Todays Humor: Hiding Ducks on A Cruise Ship.

[Potstech]

7 hours ago, kpgibbs said:

No one said you have to participate.  A lot of people find this to be a fun activity.  Nothing wrong with it.  I see no need in putting these people down for their fun activity.  

Might be a good idea to look at the context of the comment. Never said anything wrong with it.

[Shmoo here]

4 hours ago, wolfie11 said:

I predict ducks will be banned on cruise ships within the next few years because some people are idiots who ruin it for others.

Disney has already put out a policy regarding ducks:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/dcl-onboard-restricted-items-policy-updates-decorations-ducks-and-ashes-and-more.3936270/page-6#post-65235920

 

 

[c-boy]

1 hour ago, Shmoo here said:

Disney has already put out a policy regarding ducks:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/dcl-onboard-restricted-items-policy-updates-decorations-ducks-and-ashes-and-more.3936270/page-6#post-65235920

 

 

ya, it can get outta hand, especially when there's $$$ involved.

[suzyed]

14 hours ago, Esprit said:

If I came across a duck, it would go straight in the bin!😂

I could say some people need to get a life, but each to their own.

I'd rather go seek out every ship bar and see if I can max' out my 15 drinks limit 🍺🍷🥂🤪

 

Don't put it in the bin, leave it for someone who would appreciate it.

[suzyed]

On 5/20/2024 at 3:48 PM, 4x4bob said:

From time to time the topic of Hiding Cruising Ducks on the ship during the Cruise pops up for a short time.

 

So, let me report on my experience on the Discovery Princess, 27 April to 04 May, out of San Pedro, Ca.

 

But first let me review the rules for hiding Cruising Ducks, which are small about 2 inch size plastic ducks think bath tub toys.  Never hide a duck that will: Interfere with the crew, Interfere with the operation of the ship, on open decks, in shops, or in pools.

 

Also, experienced Duck Hiders also attach a small pass port on the duck with the first name and home state of the person doing the hiding, the name of the ship, and the date of the cruise.  Also a copy of the above rules on hiding the ducks. And this statement: Conquackulations, you have found a Cruising Duck, yours to keep or to hide again. (add your name to the passport if you hide it again)

 

For this cruise I brought along 13 ducks to hide. (that is all of the space in the suit cases that she who must be obeyed allowed me 😁)

 

My plan was to hide the ducks early before too many people would be moving about.  To successfully hide one, you must not be observed such as being down on your hands and knees pushing a plastic Duck under the bottom step of the stairs. 

 

Since I also get up at 5:00 AM to take photos of the sunrise I would take 2 ducks with me each morning. 

 

I quickly identified several other Duck Hunters moving about the ship seeking the hidden treasures.  They were easy to spot. Narrow between the eyes, long pointed noises, buck teeth, and long bony fingers to pluck the Ducks from the hiding spots. OR maybe it was the finger prints on my glasses that made them look that way.  Any way I knew I had to up my game so I did not make too easy to find my ducks.

 

 

Most amature duck hiders place their ducks into one of the plants around the ship, so that is were the duck hunter first look. 

 

Here is some of the spots that I selected: Shelf in the laundry room; behind the rail in elevators; behind the holder, with holds a napkin wrapped around silverware, on the table in the buffet with the salt and pepper shaker pulled up close; under the bottom step of the stairs on Deck 5; in open space along side of the stairs  on deck 5; I made a V out of drink list book on a table on Deck 7 outside the Princess Live Theater with the open side toward the wall; In a plant out side of the Casino; in a plant outside of the door to Sabitinis Restaurant, Etc,

 

From time to time I would walk past the hiding spots to check on the Ducks that I had hid.  Every one of them was found by some lucky person. 

 

Do to the stiff  computation this Cruise, I only found one Duck my self. Sadly, the person who hid the duck I found did not put his/her name or home state on the passport. So, now it is on display in our curio cabinet along with other ducks that I have found over the years. 

 

Finally, I left one of the Ducks in the cabin on the desk for Cabin Steward.

Bob

 

 

Can you buy the Passports or do you make them or a tag yourself?

[happy42cruise]

20 hours ago, Esprit said:

If I came across a duck, it would go straight in the bin!😂

I could say some people need to get a life, but each to their own.

I'd rather go seek out every ship bar and see if I can max' out my 15 drinks limit 🍺🍷🥂🤪

 

That's really sad that you would throw something out that gives so much joy to other people!  If you don't want to participate just leave it there for someone who would appreciate it.  I don't hide ducks or collect ducks but I would NEVER put it "straight in the bin!" it's harmless fun.

straight in the bin!

[555]

14 hours ago, wolfie11 said:

I predict ducks will be banned on cruise ships within the next few years because some people are idiots who ruin it for others.

That is unless you purchase them in the gift shops. 😄

[EllieinNJ]

I think someone mentioned that on NCL the staff were instructed to throw them away if they find any.

