Are There Good Deals on Cameras onboard?

[Perki]

I noticed that some of the larger ships have stores and sell cameras onboard, I was wondering if anyone had any feedback on the price onboard vs what it would cost from a Best Buy say. I'm just thinking point & shoot smaller cameras not the larger ones with multiple lens. Considering upgrading my current camera which is 6mega pix and 3 or 4x zoom to something with more mega pix and better zoom. Thanks!

[travelpeon]

Perki - I haven't seen the prices on ship yet, but would advise you to take a look at slickdeals.net, fatwallet, and techbargains. I also like using the usual retail sites like eBay (though for cameras, use Top Rated sellers) and if you buy from Amazon, try the price watch website camelcamelcamel.com

 

Offhand, I've seen some awesome deals online and with Mother's day coming up, there should be a few "good" deals on point and shoots.

 

When you buy a camera, you want to be sure it has a valid warranty for your country (USA I'm assuming) and not "gray market". I'm not sure if ship sells cameras that are "USA models" but if you see a good deal in a port, always ask if it is a "USA model" or "international model". Some authorized USA camera service centers sometimes won't fix overseas models, even if you pay them.

[unberwoob]

I have never seen good prices onboard. Camera selection is limited and not very good. And the sales people are not that good.

 

Best thing is to research first on something like steves digicams then look at price comparison sites to find the best price. Online prices are always lower, no tax, and usually free shipping.

[phoenix1181]

My son talked me out of a camera purchase onboard the Navigator a few years ago saying it wasn't a bargain although it was advertised as such. Good move on his part. I got a much better deal online when we got home.

 

I think they play to the impulse buyers & I qualify.......

[newbiecruiser09]

I think they play to the impulse buyers & I qualify.......

 

Or on those who think that (like long ago maybe) prices are better out of the country. If there is a particular model you want and can wait, check the prices before you leave and see how the ship compares. We have always been able to find better deals online or at store sales at home.

[awboater]

I saw a Nikon P7000 the last time we were on-board a few weeks ago. They wanted list price. But big box retailers such as Best Buy often charge list price as well. So I suppose it's no different than those retailers.

 

I bought the same camera from Amazon at a $130 discount. But Amazon's pricing varies constantly, so you have to be on the lookout.

[time4u2go]

Wow I would not think it's a good idea to buy onboard. What if the camera stops working a week after you buy it? With a brick and mortar store, you bring it back. With an online order, you at least have somebody to contact and somewhere to ship it back to. But what would you do if you bought it on a ship? Sure there's the manufacturer's warranty, but that seems like it would be an extra hassle for something that would still be under most sellers' short-term warranties.

[jewopaho]

As others have stated, you'll be paying list price for a very limited selection of cameras. There's nothing special about any of them offered onboard. My personal experience: the one I purchased on Amazon (no tax, free shipping) was selling for about $70 more on our last cruise.

 

And please note that there are no bargains in port either, unless you'll be traveling to Asia ... but that's for another thread. I suggest that you visit your local big box store, narrow down your selections, then check online prices. You'll do much better than on any cruise ship.

[Beach1]

I noticed that some of the larger ships have stores and sell cameras onboard, I was wondering if anyone had any feedback on the price onboard vs what it would cost from a Best Buy say. I'm just thinking point & shoot smaller cameras not the larger ones with multiple lens. Considering upgrading my current camera which is 6mega pix and 3 or 4x zoom to something with more mega pix and better zoom. Thanks!

 

You can definetly get a better price here in the states. Also as someone mentioned some of the people on ship are not that savvy on all the point on the camera, like can you print pictures with date on them, can you chop picture, etc. Also be aware of buying in port. They will tell you anything to get you to buy and if you check you can beat their prices from $30.00 up depending on the camera you buy. Been there and done that. Went in pool with camera in swim trunk. Had to buy one in St Thomas, they guaranteed I couldn,t get it cheaper anywhere. Got home and found it $80.00 cheaper at the first place I looked.

[Grannycb]

Check out Best Buy's clearance section. I found a Lumix ZS5 for $179 last week. DH has the same camera and loves it. Zoom on it is 16X. Nothing on the ship comes close to that in either quality or price.

