Something that annoys me!

[PrettyGirl01]

First and foremost, I love Princess! It's our favourite brand Never had a bad cruise in 15 years.

However there is one thing that is a nuisance, not sure if anyone else agrees!

We rarely eat in the MDR anymore, but we do go to the CG. Without fail, anytime we are there, while we are gorging ourselves with food (as we eat light during the day on the nights we plan to go there) a ship photographer appears and wants to start snapping pictures!

Not sure if this has been discussed before, but this is my rant of the day. And we rarely complain. Being on a ship rocks!

Happy cruising!

[Jeter02]

Personally I believe that the photographers should not be allowed to take pictures in any dinning room or SR. Its not the most appropriate nor is it the most flattering place be taking pictures. Its one of my biggest pet peeves, which is why I always tell them no thank you when they make their way over to me. I too, LOVE and ADORE Princess! Just wish that was one thing they would do away with IMHO.

Edited April 12, 2017 by Jeter02

[cdngrl]

i also don't like it. its annoying to interrupt dining to move centerpieces, tablewear and chairs. i usually say no thank you and they move on to the next table. however, some of the nicest photos in the gallery are taken at the table!

[Gwendy]

Don't want your photo taken? Just say no thanks and they move on.

[PrettyGirl01]

We always politely decline. It's just the way they go about it.

[geocruiser]

I don't like the camera's flash in my face. My eyes don't adjust to the flash of light. I see a spot of light for about 10 minutes after the flash. So, I just tell them no pictures inside.

But I do get it take out side on the gang way.

[notentirelynormal]

I agree with others. Just so no. Personally, I like having the photographers popping up everywhere. Some of my most cherished memories or my children and now grandchildren have happened on cruises. That was our bi-yearly family vacations. Unless I am in a huge hurry I have no problem stopping for them. The worst that can happen is it is a bad picture and I wasted 10 seconds of my life. The best that could happen is the picture turns out wonderful and I have a beautiful memory for life. They will happily move on to the next guy if you ask.

[donaldsc]

First and foremost, I love Princess! It's our favourite brand Never had a bad cruise in 15 years.

However there is one thing that is a nuisance, not sure if anyone else agrees!

We rarely eat in the MDR anymore, but we do go to the CG. Without fail, anytime we are there, while we are gorging ourselves with food (as we eat light during the day on the nights we plan to go there) a ship photographer appears and wants to start snapping pictures!

Not sure if this has been discussed before, but this is my rant of the day. And we rarely complain. Being on a ship rocks!

Happy cruising!

 

Just say "NO."

 

DON

[stoneharborlady]

I would prefer no dining room photography.

[Yosef42]

Personally, being photographed at all anywhere is my pet peeve. I'd love it if there were some way to opt out altogether instead of the constant barrage of "How about now? How about now?"

 

But I suppose they keep taking pictures at meals because people keep buying them.

[cruzrbachoua]

I agree...and can even match this....We were recently on Celebrity Summit and one day while out on deck (thought we found an out of the way spot only about 6 chairs) I go to turn over from laying on my stomach and there is a photographer right there...she was like do you want your pic taken. I looked at my dh who was fast asleep on his lounger and then down at myself all sweaty and greasy with sun tan lotion and what I can only imagine as a lovely towel mark on my face or some other sort of mark from laying on my stomach..I laughed and said no thank you. Later I told DH and he was like really...why would you want that moment immortalized in a photo. It was annoying but it became our running joke when we laid out to look out for paparazzi! We love the port pics and always do those and the embark photos as those go in my memory book as the fronts and dividers of our adventure. We even tipped one photographer a little extra on the last night on one of our cruises as she seemed to always be friendly always did new and unique poses and just made our cruise. She was quite shocked and was like no I was just doing my job and we said but you went above and beyond to make our moments special. She did finally take it.

[Colo Cruiser]

A polite wave off works well anywhere on the ship. ;)

[Jeter02]

Actually, besides the dinning room photographers, i really dislike when the photographers on embarkation day are at the terminal, right before the gangway to get onboard). At least at Port Everglades, there is NO WAY to avoid them and surpass them. They make you wait in that lin e regardless, before boarding, weather you like it or not. You are not required to take a photo, but you still have to wait in the line. After every Princess cruise, I always make a remark about this inconvenience on every Princess survey for years. I fully understand that lots of people like the photos, and this is a great way start documenting your vacation. However, for my self at least, living in Fort Lauderdale, I'm constantly cruising and always onbaord. I just wish there were 2 separate lines. One for those passengers who would like the embarkation photo taken, and a line for those who would like to politely surpass. I actually tried skipping around, and the photographers were not happy with me, and even argued with me, that I could not skip the line, just so I can board. Grant you, I only did that once, but I was shocked with the attitude of the photographer, as I politely and graciously explained, I have no interest in taking a a picture, and would just like to board. It just seems unnecessary to wait in a lengthy line.

