Is it Still Done This Way?

[Va4fam]

Photos.  

The newer ships seem to use digital technology allowing us to pick and choose which pictures we like, print out, and take home (or download at home).

The older ships seem to be using 1989 technology where they take the picture, PRINT IT OUT, and allow you to sort through a dozen or so pictures by the end of the week and choose what you want.   Seems like an incredible waste.   And what happens to all those pictures at the end of the week?  Was on a non-Royal ship last month and they were still doing it this way and not sure if Royal had converted all ships to the new technology.

How hard would it be to convert the photo area on a ship to all digital?  Wouldn't it save a considerable amount of money?

 

 

 

 

[melmar02]

Radiance was print only when we sailed her last summer. Allure had the printed pictures in the binder towers, but you could also use the kiosks to select your digital photos. 

[TXcruzer]

12 minutes ago, melmar02 said:

Radiance was print only when we sailed her last summer. Allure had the printed pictures in the binder towers, but you could also use the kiosks to select your digital photos. 

On Wonder last week, your photos showed up in a folder on the App within 45 minutes to an hour of being taken, that was a first for us.

[Va4fam]

Thanks @TXcruzer and @melmar02...........for confirming Royal doesn't use the same technology for every ship.

How much does it cost them to print all those 8 x 10 pictures and throw most of them away?

Would it really be that hard to convert the space to the digital kiosks?

[Rackham]

28 minutes ago, Va4fam said:

Thanks @TXcruzer and @melmar02...........for confirming Royal doesn't use the same technology for every ship.

How much does it cost them to print all those 8 x 10 pictures and throw most of them away?

Would it really be that hard to convert the space to the digital kiosks?

No idea on how much it's costing to print all of them, but the cost is less than what it'd cost to print at home with their equipment. Pictures are like drinks aboard the ship; it doesn't take many to cover the cost of supplies and labor for all of them. After that point, it's pure profit.

I haven't looked into this, but I'm assuming digital kiosks would require a complete equipment overhaul (besides the kiosks, cameras, printers, and computer servers could all need to be updated to work with this system). This might not be cost efficient on a smaller ship when the current equipment works fine.

[cruisingcpl]

I believe that the prints that have been printed out can be wiped clean and the photo paper re-used for a new photo.. So, they aren't really throwing away thousands of photos each cruise.. Most amusement parks use the same type of photo printing system that has this capability.. 

[DDaley]

1 hour ago, cruisingcpl said:

I believe that the prints that have been printed out can be wiped clean and the photo paper re-used for a new photo.. So, they aren't really throwing away thousands of photos each cruise.. Most amusement parks use the same type of photo printing system that has this capability.. 

I just spent over 30 minutes Googling this and have sadly found no evidence that this re-using photo paper suggestion is possible. Every single post or article about unused souvenir photos I could find mentions how they toss them out and how printing them doesn’t cost more than the overhead to take them. This is also why they’re priced so high at amusement parks (generally $20 a print). This thought was so cool to me I had to see if it was true! Unfortunately, it seems like Royal is actually just tossing em.

Once when I was on HAL, the photo gallery worker let my friend and I take every single 8x10 picture of ourselves around midnight on the last night of the cruise because they were going to be tossed the next day! We got like 25 prints and split them amongst ourselves. 

[steverk]

18 hours ago, melmar02 said:

Allure had the printed pictures in the binder towers, but you could also use the kiosks to select your digital photos. 

I've always thought this was the ultimate in waste.  Have the digital kiosks and still print out every single photo!

To be honest, why do they have the kiosks or photo centers at all? Why can't you browse and purchase your photos through the app?

[Xaa]

6 minutes ago, steverk said:

Why can't you browse and purchase your photos through the app?

Apparently you can now.

It is wasteful how it is for sure, but people still respond to seeing printed pictures of themselves.  Royal's goal isn't to have the least waste, it's to make the most money.  If the photo waste exceeds its cost in incremental sales it's a win for them.

[ScottD]

1 hour ago, DDaley said:

I just spent over 30 minutes Googling this and have sadly found no evidence that this re-using photo paper suggestion is possible. Every single post or article about unused souvenir photos I could find mentions how they toss them out and how printing them doesn’t cost more than the overhead to take them. This is also why they’re priced so high at amusement parks (generally $20 a print). This thought was so cool to me I had to see if it was true! Unfortunately, it seems like Royal is actually just tossing em.

Once when I was on HAL, the photo gallery worker let my friend and I take every single 8x10 picture of ourselves around midnight on the last night of the cruise because they were going to be tossed the next day! We got like 25 prints and split them amongst ourselves. 

I did the same thing! Nothing. Everything I found states that cruises AND amusement parks just toss them. Most do mention they are recycled, but to what extent, who knows.

[DDaley]

11 minutes ago, ScottD said:

Most do mention they are recycled, but to what extent, who knows.

Yep then I was sucked down the “can you recycle glossy photos” rabbit hole and seems like you really cant! Recently I wouldn’t let my mom toss out a photo we found at my grandma’s of 5 people none of us could identify. Ancient, random family photos are safe at my house and kept out of the landfill! hahah

[Va4fam]

The recycle/reuse photo sounds like it would be a good solution.

Can't imagine how much time and materials it costs to print all of these pictures every day.

Seems like a kiosk would be more cost efficient and take up less room than the current set up.  

 

 

[CruisingNewb]

I was at the Department of Motor Vehicles last week.  I was surprised at the large number of older people there.  This is not meant to be a jab at older folk and by "older" I mean 75 years old and older, give or take a few years.  

Reason I mentioned this as a reply to the Photos post is because a lot of older people were struggling with the online application process at the DMV.  Alot did not seem to use smart phones or want to use a computer.  Then again, I am friends with an 83 year old who thrives on social media.  

I see how my parents struggle, or sometimes don't even want to bother with, technology.  Heck...I'm not even middle-aged and I struggle sometimes.  In fact, I am still in the "paper Compass please" group.  

Point is, there are some things that might require a slower gradual phase out such as the Photo deal.  I know that my parents want prints.  I imagine that my personal experience could be an outlier, but I am sure that a company like RCCL takes these kinds of things into consideration.  

[Fuzzywuzzy]

Pics were being printed and hung up for display on Brilliance earlier this month.