[silentbob007]

You can almost definitely get better prices online. If you see a camera you like onboard, it would be great to use some internet time or go to a cafe and check prices just to confirm this. However, my standard bit of advice ... do not purchase a camera online without going to a store and trying it out for yourself because look, feel, and operation really do matter for something you might want to use hundreds to thousands of time on a single trip.

[mjldvlks]

I concur with others. In the not too distant past, I have been on ships shortly after having purchased a new camera and knowing pretty well what a good price was. The prices on board are always higher than the prices ahore. Additionally, you do not have the opportunity to do any research to consider the pros and cons of the cameras they have for sale. If you lose a camera, it breaks, or you simply forget it, buying a cheaper P&S on the ship is probably better than coming home with no pictures, but absent that, I would buy elsewhere.

 

Most recently, I have found that Amazon almost always has the best price for about anything they sell. I got my Panasonic P&S for about 100 less than Best Buy. But as others have said, prices vary so you have to keep your eyes open.

[Vanilla]

Not sure how much a camera would cost... but a bag of M & M's is $5.00 in the gift shoppe!!!!:eek: If they hike the price of M&Ms up 500%, a camera must cost a million dollars!;)

[RoofingPrincess]

Succumbed to an impulse and bought a small point-and-shoot camera onboard once. My son & I are both photo hounds and sharing a camera was just not working for us.

I made the mistake of looking it up online once we got home. The price that seemed good onboard was higher than I would've paid if I'd gone to a big box store or shopped online. And the photo shop folks onboard were about as knowledgeable as a written description online...

[Puffinater]

I will also chime in. Years back i was looking at the Nikon D70. Saw one in the ships camera shop and the price was slightly higher than what I had seen it on line for. Opted to wait and shortly there after there was a big price drop. In this case I lucked out.

[Gilgo Surfer]

I could see buying a camera on board if yours gets lost or stolen, otherwise I don't know why anyone would buy a camera on a ship.

[Perki]

wow such great info and responses...that's why I LOVE CruiseCritic! thank you everyone

[Shooraq]

I'm amused by the claims to buy photo gear in the Caribbean or on cruise ships, too. I've actually done price comparisions for Nikon DSLR cameras and lens and the prices are typically better thru online dealers in the States like Amazon, B&H Photo, and Adorama.

[ehfl]

Do your research. Pick what you want. Check the prices on legitimate Internet sites before the cruise. If it's a better deal on the ship, then go ahead. If not, wait until you get back.

[K1200S]

You can get a better deal online. I would go to a big box store to play with the different cameras then go online and see where the best deal is to be had.

[silentbob007]

Also ... if you want a camera to use on your trip ... it's better to get it beforehand and learn the ins/outs, features, quirks, etc before you leave home and are using it for the pictures that really matter. :)

[insulationbabe]

I bought a pentax P80 on board and love it - forgot mine at home on that cruise and glad I did - price was about the same on board than online - and no taxes - plus I had my own favorite cute camera guy on board for 7 days to help me figure it out - lol:)

[The Big Booper]

On the other hand, I once dropped a high end non-DSLR on the marble bathroom floor on a ship (SPLATT!) 3 days into a long combo trip that was going to last 15 more days. We stopped in St. Martin the next day and I hustled over to Boolchands first thing. They had the brand new Lumix FZ-30 available for a price $100 lower then the main internet providers plus they threw in a hard case and a high capacity 256K SD card (this was 2005) and of course no sales tax. So I bought it.

 

Being a chronic second - guesser, once we got home I periodically kept checking the price on line and it took 9 months until the best price dropped to match Boolchands (no case or card tho). So in this case, I had the camera for the trip, the next trip and saved money.

 

From what I have seen of the exchange rate I don't know if this holds any more.

[cafe rose]

for a really great deal on any kind of camera or photo supplies, check out uniquephoto.com

Honest and reliable and fast shipping too. If you live anywhere near northern NJ, check out their store on route 46 about 2 miles past the Willowbrook mall.

[The Big Booper]

I've also bought from Beach Camera on Rt. 22. No sales tax if you live out of NJ and no shipping charge. We bought the Lumix ZS3 and TS1 in 2009 from this shop.