was dressed in a classic black tux.  Nick and AJ were dressed as Lloyd and Larry from the movie Dumb and Dumber.  Howie was dressed in a snazzy, white, very Miami appropriate suit.  Brian and Leighanne matched in turquoise.

The Boys decided that since Group B had gotten to hear Kevin sing during our concert, that they should do a song for everyone.  For the third time on the cruise, Group B was going to get to hear and see Kevin perform with the group!  Watching him through all of these songs makes it seem as if he never left...The video is really dark because the lighting at the deck parties was just not good.  However, you can still hear their gorgeous voices...

"I Still"

The Perfect Fan Prom Night

After this performance, the Prom Queen winners were announced.  The Prom Queens had received a tiara in their goody bags, and even Kevin had a Prom Queen.  The Boys met their Queens over on the center stage and they danced to "The Perfect Fan."  Kevin's trained ball room skills were displayed and the rest of the guys decided that they wanted to be a little goofy with it.

Prom King and Queen Dance

This deck party seemed highly focused on those Prom Queens, with very little interaction after that with the rest of the fans.  The guys did the electric slide and the YMCA on the stage with the Prom Queens.  Once the rest of the guys left the deck party, Howie started partying it up in the VIP section.  Kevin must have been up there too because he came out to wave to the group of girls who still happened to be out on the deck partying.  My friends and I decided that maybe we should go down to the 3rd deck, where he would have to debark and see if we couldn't get a chance to snatch a photo.  We rushed down the stairs, floor by floor.  When we got down to the 3rd deck, there were maybe five other girls who must have been just as smart as us.  Kevin came out of the elevator and greeted us all.  Many of us got our photos, autographs, or whatever it was that we were wanting.  My photo turned out a little blurry (I was the last one to get my photo as we was literally getting off the ship) but is still recognizable.  The fact that I am in my wedding dress and he is in a tux makes this photo very unique.  I'm not sure very many other girls can claim they have a picture like that.

Kevin in his tux and me in my wedding dress

After seeing Kevin off, we saw that Howie was still partying hard out on the deck.  It was late....again...and we did not know when he planned on leaving.  We noticed two or three girls waiting for Howie to leave the deck and decided to join them.  We were all exhausted and our feet hurt, even though many of us were just wearing flip flops.  We talked to the Rose Tours guy that was watching the entrance and he was very nice.  Soon we saw Howie heading our way and were ready with our cameras.  He told us that we should join him in a game of Limbo down on the Lido deck....we followed him.  The "game of Limbo" was him going under a stick once and then quickly turned into him taking photos with fans.  None of us received a photo and when he left the deck we went back up to the deck above and perched ourselves there.  We then saw security come back....with no Howie.  We then knew that the night was over and we could go to bed.  The next day was going to be a Day At Sea with our group photo session, Karaoke, and the Pajama Jam Deck Party.  I knew that it would be my last day of seeing the Backstreet Boys, but I didn't know how great of a day it would actually be!

Coming Soon:  **BSB Cruise 2011 - Day 3 - Day At Sea**

Close your eyes, make a wish that this could last forever...

**BSB Cruise 2011 - Day 2 - Group B Concert **

If you've missed my previous cruise reviews, check them out:

**2011 Pre-Cruise Wylee Party**

**2011 Hey Sailor Pre-Cruise Party VIP Package**

**BSB Cruise 2011 - Embarkation Day**

**BSB Cruise 2011 - Day 1 - Part 2**

**BSB Cruise 2011 - Day 2 - Beach Party**

I left the Beach Party somewhat unwillingly.  I knew the Boys were no longer on the beach but I loved being there.  I loved the warmth and the scenery and the fact that I was in the Bahamas.  However, I also knew that we still had the BSB Concert and Prom Night Deck Party to go to.  We were totally being spoiled on this trip.  While we were waiting in line for the shuttle, I discovered that all but two people in my group caught beads from the Backstreet Boys (more specifically Brian and AJ).  There were those of us who were even nice enough to share when multiple beads were caught by the same person.  We're all just so nice and friendly...

