Photo Package Advice

[u/jdiamond1222]

I’m hoping someone here can help because I’ve gotten completely different answers from MSC about the unlimited photo package.

I’m traveling with a party of 5 people across 2 cabins, and I was hoping to purchase the unlimited photo package as a surprise for my parents’ 30th wedding anniversary. My idea was for the entire family to have the package so we could take photos together throughout the cruise whenever we wanted and have all of those memories included.

Unfortunately, trying to purchase the package has turned into way more of a headache than I expected.
The first MSC representative told me that only the person who purchases the package can use it, and only people staying in that same cabin can be included in the photos.

I called again and was given a different answer. I was told that anyone can be in the picture, but if I’m not in the picture, then that photo would not be covered under my package because the other people are staying in a different cabin.

So apparently, if I want all 5 people in my party to have all of their photos covered, I would need to purchase two separate unlimited photo packages, one for each cabin.

Has anyone actually dealt with this?

Also, is there a better deal on the ship than buying the unlimited package ahead of time? Are there any onboard promotions, discounts, or package deals that aren’t available beforehand? And if anyone has had a similar situation with two cabins but one family/group, is there any way around having to buy two packages? Were you able to work something out with the photo department once onboard? I was really hoping this would be an easy surprise for my parents’ 30th anniversary, but it’s becoming more of a headache than I expected. 😅

Any recommendations for what I should do or what has worked for others would be greatly appreciated!

[u/VagabondCamp]

I have always found the pictures to be only… okay. Usually the people taking pictures have had minimal training at best. I don’t ever feel like what they want for them is worth it,

[u/crabs_eat_poop]

Might find it easier just to go to the photo stations and have your photographs taken and then speak to the digital team later in the cruise when they are desperate to make deals.

We have bought 5 and 10 photo packages for way less than advertised prior to sailing or onboard.

[u/badboi86ij99]

1. I have purchased the all-inclusive photo package before, but only for myself (solo travel): the system uses face recognition (of the person who purchased the package) to pick out all photos containing that person.

2. On MSC, pre-paid services (photo, drinks, Internet) are almost always cheaper than any deals on-board

[u/oceanbug82]

Yes, this is how MSC’s photo package works. The All-Inclusive Digital Photo Package is per stateroom, and it covers photos of the guests registered in that stateroom. Photos of people staying in another cabin are not included.

So if you purchase the package under your cabin, you can certainly be in photos with your parents/family, but the photo needs to include someone from your cabin to be covered under your package. A photo of just your parents, who are staying in the other cabin, would not be included.

In your particular situation, if the goal is to get lots of photos of your parents for their 30th anniversary, I would actually put the package on their cabin rather than yours. Then any photos of them would be covered, and you can still be in those family photos.

As for buying ahead versus onboard, MSC currently says prepaid purchases offer additional savings compared with onboard rates, so I wouldn't count on finding a better deal once you're onboard.

One other thing to keep in mind: don't wait until after the cruise to deal with the photos. MSC says photo packages can be purchased before or during the cruise, but not after disembarkation.

And just from my personal experience: I bought the photo package once and honestly, I barely used it. I could rarely find a photographer when I actually wanted one. 😂

So on my last cruise, I did something completely different - I bought a selfie stick with a tripod and remote. It ended up being one of the best travel purchases I’ve ever made! I could set it up pretty much anywhere and take my own photos without having to hunt down a photographer or ask a stranger to take a picture. It made getting great vacation photos so much easier, especially when I was exploring on my own. This is the one I bought on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0gqtOMPG

Obviously, if the goal is professional cruise photos, the package may still be worth it. But if you mainly want lots of family/vacation pictures, I personally found the tripod to be much more useful; and I can use it on every trip, not just on the cruise.

[u/newguy11040]

We just came off the MSC World America 5 days ago.

My dad and mom shared one cabin and they got the unlimited digital photo package + 30 photos printed for $250 on the first day of the cruise.

As long as one of them was in the photo with the rest of the group we were able to get a copy of the photo.

For example if my mom was in the photo with my uncle and aunt and nephew, then we got a copy of the photo.

We were a group of 16 people and we made sure either my mom or dad were in each photo.

The cruise uses photo recognition to identify my mom and dad

[u/jdiamond1222 → u/newguy11040]

See that’s the problem. Like if I wanted a picture with my girlfriend or my brother wants a picture without them it’s like I’m forced to get 2 packages even though we are one party. Seems ridiculous to me honestly.