Photo package or not? Liberty of the Seas has a sale.

[Toomanycritters]

Hi there,

First of all, I'm sorry for inundating this board with questions recently. I'll be going on my first cruise in 4 days and starting to panic I guess :o

 

So, right now, the Liberty has a package sale of $149 for my sail date. The $99 package that people were getting a while ago didn't apply for my cruise date. But, now there is this $149 package deal.

 

Has anyone done the photo packages? I'm wondering whether I'm just spending needlessly at this point. It's not as if money is no object for me -I saved hard for this trip. But I also don't want to just rely on selfies to document my vacation with the kids. Are there photographers on board who take pictures all the time or do you have to schedule them?

 

Also, my son and his BFF will be running about the ship without me a lot so I won't see much of them to take pictures. If I sign up for the photo package and link their stateroom with mine (they adjoin) will photographers take pictures of them that I otherwise wouldn't be able to and I'll have them to view and choose from also?

Thanks everyone.

Edited August 10, 2016 by Toomanycritters
Added more questions.

[aubreyc1988]

Hi there,

First of all, I'm sorry for inundating this board with questions recently. I'll be going on my first cruise in 4 days and starting to panic I guess :o

 

So, right now, the Liberty has a package sale of $149 for my sail date. The $99 package that people were getting a while ago didn't apply for my cruise date. But, now there is this $149 package deal.

 

Has anyone done the photo packages? I'm wondering whether I'm just spending needlessly at this point. It's not as if money is no object for me -I saved hard for this trip. But I also don't want to just rely on selfies to document my vacation with the kids. Are there photographers on board who take pictures all the time or do you have to schedule them?

 

Also, my son and his BFF will be running about the ship without me a lot so I won't see much of them to take pictures. If I sign up for the photo package and link their stateroom with mine (they adjoin) will photographers take pictures of them that I otherwise wouldn't be able to and I'll have them to view and choose from also?

Thanks everyone.

 

If you want it and can afford it, get it. As to whether it is worth it, that is really up to the individual. I personally have other things i would spend that money on, but I can see how some people can find value in the photopackage

[Texasopa]

They take a lot of pictures if you want. The photographers are set up on the docks of your port stops, usually dressed up like pirates or something. On formal nights they usually have 5 or 6 places set up with back drops, where they spend a little time and pose you. I bought it on our 1st cruise and haven't bought it since. They did have my sister and brother in law linked with us.

[GirlGoneTexan]

This is my kids' first cruise. So I sucked it up and bought it.

 

We splurged on their first Disney World trip a few years ago and bought the photo package - was well worth it for some fantastic pics with ALL of us (even MOM) in them!

[Toomanycritters]

They take a lot of pictures if you want. The photographers are set up on the docks of your port stops, usually dressed up like pirates or something. On formal nights they usually have 5 or 6 places set up with back drops, where they spend a little time and pose you. I bought it on our 1st cruise and haven't bought it since. They did have my sister and brother in law linked with us.

 

So do they not have photographers all over the ship just taking a bunch of pictures if you ask them to - or only at ports of call and formal poses? I was trying to envision if they were everywhere and you can just give your cabin number or seapass to swipe and they'll take pictures wherever, whenever.

 

:rolleyes:

[aggieteacher10]

So do they not have photographers all over the ship just taking a bunch of pictures if you ask them to - or only at ports of call and formal poses? I was trying to envision if they were everywhere and you can just give your cabin number or seapass to swipe and they'll take pictures wherever, whenever.

 

:rolleyes:

 

For us, it was just set ups at the ports and dinner. There was 1 time where they took a picture of the kids at the pool, but that was it.

[Daghis]

Also, my son and his BFF will be running about the ship without me a lot so I won't see much of them to take pictures. If I sign up for the photo package and link their stateroom with mine (they adjoin) will photographers take pictures of them that I otherwise wouldn't be able to and I'll have them to view and choose from also?

 

You didn't say how old your son is. If he's under 21, then any pictures with him in it would be included. Any pictures of your son's BFF alone (without your son also in the photo) wouldn't be included.

