NKOTB Cruise 2017 Part 3 (Day 3- Saturday)

So I'm trying as hard as I can to remember and report on as much as possible from the cruise, but in the interest of not boring readers half to death, I'm also attempting to keep it to the most interesting parts.  However, I did accidentally leave out one really fun event in my last post about Friday on the boat: Blue Bloods screening on the Lido Deck with Donnie Wahlberg!!  While we were waiting for Superhero Night to start, we watched the newest episode of Blue Bloods on the big screen while Donnie walked around with a microphone, taking selfies and adding his own occasional witty charm and commentary to the episode.  Three things I learned from this experience were 1) gunshots are absurdly loud when heard through the New Kid's sound system, 2) poor Donnie only had 2 Blockheads visit him on set on his birthday, and 3) Blue Bloods is SO much more fun when watched on the Lido Deck of a cruise ship with your friends!

Ok, moving on: Part 3- Cozumel, NKOTB Concert, Neon Night, and the Infamous After Party

After a blissful 3 hours of sleep following Superhero Night (and a few creative curse words for my alarm when it went off), Kathi and I awoke and got dressed for our day at port in Cozumel.  I briefly debated just staying on the boat to sleep and explore but eventually decided I would regret not going into Cozumel since I had never been out of the country before.  It was on the dock that we finally got the first full view of our temporary home on the sea.

Once we made our way through the barrage of Carnival character photo opps (mermaids and dancers and pirates, oh my!), we joined another group of cruisers in a cab and headed to Mr. Sancho's All-Inclusive Resort.  By the time we got out of our cab and stepped onto the beach, the last few days started to really catch up to me.  I was feeling incredibly tired and achy and I kind of just wanted to take a nap more than anything else.  But I was also hungry so Kathi and I ordered some food and then headed over to the bar.  I don't drink, but there were swings at the bar and I really wanted to sit and chill for a bit.  The weather was overcast and warm-ish when we got there but it started to really heat up fast as we sat and rocked. 

Before long, the sweat was causing me to slip around on my seat and I worried that I would become "that girl" who ended up breaking a limb or something because she fell of a freaking bar swing!  So we moved onto the stools in the pool and I made it a whole 60 seconds before I could barely keep my eyes open anymore.  In lieu of passing out and drowning in the pool, I stumbled over to the most comfortable hammocks I've ever felt in my life and took about an hour long nap before we headed back to the dock and onto the ship.  Oh, and somewhere in there, a man carrying a couple of parrots and a lizard of some sort asked if we wanted our picture taken with a Mexican Chicken or a Baby Godzilla!  Can't blame the guy for trying...

After a quick lunch and short nap, it was time to get ready for the night's NKOTB festivities.  Kathi and I got dressed in our finest neon and had some white, garlicky, sent-from-the-heavens pizza on the Lido Deck.  I ran into Danny's dad again (seriously, how is he everywhere?!?) and he complimented my skirt so I gave him a little shimmy.  His response: "I love it, I love it, I love it!".  Lord I love that precious man.

Next up was the NKOTB concert in the auditorium!  I was REALLY looking forward to this and the boys from Boston met every expectation I had.  From opening with 'Click, Click, Click' to performing 'Remix' (one of my favorites!) and doing their whole medley of old school hits, it was pure joy.  And yes, Jordan did 'Hard'... and it was positively delightful.  But despite all of this, the part I loved most was how relaxed and laid back the guys were in this smaller, more intimate setting.  They goofed off quite a bit, exaggerated moves, and even included a couple of prat falls.  I saw The Total Package Tour 3 times last summer and thought that nothing could ever top it, but this concert came awfully close.

Once the concert ended it was time to head to the Lido Deck for Neon Night!  Nicole and Jamee had saved us some great spots next to one of the 'B' stages so we made our way through the sea of neon shirts, glow bracelets, and blinking everything.  Unfortunately, I ended up behind a few very tall Blockheads and couldn't really see anything (short people problems!).  So I moved to the back of the tier where was just a tiny bit more wiggle room and a slightly better sight line and prepared for a night of dancing and fun. 

Jordan, Jon, and Danny all arrived wearing an assortment of fun neon clothing, blinking sunglasses, and light up shoes.  Donnie came out in a white outfit covered in creatively placed neon hearts and handprints.  And then there was Joe.  Oh Joe... we can always count on you to take it to the next level.  And that you did on Neon Night.  Our rambunctious Joe graced us with a neon blue, skin-tight body suit through which you could clearly see his equally form-fitting boxer-briefs.  What can I say, the man knows what his fans want.  And because dressing in spandex isn't wild enough, Joe ended up jumping in the pool with a bunch of fans before eventually telling everyone that he didn't know what time it was, but he was going the f*** to bed!

Ok, really?!?  Could you possibly be any more adorable Jordan?

If you know me, then you know I love to dance.  And frankly, I don't really care that much who's watching or what they think of my particular set of skills.  I danced my heart out during both the Blockhead Ball and Superhero Night.  But something different came over me at Neon Night.  Maybe I was loopy from being so tired.  Maybe I just stopped caring all together and went for it.  Or maybe it was the New Kid's energy that night.  Whatever it was,  I danced like the survival of the entire world depended on it!  I'm pretty sure if any of the New Kids actually noticed me by some miracle that night, they probably thought I was completely off my rocker.  But I had an absolute blast. 

What happened next is the perfect example of why it always pays to be kind.  Or as Donnie likes to tweet, #spreadloveandlovewillspread.  As I was dancing my a** off in my little corner of the world near the stage, a sweet woman came over and asked if she could share the space so she could see better.  Naturally, I moved back and let her in front of me.  Well if you've ever been on the NKOTB Cruise, you know that some fans (but not all) can get really pushy and protective of their 'front row' spots, so it surprised her that I had let her in.  I chatted and danced (like a fool... don't judge) with my new friend Carla and her friends Linda and Laura as the New Kids made their way around the Lido Deck and Donnie started an epic F*** You battle to Cee Lo Green's song between the two sides of the boat. 

After a little while, one of my new friends told me she wanted to give me something and put a Breakfast Club bracelet on my wrist.  By some miracle, I managed to keep my cool on the outside, but on the inside I was shrieking with delight... I was going to Donnie's after-party!!  The moral of the story; always be kind.  Good karma has a way of coming back to you when you spread kindness and love!  If I hadn't let Carla in to dance with me, I wouldn't have gotten that bracelet and more importantly, I wouldn't have made three fabulous new friends!

The only thing I am going to say about the after party (other than the fact that I now hope I get invited on every cruise!), is that at one point when he was only a few feet from me, Donnie locked his eyes on mine and shot me a look that I can only think to describe as sensual.  I don't know if he was drunk (possible), attracted to me and my flawless dancing technique (doubtful), or just gassy (probably), but that look will stick me for a long time.  See there you go again Donnie, making this Jordan girl feel like a cheater!