Princess Photo package

Has anyone bought the pre paid all inclusive photo package yet? I know that the package sells for A$199 on board (well it did when we were on in Jan) so I thought the idea of pre paying $99 was a good option. Only problem is the site seems to have it listed as USD not AUD, $199USD save $100 so the conversion pushes it back up to A$130 not really the advertised half price saving if it is only A$199 on board?

We recently purchased the photo package for AU$128.70 for our cruise in August. Princess confirmed via phone that any photo that anyone in our cabin appears in (there will be three of us) is included in the package in both hard copy photo and digital copy on jump drive. The last time we purchased photos (about a year ago on Sea Princess) they cost AU$20 each. Still a bargain with or without the difference in our dollars.

Totally agree with Chanel, ours cost $149 onboard golden, in October 2016, at the $20 a photo cost we walked away with about $600/$800 worth.

When we got pics taken with other cpls they even gave us 2 sets each, which we have sent to these people.

Well done Princess.

Its a rip-off! Don't be fooled into paying for that package as they are not even using professional camera equipment to justify the fees. They are using low end entry level DSLR cameras and no longer have the appropriate lenses for portraits. Furthermore the photos are a complete waste of time and an absolute joke. Sheer unprofessionalism at its highest by beginner photographers who just don't make the cut into getting into the profession on land. Examples are those boarding photos with all your hand luggage draped over your shoulders (no professional in their right mind would take a portrait like that), then there are the gangway photos in foreign ports with the stupid childish dress up dolls and you get other passengers lined up and grimacing in the background not to mention the nitty-gritty workings of a port that just look ugly and a photograph that is not even centred and framed properly. There is absolutely nothing creative about their photographs or the work they put in to justify that high price. Their equipment is substandard and I have seen passengers walking around the decks with cameras and lenses worth ten times the price of the cameras the ships photographer uses.

I guess everyone is entitled to an opinion. Studio portraits is not what we are after but then again for $199 we don't expect it. We have had the package on two previous cruises and for family photos of a holiday they are respectable quality for what we need and best of all I don't have to do anything but pick up the photos at the end of the cruise 😀

If we want professional portraits done we would go elsewhere. We have tried the platinum studio which did a pretty good job but more a fun family thing for us to do on holiday.

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We had it recently on our cruise. I paid $124 online. We travelled with our 2 granddaughters on their first cruise which us the reason for the purchase. We ended up paying $3 each for our beautiful photos. Very happy😃

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Its a rip-off! Don't be fooled into paying for that package as they are not even using professional camera equipment to justify the fees. They are using low end entry level DSLR cameras and no longer have the appropriate lenses for portraits. Furthermore the photos are a complete waste of time and an absolute joke. Sheer unprofessionalism at its highest by beginner photographers who just don't make the cut into getting into the profession on land. Examples are those boarding photos with all your hand luggage draped over your shoulders (no professional in their right mind would take a portrait like that), then there are the gangway photos in foreign ports with the stupid childish dress up dolls and you get other passengers lined up and grimacing in the background not to mention the nitty-gritty workings of a port that just look ugly and a photograph that is not even centred and framed properly. There is absolutely nothing creative about their photographs or the work they put in to justify that high price. Their equipment is substandard and I have seen passengers walking around the decks with cameras and lenses worth ten times the price of the cameras the ships photographer uses.

Brisbane 41 cool down,only a question about prices ,not about quality or ability.

I've just checked Cruise Personaliser for our cruise later this year and it lists All-Inclusive photo package at AU$258.70 (ouch).

It reads:

"Take home all the prints and digital files of your cruise for one low price. Plus, purchase pre-cruise and save $50 USD.*"

How did you guys buy it for the $99 USD price?

Cheers!

It was a sale that was running but has obviously finished now. My personaliser also shows that price now instead of the $99USD sale. So they are trying to tell us the package is now selling for $250USD on board? good luck with that, they argue about it at $99USD.

Guess it is worth buying on board now unless the price hike has already happened there as well, it was still only A$199 only a month ago so i will see what it is in 3 weeks.

So $200 AUD onboard...

Will have to budget for that i guess...

thanks!

Is he trolling or just clueless?

Completely misses the point. As if people leaving port want to spend half an hour for a shot, finding nice scenery and styled up. The purpose of those shots is just a fun memento, and they have to get through people quickly as there are hundreds leaving in a short period of time. And yes, the equipment is professional... "low entry level DSLR..." hahaha.

