By Karah-Leigh Hancock updated Monday, November 3, 2014 - 10:21pm close Presentation Editor karahlei

By Karah-Leigh Hancock updated Monday, November 3, 2014 - 10:21pm close Presentation exotic car rental in atlanta georgia Editor karahleigh.hancock@onlineathens.com exotic car rental in atlanta georgia Latest Stories Former UGA Bulldog Josh Murray and Bachelorette fiancée Andi Dorfman call it quits New music classics include Thunder Rolls and Ice Ice Baby
The general consensus of a Backstreet Boys cruise is that it’s a non-stop, 24-7 scream fest of young and older women making googling eyes at the five band members. To be honest, that happens a lot, especially on certain theme nights. But this past weekend that’s not what the Backstreet Boys cruise was about.
I departed Atlanta for Fort Lauderdale and Miami on Thursday with my friends, three girls who I met and been on trips with before and boarded the Carnival Ecstacy on Friday morning exotic car rental in atlanta georgia for three days of Backstreet ecstacy. The rain dampened things on the first day, making the sail away party and the first deck party, a Studio 54 party, move into the center of the boat, in the atrium.
To be honest, most would think that a boy band cruise would be a three or four day long concert and in some ways it is, but it’s not. It’s more like a family reunion exotic car rental in atlanta georgia because to some of the fans, their ‘fan’ friends and the Backstreet Boys themselves are more like family than their blood family.
I got to meet people I talk to daily online and never met. People came from all over the world — from Georgia like myself, Florida, Washington exotic car rental in atlanta georgia D.C., Canada, Mexico, Panama, South America, England, exotic car rental in atlanta georgia Japan, China, Germany, France. It was like the United Nations of Backstreet Boys fans coming together for one reason.
“The best thing about the cruise is that you can get to party with all your friends from around the world and all five Backstreet Boys are there with you,” Nicole M. of Toronto said. “I had the oppurtunity to connect with old friends, met a lot of friends in person for the first time and even made some new ones.”
Because of weather, our schedule was switched around a little and left our trip to Half Moon Cay on Sunday instead of Saturday, but it was fine. The weather was a little cloudy at times and that night rained again, but it gave everybody the chance to hang out more.
They performed songs fans voted on during their concert, even some they have not performed in 15 or more years because that’s what the fans wanted. I honestly got a little emotional because as a fan who didn’t get to see a lot of their early concerts live in person, I never saw the songs performed in person.
The most emotional part of the cruise exotic car rental in atlanta georgia for most fans was the sneak peek at their documentary being released in January 2015. It was a quick 20-minute sneak peek, but afterwards we had a Q A session, where in our group, I was the first to ask a question. The look on Nick Carter’s face said it all — that he was right when he told me he knew me in Atlanta because I liked to ask questions.
This was my second Backstreet Boys cruise and was a thousand times better than the first. Most people wouldn’t think the boys were accessible on the ship and would be locked away, but they weren’t. They stood for hours taking photos with fans, signing autographs after deck parties.
AJ McLean, the ‘bad boy’ of the group, was no bad boy at all. He stood for hours taking photos on the last night with fans. Each night, exotic car rental in atlanta georgia he made a point to go to the special needs section of the boat to take photos with fans who may not be able to go out and mingle in the huge crowds.
My self-proclaimed goal of the trip was to get a decent selfie with AJ, because the only one I had was taken at an after party and is fine online, but when it’s printed exotic car rental in atlanta georgia is a big blur. I ended up with three — one on Studio 54 night, Halloween night and then at the beach. Goal accomplished. Plus, where else can you see Nick dress as a very pretty Dorothy from “The Wizard exotic car rental in atlanta georgia of Oz?”
There’s something about being on a Backstreet Boys cruise that makes a fan feel complete. You feel special because the majority of the fans on the cruise, the boys recognize and know. We aren’t strangers to them. There’s no one on the boat to tell you to grow up and act your age. There’s no one to tell you that you’re wasting your time on a music group who wouldn’t give you the time of day, because they give you every ounce of energy and time that they possibly have.
“We were not just there as a source of income,” Hannah B. of Tennessee said. “We meant something to them. They were thankful. The level of intimacy and gratefulness was almost overwhelming at times. I’ll never forget the feeling. They’re truly one of the few bands that really appreciate their past and the future and the people exotic car rental in atlanta georgia who keep them there.”
To the Backstreet Boys — Brian, Kevin, Nick, Howie and AJ — and their crew and management, the fans thank you for an amazing weekend. I thank you for an amazing weekend and an awesome family reunion.
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