Cruise Ducks: Why have cruise ducks, a humorous phenomenon, become so popular on cruise ships? What makes these adorable and eccentric characters so popular, and how can you join in on the fun with feathers?
What Is a Duck on a Cruise?
A little rubber duck that gets to go on a luxurious cruise ship vacation is called a cruise duck. These vibrant toys might be handmade, embellished, simple, or have a theme. In a lively game of hide-and-seek organized by passengers, they are concealed throughout cruise ships.
Cruise ducks are fun to locate and happy to share. They have a “hide or keep, you decide” mentality. Some travelers collect ducks as amusing mementos of their trips, while others like re-hiding them to cheer up other travelers.
Different Cruise Ducks
A family name, a social media hashtag, or a QR code inviting users to take a duck selfie to post on Facebook groups or other websites like Twitter or Instagram are some of the labels, tags, or ribbons that are attached to a lot of cruise ducks. These labels also often include the name of the ship and the date of sailing.
Some ducks travel further than just one trip; as a result, they might eventually appear on numerous ships around the world.
How the Cruise Ducks Began
The actual start of the cruise duck epidemic is unknown, while several guests recall using rubber ducks on cruises as early as 2015 or even earlier.
The year 2018, March, marks the most widely recognized start of the cruising duck phenomenon. During her spring break, 11-year-old Abby Davis took 50 ducks on Carnival Breeze and sailed from Galveston to promote joy and goodwill. One duck was discovered after three days of “hiding” in plain sight, demonstrating the project’s amazing success.
Guests from all over the world are eagerly hunting ducks on every major cruise line, including Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, Holland America Line, Celebrity Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, and more. Today, the cruise duck phenomenon has evolved into a sort of oceangoing geocaching.
The game continues to pique interest thanks to social media groups devoted to the ducks, and people of all ages can get joy from locating even one duck. Like scavenger hunts with painted rocks, duck hide-and-seek can enhance the enjoyment of any cruise.
Duck Types (And Where to Buy Them)
Rubber ducks come in a variety of designs, from whimsical pirate, unicorn, and regal designs to seasonal themes like Christmas and Easter or ones with outrageous hats and accessories.
Keep in mind that you can customize your duckies in any way you like.
Cute rubber duckies are available on most cruise ships, on Amazon, Etsy, and dollar stores.
These days, a lot of cruise ships include claw games with rubber ducks as the reward.
Some cruisers embellish or customize them with distinctive trinkets. Some individuals knit or crochet their own ducks, which is a highly creative endeavor.
When other passengers find your hidden gift throughout their cruise holiday, the more delight you’ll bring to their other travelers, the more creative you can be.
Best time for boarding Cruise: How early can you board?
Guidelines for Duck Hiding
Simple rules apply: players must hide rubber ducks for other players to uncover throughout the ship.
Although the game doesn’t have official rules, we’ve created some broad guidelines to help you get the most out of it.
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Only hide ducks in public areas, never in crew-only areas or on lifesaving gear.
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Ducks shouldn’t be hidden in retail stores to minimize the possibility of shoplifting.
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Ducks shouldn’t be hidden in restrooms, locker rooms, spa treatment rooms, buffet food serving dishes, or anywhere else that could be a health hazard.
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It’s never known who will find and pick up the duck, so duck tags or labels should be family-friendly.
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Place ducks away from windy spots or places where they might accidentally go overboard, which is against cruise lines’ environmental policies.
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Ducks shouldn’t go in pools or hot tubs where kids might overreach to collect them and fall in.
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Ducks shouldn’t be placed irretrievably high where they’ll be hard to reach, even if passengers spot them.
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Stacks of towels, library books, and dishes should not get in the way of ducks, so they can be seen easily.
Thankfully, there are lots of fantastic crevices where ducks can be hidden.
Nesting ducks enjoy places such as stairwells, elevators, potted plants, statues, and artwork frames.
Ducks are also often hidden on signage, seats, pianos, nooks, and inside the atrium of ships. Some travelers hide ducks in their staterooms for their attendants or fellow cruisers to find.
The cruisers often return to the hiding place to see if the duck was found when ducks are hidden.
It can also be more enjoyable to attempt and locate the same duck at a later time in the cruise.
How to Find Ducks
Finding the ducks doesn’t always need hiding them because the game isn’t a mutually exclusive endeavor. You have two options if you find a duck: you can either keep it as a memento or give it as a gift. However, how can you raise your chances of spotting a cruising duck?
Keep an eye out for unusual and unexpected hiding spaces, particularly those that are low (nearer to the ground) and high (above eye level). You should also regularly search for sly hiding places.
When exploring the ship, take advantage of as many different stairwells and elevators as you can to cover as many available hiding places.
Since many participants conceal ducks either late at night or early in the morning, start your duck hunt early in the day to visit as many hiding sites as you can.
Throughout the day, go over various parts of the ship, since ducks tend to move to different locations when they are discovered and re-hidden.
There’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to finding a duck—you can choose to keep it or hide it away for someone else to enjoy. While some travelers might wait a day or two, others could reposition ducks right away.
Some even preserve ducks till their subsequent voyage, or take pictures of them on various excursions at various ports of call, even on several ships while they explore the world of cruising.
What Is The View Of Cruise Lines?
Cruise lines are fiercely competing for hidden ducks. Ducks on cruise ships aren’t officially regulated, but crew members enjoy finding them and may keep them or conceal them.
In the past, when the game wasn’t as popular, ducks were thrown in the trash more often.
The marketing advocate for Carnival Cruise Line has commented on travel ducks and cruise ship entertainment.
The crew enjoys finding the ducks and keeping them in their cabins. “We don’t mind if guests leave them at all,” said Heald.
No cruise line has yet banned “little rubber ducks” on its forbidden items list, despite some people’s dislike of ducks.
Ducks are easily ignored by travelers who find an activity funny, just as cruisers choose which activities they want to participate in on a ship.
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Where Can You Purchase Cruise Ducks?
Where do you get your toy ducks to hide aboard a cruise ship if you wish to bring your own? Any small rubber duck can do, including those offered as bath toys for small children or found in vending machines that offer claw games.
Online ordering is usually more effective because it offers a wider selection of themed and designed ducks along with discounts for larger orders. There are usually good selections of ducks available on the websites of party supplies, toy stores, and Amazon. You can even purchase duck kits that come with pre-printed labels to attach to the ducks.
Various Selections for Rubber Ducks in the Ship Photograph courtesy of Shutterstock and New Africa
You can also look into purchasing ducks at your neighborhood dollar or discount stores, as well as flea markets, which sometimes have vendors selling toys in bulk. Ducks ideal for cruising may also be available at fantastic discounts on online auction sites like eBay.
If the ducks you purchase don’t have labels or tags already prepared, you may find several cruise duck tag templates online, including on Facebook groups and the page devoted to cruising ducks.
Additionally, you can use any craft you choose to create felt ducks, knitted or crocheted ducks, hair clips, carved wooden ducks, or decorated duck ornaments to make cruise ducks. In the game, any fashion is accepted, and the more distinctive the ducks, the more sought-after and desired they become.
Many customers find that cruising ducks are an inventive, upbeat, and enjoyable way to enhance their cruise holidays. Everyone can participate in this seaside treasure hunt, regardless of whether they bring ducks to conceal, choose to be a duck finder and keep the ducks they seek, or rehide every oddball duck they come across.
