Ship photographers really messed up this time

[xxHadleyxx]

In the wise words of my 15 year old:

having photos was clearly not as important to them as throwing a fit if they refused to get dressed and retake them when that was offered.

Smart kid--I think I'll keep him :D

I was looking back through my album this week; a friend's son is getting married and t had me reminiscing. Back when every photo used up film, so we did not have gobs and gobs to choose from, I would say 80% of the photos in my album are posed shots taken before or after the ceremony (and isn't this still much the norm?). Those are not "the real thing" anyway--and could have so easily been recreated had the couple been realistic and moved on.


At the end of the day, what happened happened. The couple could choose to shake it off, have a nice time on their trip, be happy to "save" $2000 and have an interesting story to tell when looking at the recreated photos for the rest of their lives.
Or, they could choose to see this as a catastrophe that ruins a day and trip which is supposed to be about love, refuse to try to make the best of the situation in any way (like retaking photos) and continue to harp on it even after the fact.
In the end, it's up to them and they have decided to go the way of letting it mar the beginning of their life together. That's not the way I would choose.

[DCT61]

"Really? You want to compare a falling of a tree to a Wedding? Wow. Show's how little importance you have on things in life. Wow"

Um.....never mind. Edited August 1, 2014 by DCT61

[Adayatatime]

[quote name='Grayce']I was married in 1991, long before digital photography. The camera malfunctioned and the wedding photos were double exposed. I was very disappointed but was able to get several photos from family who attended the wedding. It certainly did not turn my wedding into a nightmare. At the time it was just important to me to be married. The life we have built together over the last 23 years is much more precious than that one moment in time.

Sent from my Galaxy Note[/QUOTE]

Absolutely agree.

[Adayatatime]

[quote name='clarea']Supposedly the heat and light produced by flash photography speed up the chemical reactions that cause deterioration.[/QUOTE]

Of the bride and groom or the church? :D

[novicetraveller]

[quote name='DCT61']"Really? You want to compare a falling of a tree to a Wedding? Wow. Show's how little importance you have on things in life. Wow"

Um.....never mind.[/QUOTE]

I'm glad uou changed your response, as I was going to tell you to stop digging. Metaphor or not, you can't place an importance on someone elses priorities and expectations.

[novicetraveller]

Supposedly the heat and light produced by flash photography speed up the chemical reactions that cause deterioration.

 

That's pretty much how I understand it.

[DCT61]

"I was going to tell you to stop digging"

 

Pot...meet kettle.

[anthonyw1980]

This is very unfortunate. I feel bad for the couple because I know how important our photos were when we got married. I don't understand though what they expected to happen. This wasn't a sabotage. Things like this do happen..

[websiteauthor]

Photos are extremely important to me, and I would have been devastated and yes, it would have ruined my whole cruise. I guess that's just me (and apparently the bride). However, I probably would have opted for the retakes, depending on just how complicated the recreation would have been.

 

Agree completely

[Aquahound]

Photos are extremely important to me, and I would have been devastated and yes, it would have ruined my whole cruise. I guess that's just me (and apparently the bride). However, I probably would have opted for the retakes, depending on just how complicated the recreation would have been.

 

I totally agree, and I have to say, I'm always amazed at the lack of sensitivity shown on Cruise Critic. To some people, a marriage is still a once in a lifetime event and this marriage was still the primary event with the cruise being second. I would have eventually gotten over it, but I know my wife would have been devestated if this happened.

[websiteauthor]

I totally agree, and I have to say, I'm always amazed at the lack of sensitivity shown on Cruise Critic. To some people, a marriage is still a once in a lifetime event and this marriage was still the primary event with the cruise being second. I would have eventually gotten over it, but I know my wife would have been devestated if this happened.

 

I'm with you. I can understand if someone says "it wouldn't have been that big a deal to me" but to wag the fingers at this couple and say "get over it" is just wrong.

[setsail]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdMyCLYdSFk

[xxHadleyxx]

I'm with you. I can understand if someone says "it wouldn't have been that big a deal to me" but to wag the fingers at this couple and say "get over it" is just wrong.

 

There is a big difference between being upset privately, and continuing to make a big public fuss about it, go on TV, etc. (especially when you refused to do what you could to remedy the situation, like take recreated photos).

 

I really do not see what that could possibly accomplish--unless they want more compensation than the $2000 refund and the offer to recreate photos--which I think would be more than needed and not something RCI (or the photography company) needs to do.

[Adayatatime]

There is a big difference between being upset privately, and continuing to make a big public fuss about it, go on TV, etc. (especially when you refused to do what you could to remedy the situation, like take recreated photos).

 

I really do not see what that could possibly accomplish--unless they want more compensation than the $2000 refund and the offer to recreate photos--which I think would be more than needed and not something RCI (or the photography company) needs to do.

 

 

Excellent post.

[funfamilyof6]

What a disappointment for this couple but I really can't understand why they refused to have the photos re-taken. Who would have known but them that they were not the originals.

 

 

This is exactly what I was thinking! What else could RCCL have possibly offered??

[AlexanderBeetle]

Recreating the photos at least would have made for a great story... If it were us, we might have done that.

[LMaxwell]

Recreating the photos at least would have made for a great story... If it were us, we might have done that.