[Thrak]

One more who doesn't like dinner photos. GO... AWAY... I also detest having to duck the "Pirates" and such when leaving the dining room. We never have the pictures taken. Fortunately, there are enough people who (for whatever strange reason) seem to want the "pirate" photos that we can generally just walk on past. If there is nobody currently being photographed we just say "no thanks" and keep walking but it is still a bit annoying. I'm sure someone must like these silly photos or the line wouldn't be paying crew to dress up. In the larger scheme of things, I am cruising and having a great time and we really don't let these things bother us. Why stress over silly little annoyances.

[PrettyGirl01]

On one cruise - can't remember which one - we were by the pool and a photographer actually WOKE UP A GUEST from their snooze to ask them if they wanted their picture taken!

[cruzrbachoua]

On one cruise - can't remember which one - we were by the pool and a photographer actually WOKE UP A GUEST from their snooze to ask them if they wanted their picture taken!

 

Oh now that would have peeved me off and I would have been at the passenger services desk that day. Of course who know if that photographer was about to do the same to me and I just happened to turn over as she was standing pretty close and I actually gasped a bit as I didn't expect someone to be standing almost over me when I rolled over. Hmmmm didn't look to see if she did take a pic of my backside...wonder how the facial recognition would work on that one...lol

[cdngrl]

Actually, besides the dinning room photographers, i really dislike when the photographers on embarkation day are at the terminal, right before the gangway to get onboard).

me too, mostly because i've been traveling all night, am exhausted and look it!

[XBGuy]

Everybody understands that the photographs are a revenue stream for mass market lines such as Princess. The way I look at it, the more photographs they sell, the lower cruise fares will be. I don't have any data to support this, but I would bet a fair amount that the more pictures they take, the more they sell.

 

So, more often than not we smile, let them take the picture, and continue on with our lives. Like the OP, we do not eat in the dining rooms, but if a photographer approaches us on one ot the specialty restaurants, we are OK with it. If we are at a port stop, or on embarkation, if there is a line of people waiting for their photo to be taken, we will usually just walk around and pass it up.

 

Obviously, my opinion differs from many others. It is, however, only an opinion. Opinions are like belly buttons--everybody has one. I imagine that I would enjoy sharing a meal with any of the above posters. If a photographer approached our table and one of them declined, I would not feel any loss.

[AZ Ocean Lover]

Yes, it bugs me too. I really dislike strolling singer, mariachi bands, etc. stopping by tables to sing. What my husband and I do when we see one coming (applies to ship's photographers as well) is get into a very heated verbal argument. Not loud, but intense and they always stroll on by. They don't want to get in the middle of that. We always have a chuckle after that. But, we also find a simple "no thank you" works too.

[DrivesLikeMario]

After about the first fifteen cruises, we started telling all photographers, "No thanks."

We start this M.O. when we board and they want to grab that picture of you when you're exhausted from traveling and just want to get onboard. Then we tell them "No thanks" again on formal night, as we're getting off the ship in port and at dinner. We're just not "into" having pictures of ourselves. We know what we look like and don't need a reminder.

[WatchHill]

With over 100 cruises, the last thing we need are more pictures to show how we have aged over the decades. For the price of the pictures, I'll buy them if they can reverse the age lines, etc.

 

I have found the photographers to be very aggressive on some cruises - trying to walk down the gang way, with lots of passengers behind us, and the photographers try to take our picture only to hold up the line. Seriously, where is their common sense? Some of the "staged" pirate or critter pictures are silly, but that's my opinion. I politely, say no, but when I have to repeat this a second time, especially during dinner, then I get a bit curt. A few times, I've pulled out my camera and taken the photographer's picture....and they didn't like it!

 

Darcy

[PescadoAmarillo]

Those pirate photos blocking the dining room exit are the worst, particularly when I am grabbed and have a sword placed at my throat. There is no reason in the world for them to touch passengers in pursuit of an unsolicited photo. They have no way of knowing what a particular person's trigger is, but, really, is it ever acceptable to grab someone around the neck?

[chrysalis]

On one cruise, the photographer was so interested in taking group photos of the next table, she backed up to ours and leaned back so far that her hair was in my water glass, and her rear end was on the table. She would not even move away when we asked. I hate that aggressiveness.

[skynight]

DR: I just wave them off, and my experience is most others do also. This is the least annoying of what they do. More annoying are:

* Boarding: I walk right by. They slow the process

* Ports: they block exits, I walk around or right through. If they grab me or follow I just say move away. I can't understand how anyone would want a photo taken with strange people in costume that you don't know, nor will never see again, but I guess there is a impulse market for these photos.

* I haven't seen the DR pirate for awhile, but when I do I just exit through another door. If something is said, I just say move aside and don't block my exit. If grabbed that gets another comment, something like "don't make me report you to the Hotel Manager."

[Ladybuggers]

For someone like me that has epilepsy I can not have flashes going off in my face. I tell them once, if it happens again I find someone in charge. I am sure they last thing they want is someone having a seizure due to constant photo flashing.