I Just Want(ed) You to Know

I've already blogged about the Backstreet Boys' Never Gone concert I saw on September 4th in 2005. It was my second Backstreet concert, but my first with my own camera so I'd like share a few of my personal photos - the photos that are worth sharing, that is. Nowadays I go to a concert and take hundreds and hundreds of pictures. I watch a majority of the concert through my camera screen - it's a bad habit. In 2005 I must have been in the early stages of my photo obsession. I only walked away from this concert with 90 or so photos. Here are a couple of the good ones!

Day 1 on the SS Backstreet 2011

Friday, December 2nd, 2011
We boarded the Carnival Imagination ship around noon. Our cabin wouldn't be ready until after 1:30pm, so we headed to the Lido Deck to have some lunch. When we got to the buffet, Brian and his wife were having lunch as well! We sat a few tables away, close enough that I could say I ate lunch near Brian Littrell. Knowing I would soon have to turn off my phone, I had been texting my sister furiously telling her how amazing the first few moments had been. I decided to call my mom - one last time - and I nearly squealed into the phone that from where I was eating lunch I could see Brian (her favorite). Then I bragged to my sister about grazing Nick's hand (her favorite) while they were boarding. She had officially become jealous, and I turned off my phone. After lunch, Charlene and I headed to our cabin on the seventh deck. We had checked on it a couple of times, but it was still not ready. We decided to drop our bags off and explore the ship while we waited. We still hadn't met our third roommate, Brandy. We were hoping our cabin would be finished before the mandatory emergency boat drill so we could put our door decorations up.

With an hour to spare before the boat drill at 3:30pm, our cabin was finally ready. We met Brandy in our room, and the three of us began to decorate our door. I'm not going to take credit for our very creative and well done door, it was all Brandy and Char - I just helped put it together. Char created the stage and all it's bits and pieces, while Brandy had hand-painted dolls to look like the Backstreet Boys did in the Just Want You to Know video as Sphykter. The detail on the dolls were absolutely incredible. We had the dimensions of the door wrong, so the stage Charlene had built didn't fit. We put it on the wall next to our door, and used the door for the marquee - which lit up - that Brandy had made. Even though I had little to do with the pieces of the door, I was quite proud of the way it turned out.

After the boat drill, ladies started filling up the Lido deck even though the Sail Away Party wasn't scheduled until 4:45pm - and we were now on Backstreet time. This would be the first deck party of the 2011 Backstreet Boys cruise, and was sure to set the pace for the next couple of events. We had gone back to our cabins before heading up to the Lido deck. I had been so worried about seasickness prior to the cruise, so I had plenty of Gravol. When it was pointed out that we had set sail, I hadn't even noticed that we were moving! I thought of this as a good sign.

The Sail Away Party was the perfect way to kick off the cruise. In the middle of the Lido deck there was a small stage. We positioned ourselves around the stage and waited for the boys to arrive. All four of the gentlemen joined us on the Lido deck. Brian, of course, brought his wife who interacted with the crowd just as much as any one of the Backstreet Boys themselves. Each boy welcomed us and thanked us for joining them in their own way.

The Sail Away Party consisted of goofiness, music, streamers and of course the four boys. AJ talked about that night's theme - Sphynkter 80s Night - which resulted in Nick rambling about AJ's in tights. At one point the boys were given streamers to set off, and naturally AJ and Nick did it in the most inappropriate way they knew how. AJ took some time to dedicate songs to each of his band mates. Howie received Gimme More by Britney Spears since he had been touring with her. Nick got Tearin' Up My Heart by none other than *NSync. Brian felt that this was an appropriate time to imitate *NSync, it turned out to be quite humorous. Nick then dedicated Masquerade to Brian, who showed off his 'impressive' dance moves. Brian also spent a large amount of time running around like a child. He was climbing on railings to meet fans and jumping on hand railings to surf. He was a wild child!

At one point, Nickolas Carter decided to point out how rocky the boat had gotten. He mentioned that he use to live in the area, and it's some of the roughest waters. I had been desperately trying not to notice, but as soon as Nick pointed it out I couldn't ignore the swaying of the ship any longer. By the time the Sail Away Party had wrapped, and we headed back to our cabins I was completely seasick. We had a three person cabin with one bed that folded out of the wall. Char had claimed her bed, and we had all of our stuff sprawled out on my bed. Char and I were booth feeling queasy, and just wanted to lay down. Brandy called for someone to come turn down our bed, but they refused to do it while we were in the room. They would only come if we went to dinner. It was awful! So I curled up on Char's bed to have a quick nap before the In It to Win It game show that night. We were group B, so our event was scheduled for 6:30pm with the doors opening at 6pm. I thought that if I just shut my eyes for a moment and try to collect myself, I'd be okay to make it to the game. I was wrong.

I got up shortly after 6pm, grabbed my camera and headed for the stairs.. There was no way I was going to survive. I turned around and went straight back to bed. Charlene came back to the room after the game show and was quite seasick herself, so we crawled into bed together to have a buddie nap. With encouragement from Cortney's mom, I made it to dinner. She thought I should try to put something in my tummy. I had a piece of watermelon from the fruit salad I ordered, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Brandy said I got some color back in my face after the ice cream. Char looked terrible at dinner, so she went straight back to the room. Cortney, Brandy and I went to do some shopping. Like a wave, the seasickness hit me again - but harder. I had to lay down if I had any hope of making it to Sphynkter 80s Night - which I so desperately wanted to attend.

