Camera Prices on-board

[RadioRay]

I'm going on the Liberty of the Seas on April 11th. I want to buy a new camera, (Olympus STYLUS TOUGH-8000) but now I'm wondering if I should get it on a web site now, or wait until I can get the duty free prices on-board. Is there a place to see RCL's Duty Free prices somewhere on the web?

 

I have a good cam now, so it's not about missing any shots. Just looking for the best deal possible for a better camera.

 

Thanks

[mein18]

I love the Olympus 6mp digital we have and was looking to upgrade to a 12mp with a couple more bells and whistles. Will not purchase any other brand. They had 2 Olympus cameras on our ship however one was regular batteries which is out of the question and the other was lithium. They were selling the lithium for $199 on the ship. We held off and found it for $149 online at home. On the ship they did include a couple accessories however not worth the $50 to us. I am not aware of any place online to check out their prices.

 

I do not recall seeing the tough-8000. Each member of our family has the FE-190 (4 year old model) which is extremely durable in itself although not waterproof. One of our FE-190's has been in Afghanistan for the past 6 months returning unbelievable pictures. Not going to get much rougher handling than that.

[Rmunson72906]

I have the Olympus Stylus Tough 8000 12mp. I got it for christmas and I love it. I haven't cruised with RCI yet but I would advise going to a best buy in person or online or the another reputable site online and buying, They are pricey Around $485 but worth it and they are in high demand, I got mine from my husband for christmas and he went to 3 different stores to get it and he bought it in october. My sister got one for her birthday 2 weeks ago, and her birthday was actually in Jan. If you buy online or at a store you have a better chance of getting one.

[Limmer]

They are in high demand because Olympus has replaced it. The selection may vary depending ship because the only underwater model I saw on AOS last year was a fuji. It was no particular savings. i would get it on land.

 

I have the 1030 SW (the predecessor of the 8000) for my compact and I LOVE my camera.

[mein18]

When posting previously, I saw the 8000 for $289 through Amazon online. May want to give that a shot. Said it was in stock. Appears they have the 8010 and others also.

[mistergq]

I would buy it on land. The cameras are not as good of a price as some of the watches are on the ship. You can probably beat the price on the internet.

[PhoenixCruiser]

When posting previously, I saw the 8000 for $289 through Amazon online. May want to give that a shot. Said it was in stock. Appears they have the 8010 and others also.

 

Best Buy has a lowest price guarantee, have you checked them out? They also have a wonderful rewards program.

 

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[mein18]

Best Buy has a lowest price guarantee, have you checked them out? They also have a wonderful rewards program.

 

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I agree with Phoenix. Always check Best Buy before purchasing. Easy to return or exchange too.

[ucfknight07]

I have spent the past several weeks researching underwater cameras and megazooms for our upcoming honeymoon. After much research, I would recommend looking into the Panasonic TS1, which is what I ended up selecting for my underwater camera. I've had it for a couple weeks and so far am very pleased. We took it to the springs this weekend and the pictures came out well. The TS1 was the CNET Editor's Choice for August 2009, and received very high marks from them (which in my experience relative to cameras, many of their reviews are negative). The original retail price was $399, but I picked mine up off of Amazon for $219 since the TS1 is being phased out and replaced by the TS2. Features are comparable between the two, just a couple megapixels between the two is the main difference (12 MP vs 14 MP).

 

As another member said, Olympus is replacing the 8000, so you may be able to find a reduced price on that model if that is the route you choose to go.

 

On another note, anyone looking for a nice point and shoot with a large zoom, I would recommend the Canon SX20IS. CNET's review wasn't too pleasant, but so far I'm very satisfied with it. I was debating between that and Nikon's P100, which was just released, but stuck with Canon due to my previous experience with their products and some features of the Canon that I liked over the Nikon P100.

 

Also just FYI - Best Buy will not match online pricing - only local sellers. I checked with them before buying the Canon SX20IS, and they would not match Amazon. I ended up buying with them and paying a little more for the camera, but I appreciate a little more surety in knowing if I have a problem there is a local store to help me out.

[RadioRay]

There's a big catch to the BestBuy price guarantee. They won't match on-line prices. And they seem to be slow in reducing prices unless that one item happens to be on sale. As of right now, for the camera I want, BB=$341.99. Buy.com=$273.99. Thanks to Google, it's almost too easy to shop for the best price: http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=STYLUS+TOUGH-8000&hl=en&cid=2746200895900222092&sa=button#scoring=p

 

I do like BB, but they have a long way to go before they are actually, the 'best buy'.

