Are Cruising Ducks Only Meant for Kids?
You would think a good natured game of hiding and finding rubber ducks on a cruise ship wouldn’t cause so much controversy – but here we go again!
If you haven’t heard of this game yet, cruising ducks is the activity of hiding rubber ducks around a cruise ship for other guests to find. Whoever finds it usually has the option to keep it or re-hide it – although the guest who hid the duck in the first place may attach instructions.
Usually, the hiders will also put a tag on the duck to let cruisers know where the duck’s journey started – such as the sailing dates and the guests’ hometown.
Cruisers who choose to re-hide the duck can then add their own information. This can be extra fun when the duck has been hidden multiple times across different sailings.
One recent guest was thrilled when she found her first duck while sailing onboard Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas – until her sister-in-law stole her thunder by saying the game is only meant for kids.
“On a 7 day aboard Odyssey and having a good time. Found my first duck yesterday and was excited of course. My sister in law tried to chastise me (33) for collecting another one today saying ‘You know they hide those for kids.’ Am I wrong for hunting and collecting?,” the cruiser asked on Reddit.
While there are certainly some who see the game as childish, there is no age restriction to participate in the activity – which is unofficially run by guests and not the cruise line.
The only real requirement to play is to have a good attitude – and to keep the duck hunting onboard and not within the ports of call.
In my experience, more often than not, it’s the adults I’ve seen searching – and many of the ducks I’ve found were hidden way above the eye level of a child.
My husband and I personally have a duck collection in the double digits (and hopefully counting!) and they now proudly live on a shelf in our home.
Cruising Ducks are for Everyone
As the cruise fans sounded off in the comments, everyone made it clear that rubber duck hunting is for anyone who would like to participate.
“I hide ducks. I don’t mind if adults play. Many do, and it seems to bring happiness. That’s what it’s all about,” one cruiser said.
“I hide ducks for anyone who happens to find them, no matter the age. If it makes them smile, then mission accomplished,” another added.
In fact, the game is so popular now, that some hiders dedicate time buying and tagging dozens of ducks to hide during their next sailing – and Carnival Cruise Line even introduced a new mascot inspired by duck hiding.
Of course, this isn’t the first time – and it probably won’t be the last time – that this game causes controversy.
Cruise Hive Discussion Boards: Those Dark Ducks!
While a lot of the pushback comes from people who think that the duck hiding should come to a stop, there was a debate last year on if crew members should be allowed to participate among Carnival fans.
A cruise guest complained to Carnival Ambassador John Heald that the crew members were “stealing the hidden ducks” from paying passengers – which led to a poll on Heald’s public Facebook page.
At least the majority of cruisers saw nothing wrong with letting the crew members be part of the fun. Crew members work long hours and spend months away from their families, so the guests were happy if cruising ducks could brighten their days.
Many crew members who are away from their kids also like to bring the ducks home as souvenirs for the children waiting for them at home.
And to the people who don’t approve of the game, playing is not mandatory. If you don’t want to participate, don’t bring any ducks to hide and leave behind any that you find for a guest that is hoping to make that discovery.