Cruise DVD - do they actually exist?

[Pollypops]

I've just arrived home after my first cruise, on Arcadia, to the Med - enjoyed every minute of it. A few days before the end a box appeared in the Photo shop with forms for ordering a DVD of the cruise, supposedly with the Commodore's Welcome Gala, the Sailaways, exerts from the shows etc. I was really excited to think I could get this DVD, ordered one and noticed it was immediately added to my bill, but when I went to collect it on the last day I was told that it had "jammed in the machine" and only had scenic shots of the ports. I was very disappointed, but was told by someone else that they had never actually seen a DVD of their cruise. Is this a con by P&O? Have they just got a stack of DVDs of the ports that they want to flog you? I just can't believe that such a slick organisation would have a tape jam in the machine!!! Has anyone actually got a DVD of their cruise with shots of themselves on it please? Just want to know for next time!

Polly

P.S. Hi Spudgun, was nice meeting you!

[Glenndale]

Hi Polly,

Whilst I wouldn't say that they are a con, my understanding is that the bulk of the DVD is pre-recorded and each cruise is individualised by putting in a small amount of footage from the current cruise.

Unless you turned up at all the sailaways, stick like glue to the Capt. at his onboard reception etc the likelihood of you seeing yourself on the DVD is remote.

I think they tend to show them on the in-cabin TV during the last couple of days of the cruise.

Personally I wouldn't buy one.

[The Monocled Mutineer]

Mummy bought one. About 70% of it is "stock footage". She was one of the small number of passengers who actually appears on the video (a deckshot) for circa 2 seconds.

[The Monocled Mutineer]

Sorry duplicate posting

[Kamloops50]

I've just arrived home after my first cruise, on Arcadia, to the Med - enjoyed every minute of it. A few days before the end a box appeared in the Photo shop with forms for ordering a DVD of the cruise, supposedly with the Commodore's Welcome Gala, the Sailaways, exerts from the shows etc. I was really excited to think I could get this DVD, ordered one and noticed it was immediately added to my bill, but when I went to collect it on the last day I was told that it had "jammed in the machine" and only had scenic shots of the ports. I was very disappointed, but was told by someone else that they had never actually seen a DVD of their cruise. Is this a con by P&O? Have they just got a stack of DVDs of the ports that they want to flog you? I just can't believe that such a slick organisation would have a tape jam in the machine!!! Has anyone actually got a DVD of their cruise with shots of themselves on it please? Just want to know for next time!

Polly

P.S. Hi Spudgun, was nice meeting you!

 

On our HAL cruise in Oct 06 , there were two Dvd's avaiable.

 

1 - from the photo department (stock footage of ports)

2 - Excursion department ( only footage for that specific cruise):cool:

[E201]

I've not got one from P & O but on our Princess cruise we got one and I was on it about 2 times with the other people in our party, I was at a Martini Demo on our first sea day and then the camera man was on one of our tours and he caught me then a few times in that day.

 

I'd like to think that its not a con with P & O - We are on Ventura and will proberly buy one then, (will try to get on it as much as possible to make it worth while buying it).

 

Gem :)

[southwinds]

I think they are over priced but I buy one as we dont have a video.. we have even spotted ourselves and people we met on the cruise on it...

They are fun... you watch it once!! like most sourveniers.. they gather dust but I know I will buy one next cruise...

If you want your monies worth look out for the camera crew and smile and wave at them...:D :D :D :D

[Scorpio1411]

We bought a DVD and CD with supposed photos of our cruise down the Panama in December. We were definitely on the DVD but when it came to the CD photos - what a con. We had bought a CD which was supposed to be our cruise and the people on the balcony (at the back) were definitely not us. The ships in the photos were definitely not the ones we went through the canal with. I rang P&O who tried to pass the buck to the photo company and I said there was no way I was ringing the ship - it would have cost a fortune. I have now sent the CD to P&O at Southampton and asked for a copy of the cruise we were actually on or my money back. Hopefully we'll get a positive response.

[GODIVA28]

Hi there,

 

As someone looking to book a P&O cruise I thought I would look through the threads for the cruise line. Have recently come back from a Celebrity Cruise and they are video mad!! Every time there is a sailaway or a trip they are out there; formal night dinners, the first night dinner, in fact any event you care to choose really. After every event they then edit the tape and show you (in a loop) on your cabin television a review of the video. From personal experience, we had more problems trying to dodge the video makers as they are very keen to include as many people as possible. They make a fresh video each and every cruise and there seemed to be a lot of takers. I did not see any hint of previous footage, mainly because all the people on the dvd were people I could readily identify throughout the cruise. Just as a matter of interest, it was our first and last Celebrity cruise.

[CASPALL]

Apparently me and my friend appeared twice on our cruise DVD in November , once at the sailaway from Southampton indulging in the old bubbly and next at the Captains reception - again drinking bubbly!

Several people told us that we were on it and we should go and buy a copy of the DVD. No thanks!

 

Caryl

[MrsTW]

Not done P&O but on Island Star last year my family featured in our cruise DVD LOADS of times.....:) We are one of the few families shown meeting the captain!!

[scareyness]

We were on the Arcadia to Panama at Christmas and brought the cruise DVD and also the Panama one. We got them because we don't really take many photos and think its almost impossible to capture some of the fantastic sights you see so thought the DVDs might be good for us?

