Carnival Photography Questions

[santacap]

We are getting married on the Valor in May. I already have the listings of the new packages.

 

Couple questions for those 'in the know'... do we pay for them on our sign and sail card? Is there a limit on how many actual pictures we can purchase with the packages, not the sizes, the actual images themselves.

 

I can't get a straight answer as to time with the photographer from start to finish. Any timelines would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance:)

[Prinycesa07]

Yes, you pay with your sign and sail card. I'm not really sure what you mean by a limit on images per package but with the right amount of money, you can have whatever you want lol.

[santacap]

Yes, you pay with your sign and sail card. I'm not really sure what you mean by a limit on images per package but with the right amount of money, you can have whatever you want lol.

 

Could have worded it better, wasnt really sure how to ask it, lol.

 

Basically, say a package has 25 8 x 10's... is that 25 different shots, or 1 shot with 25 different copies.

 

Figured I could have anything for the right price... theirs, lol

 

thanks for helping with they payment, makes sense

[santacap]

I guess whats throwing me off, is on the packages sheet it says a CD of 'purchased' images... :confused:

[mara93]

To my understanding:

The CD will only contain copies of the pictures you purchased, not all that were taken.

And, I believe they can be different 8x10's.

[dibreault]

We just got back from our wedding 3/3. The photographer, Goran, was awesome. When the package says 21 8X10s they are of your choice (different) they also have the CDs - the CD will have the photos you purchased or a CD with ALL photos taken. We opted for the bigger package - with all the photos and the canvas 16X20 it turned out awesome!! Good luck

[aislinn84]

I am about to cruise on the Carnival Inspiration for my wedding in 2 weeks. I am really concerned about the pictures. Does carnival hire a professional photographer or is it the same guys that follow you around at dinner and snap pictures (I think those are kind of cheesy)?

 

Has anyone attempted to have someone other than the assigned photog take pictures? I have a family member who is a photographer and he is more than willing to bring his gear. Help!

[mara93]

I would tell your family member to bring his camera.

[Cruisefan7]

I have a question! On the list of Photography prices, it says that the photos must be purchased in their original size before smaller copies can be made. So does that mean if we get the premier, with the 25 8X10's, 18 5X7's and 20 wallets, were really only getting the 25 poses that we purchased in the 8X10's? Meaning the 5X7's and 20 wallets are simply duplicates of the 8X10's? I know I'm probably confusing, but I'm not sure how to explain it. LoL. Help!

[sassy0930]

All of this carnival photography is driving me nuts and making me angry at carnival. No they don't hire a real photog. They just hand some person a good camera and teach them the buttons to press and then their off. In the past they didn't have packages and you had to fight to get good prices now they have packages and they've taken away your choices. PLUS they're charging inordinate amounts for NON professional pics. This alone is causing me to want to cancel my cruise wedding and just get married at home.

 

It's a scam they run to make you pay more than you would normally.

[santacap]

Has anyone attempted to have someone other than the assigned photog take pictures? I have a family member who is a photographer and he is more than willing to bring his gear. Help!

Im pretty sure that wont be allowed. Its my understandings its part of the contract. I was speaking with the Carnival wedding co-ordinator and she made points about no professional cameras a few times.

 

I have however spoken to my sister who has a nice one and will get her to be discrete in some pics, and then when the photographer leaves there is nothing stopping us from having her take more through the day / night

 

Speaking of the photographer leaving, can anybody give an idea of how long we have with them, and when for family / individual shots?

[santacap]

We just got back from our wedding 3/3. The photographer, Goran, was awesome. When the package says 21 8X10s they are of your choice (different) they also have the CDs - the CD will have the photos you purchased or a CD with ALL photos taken. We opted for the bigger package - with all the photos and the canvas 16X20 it turned out awesome!! Good luck

 

that takes a load off, knowing going in etc. Thanks.

 

if I can ask, how long was Goran with you for? and when?

[JEL1125]

I am about to cruise on the Carnival Inspiration for my wedding in 2 weeks. I am really concerned about the pictures. Does carnival hire a professional photographer or is it the same guys that follow you around at dinner and snap pictures (I think those are kind of cheesy)?

 

Has anyone attempted to have someone other than the assigned photog take pictures? I have a family member who is a photographer and he is more than willing to bring his gear. Help!

 

 

We recently got married on the inspiration and if you have any part of your wedding in the Candlelight Lounge you will be very happy with your photographers pictures over anyone elses. The lighting is very tricky and barely any of our guests personal photos came out. They are used to taking pictures in that certain lighting. Our photos came out great as will yours! Have a wonderful Wedding!

[ELECIA]

Does anybody have the pricing info for the packages? They never sent them with the rest of the info. And you know how it is trying to contact the "wedding planner" people. My Mom is getting married in the Valor this Sunday and they still haven't assigned her the location!!! :)

[Fantasy_Bride]

give me your email address, and I can send you the photo prices.

[ELECIA]

great thank you! it is elecia@aol.com

[Fantasy_Bride]

you have mail

[Inspiration_bride]

give me your email address, and I can send you the photo prices.

can i have the prices too please?? susanhartzog@firsthealth.com

[santacap]

Collection Basic - 499.00

 

16 8 x 10

13 5 x 7

16 Wallets

 

Collection Premier -749.00

 

25 8 x 10

18 5 x 7

20 Wallets

1 CD of all purchased imaged

1 16 x 20 Canvas

 

Collection Deluxe 999.00

 

35 8 x 10

25 5 x 7

24 Wallets

2 CD's of all purchased imaged

1 DVD slide show w/ music

1 16 x 20 Canvas

 

Collection Elite - 1499.00

 

55 8 x 10

35 5 x 7

32 Wallets

2 CD's of all purchased imaged

1 DVD slide show w/ music

2 16 x 20 Canvas'

 

Collection Pinnacle 1999.00

 

80 8 x 10

45 5 x 7

40 Wallets

2 CD's of all purchased imaged

2 DVD slide show w/ music

3 16 x 20 Canvas'

 

Collection Infinity 2999.00

 

130 8 x 10

70 5 x 7

52 Wallets

2 CD's of all purchased imaged

2 DVD slide show w/ music

4 16 x 20 Canvas'

[flyerso6]

With photos, do they give them to you before your cruise is over or do they mail them to you later?

