My Honest Thoughts About Cancun

This blog is coming a little later than I intended. Life got in the way and I never would’ve guessed that it’d take a bit to recover from my vacation. I posted some thoughts on the Fan Club but this is going to be all my thoughts in one place. I made the decision not to break it down into multiple posts.

But I know there’s been a lot of talk about the Cancun beach event and I’m here to give some perspective. I’m going to be a hundred percent honest but it might not be about what you expect. I don’t mean anything I say to be bad, it’s just the truth.

Settle in, this blog is going to be a long one.

I went in with realistic expectations. The closest thing I had to compare it to was the very first cruise where I went in equally blind. They’d never done anything like before back in 2010 and the same was true here. The mistake I feel like was made by many was thinking this would be just like the cruises. But, it was never intended to be that way. This wasn’t a cruise and was never meant to be. This was new and this was different.

I was not built for humidity, let me just say. Still, I had a blast. The resort itself was beautiful and the staff were always on point with drinks, even when we were checking in. Room service was usually pretty fast. The restaurants were nice too.  I could’ve lived in that pool. I mean they were serving us drinks in the water. In fact I tried to on my first day and got toasted between sunscreen reapplications. Whoops. I got cocky because I live in Vegas and I got burned – literally! (Also major shout out to Justin, Kat, and and Jenn for keeping up with all the madness in that humidity and heat. I know that wasn’t easy.)

The Tributo band was great. I wasn’t sure what to expect when they first got announced but I tried to go in with an open mind. I have faith in our Boys, they don’t half ass anything so I went with it. It was one of the funniest parts. The Tributo Backstreet Boys had the details down to the shiny jackets from the Vegas residency, and a lot of the nuances. I will say, “Fake Nick” needs to be more dramatic. Then again, maybe the drama Nick Carter exudes on stage just can’t be duplicated. Watching the Boys watch their first Backstreet Boys concert was low key hilarious and I loved the little things like Kevin pretending to be a stage hand cleaning up the stage between costume changes. I met the Fake Howie later and he was just fanboying so hard about the fact they got to do this and sing with the Boys. I loved it.

 

One thing for me that became clear pretty fast was that Playa Luna had never had a destination event that was as interactive as BSB’s. I looked into it, I heard from others, the staff, etc. This was a first for them too, usually it’s just the concerts and some DJ sets. But our Boys have never been like that and I think it says a lot about BSB that they intended this to be different. That said, I do think the resort staff at Moon Palace and Playa Luna were a bit unprepared for a group that has high fan interaction events.

That inexperience with the kind of group they were dealing with and the kind of fandom they had on their hands showcased itself many times. If this happens again in the future I do hope they took notes. There was a lot of mistakes made just from the inexperience I guess you could say? Not with this kind of event, I know they’ve done this before. But with a fandom that expects more than just concerts.

On that same note, I have to admit many fans were a bit crazed. Y’all know that I’ve done my fair share of stuff. Cruises, fan events, lots of general admission shows. I’m a fangirl who knows how to handle herself. But this was next level. I was originally pretty close for the White Night party but the pushing and shoving got so bad so fast I got scared. My friend and I bailed when we couldn’t move our arms at all and it was only getting worse. Fan etiquette was pretty non-existent this trip and it threw me off base. Because usually most fans are pretty respectful of the unwritten rules, you know the ones. But I watched a fan sneak behind the barricade and try to crawl on a crate to get to the stage. It came crashing down. I was in shock.

(You can see me in the crowd shot of this post, I was the one with green writing on my white shirt – I did not stay there long.)

 

This was on night one and continued throughout the event. And I have to say, guys, please, learn some chill. It’s not safe if you act like this, fans can and will overheat and pass out if you’re not careful. Fans can get hurt and crushed. One thing I’ve learned from my own personal interactions over the years is if you act calm and don’t get frenzied, they’ll stay longer and interact more. We’re adults. If we act like it, then events will be so much better for us and the Boys!

Moving on, my friends and I figured we weren’t about to fight the crowd and were about to head to our room when we saw gaps on the side of the stage. Kevin ended up serving me a shot and Howie stole my phone. The Boys were really trying their best to give what fans they could moments.

The next day was the first full day of events. I ended up doing trivia with my friends. Now between the two of us, we ended up slaying trivia! I was impressed with the questions they were asking. They were asking deep things that casuals just wouldn’t know. I’d love to know who came up with the questions cause even I got stumped once or twice. It ended up on BSB’s Instagram and the only thing that would’ve made this better is if they’d accounted for more people wanting to do this because spots filled up fast, and having the Boys there. My roommates and I would’ve had our own team but the slots were gone. Luckily for me my friend Cindy had room on her team for more. We won these super cute fanny packs that I ended up using the rest of the trip.

