Did you buy photo book on board... how'd it look?

[sirwired]

Mark

The book is beautiful and will make a wonderful memory. I made one of a Tahiti cruise 6 years ago when this technology was new and it took me many, many hours but we love having it.

I have a question. Do you have to purchase the photos the ship's photographers take of you in addition to buying the book if you want to include them in it? That could push the price WAY up as each photo was $20 -$25.

 

Yes, you have to buy the photo in order to have it included in the photo book.

 

SirWired

[Debbierpof]

I'm anxious to hear your response once you receive the book. I have put together Shutterfly photobooks for my in-laws (mainly of our cruise travels) as Christmas gifts. So I'm very familiar with this technology. The price is excellent so I'm just wondering on the quality. Any chance they had a sample book on board? :confused: Thanks!

[markstudy]

I'm anxious to hear your response once you receive the book. Any chance they had a sample book on board? :confused: Thanks!

 

Yes, they had a sample book on our cruise. It looked really good, and the quality of the printed photos and thickness of the paper seemed top notch.

 

The funny thing is that the sample book was an Alaska trip, and we were all Caribbean fans, so it felt odd trying to judge just how accurate the bear photos were, for those of us who don't have much bear experience :D (or iceberg experience). But it looked good to me.

 

The trick for me, with all my photos of colorful reef fish, and bright green rainforest colors.... I think I'm spoiled by looking at them on the computer screen during the editing process, because you basically have back-lit eclectically displayed photos.... they are going to lose a little bit of "brightness" when you print them out on paper. So I'll let everyone know when I get my book in the mail. :) I asked a rep at PanRaven how they countered this and she explained they have their printers set to counter that issue as much as possible. (I liked the rep, I had a few questions, and they always emailed the next day with detailed answers)

[markstudy]

I made one of a Tahiti cruise 6 years ago

Wow Tahiti... that must have been fantastic. I'm going to have to do that one day. :D

 

When it comes to buying the ship photos that we posed for... we were buying those anyway. I just liked the photo book because I usually get home with three or four 8x10's and no where to put them. :confused:

 

There are 60 professional stock photos loaded on PanRaven's web site that are specific to the islands you visit and your ship. Those you don't have to pay for. Plus I think you can share from a huge database of professional photos and other members pictures (if they select to make them public) but I had so many pics that I didn't look into that option.

[RickEk]

Most of the single edition printing companies (Kodak, Shutterfly, Blurb, etc) are completely automated printing processes, they don't inspect the content of the books at all. You upload the file, it runs through their computers to the printers, the book gets bound and it is shipped back to you. They don't inspect for potential copyright issues and throw all the liability for possible infringement on the customer in their contract.

 

Yeah, that's true. But if you walk into a Target, Wal-Mart, CVS etc., to create a photobook, they'd be much more likely to ask for a release...

[CruisinEars]

Markstudy,

 

Thanks for bringing this service to our attention. Your book turned out fantastic. My daughter and I were just looking at it and have decided we will be doing one for our upcoming cruise on the Ruby.

[Solara]

Yes, they had a sample book on our cruise. It looked really good, and the quality of the printed photos and thickness of the paper seemed top notch.

 

So I'll let everyone know when I get my book in the mail. :) I asked a rep at PanRaven how they countered this and she explained they have their printers set to counter that issue as much as possible. (I liked the rep, I had a few questions, and they always emailed the next day with detailed answers)

The book looks beautiful. Did they tell you how long before you get it? When you were talking about the thickness of the pages what could you compare that too? I'm going to check these books our on our cruise next month. I know you said the book was 100 pages but what's the dimensions of the album pages?

[markstudy]

The book looks beautiful. Did they tell you how long before you get it? When you were talking about the thickness of the pages what could you compare that too? I'm going to check these books our on our cruise next month. I know you said the book was 100 pages but what's the dimensions of the album pages?

 

:)

 

Takes about two weeks- one week to process and print, and one week to ship (free shipping was UPS ground).

 

The pages on the book seemed more plastic or rubbery feeling than paper feel to the touch. It was thick and coated with something that made it look much more durable then normal paper.

