Anybody else find the ship's photographer annoying?

[gabbyisadog]

I know may enjoy the photos so I'm not for eliminating the ship photographe BUT I think people who want a pictuure taken at dinner should request one. (Form with table number put in box near photo displays and he should leave the other diners alone. I know you can tell them no but some are pushy and don't take no easily. I vote for opt-in vs opt-out.

 

We were 3 hours late boarding the ship- tired and hungry and to be stopped for a boarding photo was not well received. As you depart the ship at ports, they stop you as you exit causing a backup. Why not set up near the steps and people who want pictures can go over.

 

I'm sure photo are a profit center for HAL and when it no longer makes money they will be no more.

[DelRio]

Let them take the photo. It only takes a second and they are gone.

[Old As Dirt Mom]

In addition to DelRio's advice, you can bypass any of the photo ops, whether upon boarding or disembarking at ports, dinner or whatever. All you have to do is smile, say "No, thanks", and continue with what you're doing. Works for me every time.

[peaches from georgia]

I agree with everything you said. They are mostly a PITA. There should be a sign-up if you want them to come to your dinner table. We told them 'NO' one time and the next thing we knew they were moving our glasses and dinnerware around to 'get a good shot'. And they should never be allowed to block the gangway at boarding or in ports. They are a traffic hazard on the way to the dining room on formal nights! I find them annoying to say the least and therefore never buy a picture!

[Sulo]

I agree Gabbyysadog. We always say no thanks and keep walking at embarkation, even though one has to wait in line for everyone ahead of you to be photographed. And yes, those photos being taken when disembarking in port are annoying too. It doesn't 'just take a second', when you get stuck behind a family of four or so, the photographer tries to get everyone posed and in the picture. There's nothing for you to do, but hang back waiting to get off the ship.

 

I suppose though it's a money maker for the ship, so I can't see it ever changing.

[luvs2travl]

You are not obligated to stop at any of the photo op's when boarding or departing the ship, with the exception of your photo for your ship's card which is taken at check-in. of course. Just by-pass those areas completely (walk around them) and you shouldn't have anyone 'hasseling' you to stop for a photo.

 

As far as the MDR, we have found that a simple "No thank you" has sufficed. We have never been bothered on HAL for photos once we have declined. The only time we have ever felt harrassed for pic's was on our one (and only) NCL cruise, and those folks simply don't understand what "No thank you " means!!

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Cruise photos are supposed to be a time-honored tradition, like formal evening attire. I'm a mean old battleaxe; they don't want to take my picture. I wack the people in front of me with my cane.

[cruz chic]

I know may enjoy the photos so I'm not for eliminating the ship photographe BUT I think people who want a pictuure taken at dinner should request one. (Form with table number put in box near photo displays and he should leave the other diners alone. I know you can tell them no but some are pushy and don't take no easily. I vote for opt-in vs opt-out.

 

We were 3 hours late boarding the ship- tired and hungry and to be stopped for a boarding photo was not well received. As you depart the ship at ports, they stop you as you exit causing a backup. Why not set up near the steps and people who want pictures can go over.

 

I'm sure photo are a profit center for HAL and when it no longer makes money they will be no more.

I agree with everything you've said. It's not as easy to get by them as it sounds from some posters. Some of the photogs are very aggressive and at times there is no way to get past the backlog they make. I'd be happy to see them gone.

[TMWeddle]

Last month on the Zuiderdam they were not aggressive at all! Sometimes you hardly knew they were around. We were happy about that!

[Jemima]

We usually find it very easy to just walk past them. It is usually faster in the MDR to just let them take the photo unless they immediately accept "no".

[Typhoon1]

They are a nuisance. During embarkation we walk right past them.

 

The only purpose they serve is to make money for HAL.

[Aunty Pat]

Besides the “No Thanks” when we boarded and disembarked at every port and at diner, my travel buddy would stop at the photo display the first few nights just to see if there were any of us there and then toss them in the discard bin. It didn’t take them long to learn not to waste their time and print paper on us and we were never bothered the rest of our cruise.

That being said, the pictures take by the ship photographer of my dear late husband and myself were some of the best I have to remember the times we had together.