When I got back to our cabin, I quickly laid out all of my 80s wear so that I could quickly get dressed when I got up. I laid down - on my own bed this time - and shut my eyes. My room mates came and went. I knew I was running out of time to feel better.. I wasn't going to make it to the first deck party of the 2011 Backstreet Boys Cruise. I was so upset, and I was nearly in tears. I was starting to panic. I was terrified that I was going to spend the entire trip in the same state. The first thought I had was, "I'm paying the $7 a minute to call my mother, and she has to get me off this boat!" It was drastic, I know - but I was SO sick. Hoping the next day would be better, I eventually fell asleep.

More photos!

SS Backstreet 2011 - All aboard!

Friday, December 2nd, 2011
Morning came fast. I had pre-packed the night before, but my luggage was out of control! The number one tip I had gotten from previous cruisers was not to over pack. I definitely over packed! And the more I bought, the heavier my suitcase got. We hadn't even made it to the boat yet, and I could barely shut my suitcase. We got dressed in our cruise apparel - Cortney and her mom in their second time cruisers shirts, me in my first time cruiser shirt and Charlene in her Nick Carter shirt. We called a cab and requested a van because there was four of us and a lot of stuff. Apparently that weekend was the busiest for cabs (some sort of art festival?), so we ended up with a regular cab and a driver who was not pleasant at all. He thought we were going to the airport, but we were going to the Port of Miami. He acted like we had just ruined his day, and even made a phone call in front of us whining about how he had to go to the Port of Miami. It was uncomfortable. That man would not have received a tip from me, that's for certain!

When we arrived at the Port of Miami a very nice gentlemen took our bags, and we began the check-in process. I called my mom quickly because I didn't know if I'd have another chance. I talk to my parents multiple times a day! When something exciting happens, I call my mom to tell her about it. The thought of not being in contact with my parents for the next couple of days was terrifying. It hit me when we were in the security line, and I started to tear up on the phone with my mom. I was starting to get overwhelmed! I had never been on a cruise before, nevermind such an enormous trip. I was completely out of my comfort zone, and I began to panic. I just needed to breathe.

While we were in line to go through security, we saw one of the boys' bodyguards. The older lady who was responsible for guiding us to the right line recognized Nick on Char's shirt and mentioned that he had checked just a few moments earlier.  Gah! If that taxi driver had headed in the right direction in the first place than we might have made it to the port just a few moments sooner and bumped into Nick! Next time..

We were at the port quite early. There wasn't too many cruisers there yet, so we didn't have to wait in a long line to check-in. We got our room keys, wristband, itinerary and boarding card then took a seat near the VIP Check-In door. It didn't take a certified genius to figure out who would be in there. We weren't trying to peer in the door or anything, afterall we were about to board a ship with the Backstreet Boys. We'd have plenty of chances to see them! It was funny to watch how many people tried to enter the VIP Check-In though, whether it was on purpose made to look like an accident, or if it really was an accident. I didn't understand the thought process.. Who would read 'VIP Check-In' and think, "Oh right, that's where I'm suppose to be!" It was odd.

We waited, and chatted. I called my mom and sister again. I had calmed down now, and was no longer on the verge of a panic attack. My mom could tell, and my sister gave me the same advice she had been giving me since I left Canada - just calm down, and have fun. I am such a stresser that sometimes I completely forget to enjoy what is happening. I wasn't about to let that happen on the cruise!

I noticed that security was increasing, and there was a definite shift in the room. The staff started to create barricades out of the rows of seats, so Cortney and I knew where we had to be. We positioned ourselves against the barricades. Slowly the Backstreet Boys, their friends and family, and their staff began to trickle out. Mr. AJ McLean was first. I was disappointed I didn't see Rochelle. I was looking forward to the possibility of meeting her. Then Howie D strolled out. Brian came out with beautiful wife Leighanne. He made fun of all the screaming by yelling back at us. And eventually Nick and Lauren appeared. I've never reached out to touch one of the Backstreet Boys before. I've just never had the urge to, and most of the time I find it weird. When Nick walked past us, he stuck out his hand so my natural reaction was to do the same. I was so excited that I had just touched Nick Carter's hand that I knew these next couple of days were going to be remarkable.

Once the four boys were safe 'n sound on the ship, the process of boarding all of the fans began. At check-in we recieved a baording pass with a zone number on it. We waited for our zone to be called and then headed onto the ship. We stopped to have our photo taken as a group, and once again at a desk so there was an image associated with our room keys - they clearly take security very seriously. The sight from outside was incredible. I knew cruise ships were massive, but when you're standing next to one the feeling is crushing. Once we were onboard, it was tough to tell we were even on a boat. That overwhelming feeling of panic started to creep back in, but it was overpowered by the sheer excitement of what was about to begin...



CAMEO Nightclub - Let the hysteria begin!