 

Put the Panama DVD in the player and 'NOTHING', (thought the DVD player had packed up!!!) then after reading the packaging :rolleyes: its for PC and still shots only, haven't looked at them yet but I doubt its going to be our transit in that case??? Will have a look later and post again.

 

The cruise DVD however is of our cruise. We are on it 4 or 5 times albeit very briefly, with one shot showing us on our balcony going through canal (despite waving our arms off the the photographers they did not take a single photo of us however). We also saw a number of other people we met so its defs our cruise. I think the port highlights are not though??

 

The day before we left the ship we went to pick up the DVDs as we were told to, there was a huge que. Apparently they had a problem with the DVDs and there was some footage missing (Panama bit so I was told, only THE most important bit!) and they had to redo them!!! Some had already collected their's before they realized there was an error so don't know what happened to that issue?

 

We and many many other who we spoke to thought the photographers on that cruise were total c**p so it didn't surprise me. On Christmas day I don't know how many hundred dolphins and turtles I saw?? but there wasn't a single one on the DVD! And I was in the photo shop when the photographers were talking about them, obviously they were too busy to get there cameras on deck???

[mancunian]

We too had problems after the Panama Canal trip at Christmas. We bought the double package of the CD and DVD. I am under the impression they just told you what fitted the bill at the time. We were told to collect them in the morning on the day before disembarkation. My husband went along and came back with only the DVD. He had been told that the CD had sold out (how - when it had been ordered) and that they were making more copies. Told to come back before second sitting dinner to collect the CD.

 

I went along before dinner - longish queue - much confusion with the lists as to who had been given what. Eventually found on the list and CD handed over. At the same time he handed me a second copy of the DVD because he said that mistakes had been found on some of the earlier ones. I thanked him, it was time for dinner so I hurriedly went back to the cabin and put them in my handluggage.

 

When we got home we played the DVD and played the original first. Yes there was a mistake it was not our cruise. Played the second one which was mainly our cruise - so fine. We then decided to play the CD and horror of horrors opened the box to find no CD. Yes I guess I should have checked the boxex before leaving the ship or even better the desk, but I was in a hurry to get to dinner and indeed how many people do check.

 

I have been in touch with P&O Southampton who have apologised and said they will get a CD to me by the end of the month. Hope we both have some luck.

[Scorpio1411]

I have been in touch with P&O Southampton who have apologised and said they will get a CD to me by the end of the month. Hope we both have some luck.

 

I had a reply from P&O yesterday who say they are investigating the matter thoroughly (see my thread above) and will be in touch. Obviously a lot of people had problems by the sound of it.

[sparkieplug24]

We bought DVD of our cruise last year but it was not with PO it was a Fred Olsen and the DVD lasts for ages (cant remember how long) my niece is in about 85% of the video (she was the youngest on board so think this might have had something do with it) she loves it because she stars in her own DVD. They actaully gave us to DVD's one was of our cruise the other was a DVD of the ports of call which I assume was a pre-recorded one.

[mancunian]

Just writing to say very impressed with Portunis. They have located and sent to us a replacement for our missing CD.

[Elsea]

We purchased a DVD of our Panama Canal and Mexican Riviera Cruise, when we played it on our return, it was not of our cruise at all, in fact it was a cruise in the opposite direction. I contacted P & O at the begining of January and told them about the problem with the DVD, all I have received is a letter to say that they are looking into the matter - still no DVD!:mad:

[Elsea]

There is still no sign of my replacement DVD and only a brief letter from P & O dated 10th January saying that they were investigating the matter.:mad:

[mancunian]

Hi Elsea

You too caught up in this saga. I think P&O must be very fed up with the photographers on this trip the amount of sorting out they have needed to do afterwards.

[Scorpio1411]

I received a reply from P&O on 29 January saying the pictures consisted of some during our cruise, some of previous cruises and some from a helicopter last year. They "regretted" we were under the impression the pictures would be just our cruise and as they were unable to provide us with a disc solely of our cruise they refunded our money.

 

We have booked for another cruise this year but we will definitely not be buying another photo disc from the photographers who, I have to say, were not that good anyway, eg. whilst we were playing bingo in the Crow's Nest, they bought a couple in who had just got married to have their photos taken. The two blokes calling the numbers were amazed that they had done this. They also decided to block the corridor on the way to the Meridian Restaurant by taking photos across the corridor. :confused:

[Elsea]

Hi Angela,

 

I know of another person who is not on the boards who has a DVD not of our cruise. I think that she was contacting P & O to complain. The DVD of the cruise was being shown and promoted on the cabin television on the last full day on board, obviously it exists as we saw ourselves on it:D !

 

We ordered our copy of the DVD on the second day of the cruise and we were told to collect it on 27th December. When my husband went to collect it he was told that there had been a problem with the copying, and to call back later, then the photography department "found" a DVD of our cruise J727 Panama Canal and Mexican Riviera well that is what is stated on the cover! It makes me wonder if they were just fobbing people off?

 

Elsea

[livtocruz]

Forget the "memories at sea" as they sometimes call these DVD's. the best one that I ever bought was Baltic treasures on the Star Princess. Not shots of the actual cruise but all about the ports that we had visited. Fantastic memories, we watch it often.

[Elsea]

My replacement DVD arrived yesterday from P & O. I watched it today :D I am very pleased!