Conquest High Pressure Photo Studios

So on our last cruise, in the photo gallery, we noticed a sign for the "Pixels Studio". When we asked, we were told its a small, private photo session. No charge for the session, just the cost of the photos (like in the gallery). So we agreed to give it a try.

We met Thanut the photographer who was very nice, and did the shoot. He wouldn't talk about pricing of the photos, until after the photos were to be ready the following day.

Three days later (He didn't have them done the next day like he said), he had us miss formal dinner (the only time he had available to show us his results) to view the images.

I must say the photos were quite good. The price though... we sat through a two hour, VERY HIGH PRESSURE, sales pitch to buy the 8 (yes EIGHT) images for $1299.00. (Yup, almost thirteen hundred bucks!)

No way we were going to pay that. My husband is a RL Pro Photographer and frankly this price was WAY TOO HIGH.

So, just be careful guys... if you do the Pixels Studio, be prepared to pay through the nose or at the least, sit through high pressure on the high seas!

Just a heads up. :)

We were on the Conquest a year ago and did the photo shoot as well. We were supposed to do it on the beach in Roatan, but it was raining, so we rescheduled. We then did them the next day on the ship. He spent 20 minutes max with us. We had a then 2 year old with us, so I know that it was not enough time. We never did see them as he wasn't there for our scheduled meeting and never returned our phone call about rescheduling. I guess we should be glad. That is insane. The photographer and all the images for my wedding wasn't much more than that.

This is apparently a new thing. Its not photos around the ship or in port. Its in a studio on the ship. Its a series of black and white photos on a black backdrop. (All headshots).

Again, the photos were great, I don't want to mock the quality... But 1300 bucks? REALLY CARNIVAL?

...a two hour, VERY HIGH PRESSURE, sales pitch to buy the 8 (yes EIGHT) images for $1299.00. (Yup, almost thirteen hundred bucks!)...

I always find saying "NO" works... and walk away... No high pressure if you walk away.

If you get the feel that they are hiding something, walk away

If they don't want to give you a price, walk away

YOU hold the power. I can't believe anyone would sit for a two hour sales pitch to buy photo's..

And, I can't believe anyone who's married to a "Pro photographer" would need more photo's... just saying.

I have a houseful of photographs...and only a handful are professional. The best cruise photos are the ones caught on my cheap camera with the subject unaware of being photograped. I like the "realness" of real peeps in real situations. I just say 'no thanks' to any on-board photographer...easy, peasy.

And, I can't believe anyone who's married to a "Pro photographer" would need more photo's... just saying.

Because as a professional photographer, he takes photos of OTHER people and places. Now and then, we actually like to have our own family photographs too sometimes... Crazy thought I guess...

 

And, I can't believe anyone who's married to a "Pro photographer" would need more photo's... just saying.

Not all professional photographers are portrait photographers. They specialize, just like your doctor. I don't want a proctologist poking around in my heart, ya know?

That sounds like a crazy amount of money! I usually never buy Cruise pics (I have my family stand on the staircase in the MDR and someone snaps a shot) but this last cruise we got one because it turned out great! I loved it so much that I used it in my Christmas card this year (with the official Carnival release) and got many compliments.

Sorry its so big! Anyway, best $30 I spent on a cruise photo!

...I must say the photos were quite good. The price though... we sat through a two hour, VERY HIGH PRESSURE, sales pitch to buy the 8 (yes EIGHT) images for $1299.00. (Yup, almost thirteen hundred bucks!)....

THIRTEEN HUNDRED BUCKS!!!!!

Don't need too many suckers to make a good living living on a cruise ship.;)

I think I've found my new retirement vocation!:D

I have a houseful of photographs...and only a handful are professional. The best cruise photos are the ones caught on my cheap camera with the subject unaware of being photograped. I like the "realness" of real peeps in real situations. I just say 'no thanks' to any on-board photographer...easy, peasy.

The poster wasn't approached or pressured. They saw a sign for a private photo shoot in the Pixels gallery. They are the ones that wanted to do it. Just the prices were outrageous. $1300??! :eek:

I saw a family having a photo shoot on the Freedom last year. I know they must have paid a fortune if they got all those pics. The photographer was with them on the ship and in port.

That used to be the internet cafe on conquest. Tossed it out and left 4 terminals outside that room.

Wow...prices have jumped! We did that a couple years ago on Dream, had pictures taken around the ship at sunset. And yes, we got a high pressure sales afterwards, but NOT 2 hours! When it became clear we were not going to spend at least $500 on the smallest package, the photographer let us know we could buy individual prints. I'm thinking they were around $32 for 8 x 10's, so we did get a couple.

We did the photo shoot with the Pixel Dream Photographer last year on the

Magic. My teenage daughter was the subject of the photos.

