Navigator of the Seas Photo nightmare!

So this is part 4 of my Feb 5th cruise.

Photos... well everything went smoothly, having our pictures taken as we embark and around the ship, portraits, outside and inside the dining room. So the wife and i decided to go check out our photos on day 2.

We get down there and you will find tall carousels with black binders which are coded to your photo# on your seapass. This was new and i being a tech guy got excited... no more with looking through walls of photos, we can scan our card at a kiosk and see our photos or go to our coded binder in the carousel to see actual prints. Well it was for not, the system was not ready via the kiosks, nothing in the binders and the... what i would call large LCD wall units for browsing was a NIGHTMARE!

I talked at length with the IT guys as I enjoy the tech, it was a new system but the photo id dates were off because photographers forgot to change the camera dates and then the network to the iPads where you can buy or the other Kiosks would not work. The iPad card readers would not read and the kiosks had nothing but an empty database.

So these larger wall unit LCDs which are touch based.... aye.... you can search by shore, at sea, port, daytime, night-time, portraits, dining or misc. No one could find anything without help, the system looks nice and when it gets working as it should will be the best photo finder system yet... but ... not there yet.

So when you find photos on the wall units, you have to page through page screens of photos, so many people were swiping and swiping the screen going through hundreds of photos and all searches had to go through MISC because of the camera ID issues. Once we found our pictures, you add them to your ID and we were told to come back the next day to see the prints.

Day 3,

We went back and they said all the searching we did on Day 2 was for not and to now go through the Kiosk, oh wow.... so we scan our cards and only 1 picture comes up.... (face palm) where are all the photos we saw yesterday???? "So sorry sir, please comeback later, I am sure they will be in the system"

Day 4,

We gave them all morning and went in the afternoon, but now it is really crowded, lot's of frustrated passengers and something new.... now we have plastic bins with people going through prints like you would dig though s $4.99 DVD bin at Walmart. Oh wow... we almost walked but RC customer service is on the ball, "how can I help you" saved the day... he took us to a kiosk and i had my doubts but WHALLA! Pictures, YEA! Time to order! So we did order and were told to pick up the prints at night and that they will be in our binder.. good to go.

Day 4 at night

Now it's really crowded and the plastic bin digging is in full swing! I did not ask why or what pictures were in the bins... I just let things be but hoped but braced myself that my prints could not possibly be in one of those bins.

We get to our binder and there are PRINTS! Yea! But.... not the ones we ordered.... oh no, I am not going through bins, I am going for a refund.

So we find photo assistant to help us get a refund but he tells us that the photos in the binder are not indeed what we ordered but just for us to view... NO! ... we have already viewed and viewed just give me the refund...."It's ok sir, your order can be picked up at that desk over there."

So we turn around and there is a short line at the desk, so we wait and finally get to the desk and they have our order, FINALLY!

They were in a plastic bag, no presentation folder or anything but at least we got the prints.

If and when they get this system working, it will be awesome, the best... I am sure photo management on a cruise to be.... I just hope none of you have to live through the growing pains.

Sorry to hear about that. The system has been in place for a while now on the Allure, and even they had issues on my cruise.

Photos from one evening never made it into our folder. They searched and searched but one set of photos never did turn up. One whole photo session at one of the backdrops on a casual night just vanished, not just mine but numerous passenger's. Also, the photos taken at the prohibition party were placed up on the wall, but when I took the hard copies to get the digital files added to our DVD (we paid for all the photos/prints in a package deal) they couldn't do it and had to take our hard copies to add them manually :rolleyes: Anyway, they gave us a disk that supposedly had the prohibition party photos on it, then had trouble relocating the hard copies. They finally found them, but when I got home and could check the disk, the sepia toned pics were nowhere to be seen. The original full color photos from the party were on the disk, minus our two favorite photos. Argh! I'm currently e-mailing back and forth with the MyCruisePhotos people to try to locate our missing photos, and get the digital files of the sepia prints. When you fork over $350 for ALL your photos, you should get ALL your photos.

So, even if the system had been in place for a while, it doesn't mean screw ups can't occur.

They have their share of problems. The photography people are not rci employees but contractors.

http://www.image.com/

I can only hope that happen to us as we'd save a lot of money! DW loves to buy photos, me not so much.

I was on same cruise and we waisted probably 2 hours going back in forth about pictures, well actually my sister in law did most of the going back in forth. I enjoyed the good old days going down and having to hunt for your pictures plus seeing everyone else's!

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is more like a dream come true. :D

I was there too and yes, it was a mess of epic proportions. One woman behind me said she was going back to Carnival. I definitely didn't think it was bad enough to abandon ship but I am hoping it is a smoother process when we board again in May.

just out of curiosity why are you starting like 3 different threads for your review of the same cruise?

It makes it really hard to know what was the last thing i read....

I see the threads get really long and some topics i think need their own thread, like virtual balconies and such. People ask lots of the same questions and don't find the answers sometimes when the threads are so long, kinda just trying to get to the point quicker. i put the part order at the top though :D

I would consider it a blessing and not worry about photos. I'd just forget it and enjoy my cruise, and not dig through piles of photos.

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is more like a dream come true. :D

I would consider it a blessing and not worry about photos. I'd just forget it and enjoy my cruise, and not dig through piles of photos.

Agreed!

Agreed!

Same here!

Totally agree with the OP. We were on the same cruise and never did get our photos. One more diamond "benefit" we weren't able to take advantage of. The digital system is a great idea in theory...but the execution has some serious flaws.

One reason we kept going back, we were with a large group and had pictures taken all together and so we wanted to have at least 1 picture of the whole group plus it was free since diamond plus so I guess in the long run it was worth it. I'm sure they will get the kinks straighten out.

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Totally agree with the OP. We were on the same cruise and never did get our photos. One more diamond "benefit" we weren't able to take advantage of. The digital system is a great idea in theory...but the execution has some serious flaws.

so they had issues with other benefits you were supposed to get?

My DD's and I all booked spa appointments--for different services--at the same time. We are diamond, and the information left in the cabin clearly reads "20% discount on ANY salon or spa service." One massage therapist was not available when we arrived, so the receptionist offered me a "spa sampler" service instead of a Swedish massage. The price was the same, so I agreed. However, when I was handed the bill, I didn't see the the 20% diamond discount and inquired about it. I was told the treatment I received was "specially priced" so the diamond discount didn't apply.

I took the spa receipt and the diamond discount information to Guest Services. The agent there called the Spa Manager and got the same story. So I paid $116 (including an automatic 18% gratuity) for a "spa sampler" that consisted of a 45-minute mini-facial, hand and foot rub in a salon chair. But at least I remained fully clothed and was able to stand up and walk away when she started her products pitch!

Part 4?????????????????

Huh?