 

The size of the page was 11 inches wide and 9 inches high. It looked really good when we opened it on the desk, because the total width for 2 pages was 22 inches wide, and I really liked how two full page photos looked huge in a panoramic view, when positioned side-by-side. Or even how related photos made a nice long page when you set-up the two pages to work together.

 

:p The funny part is, that it was my wife's idea to buy the book. She wanted to get into scrapbooking. So she talked me into it (I was on board) but when we got home, she didn't play with it once. Mean-while I spent a month trying to figure out how to fit all my photos in :D (she did help me with the text, I'm more into the look than the wording)

[Solara]

:)

 

Takes about two weeks- one week to process and print, and one week to ship (free shipping was UPS ground).

 

The pages on the book seemed more plastic or rubbery feeling than paper feel to the touch. It was thick and coated with something that made it look much more durable then normal paper.

 

The size of the page was 11 inches wide and 9 inches high. It looked really good when we opened it on the desk, because the total width for 2 pages was 22 inches wide, and I really liked how two full page photos looked huge in a panoramic view, when positioned side-by-side. Or even how related photos made a nice long page when you set-up the two pages to work together.

 

:p The funny part is, that it was my wife's idea to buy the book. She wanted to get into scrapbooking. So she talked me into it (I was on board) but when we got home, she didn't play with it once. Mean-while I spent a month trying to figure out how to fit all my photos in :D (she did help me with the text, I'm more into the look than the wording)

Thanks for your quick response. I'm for sure checking them out when we go next month. Sounds like the kind of project I like to do. Please let us know when you receive the book as to how you like it. :)

 

[J.E.C]

This looks really good, please let us know if you are pleased with the final product.

 

I like the fact that they have done all the work on each port of call for you and the map and boat info is there.

 

Do you know if they shipped to the UK?

 

I think I might get one of these on our Alaska trip as it will be a great reminder.

[happytrails42]

Yes, they had a sample book on our cruise. It looked really good, and the quality of the printed photos and thickness of the paper seemed top notch.

 

The funny thing is that the sample book was an Alaska trip, and we were all Caribbean fans, so it felt odd trying to judge just how accurate the bear photos were, for those of us who don't have much bear experience :D (or iceberg experience). But it looked good to me.

 

Markstudy -- we're heading up to Alaska this July for an 11 nite cruisetour. Can you tell us if the book you looked at on board -- even though it was not your destination -- sold you on the photobook immediately by the pics it contained as well as their quality and the options you would have designing your own?

 

 

I definitely think the idea is a great one and I will be checking it out while on board -- I'm also sure I'll come home w/a receipt for same:p Not sure if you've already been asked/answered but did you make the purchase early on ... before you had your 500 or so pics:D

[markstudy]

Can you tell us if the book you looked at on board, sold you on the photobook immediately by the pics it contained as well as their quality and the options you would have designing your own?

Not sure if you've already been asked/answered but did you make the purchase early on ... before you had your 500 or so pics:D

 

The sample book I saw looked very impressive (it was charming because it was clearly an amateur job). The Alaskan photos looked great, but the person put in a huge amount of text. Pages and pages of writing. They got into fixing fonts, and boarders, and pages styles.... I took one look at how complex they made the book, and one thought popped into my head :rolleyes:... I bet I could put one big 8x10 photo on each page and I wouldn't have to write more than two sentences :p LOL

 

Yes the sample book showed what was possible, and it was way more complex than my book. I did not decide to buy the book until late in the cruise. I already had 400 raw photos and no idea of what to do with them? (Usually I edit it down to my best 100 shots, and delete the rest. I love digital photography). But it was my wife who wanted to try and make it into a arts and crafts project, so she said we should buy the book. I thought it was a good idea, I had liked it since the first time we saw it.

[markstudy]

Markstudy -- we're heading up to Alaska this July for an 11 nite cruisetour. Can you tell us if the book you looked at on board -- even though it was not your destination -- sold you on the photobook immediately by the pics it contained as well as their quality and the options you would have designing your own?