We have them done around the ship. They turned out so gorgeous that I

ended up buying them all , the largest package deal was $1000. And I did

buy it. I don't regret it at all.

I was hoping to do the Pixel shoot again for my May cruise and am disappointed if they only now do the photos in a studio???

We were wanting to do the beach photos this time.

Does anyone know if the in studio Pixel shoot is on all ships or maybe just the

Conquest?

Thank you!

On the ship we were on, they did not offer any beach or around the ship photos... It was ONLY black and white portraits, on a solid black backdrop in his studio.

We did the photo shoot with the Pixel Dream Photographer last year on the

Magic. My teenage daughter was the subject of the photos.

We have them done around the ship. They turned out so gorgeous that I

ended up buying them all ' date=' the largest package deal was $1000. And I did

buy it. I don't regret it at all.

 

I was hoping to do the Pixel shoot again for my May cruise and am disappointed if they only now do the photos in a studio???

We were wanting to do the beach photos this time.

 

Does anyone know if the in studio Pixel shoot is on all ships or maybe just the

Conquest?

Thank you![/quote']

 

How many photos did you get for $1000? Do you remember how much the other smaller packages were? Our son and his wife might be interested on their upcoming cruise?

We did a similar photo shoot when we sailed on HAL's Westerdam. We saw the sign and decided to give it a shot. The photos were beyond amazing. They were some of the first family photos that we had that included our (then) 15 month old daughter. They were so beautiful that just sitting through the photo presentation brought tears to my wife's eyes.

However, the tears were short lived. The photographer finally started talking prices. She started at something close to $2500! She kept going down. The cheapest thing that she could offer was a CD with unprintable, un-retouched, low resolution proofs for $800. Needless to say, we declined.

The next day though, she left an 8x10 of one of our favorite family photos in our stateroom mailbox, with a personal note thanking us for our interest, AND free of charge! I thought that was a nice gesture, considering that we didn't spend a dime and pretty much wasted her time.

What's a high pressure photo?

I believe it was 12 black and white prints.

How many photos did you get for $1000? Do you remember how much the other smaller packages were? Our son and his wife might be interested on their upcoming cruise?

##################################################

For $1000 , I recd all photos taken, probably close to 40.

All photos on a disc with the copyrights included. A beautiful coffee table photo book(this is what sold me) and a Large canvas of the photo of my choice. The canvas is large enough to hang over the fireplace.

You were allowed to purchase photos separately. I think they cost $30each

The next package was $500, with this package you recd all the 8x10 photos

For $750 you recd the photos and the copyrights and cd

For $1000 , you recd what I stated above.

I certainly hope the pixel service like this is available on the Freedom.

Another photo from the Pixel shoot

Thank you for all your info. We will now go in prepared.

You have a lovely daughter.

We just returned two days ago from the Triumph. We also did the private photo shoot around the ship. It only took about 30 minutes. I guess the packages must differ from ship to ship. When we sat down to review the photos a couple of days after the shoot....we were handed a large black photo album which included about 30 of the 50 photos taken and told we would also receive a CD of all the pics, a canvas of any pic of our choice and also a large metal picture of our choice....all for $3499.00:eek:. We were in shock...I expected it to be high but I thought that was very high! The pictures were all awesome. The smallest package offered that included the CD was $1299.00. We ended up just buying all the 50 8X10's with no CD. He said he was giving us a deal at $600.00. We took it and I can't say I am disappointed at all. The quality of the photos is better than we have ever had taken before.

Again, the photos were great, I don't want to mock the quality... But 1300 bucks? REALLY CARNIVAL?

I agree, the price is ridiculous, but Pixel is an separate company, not operated by Carnival. Sure, Carnival gets paid to have them on the ships but the prices are essentially Pixels.

We rarely buy their photos. Heck, most of the time we don't even let them take the shot.

We just returned two days ago from the Triumph. We also did the private photo shoot around the ship. It only took about 30 minutes. I guess the packages must differ from ship to ship. When we sat down to review the photos a couple of days after the shoot....we were handed a large black photo album which included about 30 of the 50 photos taken and told we would also receive a CD of all the pics, a canvas of any pic of our choice and also a large metal picture of our choice....all for $3499.00:eek:. We were in shock...I expected it to be high but I thought that was very high! The pictures were all awesome. The smallest package offered that included the CD was $1299.00. We ended up just buying all the 50 8X10's with no CD. He said he was giving us a deal at $600.00. We took it and I can't say I am disappointed at all. The quality of the photos is better than we have ever had taken before.

My goodness that is a huge price difference!

I doubt the price could have skyrocketed that much in a year. But like you said, it must be different offers per ship or maybe even per photographer.

We weren't offered any type of metal picture .

The book is what sold me! I fell in love with it.

Were you offered to purchase the photos individually?

I wonder what the price per pic is now?