Cruise ship passengers warned to avoid common ‘rip off’ on board | Cruise | Travel

Cruise ship holidays are a popular vacation choice – combining travel, relaxation and entertainment in one seamless experience.

They allow passengers to explore a range of beautiful destinations all while enjoying the comforts and amenities of a floating resort.

Whether you are a first-timer or a seasoned cruiser, these holidays offer something for everyone: but they don’t come cheap.

So with all this in mind it is important to many that you do not end up spend lots of money during the holiday too.

Cruise ship rip-offs can happen in various forms and so a pair of travel experts have warned travellers to avoid this one common thing on board that can cost a small fortune.

Many cruise ships have their in-house photographers that are specially trained to capture moments during dinners, cover special events or click candid pictures. 

While the service looks comfortable, it does come with a price. Many cruisers claimed that ship-sponsored photos feel too posed or “fake”, especially on embarkation day. 

The experts said: “In the current digital age, it’s not difficult to see why travellers are not quick to shout out extra cash for professional photos on the ship.

“We literally carry around great cameras in our pockets already plus since we become accustomed to taking a lot of photos in our daily lives including lots of candid, many passenger feel that the ship sponsored photos are too posed or fake.”

The experts go on to say that photo packages bought on board the ship can add hundreds to your overall holiday spending bill.

They said: “We are especially looking at embarkation day photos with a photo of the ship as a background. We will be the first to admit that in our over 80 cruises we have posed for some cruise photos. Infact, in the early days of cruising, we posed for photos multiple times during cruise and I can’t deny that there may have been one or two sailings where we bought the unlimited photo package and racked up a couple hundred photos.”

However there is one time when the experts say passengers might consider shelling out.

They added: “Unless you’re or celebrating another special event that warrants a professional photographer, you likely don’t need to utilise the services of the ship’s photography studio.”