On-Board Photography

[Sa1lAway]

Afternoon all, 

 

Don't suppose anybody knows or has heard rumour when we can expect On-Board Photographers to return to the ships (or if they will at all)? Travelling in April next year so hoping its before then! 

 

Thanks! 🙂

[jeanlyon]

I hope never!  They drive me mad, trying to snap at the bottom of the gangway, interrupting at dinner.  My smartphone is just as good.

[pennib]

Here here Jean. Couldn’t agree more.

[Neecy1]

14 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

I hope never!  They drive me mad, trying to snap at the bottom of the gangway, interrupting at dinner.  My smartphone is just as good.

Me too Jean. I find it annoying when you've just boarded, have been travelling down all day and perhaps not looking your best. Especially last time I'd left all my make up at home! 

[majortom10]

Never had a photographer "pester" me in 2 5yrs of cruising. They have a job to do and many like having their photographs taken and purchase as a memory. Just a polite "no thank you" whether it be around the ship in restaurant or at gangway and they leave you alone.

[zap99]

1 hour ago, majortom10 said:

Never had a photographer "pester" me in 2 5yrs of cruising. They have a job to do and many like having their photographs taken and purchase as a memory. Just a polite "no thank you" whether it be around the ship in restaurant or at gangway and they leave you alone.

We let the Celebrity photographers take 2,or 3 photos of us at Mykonos.........they will be ready for you to view on the ship this evening......but we are on NCL...oh, why didn't you say.....because you didn't ask..you just shoved a camera in our faces 🤣

[Snow Hill]

18 hours ago, jeanlyon said:

I hope never!  They drive me mad, trying to snap at the bottom of the gangway, interrupting at dinner.  My smartphone is just as good.

Entirely agree, in the 12 years we have been cruising, only ever purchased 2 photographs, these were the only 2 decent ones, the rest were poor. Having a a wife who is a very keen photographer and worked as one for a few years, she examines the photos very closely hence the high number of rejections. She calls them snappers not photographers. 

[Zombatar]

Been cruising since 2007 and have bought quite a few pictures from the ships photographers many of which are displayed around our home. I have never thought of the photographers as a nuisance and make a point of chatting to them when I can. Mostly they are pretty nice people.

[terrierjohn]

9 minutes ago, Zombatar said:

Been cruising since 2007 and have bought quite a few pictures from the ships photographers many of which are displayed around our home. I have never thought of the photographers as a nuisance and make a point of chatting to them when I can. Mostly they are pretty nice people.

On a family cruise with Princess we had a free framed portrait offer, and had a full family photo done on the bottom of the atrium steps on Emerald Princess, which is a lovely reminder of our holiday.

Like you we don't consider them a nuisance and rarely bother with photos nowadays, but knew that we could have one taken if we wanted to.

[Cruisemeister2002]

I suppose we are like many cruisers. First cruise you buy anything and everything then you realise how expensive they are and do you really want someone taking a photo of yourself when you have been up since the crack of dawn feeling hot and dishevelled only for someone to say " Let's see a nice smile" when all you feel like is to sit in the bar and have a quiet drink and unwind a bit. We still on rare occasions buy a couple of photo's and because I purchase an Ultimate Package part of this is a Formal Photo in frame. The only downside to that is you notice how much older you look from the last time. 

[Cpt Pugwash]

Agree with everyone that don't want to see them return, remember my first 'interaction' with them in the terminal at Southampton when i cut through the line for them to ask EVERYONE if they wanted to put there head through a Cardboard Cutout of the ship like you used to see at the Seaside when they told me l was 'Not Allowed' to cut through Security though they weren't very happy with my reply that it had Nothing to do Security it was just a Hard Sell.

The  Second was in Stavanger our first port of call, walking on the quayside, DSLR over my shoulder small Tripod screwed onto it to save me carrying it and they ask me do i want my Photo taken next to ship.

I offered to take the young woman's instead of Her taking mine.

There all about the Hard Sell and sell as many as they can.