 

100% agreed. They had a great opportunity and out of anger/spite chose not to take it. They will regret that decision.

 

Yes, I still blame the photographer. NO pro will shoot without backup equipment. That's amateur hour.

[PuterMonkey]

I still don't understand why they didn't just put the dress and tux back on, go down to a few of the photo backgrounds or scenic spots, and take some standard formal photos. No, they aren't the real event, but brides dress back up for stuff like trash the dress sessions all the time. You could probably even beg the cameraman to let you recreate Titanic on the front of the ship if you begged enough.

 

I get being upset because I would've been too, but in life, stuff happens. You gotta learn to roll with it.

[alfaeric]

Yes, I still blame the photographer. NO pro will shoot without backup equipment. That's amateur hour.

 

Everybody has posted a solution to try to prevent the problem. Surely amazing how clear hindsight is, isn't it?

 

Do you think that the photographer did this by intention? Should they be fired? Or do we move on from that, as this probably isn't a problem that's so common that it happens once a month? You and I make mistakes, too.

 

Nobody has posted what the resoluition to this mistake should be.

 

coulda, woulda, shoulda, but didn't. Now what to do once the mistake happend...

 

Now what?

[novicetraveller]

Everybody has posted a solution to try to prevent the problem. Surely amazing how clear hindsight is, isn't it?

 

Do you think that the photographer did this by intention? Should they be fired? Or do we move on from that, as this probably isn't a problem that's so common that it happens once a month? You and I make mistakes, too.

 

Nobody has posted what the resoluition to this mistake should be.

 

coulda, woulda, shoulda, but didn't. Now what to do once the mistake happend...

 

Now what?

 

Whether it was intentional or not, the photographer works (probably as a contractor) for a third party company who provides the service for RCCL. He may not have his contract terminated by this one incident, but assuming it is his own equipment, he may not be there for long if it isn't rhe first time it happened. If the equipment belongs to the hiring company, the photographer may not be to blame.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

Whether it was intentional or not, the photographer works (probably as a contractor) for a third party company who provides the service for RCCL. He may not have his contract terminated by this one incident, but assuming it is his own equipment, he may not be there for long if it isn't rhe first time it happened. If the equipment belongs to the hiring company, the photographer may not be to blame.

Regardless of who is to blame (photographer, equipment, someone in the office), you have a bride and groom who just got married. There are no pictures. They've paid for the pictures.

 

What should happen now in your opinion?

[spookwife]

Very sad that the official photos have been lost but I would be very surprised if none of the other relatives took some photos so they must surely have something?

 

All the same, sad they don't have the official photos. :(

 

concur. we just attended my SiL's wedding and I can guarantee we have MANY shots that are similar if not identical to the professional that was hired.

[alfaeric]

Regardless of who is to blame (photographer, equipment, someone in the office), you have a bride and groom who just got married. There are no pictures. They've paid for the pictures.

 

What should happen now in your opinion?

 

Bering in mind they were offered to retake photos AND apparently some family photo, their money was returned:

 

They totally seem like they just kind of said, when if you’re not going to take the fake photos, or our offer of giving you family photos, then here is your money, and that’s final.

 

They could take more pictures, refused, given some kind of famliy photos, refused, given a refund.

 

Should more have been done?

 

Somehow, giving that offer was saying that RCI didn't care.

 

What would make you think they cared?

 

Another question- what extra resolution do you expect by going to the media? Do they think RCI should give them something else?

 

What resolution would make it better?

 

Is it fair that they should get the whole cruise fare returned? Bearing in mind that the wedding package is more than just the pictures (from just some basics up to lots of stuff- not sure which pacakge they got and were refunded)

[shellunderwater]

Using one photographer and one memory card for an event is completely unprofessional and inexcusable. That's how craigslist hacks do it. It's in just about every top 10 list of what to ask about photographers when choosing one; do they have backup shooters and/or equipment.

 

I am surprised RCI subcontracts photos to a vendor with such poor policy, or that the photographers were not breaking their own policy shooting in this manner.

 

That said, the article says they offered to re-do photos. You are in the same place, with the same guests, and the same dress for everyone. I think this couple were a big caught up in the moment in not taking the opportunity to redo the photos. Most people never get a chance like that with a screw up like this. Not sure why the couple was so offended by that; get everyone to dress up again and take 2 hours to get the photos.

 

Glad RCI refunded the money as they should have.

 

All around, seems it could have been handled better by all parties. I feel bad for this couple though; now they basically have no photos.

 

I very much agree with this. They were still on the ship. EVERYONE was still there. No one left to go home. You are on a ship.

 

As, as to "fake" wedding photos... I'm certain they happen all the time, as some churchs/ministers will NOT allow pictures to be taken during a ceremony. So, they take them after the actual ceremony. Fake?

 

Well, lets see, she had the choice of none or fake. How many of the pictures were going to be posed anyways....

 

Is this a bad outcome? Certainly. Losing the pictures is horrible. Bad things can happen. And it was bad planning on the photographer's part. But, I think RCCL did the best they could, having technicians look at the card, offering to retake the photos and refunding a big chunk of dollars. But, I'm sorry, saying no to a retake is just not fair to RCCL. They tried to make it right. They offered to do the best they could at that point in time.

[ryano]

They should sue the cruise line for 10 million for emotional distress!

 

 

:rolleyes: