Taking your picture before hand?

[RCIfan1912]

How do you take your picture before hand and upload it so you don't have to at the cruise terminal? Is it a pain and does it help save any time? I assume you can do this with your cell phone? Thanks for any help.

[AnnetteJackson]

You can use your cell phone or I have let them take it at the terminal - it really doesnt take that much longer at check in

[Matt]

10 minutes ago, RCIfan1912 said:

How do you take your picture before hand and upload it so you don't have to at the cruise terminal?

During check in, there's an option in the app to do so via your phone's camera.

10 minutes ago, RCIfan1912 said:

Is it a pain and does it help save any time?

Not a pain, but 50% of the time they make me re-take the photo at the terminal anyway.

[PatsFanBrian]

7 minutes ago, RCIfan1912 said:

How do you take your picture before hand and upload it so you don't have to at the cruise terminal? Is it a pain and does it help save any time? I assume you can do this with your cell phone? Thanks for any help.

You can really take it any way you choose as long as you can browse for it when you are doing the online check in.

My wife and I just used our regular camera, inserted the chip into my laptop and then browsed for them from the check in page.  It took about 5 minutes total.

If using your cell phone, you can email it to an address that you can reach from a larger device and then save the pic on your computer.

[RCIfan1912]

Thanks guys, I did hear most of the time they make you retake the pic any way at the terminal. I think we'll probably skip it but might try just to see how it works or if it works. 

[PatsFanBrian]

Just now, RCIfan1912 said:

Thanks guys, I did hear most of the time they make you retake the pic any way at the terminal. I think we'll probably skip it but might try just to see how it works or if it works. 

I hope not, the pictures we took would make the RMV proud.

[SpeedNoodles]

If you are on a ship that allows check in on the new app you can upload it directly from your cell phone onto the app without moving it to a different device.  So far I've been successful with my own photos 100% of the time (ok, that's only twice, lol)

[ellcee]

39 minutes ago, RCIfan1912 said:

How do you take your picture before hand and upload it so you don't have to at the cruise terminal? Is it a pain and does it help save any time? I assume you can do this with your cell phone? Thanks for any help.

I uploaded mine for Harmony last year and followed the directions...got to the port and they made me retake. 30 seconds tops. It took me way longer to take the picture they never used.

[RCIfan1912]

4 minutes ago, ellcee said:

I uploaded mine for Harmony last year and followed the directions...got to the port and they made me retake. 30 seconds tops. It took me way longer to take the picture they never used.

Oh wow that just convinced me. Why waste our time. Thank you for the post.

[RCIfan1912]

9 minutes ago, SpeedNoodles said:

If you are on a ship that allows check in on the new app you can upload it directly from your cell phone onto the app without moving it to a different device.  So far I've been successful with my own photos 100% of the time (ok, that's only twice, lol)

Anthem for some reason even with being a very new ship does not work with the new app, at least I don't think. Really makes no sense but I believe Anthem doesn't work with that app. Thanks for the suggestion.

[SpeedNoodles]

3 minutes ago, RCIfan1912 said:

Anthem for some reason even with being a very new ship does not work with the new app, at least I don't think. Really makes no sense but I believe Anthem doesn't work with that app. Thanks for the suggestion.

No, Anthem, like Ovation, still uses Royal IQ. That one I did upload online instead of an app.  Still worked fine (for me, still could be a fluke).

[YOLO]

I tried this too.  Spent a bit of time on this at home and then got to our Anthem cruise and they took another photo.  I am not sure there is any real value to pre-upoad your pic since it does seem like they are not checking for existing pictures.  Like little robots, they just go ahead and take the normal port check-in photo.

[YOLO]

Just now, SpeedNoodles said:

No, Anthem, like Ovation, still uses Royal IQ. That one I did upload online instead of an app.  Still worked fine (for me, still could be a fluke).

NO, not true now.  Anthem now uses the Royal app.

[SpeedNoodles]

Just now, YOLO said:

NO, not true now.  Anthem now uses the Royal app.

Ok.  The other person said they didn't, so I assumed they were still using Royal IQ. In either case, app or online, it worked fine for me.

[fonemanbob]

It takes a whole 5 seconds per person.  We can afford 10 more seconds.  

