VIP Photo Sea Card - Review

[Carribean Cruiser George]

Maybe you could make an arrangement for the staff to transfer them to USB, but I don’t believe you could do this from the self serve kiosks. It would be an IT security risk for them to use your USB drive for this, so they might want to sell you an overpriced USB drive. This is pure speculation on my part.

 

You can also download your pictures after the cruise but people have been reporting that there is a significant delay between the end of your cruise and the availability of pictures to download. This seems risky. If you have an iPad or android tablet you could download your pictures to one of those too over wifi.

 

By the way, the staff have become more efficient at using their computer equipment compared to early posts and reviews for Seaside. In fact, it was much less of a zoo at the photo area on the last sailing day compared to Divina last year.

[Micheb5]

Maybe you could make an arrangement for the staff to transfer them to USB, but I don’t believe you could do this from the self serve kiosks. It would be an IT security risk for them to use your USB drive for this, so they might want to sell you an overpriced USB drive. This is pure speculation on my part.

 

You can also download your pictures after the cruise but people have been reporting that there is a significant delay between the end of your cruise and the availability of pictures to download. This seems risky. If you have an iPad or android tablet you could download your pictures to one of those too over wifi.

 

By the way, the staff have become more efficient at using their computer equipment compared to early posts and reviews for Seaside. In fact, it was much less of a zoo at the photo area on the last sailing day compared to Divina last year.

Thanks for the help. I really appreciate it. I have a tablet so I will bring it. The USB is is brand new in the package still. I'll bring it and see if they might do it. 21 days and counting![emoji568]

 

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[Micheb5]

I ended up moving the pics to my phone afterall and it was fine. Couple of comments. When I picked up the VIP card the staff member there linked my cruise card to it. The photgraphers do not want the VIP card when you take pictures, they want your regular card. After the first night I went back thinking she would have to transfer them, she said no they are already there. I would only need to transfer if any were added to my husband or daughters card. If you have group photos they will add them to your package, if a photographer takes others people download them right away. If they see them at the emotions gallery they will delete them. They took them at our two tables and any that we were not in were taken off our account.

 

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[korpo024]

Purchased this online ahead of cruise for $99 with the promise of digital copies of all photos taken during the cruise. This was a great deal, but as with all things MSC Seaside not clear on how it worked.

 

The photographers on Seaside were great and all photos were added to a single room card. On the last day of the cruise we stopped by the photo desk to add some printed photos that weren't on the card and ask how we would get the digital copies. Their response was that we needed to purchase the digital copy for each picture individually. After a manager was brought over due to frustration on both our part and that of the crew member he looked in a drawer and found a pre-printed VIP Photo card with our cabin number on it - the crew member initially helping us had no idea that this package could be purchased in advance (and with the size of the stack of these cards there were others who had pre-paid as well and not known to go get this card). After a half hour of waiting for the single computer they had available to them to work on photos they were able to move the pictures from the room card to the VIP Photo card. The gave us the card in a nice thick cardboard presentation case. A note to the cabin to pick the card up and some instructions on ensuring all pictures were taken with that card would have been nice to have.

 

When checking that night we found that not all of the printed pictures had been added to the card and this required another visit to the photo desk. This was fixed after another 30 minute visit.

 

Tips for those who take advantage of this offer:

- Go by the photo desk ASAP and ensure that you have the photo card

- Any pictures put onto a room card will have to be moved by a photo staff member to the VIP photo card - on the Seaside there was only one computer that could be used to do this and a line of staff waiting to use this single computer

- Pictures on room cards are specific to that persons room card - they don't aggregate across cards for the same cabin

- Check the photo kiosks on a regular basis for pictures from your card to make sure they are all showing up on the card, just drop the card on the NFC spot and it will take you right to the pictures.

 

The pictures were available to access online 9 days after the cruise (not the 5 or 7 mentioned on board or the 3 on the website). The website allows you to add/remove border and to zoom in/out. We found that if you zoomed in then out you could adjust many pictures that looked like heads were cut off to include the whole head in the picture.

 

We found out after the cruise that all of the photos could have been accessed and downloaded onto a mobile device while onboard - we didn't know this or we would have done this.

 

The photos are ~1MB JPG files to download and are 2400x1800 size at 96 dpi. The system is powered by Kodak Alaris and doesn't seem to have the facial recognition technology to automatically assign photos to cabins that exists on other cruise lines.

 

A bit of instructions with the purchase would have made for a smoother experience, we would definitely purchase again.

 

 

Is this the package?

[mamaneedsavacay]

I'm just off the ship, and I confirm what the OP says. I had read ahead of time to go pick up the VIP photo card right away, and doing that made everything very simple. Note: purchasing in advance was $99, the first day it was on sale for $149, and by the third day it was full price at $199.

 

We were further complicated by the fact that we had booked as a "SuperFamily" which was one booking for our immediate family (2 parents, 3 kids) as a Guarantee that they assigned to two connecting cabins. We only bought one VIP card, not two, as the person at the photo booth said we would need. It turned out not to matter.

