Cruise & Travel, Traveler of the Year

How about that!  On the cover of Cruise & Travel.  I was named  “Traveler of the Year”.

Not quite.  This is an example of the many photo opportunities available to you while on a cruise.  The ships’ photo staff seem to be everywhere.  Unlimited photo opportunities abound.

Photographs taken by the ship is big business at anywhere from $10 to $ 22 or more for each photo.  It is not just the boarding photos or those taken as you disembark for your day at the various ports-of-call of the life preserver with the name of the port, but multiple opportunities at each port with various character.  You’ve got dolphins, costumed local residents, pirates, and any number of props.

It does not end with the photos at each port but every evening on the ship, multiple portrait stations are set up with a never ending array of back drops.  You have sunset backgrounds, Italian villas, beach scenes, and on and on. There is also the roving photographers ready to take your picture while dining, at the Captain’s reception and other shipboard events.

The above photo was taken against a green screen and the magazine cover didgitally added.  Since we were on the cruise on Valentine’s Day the ships’ photo staff had plenty of romance options including having a pink background with curving hearts surrounding the subjects. Another evening you could have your photo taken in western garb similar to what you see at the county fairs.  You could even have the picture made into a Wanted Poster.

On one cruise my wife and I and another couple had a photo taken on formal night in our suits and dresses wearing yellow fisherman rain slicker hats which we got on a Pub crawl excursion in Halifax, Canada.  Don’t take yourself too serious while on a cruise.  Go get some memorable photographs taken, you will cherish them through the years.