Costumed Characters onboard the Grand Princess???

Just reading a review on CC from a passenger who just returned from a cruise on the Grand Princess and one of the negatives he stated was and I quote "Constant interruptions to take your picture with ridiculously costumed characters". Please please please tell me this isn't so! We took a trip to Disney last year and had dinner in a lovely restaurant in Epcot center and apparently I didn't realize it was "Princess" night. Despite having no children with us we were interrupted 6 times during our $150 dinner to pose for pictures with every Disney Princess on earth!:eek: At first we tried to be good sports but after the 3rd or 4th time we just kept saying no thank you but it really spoiled our special meal. I certainly wouldn't mind pictures while embarking or getting off at the ports but does the Grand Princess have people disturbing you constantly during you meals too? We are celebrating our 35th anniversary and would just like to enjoy some private time at our table for 2 during our meals. If we make friends with some people that's fine but don't want to be constantly bombarded for pictures with characters. We are very friendly & social but a a bit worried after reading this. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you so much! :)

Just when getting off the ship.......

I would not call them "constant" but, the photographers are waiting when you disembark at ports and frequently there are costumed people with whom you may pose. You are free to politely decline the photo op, and there is no requirement that you purchase either.

In addition, outside the dining room on some (not all) evenings, there may be a few "pirates" waiting to pose for photos with you - again, you can either say "Arrr" or no, and continue with your evening.

Other than that, and of course on Halloween, I don't remember any costumed characters hanging around....oh wait, one day in Glacier Bay a grizzly bear got on one of the little boats the photography crew was using to take photos of passengers.....that's all.

Just when getting off the ship.......

And, it is really easy to just walk around them and say no thanks. I've never felt bothered by them.

I would not call them "constant" but, the photographers are waiting when you disembark at ports and frequently there are costumed people with whom you may pose. You are free to politely decline the photo op, and there is no requirement that you purchase either.

In addition, outside the dining room on some (not all) evenings, there may be a few "pirates" waiting to pose for photos with you - again, you can either say "Arrr" or no, and continue with your evening.

 

Other than that, and of course on Halloween, I don't remember any costumed characters hanging around....oh wait, one day in Glacier Bay a grizzly bear got on one of the little boats the photography crew was using to take photos of passengers.....that's all.

They press ganged me on exit from dining room got each side of me and took a picture........BEWARE.They had probably been HO Ho-ing and a bottle of rum beforehand.;):D

We have not seen any crew members dressed as characters on any of the inside areas of the Princess cruises we have taken.

They are at the dock at the ports in outfits reflecting the area.

For example,there was a moose in Alaska and Spainish costumed dancers at Cozumel.

However,the photographers do move about the dining rooms-usually on formal nights and take photos of you and your dining party.

Interestingly, on our last cruise this past December, the photographer took a single shot of me and then my DH.

When I asked him if he could take us both together,he replied that he would do that on the other formal night.

We were not interested in the single shots and so they ended in the reject pile.

Enjoy your cruise!

And, it is really easy to just walk around them and say no thanks. I've never felt bothered by them.

And coming out of the DR on theme nights. :mad:

We usually walk around them but recently we were "convinced" to have our picture taken with two pirates as we were entering the dining room. Well I happened to look in the photo area the next day and the pirate photo was absolutely awesome. I very rarely buy photos onboard but I bought this one and framed it. You never know!

We usually walk around them but recently we were "convinced" to have our picture taken with two pirates as we were entering the dining room. Well I happened to look in the photo area the next day and the pirate photo was absolutely awesome. I very rarely buy photos onboard but I bought this one and framed it. You never know!

There you go! If they take the picture, maybe someone will buy it...

....oh wait, one day in Glacier Bay a grizzly bear got on one of the little boats the photography crew was using to take photos of passengers.....that's all.

I was wondering why the grizzly bear felt he needed to get on a boat to take pictures of the passengers!:)

There you go! If they take the picture, maybe someone will buy it...

