Annoying Photographers

Anyone else noticing the aggressive annoyance of the ship photographers?

On a Glory a few weeks ago, you could not walk past the casino to the aft lounges in the evenings without having to say “No” every 3 feet. The photographers literally jump in front of you and block your way, while pointing at their backdrops.

In the main dining room, they approached our table. A simple “No, thank you” usually does the trick. But recently, the guy went ahead and rudely snapped a picture anyway.

... and the jam in the stairwells to get off the ship at a port. Usually it’s the scanning of S&S cards that slows everything down. Now it’s three-deep photo ops at the end of the gangway... the captain wheel, the life ring, the bozos dressed like pirates, etc... Just try and get around that without a shutter snapping.

We always buy a couple of photos on a cruise and enjoy getting then taken. But never before experienced the annoying level that they stepped it up to.

What you describe has been the norm for years. On Conquest-class ships, the walkway next to the casino is one of the major staging areas for photos and there will be photogs and their backdrops/props lined up there. The photos on the gangway have always happened. We hate it and usually duck behind some other unfortunate couple or family who got snagged or, goodness, willingly stopped for a photo.

However, sometimes these lead to some great goofy photos you can see in the gallery.

Anyone else noticing the aggressive annoyance of the ship photographers?

 

On a Glory a few weeks ago, you could not walk past the casino to the aft lounges in the evenings without having to say “No” every 3 feet. The photographers literally jump in front of you and block your way, while pointing at their backdrops.

 

In the main dining room, they approached our table. A simple “No, thank you” usually does the trick. But recently, the guy went ahead and rudely snapped a picture anyway.

 

... and the jam in the stairwells to get off the ship at a port. Usually it’s the scanning of S&S cards that slows everything down. Now it’s three-deep photo ops at the end of the gangway... the captain wheel, the life ring, the bozos dressed like pirates, etc... Just try and get around that without a shutter snapping.

 

We always buy a couple of photos on a cruise and enjoy getting then taken. But never before experienced the annoying level that they stepped it up to.

Hi

Haven't noticed much of a change over the years. Only difference is that I rarely purchase photos anymore.

If there is a holdup at the gangway, it's only because other guests are trying take advantage of the opportunity to have a picture taken with the "bozos" dressed like pirates. I guess they weren't aware that they were delaying your vacation time.

Try taking a deep breath, it's not worth being annoyed to that level, considering your circumstances.

It takes less time to stop and smile, then be mad about it. Once I learned I didn't have to buy them, I let them take them. But the photographers in the restaurant are like the waitress who stops by to ask how things are when your mouth is full of food. And you cant blurt out that the water you asked for 20 minutes ago hasn't been delivered. Why show up when your mouth is full? So you cant say no.

They've been a presence on all of our cruises. The only time I get annoyed is if we are running late for an excursion and that's mostly because I'm annoyed that we're running late.

Hi

 

Haven't noticed much of a change over the years. Only difference is that I rarely purchase photos anymore.

 

If there is a holdup at the gangway, it's only because other guests are trying take advantage of the opportunity to have a picture taken with the "bozos" dressed like pirates. I guess they weren't aware that they were delaying your vacation time.

 

Try taking a deep breath, it's not worth being annoyed to that level, considering your circumstances.

A simple solution is book cruises on other lines. (Carnival is the only one that blocks gangways) Carnival is know for their desperation of trying to get every last penny out of you, and it has been evident for years, as they force you in lines, blocking progress for the many who just wants to get a good seat at Sr. Frogs.

If you want to avoid the photographers or crowds on deck 5 of any Conquest class ship, use the 4th deck walk through.

From the aft, go through the 4th deck lounge opposite the upper MDR, bear right at the bar and enter the hallway. The 1st set of stairs takes you to the area near the Taste Bar, so go to the 2nd set and you can emerge at the elevators behind the casino bar and you've bypassed most of the blockage.

The photographers on deck 5 aren't going away soon, so this is my way of not having to deal with them. Another annoying place is the gangway, and I just wave my white S&S card at time with a smile.

It annoys me also, but I have gotten used to just saying no. Now in places where they are slowing traffic like the gangway and embarkation, I have started to complain about it. If enough of us do, I hope they will stop the practice.

A simple solution is book cruises on other lines. (Carnival is the only one that blocks gangways) Carnival is know for their desperation of trying to get every last penny out of you, and it has been evident for years, as they force you in lines, blocking progress for the many who just wants to get a good seat at Sr. Frogs.

Why do you post in this board? You never have anything constructive to add to a discussion.

We always smile and say "no thank you". No big deal. Also, we have never been blocked on the gangway by a photographer.

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A simple solution is book cruises on other lines. (Carnival is the only one that blocks gangways) Carnival is know for their desperation of trying to get every last penny out of you, and it has been evident for years, as they force you in lines, blocking progress for the many who just wants to get a good seat at Sr. Frogs.

Not an issue on Princess. They do provide good training on techniques to avoid the vendors at some ports though so look at it as a learning opportunity...

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We always smile and say "no thank you".

Yeah, that’s all we did also... but it was more like “No, Thank you... No, Thank you... No, Thank you...