[brynmelyndavid]

My wife and I ignore the ones on the quayside but we actively seek out the ones on board on celebration nights. They are trained to get the best shot and know how to make us look half decent. Since both of us hate having our picture taken  we appreciate a professional doing it and have purchased images because we are so pleased with them. No one forces anyone to have their picture taken but wishing the photographers never to return seems unnecessarily presumptuous that everyone else will feel the same way. I for one hope they will be on board. 

[Cpt Pugwash]

2 hours ago, brynmelyndavid said:

My wife and I ignore the ones on the quayside but we actively seek out the ones on board on celebration nights. They are trained to get the best shot and know how to make us look half decent. Since both of us hate having our picture taken  we appreciate a professional doing it and have purchased images because we are so pleased with them. No one forces anyone to have their picture taken but wishing the photographers never to return seems unnecessarily presumptuous that everyone else will feel the same way. I for one hope they will be on board. 

The Photographers on the Quayside ARE those from the ship trying to get you to but a photo next to the ship. Yes i can see your point and others of wanting them there to take 'Special' Photo's but it's the Hard Sell that annoys me everywhere you go they want to sell you a Photo. My first cruise i took over a 1,000 photo's then deleted the ones i didn't like, do you think i want or need anybody to take my Photo.? Especially with my head sticking through a hole on a board like they wanted everyone to queue at Southampton for Including every person not interested in one.

[Snow Hill]

30 minutes ago, Cpt Pugwash said:

The Photographers on the Quayside ARE those from the ship trying to get you to but a photo next to the ship. Yes i can see your point and others of wanting them there to take 'Special' Photo's but it's the Hard Sell that annoys me everywhere you go they want to sell you a Photo. My first cruise i took over a 1,000 photo's then deleted the ones i didn't like, do you think i want or need anybody to take my Photo.? Especially with my head sticking through a hole on a board like they wanted everyone to queue at Southampton for Including every person not interested in one.

The best photo taken of my wife and I on a Black Tie Night was taken by a passenger with my camera, the ones taken by the onboard photographers were poor in comparison. Little did we known at the time he was a retired press photographer, which he told us when we sat at same table in the MDR one evening a few days later.

[majortom10]

I have no problems with the photographers and think it is wrong to say we hope they dont return. There is many things on P&O ships that I dont like or use but wouldnt want to see them taken away because we are all different and many like the things onboard that I dont and as with photographers many like having their photo taken. 

Edited September 4, 2022 by majortom10

[Cpt Pugwash]

59 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

I have no problems with the photographers and think it is wrong to say we hope they don't return. There is many things on P&O ships that I don't like or use but wouldn't want to see them taken away because we are all different and many like the things onboard that I don't and as with photographers many like having their photo taken. 

 I have never wanted anything taken away because i didn't like it as this was one of the reasons i was going to cancel my first cruise when read many times on the old P&O Forum of so many people saying there's only one way to do things MY way but was talked into not cancelling by others and thank those that did when i came back i just have a Objection with the Hard Sell have Photographers onboard without that i'd be fine with. P.S I did not mention in my post about them saying that i was cutting through Security when i had nothing to do with Security because it affected everyone but they STILL told me that rubbish, and i am Disabled and still expected me and other's to stand in a queue for something myself and many others were Not interested in. What is that if it is not the Hard Sell.?

Would you like the Hard Sell if everytime you looked in one of the shop windows onboard if someone came out and try to talk you into buy something though you had no interest anything they sold.?

Edited September 4, 2022 by Cpt Pugwash

[Cpt Pugwash]

On 8/23/2022 at 6:58 PM, Cruisemeister2002 said:

I suppose we are like many cruisers. First cruise you buy anything and everything then you realise how expensive they are and do you really want someone taking a photo of yourself when you have been up since the crack of dawn feeling hot and dishevelled only for someone to say " Let's see a nice smile" when all you feel like is to sit in the bar and have a quiet drink and unwind a bit. We still on rare occasions buy a couple of photo's and because I purchase an Ultimate Package part of this is a Formal Photo in frame. The only downside to that is you notice how much older you look from the last time. 