[dibreault]

Goran with was us from beginning to end. He even set up a studio and took "studio" quality photos. I will try and figure out if I can get some photos posted.

[dibreault]

Here are a few photos that our photographer took. We were married 3/3/08 on the Carnival Elation. We LOVED our photographer, Goran. He was there from walking down the isle till after we set sail.

[Karen_and_Andy]

Holy cow that's expensive! They really do rip people off. Guess they know they have a captive audience and can charge that if they have a monopoly.

 

My sister is a semi-pro, hobby photographer who has taken wedding photos for a few people before and she uses a professional lab for all her photos which is more expensive than getting developed at a place like Walmart or Target or even a local camera store. Even so, take a look at how much profit they are making on those photos. These are prices from the pro lab for professionally processed and individually color corrected photos on , thick and heavy pro weight Kodak paper, custom cropping, and a protective coating.

 

Prices someone posted for their lowest priced package, Carnival's Collection Basic ois $499.00 for 16 8 x 10s, 13 5 x 7s and 16 wallets.

 

From the pro lab my sister pays around $3.00 for an 8x10, around $1.60 for a 5x7, and 4 wallets for around $1.20 So if you add that up, the photos the cruise line is charging $499 for could be purchased from a professional lab for (16 @ 3.00 is $48, 13 @ 1.60 is 20.80 and 4 packs of 4 wallets, 16 in total is 4.80), a total of 73.60 and even I rounded up on the price of what she pays for each print so the total would actually be even lower.

 

So for $73.60 worth of prints, a couple is charged $499. Wow. You could get almost 7 times the amount of photos for that price. Are all cruise line photography packages that expensive or just Carnival? Now I know why my friend Jennifer has very few photos from her Carnival wedding this past December. Hers were okay but nothing to brag about. The photographer was nice but I think my sister could've done a better job even with her limited wedding photography experience.

[DynamoGuy]

First, let me say I'm not trying to defend Carnival's wedding photographers. From my experience (having taken around 10 cruises on 5 different cruise lines) I don't find the ship photogs to be particularly skilled photographers and I have concerns about what I'll get from the ship photog in my upcoming wedding. The price of Carnival's wedding packages are reasonable compared to what you would pay if you were getting married on land and hired your own photographer. The difference is (and this is the part that bothers me) most couples interview several photogs prior to their wedding to find one with the right mix of experience and price to fit their budget and whose style suits their tastes. Getting married on the ship, you have no opportunity to this with the ship photog and since you can't bring one, you just cross your fingers. For this reason, I don't find Carnival's rates reasonable but not because of what it would cost to have 25 8x10s made on your own.

 

I'm a semi-professional photographer. I have earned money through photography but it is not, nor will it ever be, my primary source of income (or anywhere close.) I have shot weddings (assisting the primary photog only, I've never tried to get wedding business) but the bulk of what I shot was high school sports for a community newspaper and to sell to parents. During the period I did this, I heard the, "a 4x6 cost $0.49 to print at Wal-Mart" more times than I care to remember. Before I got to the point where I ignored these comments I tried to educate people. Consider that I was standing on the sidelines with a $1,400 camera and a $1,500 lens. I had misc accessories (memory cards, batteries, monopod, a bag to carry it all) for probably another $500. If I was using a flash, that's another couple of hundred dollars. When I got home I used photo editing software that was another $500 on a computer that wasn't free. In addition to all that, everytime I shot, I was giving up 2 hours at the game and at least that again in post. Plus, I'll never know how much time I invested in learning the craft and the gear. So I invested all this money and time to get a shot of your child (or you smiling on your wedding day) and I should sell that to you for what it cost me have a print made? That's doesn't sound like a successful business model to me. The bottom line is, a photographer prices prints to recover all of these costs and to make a profit. I didn't even go into marketing costs or backup gear. You don't go in a restaurant, pay $40 for a steak that you could buy at the grocery store for $10 and complain you've been overcharged.

 

Be kind to photogs, they are recording the events of your life. Of course, if I don't get good pictures of my wedding, I won't be kind to Carnival and their stupid policy of not letting you control this important part of every wedding.

[sassy0930]

Well, My dad is a VERY skilled photo- taker,(I don't say photographer because who knows if carnival will try to boot him for me saying that) but I plan to make sure he gets our very mediocre digital camera and that he gets to have the best place for taking pictures. He can take a crappy little camera and make the shots look professional. He used to take dive pictures and sell them to magazines (back in the day).

 

My only concern is that the carnival photog will try to get pushy and take the best position to get the good shot when I want my dad to get them.(You know, the look on my FI's face when I show up, the kiss, that kind of thing) My dad is a pretty big guy and I have no doubt in my mind that If I tell him to my dad WILL get the best spot and the best shots, but I'd rather him not have to cause a scene during the wedding. I plan to tell whoever is the ships guy/girl that my dad's shots take priority, but who knows if they'll do what I say, I mean I'm just the bride not like what I want matters to them!