Hiding ducks on cruise ships has become a phenomenon even though it's not actually sanctioned by any cruise line.
The growing craze has been passenger-driven and it has spawned multiple Facebook groups where people share their ducks and ideas. At its core level, the popular activity involves passengers buying small rubber ducks in order to hide them during their cruise for other passengers to find.
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In most cases, parents buy the ducks to hide them with their kids on the ship. Some people decorate the ducks before they hide them and others attach cards with a social media site for people who find the ducks to post pictures of where they end up "living."
Duck hiding has been popular on Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Disney Cruise ships. It's not an official activity, but broadly it's allowed as long as the people who hide and search for the ducks don't damage the ships.
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Some passengers who find ducks keep them while others hide them again for someone else to find. It's a generally harmless practice that a lot of kids and their families enjoy.
Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald recently addressed a duck-related controversy on his Facebook page.
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Carnival addresses a big duck question
Heald pushed back in response to an email from a passenger who had an issue with crew members finding and keeping ducks that passengers had hidden.
"Honestly, do people really mind if the crew 'steal the hidden ducks?' They love them too, it brings them joy but based on today's posts if you think the Beards should instruct the crew not to take them please let me know," he wrote.
The "Beards" is Heald's term for the cruise line's management. He posed a question to his followers.:
A. The crew should take them if it brings them happiness
B. Crew should not be allowed to keep them.
C. I couldn't give a duck.
Carnival passengers clearly had opinions about this issue as nearly 7,000 people commented on Heald's post.
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Carnival passengers share duck thoughts
7,000 comments is a lot, even for Heald's posts, which tend to garner a lot people weighing in. The post also got over 1,200 reactions.
"A. Let them have them. Just don’t let them just throw them away. I’ve seen crew cleaning and picking them up and throwing them away," posted Karen Kay Earl.
Debra Ankeny, who hides ducks on Carnival ships shared a similar opinion.
"Any crewmember who finds one of my ducks is welcome to it. I hope it brings them joy to find them," she wrote.
Another duck hider shared her story of bringing joy to a crew member.
"On my last cruise, I was up late hiding my ducks. There was a young crew member who saw me. I offered him one and he was so excited. He told me he had been hoping for months to find one but never had. The smile and gratitude he gave me made my whole cruise even better," added Shelley Blundell.
Some passengers find the ducks and give them to their favorite crew members.
"I often give them to my cabin steward, the dining staff, and my favorite bartenders," Amber Wilson shared.
Some passengers reported seeing the crew commit an act of kindness with the ducks.
"I saw the crew giving ducks they found to littles on the ship. I think it gives a chance for littles who might not have a chance otherwise," posted Karrinnea Brimer.
Almost none of the posters picked "B" but some selected "C" and were indifferent on the issue.
"We neither hide, nor hunt for ducks, but we have no issues with others doing so. If the crew finds them and enjoys them, so what? I thought that they were hidden so that some random person would find it. Does it really matter who that person is?" wrote Karyl Moore Loux.
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