photographs on Princess

[markstudy]

I paid $25 bucks a pop on the Ruby Princess.... great bargain!

 

I don't take good photos on the 1st try (I can't smile unless someone makes me laugh). Wife and I sat for 6 different photographers, we got 3 really good shots. Just depends on how you look at it, for the time and man-power put into it. They made me look younger, thinner, than I am in real life :D I'll pay for that :o

 

I agree we need JPEGS, photo loses too much resolution from scan, to image hosting, to actually posting below.

 

[C&F]

Disney came up with a program a few years ago called Photo Pass. The first time you have your picture made they give you a card with a bar code. Each time you have another photo taken they scan the card. When you arrive back home you go to a website, create a login, and input the number on the back of the card. All your photo images are there and you have 30 days to order whatever you want. Prices, I believe, are slightly lower than Princess.

 

Michelle

 

You beat me to this suggestion! We were just at Disney for a day while on our NCL Gem cruise. This would be fantastic on a cruise. Also keep in mind there are sometimes tens of thousands of people in a Disney park on any given day, every day. On a cruise the same 3,000 or so are on for one week. It would be much easier for the cruise line to do this. They could even attach the bar code to your cruise card.

The reason the cruise line may not want to do this is that when passengers look at the pics while still aboard, they may feel guilty about not buying the photo. They may also may have more of an impulse buy reaction when on the cruise. When they get home, that impulse may no longer be there, thus less sales for the cruise line.

We buy way less than we used to buy. I think we bought one out of our last 4 cruises and that was only because we were cruising with others and wanted a nice group shot.

CHeese,

Freddie

PS- coincidentally, I just received an email from Disney informing me that my pictures were going to expire today!!!

[Waynetor]

Except for your cruise card you are never under any requirement to get your photo taken. My wife and I recently did a 60 day cruise and never had a Princess photo taken. If you have no intention of buying or even looking at them, then just so no thanks and keep walking. In the dinning room say no and keep eating or talking. They often will ask a second time but anything more than that is harassment that can go on your coment card at the end of the cruise.

Wayne S.

[DaisyRose]

I love pictures, and if I buy pictures on a cruise, I put them in a frame when I come home. But then, six months later when I go on my next cruise, that $20 picture goes into an album and is replaced by the newest one. $20 each is a lot to put pictures into an album.

 

I now usually only buy once picture per cruise, primarily because of the price. If they would price the pictures at $10, I'd buy a lot more. I guess they have it figured out and they make the most money when the price is higher, even with people buying less. But I think it would be good for their public relations if they were priced more attractively. At $20 for one picture, I tend to feel ripped off.

[stinesheri]

Not as easy to do as one might think.

 

1st, how do you associate a picture with the cabin number involved? Do you use some very advanced facial recognition software? Do you take longer when taking each picture (for example the picture when getting off a ship at a port) to swipe the cruise card on a special device or write down the information?

 

2nd, when a picture is taken of people who are in different cabins (a group traveling together, at a dinner table with several couples) how do you figure out which cabin or cabins to allow it to be reviewed from?

 

3rd, not everyone is well versed in using interactive TV to do such things as view and select pictures. How do you service these potential picture purchasers?

 

4th, from the Cruise Line's viewpoint, chances are that less pictures would be sold this method as less passengers are, in my opinion, likely to spend the time doing this while in their cabins compared to how many are willing today to see the pictures in the photo gallery and compare them with each other before making a purchase decision.

 

 

Disney (land) has an offer where, for I think $100 you purchase a photopass that you hand to each park photographer who scans it before taking your picture. You then go online, either during or after vacation and now own all of your photos. It even gives you the ability to add backgrounds, borders and characters to each photo. We did this, and left with around 100 or so photos that we were able to use. Even the specialty photos taken by the photographers at Cinderella's castle had a code that we can upload to our photopass and add to our portfolio. We just had to purchase the pass in advance of out trip.

 

If cruise ships did this, they would save tons of paper, and probably get more people to purchase the photos taken. I know I would buy one.

[BlackJack2]

If Princess, (and other cruise lines), would lower the cost of the photos, then I would buy several. At $25 a photo, I never buy any. It is a waste of manpower and paper to print all of those photos. Save the enviroment - lower the cost - sell more!

[love2bonboard]

FYI, I took digital pictures of my old photos (before digital cameras were invented). I had a bunch of childhood pictures I wanted to be able to save on my thumbdrive to keep w/ my paperwork in my fireproof safe. So, I put the picture down on the table under a lot of light (enough so the digital camera does not need the flash) and snapped a picture w/ my digital camera. They all look great, can't tell they were not originally a digital picture. Of course, you still need to buy the picture you want, but his way you can get the digital part you are looking for.

[love2bonboard]

I am so proud of my husband and his service to his Country. I want him to wear his Air Force mess dress for formal nights. He thinks it is a little strange. What do you all think? It is a very formal military-tux-like uniform that he wears for special military dinners. Is it appropriate for a cruise? I can't remember ever seeing anyone wearing one on a cruise before.