As we were getting back onto the ship, we took a look at some more door decorations.  We found a rather neat one that had some giveaways and a life size cutout of the group.    I had to have my photo op next to it of course and planted myself right next to Brian.  Laura has joked now that I always have to be next to Brian....even fake cardboard cutouts of him.  What can I say?...I can't help it.  Something about him just makes me gravitate toward him...and this was an exceptionally good photo of him.  I just love me some Brian Littrell.  

After having spent the day on the beach, showers were much needed before we went to dinner.  Cory and I had actually made appointments to get our hair done for Prom Night but decided at the last minute that it wasn't really worth it.  I DO NOT recommend doing this, as we were still charged half of the fee because we had not given 24 hours notice.  Oh well, lesson learned.  Many of us debated whether or not we were going to get into our Prom dresses for dinner and the concert.  Some of us did and others did not....I did not.  We had a pretty uneventful dinner and then decided to go to the Lounge when the doors opened.  We weren't sure if Rose Tours was going to need volunteers for anything for the concert but we thought we would try to see.  They did not.

The concert was beyond amazing.  A few months before the cruise, a fan poll was released for the songs that we would like to hear during their Cruise Concert.  There were several songs already given to us on the poll but there was also a write in option.  I know within our group, unreleased songs were quickly decided on and we made sure to include each others votes on a daily basis.  I was interested to see what the set list for this concert was going to be like.  Although there were no unreleased songs as part of the set list, the unplugged nature of the show was amazing.  This was not a "rehearsed" concert, as many times the Boys forgot words, decided at the last minute to do some old routines, had some wardrobe malfunctions, showed some pretty unrehearsed emotions, and had special guest appearances. I think the group needs to do a whole tour like this, changing the set list for all of the shows.  That would be the tour that I would have to go to every show.

I've debated for some time now how I was going to review this concert.  I didn't know whether or not I should just hit the highlights or review every song with video, much like I did for my NKOTBSB Tour Review?  I realized that my NKOTBSB Tour Review is my most read post.  This show was also completely new.  But it was recommended to me that I do the overview first and then do a more specific review later, like i did for NKOTBSB.  Then I would be afraid that I would just repeat myself because there were so many "memorable" and "favorite" moments in the concert.  So, I'm going for the full review right here baby...

"Incomplete" was the first song up...but it wasn't the song as we normally hear it.  The Backstreet Boys performed a remixed version of their first single (April 1,2005) after their three year hiatus (notice I did not say break-up for all of you non-Backstreet fans that ask me "When did they get back together?").  The song became one of their most successful singles when it peaked at #13 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and charted within the top 10 in 13 countries.  However, it could also be considered their last successful single of the 2000s.  

"Incomplete" Remix

Next, we were in store for another great remixed classic.  "Larger Than Life" mixed with a little "Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO.  This song served as a tribute to BSB's fans and was originally written and composed by non other than Brian Littrell (alterations and additions were late made by Max Martin and Kristian Lundin which then earned Brian the title of co-writer).  

"Larger Than Life" Remix

Soon after the poll appeared to vote for the Cruise Concert set list, fans started to campaign to get the Boys to sing "If You Want It To Be Good Girl (Get Yourself a Bad Boy)" (Nick is right, the name is way too long).  It was revealed to us during the Pre-Cruise Party at Cameo that this would be one of the songs on the concert set list but they just couldn't understand why it was so voted for.  What can we say, we like Bad Boys!  "Bad Boy" was put into a medley with "Get Down" and our first surprise of the night was about to occur.  First, the Backstreet Boys did NOT know all the correct words to this song.  You would think that if they knew they were going to be singing it, they would have maybe practiced their parts a few times.  Second, Nick began to tease us at the end of "Bad Boy."  Finally, Laura, Cory, and I got a surprise visitor in the row in front of us during "Get Down."  Nick was right there within touching distance and it made us all very happy.

