The introduction of “Ducky the Duck” to Carnival Cruise Line’s lineup of fun characters has caused some confusion. Is the new quack-tastic “crew member” an official mascot taking over from Fun Ship Freddy, or does the feathery friend have a different role to play?
The cruise line has clarified that while Ducky is not actually an official mascot of the cruise line, he will be a fun character making appearances onboard.
“The duck character introduced by our photo team is one of many characters available for guests to take fun photos with and is not an official mascot,” Carnival Cruise Line said.
Ducky is a fun nod to the wildly popular cruising ducks phenomenon. The guest-led scavenger hunt game involves hiding toy rubber ducks or similar small ducks – often with identification tags noting the sailing, ship, and original cruiser – around the ship for other guests to find.
Travelers can get very creative with themed ducks and even 3D printed, bedazzled, or customized ducks for extra flair.
Other fun photo characters onboard Carnival ships include the towel animal elephant and beloved Dr. Seuss characters such as the Cat in the Hat and the devilish duo of Thing 1 and Thing 2.
During the holiday season, additional characters are often spotted, such as Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, as well as that “nasty wasty skunk, king of sinful sots,” the Grinch.
Of course, Fun Ship Freddy reigns supreme with his Fun Squad attire and iconic funnel-shaped head, a whimsical nod to Carnival’s characteristic whale tail ship funnels on 23 of the fleet’s 27 ships.
Fun fact – Carnival Venezia, Carnival Firenze, and Carnival Luminosa have straight funnels, while Carnival Freedom is temporarily missing its whale tail following a fire in March 2024 – the second time that ship’s funnel has been damaged by fire.
Photo Ops with Fun Characters
Carnival Cruise Line’s onboard photo team offers a wide range of fun and interesting photo ops, both onboard the ship and in ports of call.
The fun cast of characters – now including Ducky – are often found around different parts of the ship, such as strolling down the promenade, posing in the main atrium, or hanging out by the Lido pool. Guests can always take photos with them in those locations.
Sometimes, the characters will visit the Main Dining Room, along with other fun fellows such as pirates.
Occasionally, the different characters will offer more themed photo ops, such as during the Thing 1 & Thing 2 Birthday Breakfast event or with coordinating backdrops and fun props at different photo points around the public decks.
At different ports of call, even more unique characters may appear. At some top Mexican destinations, for example, an Aztec warrior or Mayan goddess figure might be available for fun photos on the pier. Local characters with colorful tropical costumes and festive folk attire are other typical guest appearances at appropriate ports of call.
Travelers should be aware, however, that character appearances are always for a limited time, and there is no guarantee that future photo opportunities may be available later in any individual sailing.
Read Also: Top 10 Photos You Have to Take on a Carnival Cruise
Fortunately, there is no charge such as a sitting fee or other cost to have a photo taken with a character, and the ship’s professional photographers are experts at capturing those instant moments and happy memories on every cruise.
Guests can check out all the photos they’ve taken either in the Pixels Photo Gallery onboard, or on newer ships, through stateroom television account access.
There is no obligation to buy any photo, but different sizes are available and the cruise line often offers package deals or specials throughout each sailing.