That's why i only take photo's of other people never myself. 😷

[majortom10]

11 hours ago, Cpt Pugwash said:

 I have never wanted anything taken away because i didn't like it as this was one of the reasons i was going to cancel my first cruise when read many times on the old P&O Forum of so many people saying there's only one way to do things MY way but was talked into not cancelling by others and thank those that did when i came back i just have a Objection with the Hard Sell have Photographers onboard without that i'd be fine with. P.S I did not mention in my post about them saying that i was cutting through Security when i had nothing to do with Security because it affected everyone but they STILL told me that rubbish, and i am Disabled and still expected me and other's to stand in a queue for something myself and many others were Not interested in. What is that if it is not the Hard Sell.?

Would you like the Hard Sell if everytime you looked in one of the shop windows onboard if someone came out and try to talk you into buy something though you had no interest anything they sold.?

I must have been very lucky in over 50 cruises with different companies that I have never had any hard sell. Whether walking around the ship, at dinner table or getting off at ports have been asked if I would like a photograph taken and a polite "no thank you" as always been sufficient and they have moved on.

 

[MX-Drew]

On 8/21/2022 at 4:11 PM, majortom10 said:

Never had a photographer "pester" me in 2 5yrs of cruising. They have a job to do and many like having their photographs taken and purchase as a memory. Just a polite "no thank you" whether it be around the ship in restaurant or at gangway and they leave you alone.

Well said and totally agree. Just a polite no thank you has worked for me.

[Angel57]

54 minutes ago, MX-Drew said:

Well said and totally agree. Just a polite no thank you has worked for me.

Totally agree. The only time I found it really intrusive was midway thru dinner for a table photograph and having to swap seats etc. Admittedly that was on set table of 8.

[Camberley]

Only had the hard sell a few times. But we would never use them, esp. given how good many typical people with a decent phone can create a memory that is often just as good. And free.
 

I’ve seen so many pro shots from friends and family over the years from their cruises and while decent photos, I’ve not often seen them more impressive than the normal photo taken!

[yorkshirephil]

We have never had a hard sell from photographers on any cruise line. We keep saying we won't buy any more but sometimes we like them plus they are a story of our cruise life over the last 25 years. We all have choices.

[Megabear2]

I am eternally grateful to the photographers on Cunard. My mother had never left the UK until her 80th birthday and as a result of her first cruise on QE2 always purchased the full photo package every cruise.  Until then there were very few photos of us together but thanks to the photographers I have literally hundreds to recall our trips.  The kindness shown over the years to my mother in particular is something I remember fondly and the time spent wandering round with the photographers into hidden places around the ships leave great memories.  On one memorable occasion in Monte Carlo when QE was delayed the photographers took us on a night shoot including a helicopter ride. 

 

I was delighted to see photographers on Celebrity Edge and Regal Princess (particularly the latter in light of what came later) and was able to use some nice pictures to remember my trips in 2022.  I'd love to see them back on P&O for my Christmas cruise.

[molecrochip]

Photographers are slowly returning but not on all ships at the same speed. Cunard and the adults only ships were due to be the first focus followed by the rest.

 

Even on those ships where they return, its likely that there will be less as modern camera phones have killed most of the sales so its largely what is needed to cover weddings and events.

[Megabear2]

16 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

Photographers are slowly returning but not on all ships at the same speed. Cunard and the adults only ships were due to be the first focus followed by the rest.

 

Even on those ships where they return, its likely that there will be less as modern camera phones have killed most of the sales so its largely what is needed to cover weddings and events.

If prices are adjusted and the digital package made a reasonable cost more would probably be sold.  Certainly on the Edge people were very keen but there were less of the artificial backdrop formal shots and more photos taken with the ship and her artwork as the backdrop for natural photos.  For such an expensive cruise ironically the photo package was probably the best value.