"Bad Boy/Get Down" Medley

"Inconsolable," the first single from Unbreakable was next on the set list.  The Backstreet Boys had begun their NKOTBSB tour with this song in that set list, but it was taken out within the first three shows.  Therefore, this was the first time some girls have heard this song live since the Unbreakable tour.  I was one of the lucky ones to get the song during my first NKOTBSB show but I like this song and it was nice to hear it live again.

"Inconsolable"

Much like their Unbreakable tour, the Backstreet Boys treated us with some solo performances.  First up was AJ with the fan favorite, "London," which was never released as a single from his first solo album Have It All.  After the song was performed, the rest of the Backstreet Boys came on stage and discussed how they begged AJ to let them as a group have the song, as it appears to be a Backstreet Boys favorite as well.  I think it would be amazing if the Backstreet Boys as a group re-recorded this song.

"London"

Our next treat was a short acoustic set of two songs.  To our surprise the Backstreet Boys headed out into the audience to pick some girls to sing with.  When we had arrived early to the concert and asked Rose Tours if they would be needing volunteers, they had told us no but that the Backstreet Boys themselves would be doing something.  This was it.  AJ and Nick picked girls that were already in their prom dresses.  Howie picked the wife of "Billy from Philly" (I'm guessing Hal Roseman's mom since Bill From Philly was his dad) and Brian picked a fan in a wheelchair (also in her prom wear).  Maybe I should have gotten into my prom wear before the concert?  The group then began singing "Helpless When She Smiles," the second single from Unbreakable.  And while this song was a single, it was not part of the North or South American setlists for the Unbreakable tour.  Therefore, this was the first chance for many of the fans in that lounge to see this song live.

"Helpless When She Smiles"

"Siberia" is not only a fan favorite, but a favorite of many of the Backstreet Boys, as well.  It is often requested during soundchecks and the Boys have said over and over again that they wished it would have been a single from Never Gone.  I never get tired of hearing this song and seeing it live is even better.  Getting an acoustic version is the best.  Unfortunetely, their placement on the stage isn't the best and it took me awhile to find AJ in the view of my camera.  

"Siberia"

Do you want to know the best thing about non-rehearsed concerts?  The fact that sometimes things don't always go as planned, as demonstrated by Nick's "wardrobe malfuntion."  No girls, it's not what you think but it was a little funny part of the concert.

Nick's "wardrobe malfunction"

I don't think that many people can dispute that Brian's solo performance was absolutely riveting and one of the best solos of the evening....and I'm not just saying that because I am a Brian fan.  Brian's version of "Mary Did You Know," was recently released by Brian as part of a Christmas collection called Christmas With the Littrell's on iTunes.  Laura, who is Jewish and does not celebrate Christmas, has even commented about what a great performance it was.  The entire audience was quiet throughout the performance and Brian got so emotional during the song.  I'm not going to lie...even though this is a Christmas song, I will be listening to it all year round.  I also believe that if Brian would not have influenced me to become a Christian at the fateful Naperville Christmas Concert, it would have happened at this point.  After you have seen the video, you will no doubt wonder why I put it into my Top 10 Moments on Laura's blog....it still gives me chills every time I watch it.

"Mary Did You Know"

It was going to be hard to beat what I thought was the absolutely best moment of that concert.  But, once again, the Boys far exceeded my expectations as the concert continued.  It was back to the hits for the Boys, as they continued their set list with "Bigger," their second single from This Is Us.  After Brian's very serious, very emotional performance, the Boys lightened things about by acting a little goofy during this song.

"Bigger"

I don't think there can be a Backstreet Boys concert without "As Long As You Love Me" or "All I Have to Give."  We will always remember these hits that helped BSB achieve the success they have today.  What better way to celebrate them than by putting them in a medley together?  During "As Long As You Love Me" Nick decides he wants to do the dance but quickly aborts this idea.

