So, my birthday was over the Christmas break so with money from that and Christmas, I'm thinking about getting a drone! I love to travel and would LOVE to be able to record memories and create fantasic mini-movies of my adventures. I'm new to the drone world but I'm tech savvy and know I'll pick up how they work quickly.

All this to say, I'm going on a cruise in March and would be elated to have a drone to start recording memories and getting a brand new view of the beautiful places of the Caribbean.

All that being said, I want to stay in a modest budget and am leaning towards getting a refurbished model. Part of me just wants to get the Phantom 3 Standard for the price yet another part of me says "if you're getting a drone, make it a good, up-to-date model like the Phantom 4". And then another part of me says meet in the middle with a Phantom 3 Pro.

Help a guy out? I want to be as informed as possible before I buy.

Thank you!

Cheers,

ZER.

Hey zr64! It's great a idea to use a drone for creating video and photagraphic memories, I'm planning to take mine to Hawaii and June for the exact same reason. But, you are getting ahead of yourself. You really need to learn how to fly drone first. Do as many of us have done. Get an inexpensive drone (i.e., Syma XC-1 or similar) and learn how to fly it.

UAVs are not allowed on cruises.
***Update***
After further research it looks like you can have them on cruises, but they will hold it for you until you reach port. They do this so you dont try to fly it from the deck while at sea. I would recommend the Phantom 3 Pro. It is still one of my favorites and takes great quality photos and video. Make sure you do your due dilligence and watch every youtube tutorial you can find.  

Jkeller84 Posted at 2017-1-11 05:46
UAVs are not allowed on cruises.
***Update***
After further research it looks like you can have them on cruises, but they will hold it for you until you reach port. They do this so you dont try to fly it from the deck while at sea. I would recommend the Phantom 3 Pro. It is still one of my favorites and takes great quality photos and video. Make sure you do your due dilligence and watch every youtube tutorial you can find.

Okay, that makes sense! I wouldn't risk using it onboard anyway so getting it as get to port everyday would be just fine; not to mention it would save a little space in my cabin.

I've been thinking about that being a good option too. Especially because it's quite discounted for the refurbished model.

I've definitely been watching videos. Thanks for the help!

imhowtf73 Posted at 2017-1-11 05:45
Hey zr64! It's great a idea to use a drone for creating video and photagraphic memories, I'm planning to take mine to Hawaii and June for the exact same reason. But, you are getting ahead of yourself. You really need to learn how to fly drone first. Do as many of us have done. Get an inexpensive drone (i.e., Syma XC-1 or similar) and learn how to fly it.

Thank you! I'm excited.

Thing is, I don't have the time/budget to buy a "practice drone" to learn before I buy one. I'd rather do trial by fire and train myself at home with a Phantom before taking it on vaca.

zr64 Posted at 2017-1-11 06:39
Thank you! I'm excited.

Thing is, I don't have the time/budget to buy a "practice drone" to learn before I buy one. I'd rather do trial by fire and train myself at home with a Phantom before taking it on vaca.

If you've done a bit of research first then you'll find these are easy to fly (at least in P-MODE). But read through manual a couple of times and know RTH back to front. Not that I would chose to use it, but if it kicks in for any reason then you will know what to expect and what control you can have on aircraft. And also how it's cancelled, so that you know how to do that, or how to avoid cancelling during RTH.

It seem to me that just about any Phantom should work for you.  Me...I have Phantom 4. It works great. The most important thing I can say is to get your drone before you leave and fly it in every mode and make sure that all upgrades have been installed correctly and everything works right before you leave. Make sure it's working right so you don't have prob's on vacation.  DON'T FORGET TO CHECK THE RULES FOR FLYING IN THE COUNTRIES YOU ARE TRAVELING TO..

Jkeller84 Posted at 2017-1-11 05:46
UAVs are not allowed on cruises.
***Update***
After further research it looks like you can have them on cruises, but they will hold it for you until you reach port. They do this so you dont try to fly it from the deck while at sea. I would recommend the Phantom 3 Pro. It is still one of my favorites and takes great quality photos and video. Make sure you do your due dilligence and watch every youtube tutorial you can find.

I was in the travel industry for awhile and I'd be sure to check with whichever cruise line you're going to be on. Each cruise line may very well have different policies regarding drones. Some may say yes - as long as you check it, some may say no entirely. Always best to call and check.

Additionally I agree with some of the other responses here... 1) Go for the Phantom 3 Professional or higher AND 2) Make sure you practice a lot before your cruise.