a head's up about shutters!

[Kajunswty]

I had read some where on here that when you have a package they allow you to switch the pictures later in the week if you find some that you prefer. I just wanted to let everyone know that was not our experience. We bought the 6 X 8 package the very first night along with 2 photos. Mid-week my husband purchased 6 more photos while I was at the pool. Naturally, I'd forgotten to tell him that I wanted to wait to purchase the rest of the package at the end of the week. So, after semi-formal night there were several family photos that I wanted. I explained to the CM that I wanted to exchange a few photos because the one's my DH purchased were all of my youngest daughter. She told me that you can only exchange photos of the same event/character. I asked to speak to a supervisor with no avail. I ended up buying them anyway ~ but it did annoy me since we had already spent so much money on photos.

Also, I was not prepared for the mad house that shutters turned into on the last night. My suggeston would be to drop you little ones at the club/lab and go with your SO. And know that they let you walk out into the hall way if you need to so you can lay the photos down or spread them out.

I hope this helps someone ~

 

[tstobb]

DCL contracts out the photographic services on-board. Here's the web site of the company that they use where you can get a copyright release or file a complaint:
http://www.image.com/guest-postcruise.htm

 

[Hopkins]

I agree with you about exchanging 6 x 8 photo's for another photo that you might like later in the cruise. If you buy a package, how would you know if you would not like that photo's later in the cruise. The exchange would solve this. I agree 100% with you. You weren't asking to mix photo's from different packages (6 x 8 for 8 x 10). I guess what they are worried about is someone taking the pictures off the ship, copying them, returning it for another one. Or maybe, it's simply that we spend more money on pictures. Shutter's can really drain a DCL cruiser's wallet.

Love my Shutter's photo's!
Tina

 

[Kajunswty]

thanks tstobb ~ but I don't want to file a "formal" complaint ~ just wanted to make everyone else aware

 

[IrishCowboy]

Shutters keeps track of the number of pictures that are sold by photographer. Part of their compensation is based on commission. Perhaps that is why they will only let you 'trade out' photos for the same event/character.

 

[reveric]

For what it's worth - when we sailed in October we had a LONG conversation with the CM in shutters. Based on what we were told in that conversation my understanding is exactly what you understood - that if you purchased a photo package and a photo came out later in the cruise that you wanted to swap for an earlier one then you could do that. As a matter of fact I'm almost positive that I did exactly that!

It does make sense that they track photos sold by photographer but I would still encourage you to write to the company and tell them that you have friends who were allowed to do what you weren't allowed to do. At the very least the company needs to be aware that their policy is not clear to customers and is being inconsistently enforced. Both of those issues could be easily addressed by the company to prevent others from making having the same problem you did (and I would have too if they had told me I couldn't switch on the last day!)

I would think they'd appreciate some good, honest feedback from a customer who isn't looking to get something free from them.

 

[bpitzer20]

Kajunswty, thanks for posting! We too bought a package, and on the first night when we asked the CM if we could trade out pictures, he replied "No, they are not trading cards" which made me feel silly for asking. I'm glad to hear we were not the only ones who thought of such a thing! We did find out that if you do not find 10 pictures you like that they have taken of you, you can get those numbered pics that they have already taken ahead of time of the boat and the characters instead. We got the one of the Magic's atrium, which I'm glad we did b/c my pic of it did not turn out at all!

Also, I noticed on the last night they put the pictures they had taken down earlier in the week into bins on a table, which were labeled by subject (i.e Character Breakfast or Deck Party). If you wait until the end of the week to purchase your pictures, I would suggest getting to those pics early because it didn't take long for them to get spread all over the table in no discernable order and there were so many pics, I have no idea how you would ever find yours unless you could devote some serious time to searching!

 

[TeensMom]

To contradict an earlier comment - I was NOT allowed to leave a very crowded and hot shutters to look at my pictures just outside in the hall. I had pictures in hand and started toward the door and was stopped somewhat rudly. It was so hot and crowded I thought I was going to faint so I just handed the pictures to the employee and left.

We bought a package and did not like many pictures - ended up taking some really bad ones just to get 10. Our kids are teens and hung out a lot a Common Grounds - apparently the photographers don't go there. The pictures we did take (mostly formals) were not very good - odd colors in face, shines, red eye. We won't do the whole Shutters thing again.