 

This might help.... I asked the same question about anyone having already received their book in the Holland America section?... These folks gave a link to their book online for their Alaskan trip they did with PanRaven. Very nice looking book (but they didn't do and bear photos, my favorite);) see post #12 http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1161824

[happytrails42]

Thanks Markstudy -- I'm clicking right on over ...:D

[419annm]

They charged $59.95 for 100 pages, and free shipping. I thought that was a good deal (it would cost me that to get my photos printed out, and I'm lazy, so they saved me the work)

 

I have a link to my book on-line.

http://www.panraven.com/visitor/VisitorViewStory.epage?sp=Sview&sp=154975 If link doesn't work try cutting and pasting it into the adderess bar of your web browser. Also I noticed that if you click the arrows below the cover photo you can see two pages at a time as you scroll through the album (this helps give you a panorama view) if you just click on the photo it gets bigger, but you can only see one page at a time.

 

I did add a few extra pages... they charged me $1 a page if you go over 100 pages.

 

It looks great on-line....but now that I'm sitting around waiting for the book to come in the mail... I was wondering how folks like the actual books when they got them?

 

Thanks :)

Your book looks great! Did you write all your own text? I know how much time that takes when building your own book from Shutterfly or My Publisher, etc. You upload the pictures you want on a disk and they take it from there? How long did it take to get your book, and how did you like it when it came?

[luv2travel2beaches]

They charged $59.95 for 100 pages, and free shipping. I thought that was a good deal (it would cost me that to get my photos printed out, and I'm lazy, so they saved me the work)

 

I have a link to my book on-line.

http://www.panraven.com/visitor/VisitorViewStory.epage?sp=Sview&sp=154975 If link doesn't work try cutting and pasting it into the adderess bar of your web browser. Also I noticed that if you click the arrows below the cover photo you can see two pages at a time as you scroll through the album (this helps give you a panorama view) if you just click on the photo it gets bigger, but you can only see one page at a time.

 

I did add a few extra pages... they charged me $1 a page if you go over 100 pages.

 

It looks great on-line....but now that I'm sitting around waiting for the book to come in the mail... I was wondering how folks like the actual books when they got them?

 

Thanks :)

 

Mark...what an amazing job you did with your book. Lovely. What kind of camera / editing software do you use to get your beautiful underwater photos? I've been taking them for a few years and haven't gotten nearly the beautiful pictures you have. We were on the Emerald Princess 2 years ago on this exact same itinerary (in reverse) and we loved all of the beautiful snorkeling spots...especially Bonnaire! We dream of going back to Bonnaire some day soon. Thanks for sharing! Hope you enjoy your book!

[JLDMED]

Yes, you have to buy the photo in order to have it included in the photo book.

 

SirWired

 

I wondered if they sold the pictures to be uploaded in the book ONLY. For example, if I didn't need a harcopy photo printed, and I only wanted the digitial copy to be uploaded in the book instead. Wondered if that was an option and if it was cheaper than buying the printed version.

[won2go]

We paid on board for the signature plus package. This was for a book up to 100 pages mailed anywhere in the world (we are in Australia). I agree with previous posts that the Panraven web site is not entirely user friendly, but once you get knack of it you can get good results. The online preview looked good so I ordered the book, just waiting for it to arrive in the mail.

The photos that we purchased onboard were scanned in by the photo desk--in a couple of cases the quality was not 100%, but I used both those photos plus a lot I had taken myself-- pretty sure that I will end up with a worthy coffee table momento.

[sirwired]

I wondered if they sold the pictures to be uploaded in the book ONLY. For example, if I didn't need a harcopy photo printed, and I only wanted the digitial copy to be uploaded in the book instead. Wondered if that was an option and if it was cheaper than buying the printed version.

 

No, they won't give you a reduced price. They've already printed the 8x10 for the photo gallery, so the physical photo itself is a "sunk cost."

 

Yeah, it would be great if they sold a "super ultra deluxe" photo book package that would include all ships photos from the week... but they don't. I'd gladly pay $120 for such a package.

 

I asked once why they print everything instead of letting you simply look up your photo by cabin number, and they replied that they have found that the profits are higher this way, even after the tremendous waste of photo paper and printing machine.

 

Note: If you aren't buying any of the ship's photos, I'd pass on the photo book. The included stock photos are not that numerous nor that great; you can purchase a photo book for far less money if you watch out for sales once you get home.