"As Long As You Love Me"

The Boys go out into the audience and then decide they want to go to the top for "All I Have to Give." Unfortunetely, none of my friends have a good video for this, nor can I find a decent one from Group B on YouTube.  If anyone reading this has a decent version, please e-mail me if I have permission to use the video.  This does make me somewhat sad because as Brian was coming back from the balcony area he went right into the row in front of us, and like Nick had been earlier, was within touching distance.  I very much enjoyed where our seats were!  Even though I didn't get video or this, or a decent photo, I was able to snag a video of the most awesome part of the song....AJ and Brian doing the infamous hat dance!  Anyone else think that this should always be in every live show that they do?  I do.  They obviously hadn't done the choreography to this in a while because both Boys forgot towards the end what they were supposed to do.

  Hat Dance from "All I Have to Give"

Now, I know several fans always make a comment about how "I Want It That Way" can be one of their least favorite songs in a live show and in soundchecks because it is so overplayed.  I agree that it is  played a lot but I always love to hear it!  To me it represents the biggest time in their career.  I find that even if someone is not a Backstreet fan, they know this song....and most of the time like it.  It is the song that holds records, that appears on lists of top songs and videos, etc.  The thing that I totally disagree with....the fact that they did not win a Grammy with this song and album.  Millennium is still my all time favorite BSB album and I think they will have to do something spectacular to beat it.  Unlike the hat dance, the Boys did some older choreography from the Unbreakable tour that they actually remembered.  

"I Want It That Way"

It was then time for Howie's time to shine in the spotlight.  I wasn't sure which song he was going to sing from his new album Back to Me since he has only released two singles from it.  "Lie to Me," Howie's current single was his song of choice.  Howie was finally the last Backstreet Boy (excluding Kevin) to release a solo project.  While he has toured in Japan, opened for Britney Spears in South America, and done some Canadian performances, he has yet to do anything in the United States for his album.  He better be doing that...eventually.

"Lie to Me"

I think all fans remember the events that transpired that eventually led to the release of "The One" as their fourth single from Millennium.  In 2000, a fan poll was held to vote for the fourth single from the album.  The song that had been leading on the poll at the very beginning was "Don't Want You Back," which was also wanted by four of the five guys.  This all changed when Nick Carter called into Total Request Live and stated that he wanted "The One" to be the next single from Millennium.  It did not take long for fans to follow suit and begin voting for "The One."  However, during this concert, the group decided to sing the song that SHOULD have been their fourth single from Millennium.  I don't know about you all, but I think they should have brought back those pole/ladder props from the Millennium tour for this part of the performance.

"Don't Want You Back"

Up to this point, only one song from This Is Us had been performed, but it was time for more.  "If I Knew Then" is the fifth track on This Is Us but was never released as a single.  We got a nice little surprise during this song on the cruise....Nick forgot his lyrics and he made it very clear to us.  Then it was Brian to the rescue!  Even though Nick forgot the lyrics to this song and messed up lyrics in other songs, this show was still amazing.  Those mistakes made it unique...it made it more real because it was just them being them up there.  It was spontaneous, which I always like from the Backstreet Boys.  It also got me thinking that it may be why they only sang two songs from their most recent album.  All others songs they have been singing for years so they know them incredibly well.  

"If I Knew Then"

Nick then got a chance to redeem himself when it was time for his solo.  "Burning Up," Nick's second single from his second solo album I'm Taking Off, got the crowd going and ready for much more to come.  Nick came to visit us in the crowd once again, although this time he was two rows in front of us.  Once again, I was so happy for our seating placement.   Who needed to spend extra money for anything other than an interior cabin?  Not us.  Because of Nick's little dancing spurts, he is now being referred to as a Muppet among many fans, comparing him to how The Muppets dance.  I totally see it, others do not.  Anyway, after this song I was pumped and ready for more!