 

We purchased the VIP card in advance in my husband's name, so it was linked to his room key/wristband, and we also had the physical VIP photo card. Whenever we took individual pictures, for example at dinner, the photographer just asked for one card for the whole group of photos and we always gave either my husband's card or the photo card. So the individual photos of my son and I, who were technically registered in a different cabin, were still automatically included in the online account.

 

The photo center was also willing to add our entire group of zipline photos to the account without asking who was in which cabin, because we had all done it together.

 

I wouldn't suggest counting on this for extended families traveling together, because it was obvious to everyone that we were one nuclear family and there were only five of us who could have fit in one suite. (We were also able to get the unlimited cabin zip rides for $20 as one family rather than two cabins. They knew we had two cabin numbers, but it was logical to them to apply the deal, which I really appreciated.)

 

My husband downloaded the photos onto his phone as they appeared on the website.

 

My biggest complaint, and I included it on my MSC feedback survey, is the lack of photo opportunities around the ship. At least scheduled/advertised ones. I heard that there were roaming photographers, but we never saw one aside from the private Leica portrait artist. We took photos after dinner around the atrium, and at two or three of the ports with the ship in the background.

 

We only saw two photo set-ups that used the actual beauty of the ship: the crystal staircase and the bar in front of Venchi. The rest were either solid colored or painted backdrops. And they were only there after dinner. I would have liked to see times listed when photographers would be on the top decks, so that we would know to go there and get the sea in the background. Or any of the other beautiful architecture and design around the ship.

 

We did get some nice family and individual portraits. Worth the price.

[mamaneedsavacay]

I feel like I read somewhere the photo as you board the ship is not included in this? Do you happen to know if this is true or not?

Thanks

 

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Ours was, because we knew the photo package was under my husband's name and we used his cruise card when they took that picture. (Obviously this was before we picked up our VIP photo card.)

[cdvla313]

Question about downloading the pictures via wifi, does this mean you have to have a wifi package? Or does the photo desk have wifi you can use to just transfer the pictures to your phone? Family wants to do the VIP Photo Pass but we weren't planning on getting a wifi package since the packages changed and prices went up.

[Carribean Cruiser George]

You will be able to access the intranet site that the photo desk staff provide you with your VIP card without purchasing an internet package. If someone purchases an internet package, downloading the photos will not count towards their internet plan limit onboard the ship.

[cdvla313]

You will be able to access the intranet site that the photo desk staff provide you with your VIP card without purchasing an internet package. If someone purchases an internet package, downloading the photos will not count towards their internet plan limit onboard the ship.

Thanks so much!

[lcpagejr]

Word of advice...If you are staying in YC....I would not recommend buying this package. Never saw a photographer in YC all week (which in my opinion was fantastic) other than during Captains YC welcome party. As we rarely left the YC and roamed the other areas on decks 5-8 ...I can't see how I could have made use of the package. Perhaps the 10 picture package would make more sense especially if you want formal pictures taken.

[marcoigna]

was there a cost for the pictures to be printed on the ship - if so, so you know the cost as well as the size of pictures.

 

thanking you in advance,

[windlicht]

too late.....

[kj_connections]

On 3/18/2018 at 6:05 PM, mamaneedsavacay said:

We purchased the VIP card in advance in my husband's name, so it was linked to his room key/wristband, and we also had the physical VIP photo card. Whenever we took individual pictures, for example at dinner, the photographer just asked for one card for the whole group of photos and we always gave either my husband's card or the photo card. So the individual photos of my son and I, who were technically registered in a different cabin, were still automatically included in the online account.

 

 

 

I purchased the VIP card but I don't know if it is under my name or my husband's name.  How would I find that out beforehand so we could take embarkation photos under the correct card (before obtaining the VIP card onboard)?

[riclop]

Thanks for the info.

[SirWolf]

2 hours ago, kj_connections said:

 

I purchased the VIP card but I don't know if it is under my name or my husband's name.  How would I find that out beforehand so we could take embarkation photos under the correct card (before obtaining the VIP card onboard)?

Log into your MSC account and check “My Purchases” , all purchased items or services are listed by passenger name. We never got a VIP card while on MSC Seaview. The photographer scanned my cruise card or YC wristband after each photo session. We used accidently the cruise card of my DW one time and went on the last day to the photo desk to have the photos moved to my VIP photo package.

[Micheb5]

When you embark you can pick up your VIP card at the photo desk. You register it to which ever card you choose. On our sailing all the photographers asked for the room key.  If you give the wrong one you can ask to have the pictures moved over to the VIP pass at anytime during the cruise. If you are travelling with others in another stateroom, (friends/extended family) you can take group shots and they will put them on your pass as well. 

[kj_connections]

Thanks.  Unfortunately I don't see a "my purchases" section in my MSC account...