 

SirWired

[markstudy]

Your book looks great! Did you write all your own text?

How long did it take to get your book, and how did you like it when it came?

 

Thanks :)

We wrote 95% of the text ourselves. The book came with a few paragraphs of information about each island we visited, but I didn't use much of the tourist history and stats (just a little) but it was nice to have, if you wanted to use it.

 

I am still waiting for the book. They take a week to print, and a week for shipping. I started this thread to burn time while I wait for my book to arrive in the mail:D

[markstudy]

What kind of camera / editing software do you use to get your beautiful underwater photos?

 

The photos came out of the camera looking great. All credit goes to the new powershot canon D10

 

PanRaven has a feature on their web site called "digital magic" its just a simple one push button... I did this to about 15% of my photos. The ones that look almost too bright on the computer screen! We did this in preparation for printing out the book. On paper I'm going to lose a little light, so 15% of my photos are a little over boosted at the moment, and after I get my book ( I might order a second one ) and finish printing... I will remove the "digital magic" effect from my photos, I think the on-line album looked better with natural lighting.

 

[luv2travel2beaches]

The photos came out of the camera looking great. All credit goes to the new powershot canon D10

 

PanRaven has a feature on their web site called "digital magic" its just a simple one push button... I did this to about 15% of my photos. The ones that look almost too bright on the computer screen! We did this in preparation for printing out the book. On paper I'm going to lose a little light, so 15% of my photos are a little over boosted at the moment, and after I get my book ( I might order a second one ) and finish printing... I will remove the "digital magic" effect from my photos, I think the on-line album looked better with natural lighting.

 

 

WOW... no photoshop??? I'm shocked. You have almost sold me on that camera. I have a canon with a waterproof housing and I love it, but the pictures aren't nearly as bright and beautiful as the ones you have taken. I'm going to have to seriously consider upgrading now!

[markstudy]

Well... I got my book in the mail today :D

 

As most of you know, I started this thread saying that I bought the coffee table

photo book, that is now offered on Princess. It was $59.95 for 100 pages and

free shipping.

 

I loved the web site... easy to use and it was fun making my book after the

cruise. The book looked great on-line but I wondered how it would look without

the aid of electronic back lighting that we all get so use to when on the

computer.

 

So today it came in the mail, and I'd give it a "10" out of "10"

PanRaven does a very nice job:) The book is a great size, the paper and print

quality are top-notch. Color is bright, clear and bold. The first thing I did when I got it,

was pull-out one of my most expensive coffee table books from a pro photographer

and compare book quality. Sure, his photos are better than mine, he had a

$10,000 camera and I had a $300 camera.... he's a pro. So although his book is

a "12" on the 1-10 scale... I can't find any fault with the book PanRaven puts

out for us amateurs. The tip of the day- We never have enough flash or light

compared to the pros.

 

Here's a couple quick snap-shots to give you a idea of the size of the book (and

yes, they both violate the number one rule of amateur photography...not

enough light :p ) sorry its dark in my house...but you get the idea.

 

Two tips... (I'm very picky, I always want to improve something) :rolleyes:

1) Two full pages look great together if they compliment each other. I made a

mistake in the book of stretching a photo to full page size 9x11 and I should

have left it 8x10 to give it a border. The photo looked too much in your face,

and crowded the content on the other page.

 

2) They have a button called "digital magic" I didn't use it on any photos with

people in them, but for your landscapes and colorful plants or animal it adds

some great color and helps when you go to print because you loose a little of

the color that you are use to seeing from electronic back-lit computer

screens . I used this feature on about 4 photos, I should have used it a little

more. (you don't want to use it too much, but play with it, when I did use it

it worked well)

 

 

[CruisingGoddess]

markstudy - The book turned out great!! Panraven offers this service for the Royal Caribbean cruise I took in November and I'm going to use them. Thanks so much for passing along all this info!

[luv2travel2beaches]

Thanks for sharing Mark. It is a beautiful book of wonderful memories for you. Question for you...do they have any choices of backgrounds or all of the pages basically the same background? I love using Shutterfly for our travel photo books but the deal of $59.95 for 100 pages is really great. I will sure be keeping that in mind on our trip in December.