 

More details can be found this explanation page.

 

The following are benefits of your photo package (digital or print):

 

Photos of your children aged 21 and under, who may be traveling in a separate stateroom are included.

...

The following is not included with your photo package (digital or print):

 

Photos of others in your party not staying in your stateroom.

Edited August 10, 2016 by Daghis

[Texasopa]

I'm speaking about the Navigator of the Sea's 2 years ago. They didn't take any candid pictures if that's what you mean. All were posed types of pictures. I got over 55 pictures, and on the Navigator they didn't use your seapass card, it was done by facial recognition.

[tonyweir]

I got the $99 for our sailing. They were selling the same package for $149 on board. We had a group of 12 and I ended up with 130 photos on my USB stick. Well worth the $99 or even $149!!

 

I got pictures of all of us even if I wasn't in the pic. The trick is to take them at the same time. For example, we went to get formal night pics together and I got all of them. I also got all the pics they took at the dinner table. Sometimes they asked for my cabin number and sometimes it was done via facial recognition.

Edited August 10, 2016 by tonyweir

[easyboy]

If you want it and can afford it, get it. As to whether it is worth it, that is really up to the individual.

Fully agree,

[AussieCruiser2332]

We were on the Liberty last year and bought the photo package for prints and digital. At the time our kids were 6 and 9. We thought it was worth the money. We had the embarkment photo, photos at every port when we got off, formal photos and lots of fun photos with different screens. The photographers were around the ship so we also got photos at the pool, basketball court and climbing wall. There were also photos from night the kids club had special events ie pirate scavenger hunt. I liked it becuase it meant I didn't have to have my camera/phone on me at all times to take pictures, and we also got photos of times we weren't with the kids (kids club).

The previous year on the Radiance the photographers were also on the islands on port days so we also got lots of photos of us at the beach and in the water snorkelling. For these photos we had to check the photo room each night to make sure the photos were added to our folio.

Enjoy your cruise. :)

[mooseman52b]

We usually do the photo packages (Nancy is very photogenic :cool:). To us it's well worth the cost (and did I already say that Nancy is very photogenic :p). The photo's are typically high quality.

 

Cost is usually relative to length of cruise and you will get a discount by purchasing before the cruise (and sometimes a bonus DVD) or on the first day or so of the cruise. The sooner you buy the better the deal.

 

Everybody in your room is included in your photo package. So take as many single and grouped pictures as they will take. Typically they will not link rooms for the all inclusive photo packages, but you can have some group pictures included in the package if people in your room are in them.

 

No appointments are necessary (although many ships do offer private studio sessions for an additional cost). They have several stations set up around the ship on all nights except the last night. They change the backgrounds each day. Formal nights usually have a few added stations. On the last night they stop taking pictures early so they can get them all out and developed. As others have mentioned they have stations set up in each port just outside of the ship. They do take some random pictures during the cruise and in the Dining rooms at night. There are a few more photo ops available on the ships with the Dream Works characters on Board.

 

They have photo galleries on ship where you can view the pictures. If you have the package collect them when the gallery is open and give them to one of the crew members to hold for you until the end of the cruise. This way you won't have to try and gather them all up on the last night (you can also do this if you don't have the package :cool:).

 

Some of the newer ships have carousels and monitors set up. They use facial recognition technology and they will sort your pix and place many of them in a folder for you (saves you from to sorting through the walls of pictures). You can also use your see pass to view your pix on video preview stations. If you are on a ship with the carousel just make sure you check through your folder/CPU to make sure you don't have any extra pix in your files (the tech makes boo boos).

Edited August 11, 2016 by mooseman52b

[cruiselvr04]

If you get one take advantage of every photo op. Have all in your party be in the welcome aboard photo before you get on the ship. Use your cabin number when asked and have your son use your cabin number also. With face recognition from the first picture you should have every picture of your son and his bff on your account.