 

[atigeg]

That's an interesting point about the photographers making a commission. I had noticed a couple of Wonder cruises ago that they did not want to take "no" for an answer when we didn't want to participate in a photo opportunity (for example, at dinner or standing in front of the ship on Castaway Cay). One of them asked us four times, even after we explained that we'd been on (at the time) 26 cruises and had just about every photo imaginable. I wondered why they were being so pushy. We didn't notice the pushiness on #27 on the Wonder, but they were fairly aggressive on the Magic. I guess I know why now!
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[taswira]

It was my impression that when you purchase a package, Shutters will allow you to start a "collection" (choosing the ones you like of the pics they shoot of you each day) which you ask them to "hold" for you. Then on the last night of the cruise you select the photos you want to make up your "package." They do not allow you to "trade" because not <I>everyone</I> is honest. It is not impossible for tech-savvy guests to scan a photo to their laptop, then return the photo to Shutters. The fact that not <I>everyone</I> is necessarily honest is also why they can not allow you to leave Shutters with photos for which you have not paid. They would not have the manpower to keep a watchful eye on the photos if they allowed this. If you are not certain which photos you want or think better ones might be shot later, ask them to hold the ones you are interested in for a later decision. Unless they have recently changed their policy, they DO allow this, and it seems a fair arrangement for both parties.

Shari
HAPPILY IN FL
On the AP Wonder Cruise next week

 

[Pugdog007]

What I did... and IMHO the best solution... is to "stack" your pics every day... with the most recent on top so they won't be taken down. That way on the last night I had all the one's I liked to choose from. I also did not find enough that I liked to buy a package and instead just ended up buying the few that I did like. They're too expensive to substitute a picture of the ship or something just to buy the package.

 

[andicoco]

i have to agree....... stacking was the way to go for me.. i had about 12 photos stacked up and by the end of the week ended up buying only 6.......also at every character sighting shot 3 or 4 shots on my own camera.... many of them came out great so i didnt have to buy my dd every single picture........

 

[MelissaE1]

Originally posted by Pugdog007
What I did... and IMHO the best solution... is to "stack" your pics every day... with the most recent on top so they won't be taken down.

This sounds like a good idea, but having never been to Shutters, I am wondering... where do you stack them?

 

[Pugdog007]

They're displayed in huge picture holders that are mounted to the wall. They close & lock so that when Shutter's is closed... you can still use it as a walk-thru. They stack them single-file, the same backdrops all together... so yours are pretty easy to locate initially.

 

[tksbaskets]

I got the 10 photo package and was very satified. I found 9 photos I really wanted then I was able to get 2 of their pre-done photos with the characters on Castaway Cay for 1 of my package. Great since we never got to go there and the pictures will look great in my scrapbook.

When I purchased the package they told me if I didn't find 10 I wanted they would refund me the difference if there was any.


I'm sorry you were unhappy. I had a blast spending almost $90 on 10 pictures

 

[mmouse37]

by stacking Taswira mean keeping them all together in one place on the rack (one behind the other). That's exactly what we did last week. We would gather all the pics we liked each day and eliminated the ones we didn't like right away and kept a stack going all week. On the last night we just grabbed our stack (sometimes they do get moved, though) and sorted through one last time and then stood in line forever to purchase them.

They should have an express line for people who know what photos they want and just want to pay. We were stuck behind so many people what were trying to figure out what photos to pick and what packages to buy. That should have been done earlier. Or at least have an idea of what pics you want before you get on the line. It is a madhouse the last night!!!

MJ

 

[tksbaskets]

I was very satisfied with our 10-pack. We were told when we purchased it that if we didn't find 10 pictures we wanted they would refund the difference if there was one.

I was able to substitute 2 of their pre-done photos of the characters on Castaway Cay for one of my pack. Great since our cruise couldn't go on the island.

I had a blast spending almost $90 on my photos and they are quality. Kodak paper and real pictures, not printed out from a laser printer. And we were on a 4 day cruise......How much will I fork out on a 7 day????

It is nice that you posted your concern. I agree that the more informed we are as consumers the less likely we are to be disappointed.

 

[bev r.]

I too had success with the daily collection and stacking technique.
With 3 kids, I spent $220 on pictures (the 15 6x8 package, and 5 8x10's, which allowed one picture to be placed in a very nice portfolio). It's really too bad that they take such nice pictures. It's pretty hard not to be tempted to spend a whole lot of money.

 

[4nana]

I am glad you brought this up!
Having spent hundreds of dollars there recently,
Shutters was definitely one of my biggest weakness'... LOL

Granted, we are very happy with our family photos and would not trade them for love nor money! However, we were shocked that Shutters is placed as a thorough fare that is hot, crowded, unorganized, with no where comfortable to even look at your pix. We would go early in the day to search out family photos to stack, only to find them scattered or even disappeared in evening. We quickly learned their rules - NO, if you buy the pkg. early in the week pix exchange is not allowed. NO, they cannot hold your favorite pix till end of week. After day 5 your pix were taken down and you had to look thru a box place in the hallway.

IMO, as much as they charge for this service, it would be great if someone from Disney reads this and realizes there may be room for improvement.

 

[cruisnfamily]

We tried to stack our photos nightly just to come in the next night and find that they had been scattered again. When I questioned the CM's about it they explained that they move the pictures regularly and can't guarantee the stack will remain together although they try. Well, they didn't try very hard with ours! It was a nightmare trying to collect them all.....and this was just on the 4 day....I can't imagine the confusion on a 7 day!