Thursday, December 1st, 2011

Charlene and I made the quick walk over to CAMEO Nightclub. When we got to the entrance, as to be expected with any Backstreet event, there was a bit of confusion. There was general admission, there was VIP tables and then there was the VIP which included a photo. We all seemed to be in the same line, which didn't make the most sense. We were eventually broken up into more specific lines, and after waiting in line for nearly an hour we were escorted into the nightclub.

I don't visit nightclubs frequently, especially nightclubs in a city like Miami, FL. I don't have a long list to compare this nightclub to, but CAMEO was something I had never seen before. There were two floors, and the decor was interesting.  In my opinion, I don't know if it was the best venue to use when the majority of the crowd is trying to see the exact same thing. The second floor was useful. That gave you a bird's-eye view of the festivities, but if you were on the main floor there were plenty of obstacles to try and see around. The prices of a mixed drink were outrageous! I'm glad I don't drink. Char bought one drink, and that was it. I also heard it was impossible to even get a glass of water. It was definitely an experience!

When we got into CAMEO, we were escorted to the second floor. All of the girls who bought the Hey Sailor VIP Package were stored in what appeared to be a VIP area of the top floor. There were places to sit and a bar to get beverages at. I was surprised by the number of girls. Because of how quickly the packages had sold out (even with a second bunch released), I figured there would be a smaller number of girls. We waited quite awhile, and it was clear - for the next few days, we were officially on Backstreet time.

When a line-up started to form, we decided that the photo session had started. We chose to wait and be closer to the end of the line. The line-up was long - which reinforced how many ladies had purchased the VIP package. We were finally in line, and could see the boys. It had been an amazing few days in Florida, but the idea of being on a cruise ship with the Backstreet Boys wouldn't be real until I saw them in person. And there they were! It was only my third time meeting the Backstreet Boys, so naturally I had the usual butterflies. This photo session felt more intimate - as intimate as you can be with hundreds and hundreds of girls screaming at the same four men you're trying to have your picture taken with. I think it had something to do with the close quarters of the setting, instead of a giant empty arena. It was a fantastic way to begin an extraordinary trip.

This would be meeting Brian, Nick, AJ and Howie. And yes, that is my arm around Nick's waist.

(Thank you to Charlene for the photos!)

One of my favorite pictures!

After our picture was taken, we were ushered down to the main floor. My main priority was to find Cortney and her mom. It was clear that the general admissions had been let in during the time we were up top. It was a nightmare trying to find Cortney in that sea of girls! We walked around the outside a time or two, and then sort of gave up. Charlene and I had taken a spot at the back of the crowd when Cortney and her mom appeared. They had just gotten in. Cortney mentioned that while they were walking to CAMEO, they had passed Nick and Howie being dropped off - nearly an hour after we were suppose to start the photo session. Those boys are lucky they're so darn cute!

When the boys had finished with the pictures, they took to their microphones to welcome us to the pre-cruise party. It all started to get very surreal for me at that moment. Not only was I in a nightclub with the Backstreet Boys, I was about to board a giant cruise ship with them.

Since this was the last time we'd see AJ as a 'single man' it was basically a bachelor party for him. Conveniently there was a stripper pole located in the center of the club. The boys decided that's where AJ needed to be - and I fully agreed! One of the highlights of my LIFE was when AJ McLean took to the stripper pole. Seeing him wiggle to I'm Sexy & I Know It - and take off his shirt - was almost too much for this AJ fanatic. He'll always been my bad boy!

Not my video, so thank you to Youtube user babbler2000.



Throughout the night, both Nick and Howie visited with fans. Nick went up top, while Howie moved his way to the VIP dance floor. AJ did more on the microphone, and Brian hide towards the back. Char, Cortney and I decided to rearrange. We manoeuvred our way through the crowd, and stopped along the side so that Char could snap a few pictures of Nick playing DJ. As we stood there, someone was trying to squeeze past us. Cortney and I made room, but Char was entranced by the tantalizing Nick Carter. Cortney and I noticed immediately that it was Howie D trying to pass between us! Cortney and I just looked at each other like, "That's Howie!!" Charlene didn't even notice. Howie sweetly wrapped his arm around her waist, said excuse me and passed by us. Cortney and I had to tell Charlene after the fact what had just happened. She had no idea!

I am not a morning person. I knew the next morning we'd be getting up early, and as it got later and later I started to dread the morning more and more. From up top, we watched Howie dance with fans - where he had been for awhile. We hadn't seen Brian or AJ in quite some time, and Nick was just DJing. Cortney and I were both thinking it might be time to head back to the hotel and get some sleep. On our way out of the club, we bumped into Nick - which reinforced the notion that it was time to call it a night. He appeared to be leaving, so we felt less guilty about leaving. Tomorrow was going to be a big day.

We had been wrong. The boys weren't finished yet. Although we didn't know what we were missing until we had gotten home and the videos started going up. I wish I had still been at CAMEO to see the Get Another Boyfriend vs If You Want It To Be Good Girl debate. The video is one of my favorites - and I wasn't even there!

Not my video, so thank you to the Youtube user backstreetsisters.