Pre-order Photography Package??

[PrincessShmoo]

I'm surprised by the people with hundreds of photos - how does that happen? I've never had more than 30 or 40 (even on a 7 day) and I feel like we're always lining up for something! We see most of the characters, usually see a photographer at dinner a couple of times, and have seen a photographer at Castaway Cay and still it's nowhere near that many. I usually get a CD with 15 prints (I think that's the option they give on board if you want some digitals) and that's sufficient to get the good ones.

Sometimes there are larger families (with 2, 3, 4 kids) who get LOTS of pictures. Individual ones; many, many different combinations of everyone in the group; lots of different photo ops (upwards of 10 or more on any given cruise).

 

[JMHDisney]

Sometimes there are larger families (with 2, 3, 4 kids) who get LOTS of pictures. Individual ones; many, many different combinations of everyone in the group; lots of different photo ops (upwards of 10 or more on any given cruise).

I guess that makes sense. It's usually just my son and I so there aren't too many options for combinations.

 

[ladypiph]

The amount of pictures has somewhat to do with the number of people who are apart of your package. And if you all ever take solo pictures, when there were 4 of us under my package we had well over 100 pictures, for example if in a day each person took at least 5 pictures either alone or with 1 other person (sometimes we had group pictures) and in one session we get a minimum of three pictures taken.Therefore in a day we all have at least 20 pictures taken so over 5 days that is already 100 pictures.

 

[Shanti]

First timer on a Disney cruise here so I had a question.

I was wondering what everyone's opinion is on pre-purchasing the photography packages. I thought it seemed like a great idea, but yikes at the price! I'd probably get one of the digital options.

Thanks in advance!!

I just took my first cruise a few days ago and am glad I didn't pre-purchase a package. The 10-photo digital package was the same price on board as it was in advance. I still didn't buy that on board, though, as cast members were always happy to take character pictures with my camera. The professional photos weren't uniformly better (one staged pic of theirs had my mouth open from talking), and their pictures also always come with a border that I didn't care for.

 

[Madani]

I just took my first cruise a few days ago and am glad I didn't pre-purchase a package. The 10-photo digital package was the same price on board as it was in advance.

Do you happen to remember how much the 10 photo digital package cost? I looked at the pre-purchase options on the website and do not see that one available. I would rather have this, if I purchase anything, then the full package of photos I probably would not use. Thanks!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Do you happen to remember how much the 10 photo digital package cost? I looked at the pre-purchase options on the website and do not see that one available. I would rather have this, if I purchase anything, then the full package of photos I probably would not use. Thanks!

The prices vary by cruise. These are prices I've compiled:
PHOTOS
Individual prices are:
8X10 - $20.95
6X8 - $14.95

The packages are 6 ($99.95), 10 ($149.95), 15 ($199.95), and 20 ($249.95) photos. Different length cruises have different options. You can also purchase an all prints package (all your photos printed) for the same cost as the length of cruise CD.

The length of cruise CD cost varies with length of cruise. The prices I've seen are (for pre-cruise purchase/onboard cost):
7 night $295.95/$100.00 to add prints/$349.95, $100.00 to add prints;

5 night $249.95/$50.00 to add prints;

4 night $194.95/$75.00 to add prints/$229.95, $75.00 to add prints;

2 night $199.95/$50.00 to add prints

Special CD prices –

14 night $339.95/$100.00 to add prints;

12 night $399.95 or $339.95/$100.00 to add prints

The 6, 10, 15, & 20 photo packages can be either prints or the CD with 6, 10, 15, or 20 photos unlocked for your access once home.

 

[Shanti]

Do you happen to remember how much the 10 photo digital package cost? I looked at the pre-purchase options on the website and do not see that one available. I would rather have this, if I purchase anything, then the full package of photos I probably would not use. Thanks!

$150 for 10 digital photos on our 3-night cruise.

 

[anricat]

I just took my first cruise a few days ago and am glad I didn't pre-purchase a package. The 10-photo digital package was the same price on board as it was in advance. I still didn't buy that on board, though, as cast members were always happy to take character pictures with my camera. The professional photos weren't uniformly better (one staged pic of theirs had my mouth open from talking), and their pictures also always come with a border that I didn't care for.

Correct, the 10 photo package isn't ever discounted pre-cruise. Only the all picture digital or all picture digital + print packages are discounted pre-cruise.

Even then, if you had purchased it in advance and decided it wasn't something you wanted, you could cancel. So there's really no risk.

I agree with you on the borders, though. I have NO IDEA why they do it. It's infuriating. Thankfully for most of the posed photos on formal night, we didn't have borders, which is really what we bought the photo package for. It's basically the same price as hiring a photographer for family photos at home and we have the bonus of getting a bunch of vacation photos to boot.

 

[xlxo]

Some thoughts...

• once you have the package or plan to get one.... check the daily navigator for character appearances to begin your stalking
• start your photo collection at the debarkation cruise terminal. That's your bonus picture.
• if the line is long.... be patient, some find the line is shorter if you go last minute.... be careful, there's a lot of disappointed kids when they cut off the line at a certain point when it's too long.
• dress your best for formal night and seek out ALL the photographers throughout the ship! Ideally go before dinner to avoid those food stains!

 

[Partyof4LA]

We did the preorder package and had over 100 photos on our 4 night cruise. We are a family of 4 and my kids are still young so a lot of those were character meets. They don't do candid photos so I took those with my camera. On the Anna and Elsa meet, it is a little dark and my point and shoot pics didn't come out nearly as good as the professional ones with the good flash. We also had pictures at in the terminal, on embarkation, dinner, on the beach at castaway cay, at a few stops right off the boat on castaway, on the aquaduck, and a ton of pictures taken before dinner in the atrium. There, they take pics by the stairwell but also have backdrops to do little photoshoots. Some of my favorite pictures were of my son on pirate night and my daughter hamming it up in her princess dresses. The photographers did a great job there.

 

[toddsman]

Does anyone have an option on the Photobook option? We have been considering this as it seems like a good value at $149 (pre-order) and will make a nice keepsake? Is it available on board for the same price?

 

[anricat]

Does anyone have an option on the Photobook option? We have been considering this as it seems like a good value at $149 (pre-order) and will make a nice keepsake? Is it available on board for the same price?

I didn't do this. Instead, I took all my favorite photos and made my own 25 page photo book on Shutterfly for $25. They have a Disney theme (it costs a little extra) but it came out super cute. I was able to add some text and arrange everything the way I wanted. It was really easy and sort of fun, actually.