Silly as it seems, sometimes people actually do this. :D

LuLu

FYI - Assuming you mean Akershuus in Norway, its always Princess night there. It's listed in the description as Character Dining.

Just reading a review on CC from a passenger who just returned from a cruise on the Grand Princess and one of the negatives he stated was and I quote "Constant interruptions to take your picture with ridiculously costumed characters". Please please please tell me this isn't so! We took a trip to Disney last year and had dinner in a lovely restaurant in Epcot center and apparently I didn't realize it was "Princess" night. Despite having no children with us we were interrupted 6 times during our $150 dinner to pose for pictures with every Disney Princess on earth!:eek: At first we tried to be good sports but after the 3rd or 4th time we just kept saying no thank you but it really spoiled our special meal. I certainly wouldn't mind pictures while embarking or getting off at the ports but does the Grand Princess have people disturbing you constantly during you meals too? We are celebrating our 35th anniversary and would just like to enjoy some private time at our table for 2 during our meals. If we make friends with some people that's fine but don't want to be constantly bombarded for pictures with characters. We are very friendly & social but a a bit worried after reading this. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you so much! :)

Well it's good to hear that they are not bothering you while you are dining, I don't mind if they are outside the DR or when you get on and off the ship. I've heard that they take a lot of pictures while you are on board. I've head they are expensive but does anyone know how much they are? Do they have deals if you buy a number of pictures?

Just reading a review on CC from a passenger who just returned from a cruise on the Grand Princess and one of the negatives he stated was and I quote "Constant interruptions to take your picture with ridiculously costumed characters". Please please please tell me this isn't so! We took a trip to Disney last year and had dinner in a lovely restaurant in Epcot center and apparently I didn't realize it was "Princess" night. Despite having no children with us we were interrupted 6 times during our $150 dinner to pose for pictures with every Disney Princess on earth!:eek: At first we tried to be good sports but after the 3rd or 4th time we just kept saying no thank you but it really spoiled our special meal. I certainly wouldn't mind pictures while embarking or getting off at the ports but does the Grand Princess have people disturbing you constantly during you meals too? We are celebrating our 35th anniversary and would just like to enjoy some private time at our table for 2 during our meals. If we make friends with some people that's fine but don't want to be constantly bombarded for pictures with characters. We are very friendly & social but a a bit worried after reading this. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you so much! :)

Yes it is true and it is rather a childish, inappropriate and very inconsiderate thing that Princess does.

1.) It slows down and disrupts disembarkation in tour ports.

2.) It congests the gangway when leaving creating a bottleneck exit.

3.) It is very "in your face" and they don't leave you an option to say "no" they will literally get down on their knees and beg and worship you in order to take a photo - yes seriously they do that.

4.) They expect grown adults, many of whom are retirement age to pose for photos with "children's themes" - get real"

It was one of my pet hates on the Princess cruises I do. It lacks style and creativity and is an insult to the photography profession. No professional photographer in their right mind would consider taking cheap and tacky photos of such a ridiculous and childish theme.

Even worst is that when the locals came to greet the passengers with their traditional dress (throughout a cruise many local folkloric members come dressed up in traditional native costumes and clothing for a welcome, the ships crew often brush these people aside in order to push their crazy childish fury animal photos.

So unfortunately yes you do have to put up with this childish garbage on every Princess ship in operation.

It is very "in your face" and they don't leave you an option to say "no" they will literally get down on their knees and beg and worship you in order to take a photo - yes seriously they do that.

I've only seen this done at port stops, and all I do is say no and walk around where they are set up. To me, there is no such thing as my not having an option to say no. The more in my face they get, the more sorry they are.

That said, in the vast majority of the cases I have never found that to be necessary. Simply saying no, ignoring them, and continuing on your way does the trick.