Aunty Pat

 

Barefoot Windjammer - Phantom ‘81

K&D German Rhine Line ‘84

NCL - Norway ’85, Pride of America ’05, Southward ’87, Star ’97 & ‘05, Starward ’92, Sun ’02 & Windward ’93

RCCL - Song of America ‘89

American Hawaiian - Independence ‘98

HAL - Volendam ’99, Noordam ’06, Oosterdam ’07 & ‘09, Statendam ’02 & ‘08, Prinsendam ’03 & ’06, Westerdam ‘09 & Zuiderdam ’04, ’06 & ’07

Carnival - Spirit ‘05

Celebrity – Summit ‘05

Cruise West - Yorktown Clipper ‘06

Princess - Golden Princess ‘07

A & K - East Queen ‘07

Cunard - QM2 ’08

Crystal – Serenity ‘09

[boccismom]

Those of you who have not had a problem with the photographer after declining are lucky. But I finally hit on a method of getting them offf my back. When they aim their camera at me, I respond in kind. They don't like having their picture taken, either. After just one shot, they left me alone...in fact, they'd see me coming with my camera and go the other way!

[GmaPajama]

I thought I read somewhere that they had changed photography companys 6 or so months ago. I know that in October and in February, they were not aggressive at all. The ones we encountered were more than polite. Zuiderdam and Noordam.

[RuthC]

I agree that in years past the photographers were a pita, but in more recent times they've behaved so much better.

I find it easy to bypass them at initial boarding, and they are off to the side when taking port photos. They've even quickly taken "no" for an answer at the dining table.

The only remaining problem with them is that some of them are set up in the high-traffic areas on formal nights. When going to dinner it's impossible to go around, and they hold up traffic while they pose their shot.

Unless they're actually snapping the picture, I just keep walking through.

[jjeffjb]

It's nice to cruise when there are no photographers on board. When I'm on HAL I just ignore them.

[iflyrc5]

The photographers on the Rotterdam in Jan were friendly and all you needed to do was say no thanks and they were gone. On one formal night we were taking some personal photos of our group in the atrium with my digital SLR. A ship photog was near by taking formal night shots - he did not have anyone waiting and offered to take our group photo with my camera. It think he wanted to try out my camera since it is the new Canon 7D that just came out this past fall and he was using an older model Nikon. He said that the ship photogs provide their own cameras and Lens - the company provides the lights and backdrops - thought that was interesting. All the photogs I saw were using Nikon cameras.

[GmaPajama]

I nearly forgot - the photographers on the Noordam last month were sooooo agreeable. When taking pics of our Meet & Greet group, they happily agreed to use my camera as well, even knowing my freebie would keep me from buying their own. Very nice!

 

Oops - it took me so long to post, ifly, I didn't see yours till I got my own up. Sounds like there are a LOT of kind photographers out there!

[PathfinderEss]

I thought I read somewhere that they had changed photography companys 6 or so months ago. I know that in October and in February, they were not aggressive at all. The ones we encountered were more than polite. Zuiderdam and Noordam.

We found the same thing on the Veendam in October, I hardly knew they were around, certainly not aggressive. Use to be they were a little pesky but just a polite "no" worked fine.

:DSmile pretty:D

[doncarlos]

' agree with everything you said. They are mostly a PITA. '

 

years ago i developed a line : " please no photos !!!!! my wife does not know i am on board with this very attractive young lady and if she sees these photos she will shoot all of us including the picture taker !!!!!!!!!!!! " ;)

 

99.9 % of the time the paparazzi ran when they saw me after those scene setting words !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:):D

[iancal]

For us, the ones that bob and weave about are something akin to telemarketers....a real pain in the rear end.

[airlink diva]

I so agree with both Gabbysadog andLorekauf!!!

I very rarely purchase any of the ship photos (not since my first cruise!!) and have no problem taking a photo when embarking on the ship. I think it was on my 2007 Maasdam cruise where the photographer gave an option on taking a photo.

The photographers in the various ports were ok. A simple no was often the case.

But at dinner it was a totally different situation. My table was in the middle of the meal when the photographer wanted to take a photo. It took "no" more than once to get him to leave. I have no problem before the food is served or towards the very end,but not when the main course is served!

I normally don't write anything bad about the crew,but I placed a comment about the photo at dinner.

The very next year on the Maasdam, when the photographer came by, they asked if we wanted a photo taken. The majority of the table said no and the photographer thanked us and went to the next table.

[docksider21]

I thought I read somewhere that they had changed photography companies 6 or so months ago.

 

Have they changed their prices?

I used to buy one or two overpriced photos.

But then the prices became double-over priced,

and too much was enough. So I went from buying

some to buying none.

[Willsot]

I agree with those who have stated that the HAL ship photographers were much more aggressive a few years ago. They were no bother at all on our last three cruises. On our Eurodam cruise in Europe last summer when our luggage was lost(along with my camera battery pack charger), the photography staff members were very, very accommodating in recharging my camera battery pack overnight in their shop every night. I bought a some photos in gratitude.

[jtl513]

On our last three cruises we have had Open seating, and don't recall seeing a photographer in the DR on any of them. That may be one advantage of Open! :)