No, Thank you... No, Thank you... No, Thank you... No, Thank you... No, Thank you... No, Thank you... No, Thank you... No, Thank you... No, Thank you... No... No... No... No... No... I said No... I said NO!! NOOOO!!! What the??? Did he just take the picture anyway????” LOL

this may sound jerkish, but honestly we dont even talk to them/make eye contact. Just keep walking. It works fine and is easy.

It is very annoying sometimes, when you can't walk through deck 5, and taking alternate routes isn't always an option. Sometimes I'm in the casino trying to get a drink at the Alchemy bar. LOL I had one pretty pushy photographer trying to take a photo of me and a male friend i had met on the cruise that we had stopped to chat for a minute. Finally he was like, her husband is right over there, he doesn't want to buy a picture of the two of us. lol. We cruised RC for the first time a few months ago and that was one of the nice things I noticed, the photographers were all out of the way. They were around, but didn't block things or get pushy. Carnival still won overall for me, but honestly, that gave RC a few points. (I was trying to determine which line "won" overall for me)

Why do you post in this board? You never have anything constructive to add to a discussion.

Mostly because so many of the faithful, do not realize that Carnival fails in one of the most important things that annoy people, and that is crowd control, from the simple process of getting off the ship in port, to blocking walkways with pushy photographers, to their designs of their buffets. Mega ships are designed to move people efficiently, and Carnival, continues with the same old design flaws. The discussion is around the choke points Carnival creates, and so, I like to point out, that Carnival is one of the only cruise lines that create the choke points, for the purpose of increasing revenue, instead of passenger comfort. Why is that wrong?

This^^^

 

Not an issue on Princess. They do provide good training on techniques to avoid the vendors at some ports though so look at it as a learning opportunity...

 

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We have obviously sailed on a different Princess. We’ve found the photogs on Princess to be just as annoying as in Carnival.

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Mostly because so many of the faithful, do not realize that Carnival fails in one of the most important things that annoy people, and that is crowd control, from the simple process of getting off the ship in port, to blocking walkways with pushy photographers, to their designs of their buffets. Mega ships are designed to move people efficiently, and Carnival, continues with the same old design flaws. The discussion is around the choke points Carnival creates, and so, I like to point out, that Carnival is one of the only cruise lines that create the choke points, for the purpose of increasing revenue, instead of passenger comfort. Why is that wrong?

I agree with those issues, but not being Carnival specific. We have had the same issues on Princess, and the worst jam-ups/choke points we have experienced by far were on Norwegian. I think its a megaship problem, not a CCL problem specifically.

And for the record we arent loyal to any one line, we just sail whoever is a good deal for the itin we want...

It doesn't really bother me, but I seem to be used to saying no thanks to people in the ports, in big cities, the Directv person at Costco, etc.

Just say no thanks and keep walking...or don't say anything at all.

For the gangway photos, it literally takes them like one second to take the picture so we just let them. We bypass the others on the pier.

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A simple solution is book cruises on other lines. (Carnival is the only one that blocks gangways) Carnival is know for their desperation of trying to get every last penny out of you, and it has been evident for years, as they force you in lines, blocking progress for the many who just wants to get a good seat at Sr. Frogs.

Carnival is not the only line to block gangways. Just got off Celebrity and they had 2 photo ops before boarding, one blocking the gangway. Huge line of people thought they had to stop and were surprised when I walked on past. After waiting 2.5 hours to board I was not in the mood for a photo just ready to start my cruise.

What we do works pretty well. Whether we're in the MDR, walking through the ship, or going down the gangway in port, we each hold up a hand partially blocking our faces and say "No paparazzi!" It almost always gets a smile from the photographer(s), and we're left alone. :D

Mostly because so many of the faithful, do not realize that Carnival fails in one of the most important things that annoy people, and that is crowd control, from the simple process of getting off the ship in port, to blocking walkways with pushy photographers, to their designs of their buffets. Mega ships are designed to move people efficiently, and Carnival, continues with the same old design flaws. The discussion is around the choke points Carnival creates, and so, I like to point out, that Carnival is one of the only cruise lines that create the choke points, for the purpose of increasing revenue, instead of passenger comfort. Why is that wrong?

You seem to take pleasure in pointing out the flaws with Carnival. Hasn't it been years since you cruised with Carnival.

As to your point about this being a Carnival issue, that's not true. We have cruised with Carnival, Disney and Norwegian and they all have choke points. As far as squeezing every nickle out out you, nobody does that better than Norwegian.

It takes less time to stop and smile, then be mad about it. Once I learned I didn't have to buy them, I let them take them. But the photographers in the restaurant are like the waitress who stops by to ask how things are when your mouth is full of food. And you cant blurt out that the water you asked for 20 minutes ago hasn't been delivered. Why show up when your mouth is full? So you cant say no.

If you stop and smile, why would you then be mad about it?:confused:

They are annoying especially on promenade not letting people walk thru.

We get less entertainment they need the cabins for photographers that make them money

I have always found that if you just say "no thank you" they move on. I have also always been able to walk around when they are set up on the gangway.

They are annoying especially on promenade not letting people walk thru.

 

We get less entertainment they need the cabins for photographers that make them money

We were quite entertained watching some people getting their pictures done on the Dream a year ago.