digital photo package

[halfmonkey]

We're deciding if we want to get the digital photo package for our upcoming cruise. It's a 7 night cruise. Before the cruise, we're going to be spending 5 days at WDW. We ordered the Memory Maker package because it wasn't too expensive. I think we paid $149 of your stay. The cruise for 7 nights for a digital package is asking for $295. That's basically double for what amounts to two more days in a much smaller space.

Curious to know for those that have gone on the Disney Fantasy with SWDaS, was it worth it for you? How many pictures did you end up with?

 

[Kathy Muniz]

I haven't done it yet but will be doing it for my 7 Night cruise in November. The good thing is you can cancel it onboard before the end of the cruise if you don't like enough pictures for it to be worth it (but who am I kidding I'm going to want every single one), but at least if you sign up ahead of time you get a discount (vs changing your mind onboard and having to pay full price.

 

[FigmentSpark]

You've bought the memory maker already? You're like me. You'll do a cost analysis, struggle a bit with your conscience, buy it and then justify that the kids are only young once and you want those memories, so it's worth the price. At least, that's what I'm planning.

As PP said, you can change your mind once on the ship, if you don't get your money's worth out of it. But at more than $12 per picture (if you buy the 20), you only need about 25 pictures to be doing better than just buying a package with a few prints.

 

[Jadeey]

I haven't bought it before (my 2018 cruise will be my first cruise) but I'm planning on getting it. The price hurts, but I figure I'll want the photos once I see them and my daughter will only be 3.5 on a cruise once so I might as well just budget it in and be done with it.

 

[DIS_Ag]

A couple of things.... I believe even the digital copies come with a DCL border that can't be removed. I wouldn't want you to spend all that money and be surprised by that at the end.

If you bring your own camera, the crew is usually great about taking some of your family for you. This is especially true at character meets and meals.

We bought the digital 10 pack on board for $150 (7 night cruise). There were some shots they got better than we did so we're happy to have them. For us, I think we had it narrowed down to 12 after looking through our portfolio, so the choices weren't that hard.

 

[halfmonkey]

You've bought the memory maker already? You're like me. You'll do a cost analysis, struggle a bit with your conscience, buy it and then justify that the kids are only young once and you want those memories, so it's worth the price. At least, that's what I'm planning.

As PP said, you can change your mind once on the ship, if you don't get your money's worth out of it. But at more than $12 per picture (if you buy the 20), you only need about 25 pictures to be doing better than just buying a package with a few prints.

We did buy the memory maker package for our WDW part of the trip. It wasn't too expensive and it includes all of the party members as long as they're listed as friends and family on my acct. Also, it provides videos of a couple of the rides so it was an easy decision.

As far as the digital photo package for DCL, I'm a little hesitant at $295. After doing a little more research, it seems that I'll have to pay a little more because we have a party of 6 between 2 rooms with my mom and two kids in the second room. It appears that the photo package on DCL only takes picture of your immediate family members and so my mom wouldn't count in the second room. If she took a picture with any of the kids or me or my wife, the picture would be included but if it's just her in the picture, it would not be included. I think I read that a second package can be added for multiple room parties for 50% off the second order so we're looking at about $450 if we want to make certain that we'll have all of our photos. Seems really steep.

We've been on 2 previous DCL cruises on the Wonder. One was a "trip to nowhere" of 2 nights and the other was a 5 night cruise. We didn't really take too many photos with the photographers and I brought my own camera. When we did take any pictures with them, I already had the same pictures on my camera so that's why I'm hesitant with our upcoming trip.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Does anyone know... rather than cancel the package, if you purchase it, can you downgrade it to the 10 or 20 prints, instead?

We did buy the memory maker package for our WDW part of the trip. It wasn't too expensive and it includes all of the party members as long as they're listed as friends and family on my acct. Also, it provides videos of a couple of the rides so it was an easy decision.

As far as the digital photo package for DCL, I'm a little hesitant at $295. After doing a little more research, it seems that I'll have to pay a little more because we have a party of 6 between 2 rooms with my mom and two kids in the second room. It appears that the photo package on DCL only takes picture of your immediate family members and so my mom wouldn't count in the second room. If she took a picture with any of the kids or me or my wife, the picture would be included but if it's just her in the picture, it would not be included. I think I read that a second package can be added for multiple room parties for 50% off the second order so we're looking at about $450 if we want to make certain that we'll have all of our photos. Seems really steep.

We've been on 2 previous DCL cruises on the Wonder. One was a "trip to nowhere" of 2 nights and the other was a 5 night cruise. We didn't really take too many photos with the photographers and I brought my own camera. When we did take any pictures with them, I already had the same pictures on my camera so that's why I'm hesitant with our upcoming trip.

I thought of that, too, because we are across two rooms. But ask yourself how many times your mom will be in a shot alone. Maybe for a meet and greet or a formal photo? Could (would?) you just buy those prints separately? You'll have all the rest with her in them.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Does anyone know... rather than cancel the package, if you purchase it, can you downgrade it to the 10 or 20 prints, instead?




I thought of that, too, because we are across two rooms. But ask yourself how many times your mom will be in a shot alone. Maybe for a meet and greet or a formal photo? Could (would?) you just buy those prints separately? You'll have all the rest with her in them.

Yes. Well, actually, they will cancel the full package (credit back on your onboard account) and then you purchase the smaller package (charged to your onboard account).

