Pre-purchase of Photo package no longer available...

[Married90]

All:

Does anyone know why you can no longer pre-purchase a photo package (either digital or hard print) online ? It disappeared a few weeks ago (as best that I can tell) for both of our upcoming cruises (March and November).   I liked the fact I could purchase a digital copy of all the photos taken by X unlike other cruiselines (NCL) where I had to buy a package of a certain # of prints for an absurd price...   Is the digital print package still available on board even if you don't get the pre cruise discount?

[Algebralovr]

Are you looking at the website or the app?

The digital package was available in October and November.  

[NutsAboutGolf]

Photographers and therefore photo packages are reportedly going away.  This has been touched on in a few other threads

[SSAtlantic]

I don’t remember reading other threads about this. We (DD who never takes a bad picture) have enjoyed this prior to the restart. Our last two cruises since have been slightly disappointing as the available spots have been decreased and one every night is a green screen. This means you get 4-5 of the same shot with a different background, so if someone looks iffy, it is the same for all of them. We are cruising shortly on Reflection and did pre purchase it a few months ago, but it may be the last time for us, especially as we will be cruising more without the photogenic one. 

[NutsAboutGolf]

I'm simply parroting others, I didn't read too much into it.  They claim the photographer crew were sub-contractors and their vendor has deemed it's not profitable enough

 

I personally won't miss them at all but wonder what X will add in their place, if anything

[Algebralovr]

The photographers have been Celebrity employees for about the last 5 years.  They used to work for a vendor, but that changed a few years ago,  

 

I doubt they will be eliminated.  The photo studios are reducing the prints and doing more digital, and the digital are much less expensive than all the prints.  They are doing more and more with green screens (on our May 2022 ML cruise it was all green screens).  
 

I can see them scaling back, but not eliminating.  It just takes a couple of people making significant purchases to cover their costs.  
 

I’ll admit… I even bought the studio photos in May.  We had the whole family, and they did a great job.  I WAY over spent, but when the family lives all over the country, people buy when they have the occasion to get together.  

[WonderMan3]

With most people having cameras on their phones nowadays the need for photographers on board ship are becoming less and less. Formal nights disappearing also mean fewer people are dressing up in suits and gowns and taking fewer of those types of photos which I imagine made up the core of photo purchases.

[Jim_Iain]

Not sure if things are just screwed.   Previously purchased a photo package at a reasonable price.   

 

Here's current offering for Apex 4/15  - 7 night Cruise -

 

4/22 and 5/15 Cruise -   No Unlimited available

 

For the

[Married90]

2 hours ago, Algebralovr said:

Are you looking at the website or the app?

The digital package was available in October and November.  

Website.   It was there back in November but not in later December when I went to preorder some excursions and such…

[Married90]

2 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

Photographers and therefore photo packages are reportedly going away.  This has been touched on in a few other threads

Interesting as I can pre-buy photo studio packages to get pictures taken just not prints or digital files…

[NutsAboutGolf]

16 minutes ago, Married90 said:

Interesting as I can pre-buy photo studio packages to get pictures taken just not prints or digital files…

 

Look at this way, either the photographers will be there or they won't be and you'll receive a refund on any photo packages

[kelly94942]

5 hours ago, Married90 said:

Does anyone know why you can no longer pre-purchase a photo package (either digital or hard print) online ? It disappeared a few weeks ago (as best that I can tell) for both of our upcoming cruises (March and November).

I noticed this also!  Within the past few weeks (maybe even past few days?) I was looking and it seemed like there was a photo package for somewhere between $100-200.  Now I only see the $400+ package you see.  I was planning to purchase the photo package but I won't for $400+.  That's disappointing!

[NMTraveller]

All that I see is the Private Studio Photo Shoot for 400 something.  We do not have an unlimited package.

Edited January 5, 2023 by NMTraveller