[JLMoran]

I took my own pic for both myself and my wife and uploaded through through the web site. They were accepted with no problems, and I'm actually re-using them this year since our appearance hasn't changed at all. Kind of like taking my own passport photo. Just remember to follow a few key rules:

• Stand against a white or slightly off-white wall
• Take the picture using the Square option in your camera
• The picture should just fit from slightly below the shoulders to the top of your head
• Don't smile!!! Use your absolute "best" RBF!

I know, that last one is hard when you're thinking about how this is for that awesome cruise around the corner, but it's true; when we had the pics taken at the port for the very first cruise, where online photo upload wasn't an option, we were all told to not smile. I'd guess that might be the #1 reason why pictures get rejected, followed by incorrect crop or non-white background.

[fonemanbob]

Or a hat or sunglasses. Next will be fingerprinting or perhaps a retina scan.  

[ellcee]

16 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

I took my own pic for both myself and my wife and uploaded through through the web site. They were accepted with no problems, and I'm actually re-using them this year since our appearance hasn't changed at all. Kind of like taking my own passport photo. Just remember to follow a few key rules:

• Stand against a white or slightly off-white wall
• Take the picture using the Square option in your camera
• The picture should just fit from slightly below the shoulders to the top of your head
• Don't smile!!! Use your absolute "best" RBF!

I know, that last one is hard when you're thinking about how this is for that awesome cruise around the corner, but it's true; when we had the pics taken at the port for the very first cruise, where online photo upload wasn't an option, we were all told to not smile. I'd guess that might be the #1 reason why pictures get rejected, followed by incorrect crop or non-white background.

I did all of that. Still made me retake at port. I'm pretty sure sometimes they just don't bother to check.

 

Also, I don't smile on command. My driver's license is a smirk.

[JLMoran]

1 minute ago, ellcee said:

My driver's license is a smirk.

I'm surprised they let you do that much. My last renewal I had the person taking the photo practically barking at me not to make any facial expression. I was about ready to go slack-jawed and glaze-eyed, and just play the village idiot.

[ellcee]

4 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

I'm surprised they let you do that much. My last renewal I had the person taking the photo practically barking at me not to make any facial expression. I was about ready to go slack-jawed and glaze-eyed, and just play the village idiot.

It *may* be my natural expression.

[packercruising]

2 hours ago, Matt said:

During check in, there's an option in the app to do so via your phone's camera.

Not a pain, but 50% of the time they make me re-take the photo at the terminal anyway.

They don't already have yours on file?  

[WAAAYTOOO]

It was weird...on our B2B in Feb on Anthem the photos that we submitted were used for the first half of our B2B but they had to retake our pix for week #2.  I never have figured that one out.

[darketower]

2 hours ago, RCIfan1912 said:

Thanks guys, I did hear most of the time they make you retake the pic any way at the terminal. I think we'll probably skip it but might try just to see how it works or if it works. 

I've used it on my last 3 cruises and have never been asked to retake it at the terminal.  We always take a head shot selfie in front of a white background and it's never been an issue.

[Floski]

3 hours ago, Matt said:

Not a pain, but 50% of the time they make me re-take the photo at the terminal anyway.

 

They're just trying to see if you have a "good side".

 

[Stephanie]

How strange!  I've taken my own pics for Anthem and Symphony and both times had no issues. Maybe it just depends on the employee you get at check-in?

For those of you that had to re-take your pictures, did you complete all of the online check-in information prior to boarding?

[ellcee]

27 minutes ago, Stephanie said:

did you complete all of the online check-in information prior to boarding?

All my T's were crossed and my i's were dotted. I'm not mad about it but after realizing it took 30 seconds to retake I realized I spent too much time.

[PRebecca]

When we first booked and I was checking us in on the app (all happy excited 'we booked a cruise' mojo going on) and saw we could upload our photos so while trying to get my DH to play along to upload his too and he's grumbling and mumbling so I got the best 'I have to listen to this cruise blahblahblah for the next several weeks' look on his face for his photo. I knew no way they'd use it but it makes me giggle every time I look at it  He's a great sport but loves playing the grumpy old man to my uber excitement