[billet]

I am so proud of my husband and his service to his Country. I want him to wear his Air Force mess dress for formal nights. He thinks it is a little strange. What do you all think? It is a very formal military-tux-like uniform that he wears for special military dinners. Is it appropriate for a cruise? I can't remember ever seeing anyone wearing one on a cruise before.

Nothing wrong with wearing mess dress at all. It is a formal night and you do see the occasional uniform being worn by passengers.

[love2bonboard]

Nothing wrong with wearing mess dress at all. It is a formal night and you do see the occasional uniform being worn by passengers.

 

Thanks, but I do apologize to the OP....I wasn't hijacking this thread w/ a totally unrelated question; I thought I was posting a new thread.:rolleyes:

[RickEk]

FYI, I took digital pictures of my old photos (before digital cameras were invented). I had a bunch of childhood pictures I wanted to be able to save on my thumbdrive to keep w/ my paperwork in my fireproof safe. So, I put the picture down on the table under a lot of light (enough so the digital camera does not need the flash) and snapped a picture w/ my digital camera. They all look great, can't tell they were not originally a digital picture. Of course, you still need to buy the picture you want, but his way you can get the digital part you are looking for.

 

Just use a scanner... you'll get better results. Some places, like Target, now offer high-speed scanners so you can scan a bunch of old photos in just a few minutes...

[CALMOM]

Disney came up with a program a few years ago called Photo Pass. The first time you have your picture made they give you a card with a bar code. Each time you have another photo taken they scan the card. When you arrive back home you go to a website, create a login, and input the number on the back of the card. All your photo images are there and you have 30 days to order whatever you want. Prices, I believe, are slightly lower than Princess.

 

Michelle

 

Kudos for Disney, that's a great idea. Leave it to Mickey to come up with a solution:D

[RickEk]

Disney came up with a program a few years ago called Photo Pass. The first time you have your picture made they give you a card with a bar code. Each time you have another photo taken they scan the card. When you arrive back home you go to a website, create a login, and input the number on the back of the card. All your photo images are there and you have 30 days to order whatever you want. Prices, I believe, are slightly lower than Princess.

 

Michelle

 

Kudos for Disney, that's a great idea. Leave it to Mickey to come up with a solution:D

 

It'd be nice for Princess to have a system like this, but it'd be an enormous capital investment... it was fairly easy for Disney since they only have two ships and the technology was already in use at their parks.

[CALMOM]

It'd be nice for Princess to have a system like this, but it'd be an enormous capital investment... it was fairly easy for Disney since they only have two ships and the technology was already in use at their parks.

 

 

Your right, just wishful thinking:o

[Megsdad]

How much do the official pictures cost? Can you buy a digital jpeg image instead of or as well as a print and if so how much would that be?

 

Not sure of the cost but the image below was well worth the money:eek:

 

 

[happytrails42]

Not sure of the cost but the image below was well worth the money:eek:

 

 

What a great picture!!

 

Has anyone purchased a photo book while on their cruise?

[CruisinKLB]

I just got off the Sea Princess and bought one 8x10 and it was $24.50.

[caribill]

It makes more since to me, for the cruise ship write a software program so you could view your pictures on your T.V. in your cabin, then order the ones you want and pick them up at the end of the cruise.

 

From our experience with this type of system on Royal Caribbean:

 

All pictures taken are printed and displayed in the photo gallery.

 

Cost of formal pictures is $19.95. Cost of pictures taken as you leave the ship in a port is $9.95.

 

Cost of the video of the cruise is $29.95 ("only two hundred available").

 

There is a machine at which you can swipe your cruise card and then see pictures that are of you. I suspect it works with some sort of facial recognition using the image taken for the cruise card when initially boarding the ship. When I tried it, the results were mixed.

 

a) Even though my cruise card was swiped for the welcome aboard picture and the formal night picture taking, none of these pictures appeared.

 

b) Pictures taken at ports appeared

 

c) Some pictures taken of others in our family who had their reservation linked to ours, but without me or my spouse in them, also appeared. Maybe our faces are similar enough?

 

d) A picture of total strangers (to us) also was in the displayed group.

[Hunwolf]

My wife and I were discussing this very issue on the Emerald Princess last week. It seems that they could easily do the PhotoPass type technology but then they wouldn't have the peer pressure of getting people to look and buy their pictures everytime you walked by them.

 

That's why we always would grab the ones we didn't want and discard right way. No second guessing that way. ;)

 

But we did notice that Princess cruise line is (by far) the most outrageous in terms of picture prices we've been on. RC and Carnival at least offer a few reasonable options.

[mkkao924]

We just came back from Sapphire two days ago.

 

On Sapphire,

the formal portraits were $24.95 each

the informal shots (embarkation, dining room, port photos) were $19.95 each

 

The had some combo deals available

Buy 3 portraits get 4th free

Buy 9 portraits get all digital images free

 

According to the crew, you can combine the two deals, so basically if you pay $225, you get 12 portraits ( 3 + 1 ) x 3, and all 12 digital images free.