I saw one fellow walking around, dressed up like a ship's Captain. Don't think he really was the Captain, as we were sailing at the time. I mean, if the ship was sailing, how could the Captain be driving AND walking around at the same time ? :confused:

Nah, I think it was just some guy trying to impress all the ladies . . . :rolleyes:

I mean, if the ship was sailing, how could the Captain be driving AND walking around at the same time ? :confused:

The same way the captain of a commercial aircraft can leave the cockpit and go use the lavatory......the aircraft on autopilot and a first officer monitoring. I've been on the bridge of a Princess ship while cruising and the captain isn't driving..he's monitoring, and other officers take watches when he isn't there.

I've only seen this done at port stops, and all I do is say no and walk around where they are set up. To me, there is no such thing as my not having an option to say no. The more in my face they get, the more sorry they are.

 

That said, in the vast majority of the cases I have never found that to be necessary. Simply saying no, ignoring them, and continuing on your way does the trick.

I agree and think you are doing the right thing by telling them "no"

What is so disheartening and extremely frustrating at the same time is you are mustered for a ships tour in the Princess Theatre, you are than asked to join the queue, you line up outside the theatre follow the queue at snails pace down through the ship. This could take a good 15 minutes.

Then the moment of salvation, the moment you have been waiting for, you see daylight, you are excited to get off the ship and start your tour in this country you have been planning to visit, then all of a sudden you are at the top of the gangway and notice a massive bottleneck at the bottom and realise the queue was partly so long and slow because these idiotic photographers stooped to such a low level of inconsideration and held up passengers as they left the ship.

By the time passengers get down there they are so annoyed that they will tell the photographers exactly what they think.

I think the photographers do it to wear us down.

Yes it is true and it is rather a childish, inappropriate and very inconsiderate thing that Princess does.

 

1.) It slows down and disrupts disembarkation in tour ports.

2.) It congests the gangway when leaving creating a bottleneck exit.

3.) It is very "in your face" and they don't leave you an option to say "no" they will literally get down on their knees and beg and worship you in order to take a photo - yes seriously they do that.

4.) They expect grown adults, many of whom are retirement age to pose for photos with "children's themes" - get real"

 

It was one of my pet hates on the Princess cruises I do. It lacks style and creativity and is an insult to the photography profession. No professional photographer in their right mind would consider taking cheap and tacky photos of such a ridiculous and childish theme.

 

Even worst is that when the locals came to greet the passengers with their traditional dress (throughout a cruise many local folkloric members come dressed up in traditional native costumes and clothing for a welcome, the ships crew often brush these people aside in order to push their crazy childish fury animal photos.

 

So unfortunately yes you do have to put up with this childish garbage on every Princess ship in operation.

I agree with everything you said. We've found that, in the dining room the photographers will take 'no' for an answer but when in costume outside the dining room and on the gangway/pier they are MUCH more pushy. Our two worst cruise experiences EVER were interactions with Princess photographers on the gangway/pier. One photographer cursed out my husband (and it was overheard by security) and another time, after declining a photo, I was grabbed around the neck by a "pirate" with knife in hand. Both times we let them know right then and there that their actions were more than inappropriate and we escalated it once back on the ship.

Oh Wow!!

We've dealt with great photographers and some pushy ones. The main issue is that a LOT of their compensation comes from photo sales. If they can get you to take a photo, there is the off chance you will buy one. They DON'T pay for the printing...

See the disconnect here?

We've seen "pirates" outside MDR posing for pictures with people. We just smile and walk on. If someone likes having their picture taken with crew members dressed as "pirates" or whatever then that's fine. They have never been pushy or rude to us so, even though we thought it was silly, it didn't bother us in any way.

There have also been "photo ops" near the gangway when embarking or disembarking and, again, we just smile and continue on our way. There are plenty of people who seem to want to have these pictures taken so there's no problem with the staff trying to force them on us.

We have never had any issues with the photographers in all the years we have been cruising. It's not a big deal. Guess some folks have just lost their sense of humor.

We have never had any issues with the photographers in all the years we have been cruising. It's not a big deal. Guess some folks have just lost their sense of humor.

There is nothing funny about a photographer single headedly blocking the exit gangway and creating a massive bottleneck slowing down disembarkation at port visits. There is nothing about that I find humorous at all.