A brief backstory.

I had only been an official member of the backstreetboys.com fanclub for a matter of months and it was already in the process of changing my life. There was entire world of Backstreet that I had no idea existed. There were forums, discussions, VIPs.. And a CRUISE! How did a giant ship with my four favorite men onboard pass me by? I don't know, but I missed it. I read the endless comments about the 2010 Backstreet Boys Cruise, I flipped through thousands of photos, and watched every video on Youtube. I may have missed the first one, but I would NOT miss the second.

When talk of a second cruise announcement started swirling, I started planning. I did all kinds of research, and I did all sorts of budgeting. I was going to be on that cruise ship when it left Miami, FL next. And I wanted to be with my sister. Unfortunately she wasn't yet twenty-one, and given the health of one of our parents we weren't able to bring a legal guardian. I contacted Rose Tours to see if there was something we could do. After multiple conversations, it was decided that given our circumstance I could act as Jenna's guardian - even though I would only be twenty-two at the time of departure. We were excited!

That excitement was short lived. The night before the cruise officially went on sale, I decided to call Rose Tours and confirm that we'd still be able to reserve a cabin. The response I got was not ideal. I don't want to give specifics, but when I called I spoke with the same lady I had been in contact with previously over the phone and via e-mail. She informed me that the information I had received was incorrect, and that no one from Rose Tours would approve such a request. I was floored. It was frustrating, and devastating. I was extremely unhappy with not only the outcome, but with the customer service I had received.

So I hung up the phone, and I gave up on my hopes of cruising with the Backstreet Boys in December 2011. I focused my energy on the NKOTBSB tour that was in roughly two months. At least I'd see the boys in concert a few times.

The high from the week long NKOTBSB adventure lasted a few weeks after the last concert. I had been talking with Charlene prior to the concerts, and we checked in afterwards. We both had such a great time, and were wishing we were going on the cruise. While in the forums, I saw that Brandy was looking for a roommate for the cruise. That sparked something in me, and I messaged her. I had given up on my original cruise plans because I didn't want to travel without my sister. Brandy was looking for a roommate for a 6E cabin with reserved seating in the first six rows at events. I ran the idea by Charlene, and before I knew it the three of us had booked a three person cabin for the cruise in December. It all happened so fast, and there wasn't much financial planning, on my part. Others had been making payments for a couple of months. Rose Tours made an exception for us, and gave us some extra time to get the first required payment together since we had missed the first date.

Since Charlene and I were geographical close, we decided to travel to Florida together. Brandy would meet us there since she lived in the US. Char and I nailed down a trip itinerary, and just like that - I was set to board the SS Backstreet on December 2nd, 2011.

Trip Itinerary
Sunday, November 27th, 2011 - Drive the 412km from Revelstoke, BC to Calgary, AB.
Tuesday, November 29th, 2011 - Fly from Calgary, AB to Orlando, FL (2738km).
Wednesday, November 30th, 2011 - Universal Studios during the day.
Wednesday, November 30th, 2011 - Take the Florida Express from Orlando to Miami (379km).
Thursday, December 1st, 2011 - Day in Miami, FL.
Friday, December 2nd, 2011 - Board the SS Backstreet!