Just noticed that on our 7-day cruise in September photo package has increased in price to $278. Makes our $133 price for 75 nights an absolute bargain.[emoji3]

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Is he trolling or just clueless?

 

 

Completely misses the point. As if people leaving port want to spend half an hour for a shot, finding nice scenery and styled up. The purpose of those shots is just a fun memento, and they have to get through people quickly as there are hundreds leaving in a short period of time. And yes, the equipment is professional... "low entry level DSLR..." hahaha.

Perhaps you do not know what a professional photograph is.

You described the photo as "just a fun memento", why then the absurd price? The setting for the photograph is not professional and wastes peoples time as they are disembarking the ship and causes constant bottlenecks. It slows the flow of disembarkation and eats into your personal shore time.

Also a lesson on cameras and lenses for you. If the camera has Canon written on the front of it and there is no red line around the end of the lens then it is not a professional lens that is on that camera.

This is so true, I simply absolutely refuse to have my picture taken with-out first checking there is a red line around the lens.

And I encourage every-body to first check the credentials of the photographer and his/her camera.

Its a must people.

Don't worry about the people behind you, Just Do It.

Just Do It.

Do we have to check their shoes now too :halo:

Do we have to check their shoes now too :halo:

My point is for the price you are paying you should expect the quality to match, unfortunately with ships photographers on many cruise lines this is never the case.

There is a big difference between a photographer and a photoshopper. A photographer has all the right equipment and can create an image with the right lens and camera settings. A photoshopper uses an ordinary camera and adjusts the images with a computer program.

In my personal opinion paying in the hundreds for extremely little work done in terms of personal photography it is a rip off. For the price the cruise line is charging for the package you could purchase a cheap digital compact camera that could take just as good photos as they are taking and end up with many more photos tailored to your cruise.

I have been on cruises where my camera equipment is worth more than the cruise and I have to have my own insurance policy to cover the camera so in terms of photography I know what I am talking about.

Sorry yes, I now digress, I encourage all passengers to buy a cheap digital camera and a selfie stick and take their own. Its another must.

Just do it, cop the advice, and do it.

SWISH.:cool:

Perhaps you do not know what a professional photograph is.

 

You described the photo as "just a fun memento", why then the absurd price? The setting for the photograph is not professional and wastes peoples time as they are disembarking the ship and causes constant bottlenecks. It slows the flow of disembarkation and eats into your personal shore time.

 

Also a lesson on cameras and lenses for you. If the camera has Canon written on the front of it and there is no red line around the end of the lens then it is not a professional lens that is on that camera.

Ha ha ha.

You must be joking. Or just know nothing about photography or maybe nothing about canon.

Ha ha ha.

 

You must be joking. Or just know nothing about photography or maybe nothing about canon.

Have a look for example at the 24 (or 28) 2.8 IS as examples of very much pro lenses without the red ring.

Let's look at the 50 1.4 USM a staple in most pro kits (what no red ring), the 85 USM the go to for portraits, no red ring.

Even the good old Nifty Fifty (50 mm 1.8) considered by many the one lens if you can only have one.

Have a look for example at the 24 (or 28) 2.8 IS as examples of very much pro lenses without the red ring.

 

Let's look at the 50 1.4 USM a staple in most pro kits (what no red ring), the 85 USM the go to for portraits, no red ring.

 

 

Even the good old Nifty Fifty (50 mm 1.8) considered by many the one lens if you can only have one.

I do not think you know anything about photography, you are probably only quoting what you read from review articles. IS means nothing in a lens that can shoot at 2.8, you do not need IS as the shutter speed and focal length will rule out its need at all.

For work on a cruise ship you will need something better than the lenses you quoted which are only useful for close up portraits and not much more. When you are doing scenic cruising and have a background and want to take portraits with a sharp clear landscape background then those lenses and aperture will not be of any use whatsoever.

The lenses you mentioned may be of use in the dining room, but who in their right mind would want to purchase dining room portraits with food in your mouth and looking less than glamorous while chewing away at your meal or with that red flushed face due to the alcohol if any.

I gave my opinion of what I think of the ships photographers and it pretty much sums it up what I think. I am not sure why you are even bothering replying because no one is ever going to change my opinion of them.

I would rather spend that money on something more enjoyable.

I do not think you know anything about photography, you are probably only quoting what you read from review articles. IS means nothing in a lens that can shoot at 2.8, you do not need IS as the shutter speed and focal length will rule out its need at all.

 

For work on a cruise ship you will need something better than the lenses you quoted which are only useful for close up portraits and not much more. When you are doing scenic cruising and have a background and want to take portraits with a sharp clear landscape background then those lenses and aperture will not be of any use whatsoever.

 

The lenses you mentioned may be of use in the dining room, but who in their right mind would want to purchase dining room portraits with food in your mouth and looking less than glamorous while chewing away at your meal or with that red flushed face due to the alcohol if any.

 

I gave my opinion of what I think of the ships photographers and it pretty much sums it up what I think. I am not sure why you are even bothering replying because no one is ever going to change my opinion of them.

 

I would rather spend that money on something more enjoyable.

So Canon make a 28 IS for the fun of it.

Tell me Mr expert what lens should I use for a portrait?

And I'm not sure that's exactly the point, you stated that all Canon pro lenses had a red ring, which is, like much of what you post, simply wrong, as I displayed by giving you a list of their pro lenses that lack a red ring.

So Canon make a 28 IS for the fun of it.

 

Tell me Mr expert what lens should I use for a portrait?

The kit I take away for cruise holidays involves the 16-35mm f/2.8L, 24-105mm 4/4L, 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L. All EF mounts on a full frame DSLR. I do not take any prime lenses on holidays as I feel I need to zoom more often than not. I have two cameras and depending on the length of the cruise I may take them both. I also use the camera for full 1080HD video recording which as you may not be aware some Hollywood movie and series producers are using to film with these days due to the full frame.

Princess photographers did use these cameras for video recording three years ago but they dispensed with these cameras as they were only selling DVD's which is now obsolete technology and deteriorated the great quality those cameras could produce.

When I record video I always place the camera on a fluid head tripod mount. Scenes from the holidays are often displayed on HD televisions for family get together events at Christmas and so on.

What lens you use comes down to the artistic ideas you have in mind. For example I have used the 100-400mm lens for portraits due to the background blur it creates outdoors if I want to focus on the subject but have the background blurred somewhat.

My main gripe with Princess photographers is their methodology of how they obtain photos and the type of photos they take. I do not care so much about their equipment, I only know that I have better. I find their settings and themes for photography totally unprofessional and not thought through. That is just my thoughts based on their level of talent and ability. I still feel that a passenger could get better photography results than the ships photographer with a cheap compact camera. Mobile phone cameras I never touch and I never look at any photo taken by a mobile phone camera.

The kit I take away for cruise holidays involves the 16-35mm f/2.8L, 24-105mm 4/4L, 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L. All EF mounts on a full frame DSLR. I do not take any prime lenses on holidays as I feel I need to zoom more often than not. I have two cameras and depending on the length of the cruise I may take them both. I also use the camera for full 1080HD video recording which as you may not be aware some Hollywood movie and series producers are using to film with these days due to the full frame.

 

Princess photographers did use these cameras for video recording three years ago but they dispensed with these cameras as they were only selling DVD's which is now obsolete technology and deteriorated the great quality those cameras could produce.

 

When I record video I always place the camera on a fluid head tripod mount. Scenes from the holidays are often displayed on HD televisions for family get together events at Christmas and so on.

 

What lens you use comes down to the artistic ideas you have in mind. For example I have used the 100-400mm lens for portraits due to the background blur it creates outdoors if I want to focus on the subject but have the background blurred somewhat.

 

My main gripe with Princess photographers is their methodology of how they obtain photos and the type of photos they take. I do not care so much about their equipment, I only know that I have better. I find their settings and themes for photography totally unprofessional and not thought through. That is just my thoughts based on their level of talent and ability. I still feel that a passenger could get better photography results than the ships photographer with a cheap compact camera. Mobile phone cameras I never touch and I never look at any photo taken by a mobile phone camera.

Funny it's their equipment you start out having a shot at, in particular you quote the lack of a red ring on their lens. Now you say you don't care about their equipment.

Funny it's their equipment you start out having a shot at, in particular you quote the lack of a red ring on their lens. Now you say you don't care about their equipment.

I have always said it was both I object to. Their equipment and their lack of professionalism in the tasks they are trying to undertake.

They are still selling DVD's for heavens sake. That is obsolete technology. They had the ability to produce full 1080HD that can be played on smart TV's with USB input but instead they recorded movies on a HD camera and then deteriorated the quality to 720p. Not very professional at all.