AJ’s karaoke was epic and amazing. Karaoke events always are. I might be biased in that aspect though. The one thing I’d suggest if it’s possible to move some of these events inside in the future, do so. The heat was intense. Now Moon Palace was on it in that they were handing out waters all over the place. But it’s still a lot and will drain you. The group event – Singled Out was inside and that made a massive difference. I think a lot of the events should’ve been held there and it would’ve been easier on fans. Not just because of the heat but then people wouldn’t be crowding so hard to get a good view or get close. You either have the seats or you don’t. It’d make it easy and less chaotic. I also think it’d then make it so assigned seating or at least assigned groups for when you can enter, then you don’t have fans queuing literally all day.

I’ll get into that later.

That night also held DNA. The setlist was a bit loosey goosey from the setlist we know and love. But that’s okay. mostly. I desperately missed seeing them sing New Love and my second favorite BSB song of all time, Breathe (DNA). I know I’m usually a seat snob but why would I waste my time at a gorgeous resort standing in line for hours? I made peace with the fact I wouldn’t be barricade bound at the concerts. And you know what? It was a vibe! Listening and watching my favorite group perform on the beach with some of my favorite people in the fandom while staff is serving you drinks? That’s a time.

I think that’s why this is the least amount of time I’ve ever had my phone out at a Backstreet Boys event. I know. It’s crazy. But I just wanted to soak it all in.

Can all concerts be on the beach?

Now the after party was scheduled to just be the DJ. But hey, that’s not how the Boys roll. We know this. So of course Brian, AJ and Howie ended up showing up and giving us a fun time. The interaction was top notch with what options they had and I got lucky. You could tell they were just there having a fun time on the stage, just like all the other after parties we know and love. I’d missed them. I may love solo stuff but really, BSB have my heart as a group first and foremost y’all.

       

So Saturday, the actual anniversary. I popped by the trading post and swapped some bracelets around. I’m glad I did because a lot of fans came with stickers, bracelets and while hot it was just an upbeat vibe. It was nice to relax until the Singled Out game. This was held in a conference room and best idea for the event. It had plenty of space for everyone, it was inside and it was easy to get drinks. Now, I hadn’t been picked in the initial drawing, but they were picking people from the crowd. I was asked who my favorite Boy was, I said Nick and there I went to join the others!

(My friend Jodi and I, proudly Team Nick even though we immediately failed on stage like so many others.)

Only to be knocked out with all but four people with one question. It’s fine. Honestly it was funny. I still say he did that on purpose knowing what we’d all choose. But it worked out. It was fun watching everyone play the games and battle for the King and Queen of the beach. Or, in this case because Nick’s partner was a guy, King and King of the beach! If that was you, kudos! You kicked ass and I love seeing a proud male BSB fan win one of these games. You’re awesome dude.

Howie was pretty entertaining as he downed shots and had fans make some guacamole with him. I wish those shot glasses had been for sale. I totally would’ve bought one! And with Kevin, he wanted fans to vibe while he played music on the beach. Here’s where I go back to what I said earlier. He’d said he wanted to play some music for everyone and we just dance and enjoy. Instead everyone was pushing to be at the front and trying to record him. Sometimes, listen to the Boys. He specifically decided to do an event with no fan interaction so, I feel like fans should’ve respected it. I get wanting a small video or photo. I mean been there! But the entire time sort of defeated the purpose. I was dancing with my friends in the sand.

This might be controversial, but I wasn’t interested in seeing Jason Derulo’s show. (Sorry!) I’m a casual fan at best so I just chilled with my friends and then went to the after party. They weren’t scheduled to be there, but just like the night before, some of the Boys showed up. I watched as Kevin spent extended time with those of us just wanting to hang out and weren’t pushing/shoving. I was trying to duck down so when he reached to those behind me I wasn’t in the way. I do feel like if more fans did this, we’d all have a better time. AJ was making videos with people, taking photos, and spending a decent amount of time too. I don’t know if that happened on the other parts of the barricade but, where I was was pretty mellow that night. Very easily my favorite after party. Not to mention watching Kevin head bang with a crazy amount of hair is fabulous. Brian, Kevin and AJ were singing random songs and just having a good time. Shoutout to Brian seeing my friend’s “Brian Girl” sash (she’s NEVER gotten a Brian selfie before) and coming down just for her. Love that. He didn’t have to but I love that he did.

         

Let’s move on to the final day because this literally is an essay now and I’m so sorry! This is why it’s taken a bit for me to recap Cancun. Like I said before, I did a short summary on the Fanclub because I did it on my phone. Lord knows I’m due for TikTok videos about it. They’re coming. Anyway, the first event for the day was Nick’s volleyball event and one of my favorites. And no it’s not because it was Nick. I feel like by Sunday the staff had started really catching on with how to handle such an interactive fandom. They asked everyone in the front to sit down. Where we sat we’d all agreed if we stayed sitting (even those not in the front “row” then we could all see. So we did. Staff was passing around sunscreen to try and keep us from burning. (I covered myself it in and still managed to burn my hand). One fan got a plate of fruit and was sharing it with everyone. Good vibes!

