Photo CDs

[Carlnne]

I just noticed on a recent navigator that they are now selling photo cds in shutters with all your photos. At first I thought it was a good thing- but it is $399.95?!! In addition you can then buy the printed photo packages for 1/2 price. Im just curious- Has anyone done this?

 

[HallsofVA]

For what we've spent on past cruises this would actually be a good deal for us. But I'm curious to see what other reactions are.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

YIKES! We always buy pictures but even on the PC cruise we didn't pay a total of that price!

 

[dinahfig]

Hi!

I've never seen that before! $400? Yikes! I'm not sure about that. I think you can easily scan your photos that you buy, print the copyright release online and make your own prints from the scanned pics. It might be cheaper that way. I guess it depends on if you have a scanner and want to spend the time. The CD may also have higher quality jpgs though.

 

[pixiedustaholic]

Please, no flames, I'm just stating my opinion...I think Shutters is a ripoff. While they do take some great photos, I just think the prices are ridiculous. I heard a fellow passenger on our cruise ask the price for a digital image for ONE 8x10...it was $119.95!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm sure of this b/c he was shocked and clarified his question and the cast member said it again and didn't even flinch. That's nuts!!! We did buy a very few individual shots b/c we didn't have enough shots that we liked to purchase 10 6x8s or 5 8x10s for the $84.95 package and of course they "couldn't" or wouldn't print the 8x10s as 6x8s or the 6x8s as 8x10s. I don't even think that we will bother having them take any photos on our next cruise. My camera takes great photos. I admit it was nice to have photos taken while we were already dressed up, etc, but I can't find any way to justify the prices.

 

[LC30]

Please, no flames, I'm just stating my opinion...I think Shutters is a ripoff. While they do take some great photos, I just think the prices are ridiculous.

I have to agree. But $400 as a starting price is a little outrageous. I can understand if it was $119.95 or even $149.95.

 

[kmab00]

Wow $400?! That's very expensive!!! I agree...they take great pictures but WOW!

 

[lbgraves]

We spent around $300 on the PC repo on pictures and love the family shots that we got dressd up and lifetouch background considering we didn't have to drive an hour to the photographer's studio and pay a sitting fee, etc. Hopefully the price will come down? I am curious how they get ALL of your pictures on the CD...which I would completely expect at that price. From what others have posted about the photopass system the photogs do not scan your KTTW card EVERY time they take a picture. Looking forward to hearing some feedback from people who have gotten this.

 

[LoriS]

Wow, I am actually really excited about this. We, or should I say "I" usually spend around $400 on pictures. Now I can actually have the ALL!!! Does anyone know if it is just the raw image, or does the CD have all the pretty boarders?

 

[jilljill]

On the Wonder last week the photo cd at Shutters was $299.95.

 

[disneynewbee]

hmm can't wait to hear more. That price is but if me and my mom split it it wouldn't be so bad then I could get all the pics I want. Since I have 4 kids and like to get individual pics of all of them I could end up with lots of pics.

 

[jilljill]

hmm can't wait to hear more. That price is but if me and my mom split it it wouldn't be so bad then I could get all the pics I want. Since I have 4 kids and like to get individual pics of all of them I could end up with lots of pics.

In the description of the details of the photo cd it says that the pics will be associated with all guests in the same cabin. Not sure what happens when you have 2 cabins booked and you get individual pics of each person in the 2 cabins.

 

[tripodjw]

We spent around $300 on the PC repo on pictures and love the family shots that we got dressd up and lifetouch background considering we didn't have to drive an hour to the photographer's studio and pay a sitting fee, etc. Hopefully the price will come down? I am curious how they get ALL of your pictures on the CD...which I would completely expect at that price. From what others have posted about the photopass system the photogs do not scan your KTTW card EVERY time they take a picture. Looking forward to hearing some feedback from people who have gotten this.

We didn't buy the cd as it wasn't avilable on our sailing in May, but we did look at our pictures on the kiosks.

We found that even those pictures where they did not scan our kttw card had been associated with our account.

I guess there are two real options for how they do it - software scanning the images to "recognise" faces - this could then link the unswiped pics to those that had been swiped.

Otherwise it must be done manually. I suggested to DH at the time that the shutters people probably do get an idea of who is who - the same people (most likely those buying a package) must have their pics taken at many opportunities. There is a relatively small number of people on board in the first place and of those only a proprtion have pics taken.

I know if we hadn't intended to buy a package we wouldn't have bothered queuing for most of the photo ops.

 

[nydvc]

well 400....No....but 300 is close to my limit. I can see depending onthe situation....spending that. especially for the longer cruises. WE spend a lot of time on that ship getting pictures taken, be nice to have them all.

 

[jfahome]

Additional question,

If you are doing B2B cruises, will the CD cover both cruises or just one?

TIA

 

[ededmd]

Wow, I am actually really excited about this. We, or should I say "I" usually spend around $400 on pictures. Now I can actually have the ALL!!! Does anyone know if it is just the raw image, or does the CD have all the pretty boarders?

the info sheet said no borders.

 

[Disneyfalcon]

Wow! This is exciting. Even if it's crazy expensive, at least it's a step in the right direction!

 

[jilljill]

Additional question,

If you are doing B2B cruises, will the CD cover both cruises or just one?

TIA

I'm going to say that each cruise will have separate cd's and they can't combine them.

 

[disneynewbee]

In the description of the details of the photo cd it says that the pics will be associated with all guests in the same cabin. Not sure what happens when you have 2 cabins booked and you get individual pics of each person in the 2 cabins.

I would hope they would allow cabins that are linked on the same card since I know I'm not the only one with enough kids to fill more than one cabin. Two of my kids will be in the room with my mother and two in with me and dh they are crazy if they think I'm paying $800 to cover my 4 kids.

 

[cats mom]

Hmmm no borders on the CD huh? So they really want folks to buy a photo CD AND a package (at the fabulous 1/2 price deal of course) if they want any of the cutesy shots w/borders. Yikes!

I'm thinking they're going to need to do some tweaking as far as who can and/or can't be included on one CD.

We almost always book 2 cabins for our immediate family. They'd have to have some flexibility there.

We've also sailed with a large extended family group before. So if I purchased a CD for my cabin, but someone from a different cabin (who didn't purchase a CD) is in a picture with me, does that mean I can't have that picture on my CD?

Lots of extended families and/or groups of friends sail DCL and there's often some creative booking that goes on within those groups. Not sure how the one CD per cabin thing is going to work out there.

I'm thinking figuring out who can/can't be included on a CD could get tricky for them.

Additional question,

If you are doing B2B cruises, will the CD cover both cruises or just one?

TIA

It would be nice if they'd let you carry it over, but my guess is that they won't.

When we did a back to back we couldn't even get them to transfer unused OBC from week 1 to week 2. We were down in the shops spending like crazy the last night. Not that it wasn't kind of fun... but it was silly since we knew were going to rack up more charges the next week.
Looking back I should have asked about prepaying tips for week 2 on week 1. Didn't think about that at the time though. Or I should have asked our TA to allocate the credits differently to begin with.

Anyway, very long story just to say they are NOT at all flexible when it comes to keeping accounts open between cruises. Of course Shutters does their own thing, so maybe they'll have more flexibility. I doubt it though.