I've done it.

Yes, you can buy individual shots directly. The cost is $19.95 each, I believe.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Yes. Well, actually, they will cancel the full package (credit back on your onboard account) and then you purchase the smaller package (charged to your onboard account).

I've done it.

Yes, you can buy individual shots directly. The cost is $19.95 each, I believe.

That makes sense. Would there be a discount for purchasing the smaller package before boarding or is that deal only on the 'everything' package?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

That makes sense. Would there be a discount for purchasing the smaller package before boarding or is that deal only on the 'everything' package?

It's only on the full package.

 

[anricat]

A couple of things.... I believe even the digital copies come with a DCL border that can't be removed. I wouldn't want you to spend all that money and be surprised by that at the end.

For the most part, this is true. However, on our last cruise we had some real issues with the borders - some of the photos were crooked and I couldn't straighten them due to the borders and we had a couple of borders that were actually interfering with the photo! I emailed afterward and specifically pointed out the pictures that were a problem and they sent them to me border-free. I was overjoyed. So if you ask, you may receive them.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

For the most part, this is true. However, on our last cruise we had some real issues with the borders - some of the photos were crooked and I couldn't straighten them due to the borders and we had a couple of borders that were actually interfering with the photo! I emailed afterward and specifically pointed out the pictures that were a problem and they sent them to me border-free. I was overjoyed. So if you ask, you may receive them.

Yes, if you can show that the included borders are interfering with the subjects in the photo, they will print it without the border.

One other note - "borders" are not always a design that runs around the full edge of the photo. Sometimes it's just the ship logo/date in the corner.

 

[anricat]

One other note - "borders" are not always a design that runs around the full edge of the photo. Sometimes it's just the ship logo/date in the corner.

True and I don't have a problem with these but when Naveen is larger than my daughter in her photo with Tiana or some weird computer thing from Monster's Inc. is bisecting my kid's torso in her photo with Sully, they super distracting. I wish many of them were a little more subtle. They shouldn't take away from the focus of the photograph.

The ones I had that were crooked were actually sort of a shame because many of them were our Endicott Arm photos and I actually liked the borders because they had the date and said Endicott Arm on them.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

Part of it has to do with how much you are willing to pose for photos. There are photo ops, when you board, on Castaway Cay, on formal night, etc. They even took pictures of us IN the water at CC, which was great. And at each time they take the photos in many combinations, so you end up with pictures of lots of sub-groups, which i really enjoyed. Also, at several of the dinners in the MDRs they will come and take pictures of your group in pairs, so make sure you sit next to different people in your group on different nights so you get different combinations in the pictures.

We also had one person in our group who didn't like posing for pictures, but he was practical, so when we pointed out that his wife had already paid for the pictures, he joined in. We have more pictures of him from this trip than in all the years I've know him put together.

I the case of your mother, you could take individual pictures of your mother yourself at all of the posing places, that way you wouldn't have to pay for the second cabin just to get the pictures of her alone. Just a thought.

 

[cheapster316]

I paid $195 for 4 nights and ended up with 146 pictures. I pre bought it before the cruise. Onboard they tried to upswell be fir $75 more to get all pictures printed. Most were 8x10. I was extremely happy with my package and you quickly learn what photographer do the best job and go back to them each night

 

[DisneyPups]

Darn it, you guys... all this talk of the package and you inspired me to buy it myself... Haha. They ARE expensive, huh? But I guess I'll take a look at the pics and if I'm not happy, I'll ask for a refund.
Side note to the OP... make sure you check regularly, if you decide to buy it, as several pics were left off of ours last time, and while I was able to recover a few extras (they ask for info of what your party was wearing, the location and the day)... I missed out on the terminal shots with Pluto prior to embarkation. So look each night and if you recognize a location that isn't there... ask them to check.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

To help us remember each location/time we had photos taken, I made sure to take one picture with my smartphone at each event. Didn't matter if it was good or not, but that way, when I got to Shutters, i could scroll through my camera roll and see exactly which day and time I should have pictures in my file for. If they weren't in there, I knew exactly when to have them look for them.

 

[2-pointdoe]

We loved our package. The shots were fantastic and most only had the ship logo in the corner. As a previous poster said you have to be willing to go get the photos. My poor husband had to go with DD and I every night. I liked the fact that we did not worry about hauling our camera around everywhere. Here are a few from our package with and without borders.

 

[xlxo]

On my Alaskan cruise... it felt like there was something like a dozen character appearances each day.... those photos can quickly add up for a family. If the kid's plan to stalk characters and try get photos of everything.... be glad you got yourself one of those packages.

• Use the daily newsletter to plan your photos with the appearances.
• Don't be late, the handlers will abruptly cut the line if it's too long
• some characters will make several appearances during the week in different costumes
• those princesses are HOT

If you bring your own camera, the crew is usually great about taking some of your family for you. This is especially true at character meets and meals.

the handlers will assist with your camera..... the photographer will not. Keep in mind, the insides of cruise ships are kinda dark. The ship photographers will be using studio equipment to yield much better results than a point and shoot camera. I hate being in a long line waiting for the flash to charge on the family's camera ahead of me.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Good idea to take a pic on your phone at each location as a reminder. Question - do they have nicely printed signs at each photo spot? I'm thinking something to take a picture of as a momento that will act as a page identifier in a scrapbook as well as a reminder when looking for your photos at Shutters.