Feel Free To Pass This On To Those Who Don't "Get" It (Cruise Guest Blog!)

Hey homies.

We've been bad bloggers lately. Huge apologies for that, but there have been a million things going on in non-NK land lately. We haven't gone to any shows yet this tour (YET), and we've been occupied with things like the sun, some dirt, the sun, work, the sun, some more dirt... Did we mention that it's FINALLY summer in Minnesota? Actually technically it doesn't happen until this Sunday, but who's counting?


Anyway, what follows is a wonderful recap of the cruise written by one of our girls, Tiffany. She was part of the "Totally Worth It" trip to Omaha, as well as our little spring mini-tour. What she wrote is less of a play-by-play and more of a "THIS is why we do this" kind of a thing. Enjoy.

It’s been almost exactly a month since we set-sail on the NKOTB cruise. Is this blog entry a little late? Yes and no – If your name is Kim or Alexis, then probably “yes” (lol – hopefully the final product was worth the wait!) If you were looking for play-by-play news of the exact details of the trip, then you’ll be thoroughly disappointed by my contribution to projectnkotb. I’m more of a “big picture” gal. A month has not only given me adequate time to recover and clear my head, but also has given me time to reflect on the cruise experience, and to understand exactly what I’m taking away from it.

Going into the cruise, I really wasn’t sure what to expect. I had reservations, and I’m sure the guys did, too. In the People.com video announcing the cruise, Joey couldn’t even say with a straight face that it was a good idea, joking about his manager’s reassurance that it is “not a step back…” I can’t blame them. We are notoriously obsessive, intrusive, and persistent fans. What were they getting themselves into? If things went “south” there would be no way to get off of a boat!

The choice to book the cruise was risky from a fan perspective as well. The cost of this trip compared to the standard cost for a 3-night cruise was obscene. Would it be worth it? We questioned whether this would be a repeat of the infamous “Magic Summer” cruise. Would the guys make many appearances? Would they be accessible, or would they hide-out? With 2000 women on a boat, would the trip be an endless series of catfights? Would it be a whole weekend of pushing, shoving, scheming, and waiting around in endless lines… all to get closer to these guys? In the end, I took the risk and booked the trip. My attitude going into it was that even if we see very little of the guys, I’m going to have a great time and will enjoy the sun with my friends, and with other ladies who share a common love.

I’m here to say, that neither the boys nor the fans disappointed. The cruise was everything I wanted it to be and more. (Special thanks to Rose Tours, who not only put up with a high-maintenance fan base, but also executed the weekend very well IMO.) I can’t imagine a more appropriate pinnacle of my NKOTB fandom than this experience. Thanks to reasonably well behaved fans, the guys were everywhere. They attended not only what they were required to (concerts, gameshows, q&a, photos, etc.) but many of them also attended parties, wandered around the boat, and even went out *seeking* fans, surprising some lucky fans in their staterooms, and making “rounds” through crowds. It’s a pleasantly startling occurrence to be sunbathing and find Joe next to you, or to step into an elevator and have to hold it for Jon… Kudos to the guys for “braving” us fans. Hopefully we didn’t disappoint, either.

Personally, I found the cruise to be a rather unique opportunity to observe and interact with NKOTB on a level that is not so... "rehearsed." Yes, of COURSE they put on a hot show, and I love love love to watch them perform. But I also treasure less scripted glimpses into each guy’s personality, and we don’t get much of an opportunity in a concert atmosphere to enjoy the individuals that make NKOTB so special. After all, we love them not only for who they are as The Block, but also very much for who they are as Jon, Jordan, Danny, Donnie, and Joe individually, and who they are as a group of guys who are friends. Perhaps their willingness to share their true selves is part of the secret of their longevity. One of my favorite parts of concerts is when they take a break and mess around with the (Click)^3 pose-off. Now imagine a whole weekend of that. That’s pretty much the essence of the cruise experience.

Looking back, mostly I feel like the trip was a 4-day celebration of a twenty year, unique relationship between The Block and fans. The best part is that I think the whole experience was mutually enjoyable. The cruise atmosphere felt less voyeuristic and more participatory. I didn’t feel like we were just watching them, I felt more like we were experiencing and enjoying the cruise WITH them. The situation was new both to them and to us, and it felt like we were exploring new ways to enjoy the fan/performer relationship together. *sigh* Even after a month, I have trouble putting the feeling into words. It was an amazing time, and I’ll always treasure it.

Lisa, Katie, Peggy, I don’t even know what to say, except that the past year has been amazing. I love you girls. XOXO.

Parting with a few specific memories:

· The look of awe on Jordan K’s face as he first panned the crowd at the sail-away party… also listening to him talk about his kids

· Observing the difference between Jon’s obvious discomfort in the “staged” events, and his impressive ease and sincerity when you catch him one-on-one… also him mic’d and leading the crowd in signing “happy birthday” to his brother (touching moment, actually…)

· Joey at Family Feud – holy cow. Is he ALWAYS like that? Between the James Brown cape routine and heckling from somewhere in the audience, Joe was freaking hilarious. The consummate entertainer.

· Danny in “dad mode” watching him share the experience with Chance… also f’ing-up “I’ll Be There” - funny shit.

· The daredevil look on Donnie’s face just before crowd surfing. That man can work a crowd like nobody’s business… EVERY NIGHT. When does he sleep?

· The intense thrill of diving in the middle of 25 or so sharks in a feeding frenzy (That is a literal description of me "doing my own thing," SCUBA diving on Saturday in Nassau. It is not some kind of metaphor for a crowd of women trying to get at Donnie...)

· People watching – ladies, there IS such a thing as negative attention… The he-she’s, sweaty-ass kid manipulator, red dress girl, ass chaps chick… really – this is NOT how you want to be remembered! Maybe consider more appropriate behavior and dress next time…

· Party scenes - guys swinging from ceiling structures, dancing on a hot tub, late night/early morning pizza outdoors in a warm, Caribbean breeze… Every day thinking, “pinch me!”

· Being up at 2, 3, 4 in the morning, giggling in a stateroom with the girls… :)

This is going down in history as one of my great major life experiences.

I recall the first time I met NKOTB face-to-face last year at MOA. Upon shaking my first NK (Jordan’s) hand, my mind suddenly blanked, and I could only think of one lame thing to gush. The sentiment holds true for this cruise: “That was awesome!”