"Burning Up"

It would not be a Backstreet Boys concert if they did not include "Shape of My Heart," their first single from Black and Blue.  And much like "I Want It That Way," it did not win the Grammy that it was nominated for.  I learned something very interesting today.  Many people believe that this song contains a non-existent word...tragical.  Tragical is actually an adjective meaning "of, relating to, or characteristic of tragedy" (dictioary.com).  Who knew?  I did know, however, that the concert must be coming to a close because they usually put this song towards the end of their shows.  I didn't want it to end.

"Shape of My Heart"

My favorite up tempo song to see live is "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)."  Me and four of my friends did a dance to the song during our freshman year in our high school Talent Show (see it here).  I still do the dance to this day at weddings (my own included), Holiday Parties, friend get togethers, basically anywhere there is a DJ that has the song.  I love seeing it live because I love to see how the choreography changes with each tour.  Plus, I love hearing those words "Backstreet's back, ALRIGHT!"  During this particular performance we got some old school choreography, Nick answering his own question as to if he is sexual, and a slight Backstreet dance off.

"Everybody (Backstreet's Back)"

The Boys then left the stage, which meant we only had one song left to hear.  My friends and I had actually questioned whether or not we thought Kevin would be joining the Boys on stage for at least one song.  We thought that wouldn't be fair to group A, who would have their concert while out at sea the next day so we figured it was not going to happen.  As soon as the Boys came back out on stage with Kevin we were proven wrong!  We were going to get to hear Kevin sing!!!!!  I had never been a fan of Kevin's voice as a single person singing, although I appreciate it much more now than when I did when I was a teenager.  I do have to say that the group as a whole sounds much better with Kevin in the mix.  This was my second favorite time of the concert cruise (after "Mary Did You Know").  I was also now sold on the idea of Kevin coming back into the group if it does, indeed, happen.  I felt bad that my friend Tammy was not able to go on this year's cruise because Kevin and the song "Drowning" are her favorites.  I know she would have loved to have seen this...so I had to make sure I got it on video for her.

"Drowning"

The set list compliments of the Door Decoration
winners.

Do you know what part I hate the most about any Backstreet Boys concert I've ever been too?  The part where the Boys take their final bow.  If I could have it my way, the Boys would have a marathon of a concert where they just sing every song they have ever recorded.  This concert was just so special because we had all had a say in what we wanted to hear.  I believe that the only songs that made it that me or one of my friends voted for was "Siberia" and "Bad Boy."  I am not surprised considering almost all of our choices were unreleased songs, which they did not do.  Maybe that is an idea for next cruise.  A concert of just unreleased material, voted on by the fans of course.  

After the Boys took their final bow, each one hugged Kevin.  I know they miss him and I hope that Kevin now realizes how much he means to the group and to the fans.  I think most of us would want nothing more than to see him return to the Backstreet Boys after what we experienced on this cruise.  

We knew that we still had one more Kevin opportunity after the concert during the Prom Night deck party.  I'll have to review that in a separate post because I believe that this post is long enough right now.  Stay tuned!

Special thanks to Anne Marie and Laura for sharing your videos.

Next Up:  **BSB Cruise 2011 - Day 2 Prom Night Deck Party**

Filled with love, to last throughout the year...

**Top 11 of 2011**

It is New Year's Eve and 2011 is about to end.  Overall, it was a great year filled with concerts, new friends, my favorite University, and a cruise to top it all off.  It's going to be hard to count down my Top 11 Backstreet/University of Kentucky moments of 2011 but I'm going to try.

11.  My Very Kentucky Birthday - I am clearly a University of Kentucky fan.  For my birthday this year, I received an authentic UK basketball jersey and a pair of UK shoes.  I like to wear them proudly around Northwest Indiana where people give me questionable looks and often don't understand than UK stands for the University of Kentucky and NOT the United Kingdom.  I will ALWAYS be a Wildcat fan and wish more than anything that my husband and I would move to Lexington.

Me and Tammy - Wildcat Fans Forever

 10.  My First Kentucky Win - Going along with my University of Kentucky gifts was my chance to see my first UK win ever when I went to a UK football game with Tammy in November.  Up to this point, we had been 0-4 when we had gone to see either UK football or basketball games.  During this game against Ole Miss, the curse was broken!