 

We had 11 in our group in March and got 160 pictures. I got the pics and the thumb drive for a lot more then $149 but it was worth it to me. That said when just the two of us cruise we don't buy pictures. For families I things it's great.

[aggieteacher10]

It is kind of annoying that they felt the need to put border around some of the photos. It cut off the head of some of us on some of the pictures.

 

We did get about 5 photos of random people included in ours. Makes me wonder if our pictures ended up with someone else.

[bb24]

We got it a few years ago and are getting again for our cruise on Liberty next month. $149 is well worth it for the amount of photos you can get!

 

We were cruising with another family and we took our embarkation photo together. Because of their facial recognition, all of the photos of their family were included on our disc as well!

[read52]

We were just on Liberty of the Seas and got the $99 package. We bought because my son and his family were coming with us. As long as one of us was in the picture, it was on the flashdrive. We took about 60 pictures. We are also diamond so we got two free pictures printed.

[LLRS1]

I would definitely do it! We had so many great photos but couldn't pay the $400 or so they were asking on our June cruise for the package, so we ended up buying just 3 photos which if I remember correctly were $34 each (maybe $30?).

 

We were constantly running into photographers around the ship and had our photo taken every time, hoping that we could get a few good ones. We had so many I am disappointed that we couldn't purchase more. I agree that those borders are extremely annoying, and I did ask if we could get them without and was told no.

 

We had two different staterooms but for all photos, we presented a card from just one of them so we were able to see everything under one account.

[rhuntington3]

And the photo site on lists Liberty sailings through middle of September. What about October sailings?

[Daghis]

They usually lag somewhat behind in updating their web site for future sailings. You can use the "Can't see your cruise?" link to request that they send you email when their web site does offer packages for that sailing.

 

I expect that our sailing will show up in mid-September, by the time that the currently listed sailings have passed.

[pacman85]

I got the $99 for our sailing. They were selling the same package for $149 on board. We had a group of 12 and I ended up with 130 photos on my USB stick. Well worth the $99 or even $149!!

Where can you buy this online before your cruise? Is it on the Cruise Planner somewhere? I don't see it anywhere on there.

[aggieteacher10]

Where can you buy this online before your cruise? Is it on the Cruise Planner somewhere? I don't see it anywhere on there.

 

They don't make it easy to find. It is under the gifts section.

[rhuntington3]

They usually lag somewhat behind in updating their web site for future sailings. You can use the "Can't see your cruise?" link to request that they send you email when their web site does offer packages for that sailing.

 

I expect that our sailing will show up in mid-September, by the time that the currently listed sailings have passed.

 

Thanks! :)

[toxicfairy]

We did this on the Oasis and we had a BLAST! our DD's went around the ship after dinner each night and found every place there was to get a photo shoot done. we have family ones , just the girls, me and the girls , my DH and his DD. It was so much fun to not have to say no and also not have to decide which ones to get. I even have one set of photos of my husband that he only slightly remembers having taken:rolleyes:. Doing this again next summer!

[mooseman52b]

If you get one take advantage of every photo op. Have all in your party be in the welcome aboard photo before you get on the ship. Use your cabin number when asked and have your son use your cabin number also. With face recognition from the first picture you should have every picture of your son and his bff on your account.

 

We had 11 in our group in March and got 160 pictures. I got the pics and the thumb drive for a lot more then $149 but it was worth it to me. That said when just the two of us cruise we don't buy pictures. For families I things it's great.

 

Agreed, take advantage of as many photo ops as you are handle. Most stations take at least 3-5 different shots, and they will do solo shots of you when you request (Nancy does this, and she's quite photogenic....did I say that already :rolleyes:). The photo staff are usually very friendly and they tend to get more creative with the poses as they become familiar with you. We usually walk out with at least several dozen pictures. Last year on Oasis we had close to 200 pix and it was just the 2 of us.

[bcsurvivor05]

Does anyone know if anthem has the photo package? Some people spend their money on the drinks and restaurants, I spend mine on pictures and wifi [emoji12] a package would certainly be good for me if they have it.

 

 

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