[chipmaster]

Net revenue = price / picture x pictures sold - cost of all pictures printed

 

 

Trust me I'm sure Princess watches this closey and knows enough of the relationship between price/picture and pictures sold.

 

I find it funny that people gripe/complain about the enviromental waste of the pictures, does anyone know how ungreen cruising is :eek:

 

I know the price is high enough that I have no temptation to purchase a bunch of silly pictures, but it isn't so high that for a special timeless formal picture or special moment I'd purchase with no thought. Thus my take its perfectly priced.

 

I wouldn't understand how anyone could come home with say 200 dollars worth of pictures when a good digital camera costs less than a couple hundred bucks these days. ;)

 

I was recently told by a Pro to NEVER give away pictures or price them cheaply as to do so reduces the precieved value of the purchaser. I don't necessarily agree but he is a pro and tried low price high volume versus higher price lower volume. Thus there is method to the pricing IMHO

[suenruss]

Not as easy to do as one might think.

 

1st, how do you associate a picture with the cabin number involved? Do you use some very advanced facial recognition software? Do you take longer when taking each picture (for example the picture when getting off a ship at a port) to swipe the cruise card on a special device or write down the information?

 

2nd, when a picture is taken of people who are in different cabins (a group traveling together, at a dinner table with several couples) how do you figure out which cabin or cabins to allow it to be reviewed from?

 

3rd, not everyone is well versed in using interactive TV to do such things as view and select pictures. How do you service these potential picture purchasers?

 

4th, from the Cruise Line's viewpoint, chances are that less pictures would be sold this method as less passengers are, in my opinion, likely to spend the time doing this while in their cabins compared to how many are willing today to see the pictures in the photo gallery and compare them with each other before making a purchase decision.

They could use a Disney style photo pass card, (used in the Disney parks) - when you have your photo taken your card is swiped (takes 5 secs) and then you can go to the photo shop and and view all photos on that card. At the end of your holiday you can buy individual photos; a package of photos or the card with all images on it for the computer. You can also view them on your computer at home for a while afterwards and can buy them on line.

[caribill]

They could use a Disney style photo pass card, (used in the Disney parks) - when you have your photo taken your card is swiped (takes 5 secs) and then you can go to the photo shop and and view all photos on that card. At the end of your holiday you can buy individual photos; a package of photos or the card with all images on it for the computer. You can also view them on your computer at home for a while afterwards and can buy them on line.

 

And when you have people from different cabins in the same picture, does the photographer take the time to swipe a card from each cabin?

 

Also, the disembarkation photos at each port would hold up the line of passengers as all of the cruise cards were swiped.

 

Swiping a cruse card when formal pictures are taken would not add much time to the process. Swiping every cruise card when pictures are taken at every table in the dining room would add a lot of time to the process.

[Hunwolf]

And when you have people from different cabins in the same picture, does the photographer take the time to swipe a card from each cabin?

 

Also, the disembarkation photos at each port would hold up the line of passengers as all of the cruise cards were swiped.

 

Swiping a cruse card when formal pictures are taken would not add much time to the process. Swiping every cruise card when pictures are taken at every table in the dining room would add a lot of time to the process.

 

Good points...and ones I had not really considered. It would be complicated. I know at Disney...when more than one family member wants a separate picture with a character they use the same photo card/pass. At least they did this past spring with us.

 

On a side note...I do wonder how many of those pictures they take in the dining room actually get purchased. I mean...when I'm in the middle of my meal with new friends (or family)...the last thing I want is some photog telling me to move my plate here and my glassware there. I just find that annoying...especially when the beet red sunburned dude/lady from the next table over is right in the background.

[chr3000]

I think it is ridiculous that the cruise ships print all of the pictures and maybe sell only 20% and then the 80% gets tossed. I know they recycle but still a waste of ink and someones time placing in the useless racks.

 

It makes more since to me, for the cruise ship write a software program so you could view your pictures on your T.V. in your cabin, then order the ones you want and pick them up at the end of the cruise.

 

It makes me sick seeing all the pictures thrown in the destroy box.:mad:

 

I get your point but there is no ink used. The digital image replaces the film only. The final print is on light sensitive photo paper and developed in a machine. The machine is about the size of a kitchen table and on the CB there are three. It takes about 7 minutes to do one photo. All three run at once and storage cards are constantly being run from the photo stations to the lab for processing. Editing is done on a program much simpler than photoshop to crop, color correct, add boarders and effects, as well as exposure adjustments.

 

I would love to be able to access the photos on the TV. I don't know if any other lines are doing it. I do know there are lines that offer picture viewing at a kiosk. RCL and Disney have it but still have hard copies to look through because of the number of viewing stations needed for everyone costs too much. A large number of people can all look at a wall of photos together but only one at a time can use the viewer screens.