All the Girls Minus Tammy and Susan - We missed you!

9.  New Backstreet Friends - This year would not have been the same without meeting some new Backstreet friends.  The daily e-mails were always enough to start my day out on the right foot and after one of us had just gotten done with a concert, the e-mails got even better with photos and videos.  The daily communication was a way to help one another deal with our Backstreet withdrawals...or to make it worse in some cases.  In some cases we were enablers to one another but we were always there for one another.  So, to Laura, Cory, Tammy, Susan, Ashley, and Anne Marie....thanks for filling up my e-mail.  To Cortney and Jen...may we have more time to become even better friends.

8.  The Great Ab Debate of 2011 - One of the many e-mail threads that were exchanged among me and some of my new BSB friends regarded a very important topic...who had better abs...Donnie Wahlburg or AJ McLean?  Yes, here was group of 20-30 something year olds arguing over which Boy Band Bad Boy had the best midsection.  Who needs to debate about politics or religion or education?  Not us, I guess.  This e-mail thread was composed of 51 e-mails between the group, with photos and videos attached to try to prove one's point.  There never was a clear winner but we all agreed that both men were just too sexy for their own good anyway.

Who has better abs? AJ McLean from the Backstreet Boys or Donnie Whalburg from New Kids on the Block?

AJ McLean Donnie Whalburg

pollcode.com free polls

7.  The Summer of NKOTBSB - So this isn't really one event per-say.  2011 was the year where NKOTBSB dominated the thoughts of many, many, many girls across the United States.  I was a New Kids fan as a first grader, but I have now been a Backstreet fan for almost half of my life.  What started as hesitation for this tour at first, turned into never wanting it to end.  So, by the end of the summer of 2011, I had attended 6 NKOTBSB concerts (Grand Rapids, 2 Chicago, Nashville, Louisville, Indianapolis) and had wanted to go to so many more.   I went with a different "group" to each concert and realized that the Backstreet Boys do truly bring people together.  I traveled a total of approximately 2,331 miles to see those nine men perform and who knows how much money was spent on concert tickets, VIPs, merchandise, gas, and food.  But every mile, every dollar, every minute of my time was worth the happiness that filled me when I went to those concerts.  The withdrawals afterwards were not so much fun.  Maybe if I ever do go back to grad school for psychology I can do an experiment on how the Backstreet Boys affect their fans similarly to how drugs affect drug addicts.

Wildcat until the day I die....

6.  My Louisville Acknowledgements - During my Louisville NKOTBSB show, Brian ackowledged me, not once, but twice from the stage.  I had to wear my University of Kentucky gear to represent my Wildcats while we were in the nest of the enemy (University of Louisville Cardinals).  Being second row, I also knew it would catch Brian's eye.  He acknowledged me first at the very beginning of the show and then again when the Boys were choosing people for "I'll Never Break Your Heart."  The people next to me said he would have picked me for sure if it wouldn't have been Leighanne's birthday.  I was happy he had laughed at my sign and do believe deep down in my heart that I might have had the chance to be picked.  One day I hope to have that moment.

5.  Crazy for Wylee - I had been to two of Leighanne's Wylee parties during the NKOTBSB concerts, both of which Brian had made very brief appearances.  My third finally paid off when I was able to have a pretty long conversation with Brian and get a photo.  I also talked to his dad and bodyguard that day.  It made me feel like I was a part of something special and I must have been nuts to leave the party before Brian left but I had been on a mission to find him a UK jersey to wear for the final number of the concert.  I returned to the soundcheck with no luck but Brian happily remembered me and thanked me for trying.

Well worth every penny of the upgrade...

