Is the Cruise Photography Package Worth it?

[Anchors Away 2016]

I too am interested in getting a photo package as the Memory Maker package we got at WDW was amazing. A few questions:

1. If you are limited to 10 Digital pics do you get to pick which ones you want or they will only take 10 pictures with you.

2. How are character photo sessions done, is there always a photographer there or can you just get someone to snap a photo with you all?

3. Is the photo package something you can purchase the day of cruise?

thanks all, my first post too!

If you choose the 10 picture package, you can pick any 10 photos you wish at the end of the cruise.

There isn't ALWAYS a photographer at the character meets, but usually. The Character's handler will take your picture with your camera. Personally I found the professionals to be excellent in quality, though pictures with our camera often came out well too.

Since you are eyeing the 10 picture package, getting in once you board is a fine idea. The unlimited package has a 15% discount if you buy it ahead of time, but the 10 picture one does not. Also, you can cancel your package up until the last full day of your cruise if you aren't satisfied with the pictures they've been taking. So if you only find at the end there are 2 or 3 pictures you want, you can drop the package and just buy those separately.

We had a 7 Day Cruise on the Fantasy and we got the unlimited photo package. We got almost 100 pictures from the package. Some great, some eh. We also got about 3000 of our own pictures on various cameras. In the end, when I looked at all the pictures at home and picked my favorites to share with others, about 25 were from the photo package and 75 were from our cameras. So to me, DCL had a pretty good batting average and I ended up with a lot of pictures from the package that I really wanted.

 

[MJDisFamCruisers]

If you get the digital photos, can you print them out smaller? Say the photo is an 8 x 10, but you only want a 5 x 7?

 

[disxlovee]

During the character m&gs, do photographers take candid shots of the interaction like they do in the parks with the Memory Maker?

 

[DvF Diva]

During the character m&gs, do photographers take candid shots of the interaction like they do in the parks with the Memory Maker?

I posted in another thread, but the answer based on my most recent experience is no.
Our onboard photographers did not take a single candid shot; we only received 2 photos per character we met with onboard. Paid $195 for a total of 18 photos. Got more in the terminal than we did on the ship. Very few photographers on the Dream or on Castaway Cay to take our photos.

Very disappointed.
FWIW, my friend had about 300 photos from her cruise, so YMMV

So from my personal experience, the photo package was a complete rip-off. In the end, we got 16 photos on our USB, 2 of which are not even of us! Four photos were missing and I had to go track them down.

I wish I had just purchased onboard and picked the 10 photo pkg.

 

[nutshell]

We did it recently but found it overpriced.

 

[CrawfordMomof3]

What I’ve learned from the DIS is make sure your usb is in fact, yours. I’ve read about families getting switched and Disney not being able to get another copy to the correct family.

Good to know! This is something I had never thought about.

 

[cadien]

We received about four shots per character meet on our recent cruise but they were all posed. Nothing candid.

Some of the poses they suggested were interactive though. They weren’t all just stand there and smile.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

During the character m&gs, do photographers take candid shots of the interaction like they do in the parks with the Memory Maker?

If you ask, yes.

 

[TheMcNicols]

Interesting thread...we opted for the unlimited because we know our granddaughter (4 1/2) would rather be with other kids most of the time instead of her 68 & 71 year old grandparents. That limits the photos we could/would take. Hoping we get some good ones to share with her parents.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

I posted in another thread, but the answer based on my most recent experience is no.
Our onboard photographers did not take a single candid shot; we only received 2 photos per character we met with onboard. Paid $195 for a total of 18 photos. Got more in the terminal than we did on the ship. Very few photographers on the Dream or on Castaway Cay to take our photos.

Very disappointed.
FWIW, my friend had about 300 photos from her cruise, so YMMV

So from my personal experience, the photo package was a complete rip-off. In the end, we got 16 photos on our USB, 2 of which are not even of us! Four photos were missing and I had to go track them down.

I wish I had just purchased onboard and picked the 10 photo pkg.

I'm very sorry you had a bad experience. I'm also sorry they didn't let you know all of your options. we bought the unlimited package and we were told quite clearly that if we didn't feel we had enough pictures that we liked to warrant the unlimited package we could cancel it or switch to a smaller package any time up to and including the last full day of the trip. So if you had asked them to switch to a smaller package, they would have said yes, but you shouldn't have had to ask.

At least this can serve as a notice to others. If you aren't satisfied with your number of pictures, cancel the package or opt for a smaller one.

We got about 95-100 pictures on our seven day cruise, as did my sister's family who were on the same trip, so as you say, YMMV.

 

[Dug720]

I posted in another thread, but the answer based on my most recent experience is no.
Our onboard photographers did not take a single candid shot; we only received 2 photos per character we met with onboard. Paid $195 for a total of 18 photos. Got more in the terminal than we did on the ship. Very few photographers on the Dream or on Castaway Cay to take our photos.

Very disappointed.
FWIW, my friend had about 300 photos from her cruise, so YMMV

So from my personal experience, the photo package was a complete rip-off. In the end, we got 16 photos on our USB, 2 of which are not even of us! Four photos were missing and I had to go track them down.

I wish I had just purchased onboard and picked the 10 photo pkg.

You do have to make the most of the picture opportunities if you are going to get it. Obviously if you are only going to 9 characters (I’m guessing since you said 2 shots per character) then it is not worth it.

You have to make the effort to get pictures made - backdrops, with the Captain on the night(s) he is out for pictures, the pictures at the gangway at ports, all the characters, etc. - if you’re going to pay for the unlimited package. Take advantage of it! They are not going to come to you - other than at dinner if they are still doing that - or force you to get your picture taken.

 

[JWG]

We did not purchase the photo package, so did not impact us, but we had a total of 4 pics in our folder at the end of the cruise - so glad we didn't buy it.
We rarely saw a photographer. We didn't do character meets other than Star Wars Day at Sea, but even then didn't really get any photos.