[4x4bob]

10 hours ago, suzyed said:

Can you buy the Passports or do you make them or a tag yourself?

The ducks I purchase from Amazon come with a passport card and rubber band to attach it to the Duck.  However, I have found ducks with home made passports attached.

The passport had the warning about where not to put the duck if it is hid again and the "Conquakulation you have have found a Cruising Duck, yours to keep or hid again".

Bob

Edited May 22 by 4x4bob

[ldubs]

21 hours ago, wolfie11 said:

I predict ducks will be banned on cruise ships within the next few years because some people are idiots who ruin it for others.  I’ve seen people brag about bringing 100-200 ducks on a one week cruise.  The ducks are cheap plastic trinkets and a threat to the ocean (yes, people throw them overboard) as well as a potential liability risk if a passenger gets injured trying to extricate one from its hiding place. If, say 15% of passengers bring a conservative 20 ducks each onboard a 4000 passenger ship, that’s 1200 ducks a week.  If 2% bring their 200 ducks, that’s another 1200 ducks.  At the moment, many ships are telling staff to collect and throw away any that they find.  It started out as cute and harmless but as more and more people bring more and more ducks onboard, it becomes a problem for the ship.

 

People shouldn't be tossing a rubber duck in the ocean.  Some would argue people shouldn't board environmentally unfriendly cruise ships.    I would be surprised if a rubber duck has been the cause of bodily injury.  I hope not.  

 

Like others, I think of it as a harmless thing.  But like most anything, I suppose it can lose appeal if it gets out of hand. 

Edited May 22 by ldubs

[ldubs]

15 hours ago, Shmoo here said:

Disney has already put out a policy regarding ducks:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/dcl-onboard-restricted-items-policy-updates-decorations-ducks-and-ashes-and-more.3936270/page-6#post-65235920

 

 

 

The wording is kind of strange -- "we kindly request that guests are not allowed . . ."  But the meaning is pretty clear. You can bring them but you can't hide them. 

[dlh015]

16 hours ago, Shmoo here said:

Disney has already put out a policy regarding ducks:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/dcl-onboard-restricted-items-policy-updates-decorations-ducks-and-ashes-and-more.3936270/page-6#post-65235920

 

 

But would it be ok to hide rubber Donald Ducks??

[555]

1 hour ago, ldubs said:

 

The wording is kind of strange -- "we kindly request that guests are not allowed . . ."  But the meaning is pretty clear. You can bring them but you can't hide them. 

It's not prohibited, only a request. 

Beside that, how are they going to enforce it? 😎 🦆 

[Shmoo here]

2 hours ago, 555 said:

It's not prohibited, only a request. 

Beside that, how are they going to enforce it? 😎 🦆 

Well, the CMs onboard are removing any they find, for starters.

[SiliconCruiser]

On 5/20/2024 at 3:20 PM, dahling8 said:

Never found any ducks, but I never really tried that hard either.  My first exposure to cruise ducks was on my last cruise, Royal Princess.  Our ship naturalist was a fiend, posted new clues during his presentations and berated us for not finding his ducks!  But I love the idea of paying it forward!

You must be referring to Rob Raincock.  His objective is to get people to slow down and become aware of their surroundings. I never found one of his ducks, but I do have one.  Rob threw one of his ducks to (at) me during one of his presentations, and it is the only duck that I have ever kept (always placed others in plain sight after I found them.)  Yeah Rob, it does glow, and it will probably be the only duck that I will ever keep; thank you.

[dahling8]

Yes! That was Rob and I saw him throw a duck towards/at a member of the audience, and from the gasps around that group it must have hit him/her pretty good.  Hopefully that wasn't you!

[555]

14 hours ago, Shmoo here said:

Well, the CMs onboard are removing any they find, for starters.

Le them, what else have they got to do with their time. 😁😉😉

There are more passengers still on the lookout I'm sure.

[cgolf1]

We just got off the Emerald and definitely were duck hunting. We found two micro ducks and some others that we rehid.

 

What was interesting was that Lloyd, cruise director, told the story about how this got started on a Carnival ship. A parent of a terminally ill child hid the ducks onboard to make the trip more memorable for their child, and it took off from there. I had never heard this before. I know finding and searching for the ducks added some fun to our cruise.

[nasa1974]

I was on the Caribbean the end of April with my daughter and her family. About mid-week my 9-year-old grandson found a duck. From there it was game on for the three grand kids (3, 6 & 9).

Edited May 24 by nasa1974

[helovestrains]

Currently are on the Ruby Princess.  I found a duck, which l will give to my 8 year old granddaughter when we return home.  When we cruised with her last year she had fun looking for ducks and she is very excited when we return from a cruise and give her a duck.  We don't need to buy any gifts she is content with a duck (lol).

[Cruisintimer]

On an Alaska cruise on the Crown, my spouse found a duck last week.  Second one we have found recently, little grandsons will love them no doubt.