 

From the feedback here so far, it sounds like the cameras are not a deal on-board. Looks like I'm hitting the web sites.

 

My general impression is that the shops on board are a good deal for alcohol. Even more when you consider hauling the bottles back to the ship. How about watches? Other products? Maybe reviews of the Ship Duty Free prices would be a good thread idea. I heard today that Costco is a good place for watches. Seems odd, but I wonder how they compare to RCL ship prices.

[deepnite10]

id do alot of research on camera s that ll meet your needs..once you narrow it down, take a look at costco..

[RadioRay]

Just to follow up on this camera deal.

 

I had my cruise last week. The daily Compass on board mentioned the camera model I wanted at $229. The best price I have seen. I rushed down to the camera store. He told me it had been sold out for over a week and they wouldn't be able to get any more. Not sure why a daily publication would have information that was over a week old.

 

The stores at the ports of call that did have cameras had it for over $350. No bargain at all. It appears they didn't know about the new model (8010) so they got stuck with a lot of the 8000 at a higher price.

 

I'm still shopping. I might just go for the 8010 if I see a sale.

 

Ray

[ProbablyRachel]

I purchased a pretty fuchsia Olympus FE-5010, 12mp for $180 on the FOS last September. I'm extremely happy with it and the case that came free with it.

 

I can't remember the model or price but my fiance found a great deal in Jamaica on a waterproof Olympus. We didn't buy it but it was being sold at a jewelry store!

[mmacdcc]

Everything depends on what you buy and where you live.

 

I find I can get perfumes, even the pricey dept. store ones, just as cheap (if not cheaper) at the outlets. And when I do buy them in the dept. store, it's because they're having a 'free' gift, so I get the perfume AND a cosmetic bag, moisturizer, makeup, mascara, and maybe tote bag too. You don't get that in most duty free stores, on ship or land.

 

Cameras are rarely a better deal than in any electronics store. But alcohol - that's another story. The prices on the ship are very good. And cigarettes are a LOT cheaper.

[insulationbabe]

I bought a pentax - 12.l mega pixel for 199.00 in February on the Indy and just love it - small compact, etc - my cousin ended up getting one on the Brilliance in May for the same price - would recommend it to anybody

I bought a bottle of Versace Bright Crystal perfume for 72.00 and its about 98.00 in the stores around here - so it was a good deal for me:)

[ehfl]

Check the prices BEFORE you go. If you find a better deal on board, then buy it. Otherwise, wait until you get home. You might want to bring copies of your prices to see if they will meet or beat them.

[takevtr1]

just got of the Serenade of the Seas a few hours ago.

 

Tough 3000 onboard = $229.

Tough 3000 at the port of St Martin = $174 (bought it with 5 min left of having to be back onboard the ship).

[CupKayke]

Dropped and broke my beloved camera our FIRST day on a cruise September 2009. We checked prices on the boat that night and in the port the next day ~ got a much better deal in Genoa, Italy than Royal Caribbean had onboard.

[SoCalCruzzing]

You will be hard priced to beat the online electronics store prices. Abes of Maine normally has great prices or B&H Photo out of NY. Best Buy is a good place to research the model you want and play with it in the store. Then buy online, way cheaper and no sales tax. Olympus 8010 @ Best Buy $395 on sale, Abes of Maine $305. 14MP camera, 720P HD Video, 5x Optical Zoom, Waterproof to 33 feet (1 atmosphere). Crush proof and drop proof, one of the best point and shoot Waterproof cameras out there, almost indestructable.

[MrsFixitCT]

Use caution when buying cameras, especially in ports or on the internet...they often come with "grey market" warranties that aren't recognized in the US and you're stuck if there's a problem with a camera that's not working and no recourse.

 

If buying online, beware some of the scams that can occur...hard sell upsells, missing parts (batteries) that don't come with the package, horrible customer service...do your due diligence...

 

My husband and I are on our 8th digital cameras because of upgrades that we wanted-we now each have digital SLR's and each of us have digital underwater cameras-2 Canons, a Pentax and an Olympus...

 

With all our camera purchases, we've researched using http://www.resellerratings.com to check out the seller (and have had WONDERFUL service with B&H out of NYC) and used http://www.DPreview.com to check out the equipment we're considering...

 

Hope this helps....

[mo&fran]

On the subject of buying things onboard, a number of years ago my watch stopped working while on a cruise, so I got a new Citizen watch, discounted price, duty free. When I got home, I went online and found the same watch, free shipping and no sales tax, for exactly the same price as I had paid onboard.