Cruising Tips from New Kids on the Block

By Steve Helling

Originally posted Monday May 18, 2009 01:00 PM EDT

When the New Kids on the Block boarded a ship for the Bahamas on Friday, they were joined by 2,000 excited fans for a three-night cruise. "I don't know what we were thinking," jokes Donnie Wahlberg. "We have nowhere to run if it gets out of hand."

Sitting on the Promenade Deck before the ship departed from Miami, all five New Kids – Jordan Knight, Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Danny Wood and Donnie – shared their aquatic rules with PEOPLE.

Manscaping Is a Must
There's nothing wrong with a bit of personal grooming. While four of the New Kids said they prefer to be natural, Danny Wood admits to a bit of shaving and tweezing. "Yeah, I manscape," he says. "You've got to look good in a swimsuit. I live down here and I'm always at the beach, so it's kind of a must for me."

No Speedos or Mankinis
When asked which one of them packed a speedo, the other four members shout "Danny!" But Danny says his swimsuit won't be that revealing: "John Mayer may get away with a mankini, but the rest of us can't."

"What's a mankini?" Donnie asks.

"It's like a speedo with suspenders, but all one piece," explains Joey.

Keep Your Friends Close
If the ship were sinking and there weren't enough seats in the lifeboat, who would go down with the ship? "I'd give up my seat for these guys," says Wahlberg. "I'd do it in a heartbeat."

"I don't have kids," argues Jonathan, "so you can have my seat."

"I'd like to think I'd do that," says Joey, "but I have a little baby at home. So maybe I'd be the one to step all over everyone else to get in the boat."

Have a Plan for Being Shipwrecked
If the ship sets ground on the shore of an uncharted desert isle, the New Kids would all step into various Gilligan's Island-inspired roles.

"Jon would be the professor," says Danny. "He could build the huts. And Joey would be Mr. Howell, dressed up in a dinner jacket."

The rest of the guys think they're more like the Skipper, except for Jordan who admits, "I never watched Gilligan's Island enough to know what you're talking about."

"None of us are Gilligans," says Danny. "There are a couple of Gilligans in the Backstreet Boys, though."

"The problem is that there are no Gingers or Mary Anns," says Joey. "We've definitely got to have them on the island."

The three-day cruise, which is full of 2,000 Gingers and Mary Anns, by the way, concludes Monday. After the New Kids disembark, they'll return home to prepare for the kickoff of their summer tour, beginning in Atlanta on June 4.

people.com

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