Nick played his ass off. I’m impressed he didn’t overheat. It was really fun to watch. The downside was spending two hours in the sun and humidity basically drained the hell out of me and I ended up missing Brian’s event later because I had to tap out. I was wiped. My friend went and she had a great time. I just can’t give a first hand experience. I meant to go, but also, listen to your body at things like this guys! So I did and we went to go get food and rehydrate instead. Bummer that I missed it but also, I’m still glad I made sure I listened to what it was telling me.

Now, 30 For 30.

It was an awesome show and I heard songs I never heard or hadn’t heard in years. But, I have to ask, how did so many singles end up on the set list? How? We had one job! But then why wasn’t Don’t Want You Back on there after they announced it was? Boys…did y’all mess with the setlist? I want a recount. I do not understand how I Want It That Way ended up on there. Next time, if this ever happens again, please…Boys, management, Playa Luna, GOD, keep singles out of the voting options. Please. I beg you.

The final after party was great seeing the Boys in rainbow PJs. This after party went till almost midnight. All five were there and it was a good sign off to the final night of the event. I know the Sunrise stage where the After Parties were, fans were saying wasn’t the best place for it. But honestly for those specifically I don’t know if I could figure out a better space. Let me know what you would suggest. I think the Boys could’ve mingled more and ventured out more if fans weren’t rabid. I firmly believe behavior helped determine what could and couldn’t happen at these things. Security was stepped up that night too. (Shoutout to Mike for making sure I was okay.) Also though I only knew maybe three people where I was standing, some fans understood if they didn’t shove then they’d stay longer. We were ducking out of each others photos and trying to make sure everything was okay. Okay sure Nick accidentally took someone else’s phone and tried to take a photo with me with it (how funny would that have been?) but when fans work together it’s better vibes for all of us. And yes, I caught Nick before he took the photo and made sure he had the right phone.

If they do this again, I highly recommend doing six days. I did five and honestly I could’ve used the extra day at the resort the day before too. The day after I did practically nothing but enjoy the resort because I needed that day to try and revive myself. It was also nice to just kick back and fully enjoy the resort for what it was for a day. Moon Palace’s staff? Actually pretty solid. The service was great at the restaurants, they were always easy to find to make sure we didn’t need anything. They were on top of things trying to make sure we had water.

Now, I’d like to think I’m pretty connected to the fandom. I’ve seen the things said on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, everywhere. Some fans were upset the Boys didn’t stay at the resort, but I’m glad they set that boundary for themselves. If that’s what they need to prevent burning out then so be it. I know on the cruises the fans loved being able to run into them but, I also vividly remember fans camping outside their doors. They need space too. Respect the fact that they’re people.

The other thing that came up was no guaranteed meet and greet. I hear you guys. But at the same time, we knew that going in. There was never any promise of this beyond the Golden Ticket contest (they missed me by TWO numbers!). There were over 4,000 of us there. That’s a lot of photos to do even if we’re in groups. I see both sides of this one. I don’t think it would’ve prevented the manic behavior. But maybe it would have if fans knew they’d at least get one guaranteed interaction. Who’s to say? But it was something we knew when we bought it wasn’t happening. Maybe they’ll add it next time.

There were people who were “regular guests”, yes. This I expected because the first cruise was a half charter and similar things happened. I’d made peace with the fact the after party would be open to everyone. They made sure you had a wrist band to attend the concerts and Singled Out. They couldn’t enforce that with the outdoor events for Howie, Nick and AJ. Kevin’s was where the concert area was so they checked. Which to me, is probably because the other events Playa Luna did here didn’t have extras like the Boys did. It wasn’t an issue and probably something they didn’t think to worry about. Hopefully they host the events inside (if possible, obviously Nick’s wasn’t.) and then they can keep it separate. These resorts are massive, I can’t expect them to be BSB guests only.

This event had it’s bumps. Fans were more manic than usual from my own experiences, and we had a company running this that seemed to not be used to an interactive fandom like ours. But at the same time, I had fun. I was able to spend five days with my friends at an all inclusive resort while also indulging in BSB shows and events. I personally would go again because I saw so much potential in this. Can things be tweaked to make it better? Absolutely. As you guys saw if you’ve made it this far, I have suggestions.

So yes while Playa Luna seemed unprepared I don’t think it would’ve been as much of a problem if fans would’ve been practicing fan etiquette, and I know that opinion might get me some controversial comments.  I saw things I wish I hadn’t in terms of that behavior. And honestly guys if we can fix that then man this thing would be above and beyond because the Boys would be safe enough to go into the crowds more! Shoving at the fans in the front won’t get you closer. They have nowhere to go! Fighting will just make the Boys leave for our safety. If there’s rules about when to line up follow them and don’t wait first thing in the morning and try to make your own line number rules.

Fan Etiquette guys. Please, remind yourself of what it is.

If more had, I do think this event would’ve gone a lot smoother.

So that’s my Cancun vacation and all my thoughts. I probably forgot some things. If you have questions then comment on this blog and I’ll do my best to answer them. Would I do it all again? Yes, yes I would.