4.  My First Platinum VIP - Obviously the Louisville NKOTBSB show was by far my favorite.  Not only had I interacted with Brian during the Wylee party and been acknowledged by him onstage, but this was my first concert with a Platinum VIP.  I had originally won a silver but had upgraded when I thought that Brian might switch with AJ for the backstage tour because he was in his home state.  That was a bust but I had some interaction with Nick and AJ, they sang "Siberia" (one of my faves), I got my first ever solo photo with the group (in front of the barriers), and I got a backstage tour and photo with AJ.  This particular VIP had been well worth it (not everyone has great VIP reviews).

This is what dreams are made of...

3.  BSB Cruise 2011 - I have absolutely no regrets about this year's BSB Cruise.  I set out to do everything that I wanted to do...stay up late, be brave, spend time with friends, relax on a beach in the Bahamas, and have a good time.  I did all of those and had a great time doing it.  After having last year's cruise to compare to, I wasn't sure how this one was going to stack up so I decided that I needed to go in there with low expectations again.  Once again, this cruise blew the little expectations I had out of the water.  I had fun, my friends had fun, the Backstreet Boys had fun...what more could you ask for?  For the girl who told me that she didn't think the cruise was worth the money....I'd say she needs to get over the "I deserve more" complex that some fans (NOT ALL!), I am sorry to say, have.

2.  Say Cheese! - I have been lucky enough this year to get 9 photos with the Backstreet Boys, either as a group or individually.  These include:  NKOTBSB Grand Rapids Silver VIP with group, Louisville Wylee Party with Brian, NKOTBSB Louisville Platinum VIP with group and AJ, Miami Wylee Party with Brian, Pre-Cruise Party at Cameo with group,  80s Night Deck Party with Howie, Prom Night Deck Party with Kevin, and BSB Cruise Group Photo.  Every single one of these moments was special and I am so glad that I have these photos to remember these times when I was in the presence of the men that have meant so much to me in the past 13 years. 

Laura wonders if I love UK or BSB more...

1.  Brian's "Kentucky Girl" - So what can be better than getting 9 photos with the Backstreet Boys in one year?  How about getting a nickname from your idol?  Brian first called me "Kentucky Girl" after a brief talk about UK basketball during the Miami Wylee party.  Yes, I know I do not live in Kentucky, nor have I ever (although I was really close).  However, two of my top ten moments revolve around the University of Kentucky, three of my nine BSB photos (this year) include me in a UK shirt, and my dream city of residence is Lexington, KY....so tell me that I am not a Kentucky Girl at heart and don't deserve that nickname.  I figured that I would just take the name and enjoy it for the night because there was no way I was ever going to be called that again....until he did it again at the Pre-Cruise Party at Cameo later that night.  So he remembered me just hours after seeing me?  It didn't matter....he still remembered me...I had made some kind of impression in the minute or so we had talked at that table at the Wylee Party!  I spent the next two days watching him and the rest of the group entertain us with a Sail Away Party, a game show, a Beach Party, a concert, and two deck parties.  There was no way when I went to go take that group photo on the third day that he was going to remember me after two days of busy work and seeing hundreds of fans.  When the words "Kentucky Girl" came out of his mouth again during that photo and I wasn't wearing anything UK to have triggered that memory, I could have fainted.  He actually remembered me...the girl who people seem to forget about in their lives, the girl who actually only had her first picture taken with him just last October, the girl who doesn't have the money to buy multiple VIPs (one Silver was won this year and the other was an upgrade from a won Silver).  To this day, I am not sure if the Louisville show had anything to do with his memory of me since we had talked UK there as well and I was faithfully wearing my blue and white.  Nor am I sure if my attendance at his 2010 HHC VIP Weekend influenced his memory since we had also talked UK there and I was wearing a UK shirt.  All of those events could have triggered his memory this time, but this Cruise vacation was the first time he had called me "Kentucky Girl."  Will he ever call me that again?  Only he knows.  I would think that if I wearing Kentucky or we started talking UK, then he would.  Would I do that just so he would remember me?  You bet I would.  Until it happens again, I am going to keep it locked tight in my heart that for a brief few days I was Brian's "Kentucky Girl."

I hope that 2012 brings all of this same happiness for me and other Backstreet friends!