Key Aspects:
- Game play for cruising ducks has changed with the use of an app and social media groups giving clues to guests.
- This evolution can make the game less enjoyable for some travelers, especially those without internet access.
- Cruise lines react to ducks differently, but the game is still led by guests and not officially from any cruise line.
The cruising ducks phenomenon continues to fly high onboard all types of ships, but new ways to play are ruffling feathers with some guests, and for good reason.
Cruising ducks are a guest-led scavenger hunt, a seek-and-find fun time onboard. Small ducks are hidden randomly around a cruise ship, and whoever finds the little quackers gets the thrill of success and can keep the duck as a fun souvenir or choose to rehide it for someone else to find.
New methods of play are turning the game into more of a geocaching adventure, however, and only for those equipped for the challenge. Not everyone may know the new “rules,” and it can be startling to discover just how much the simple game has evolved.
“We’ve been hiding ducks for two years and love it, love seeing the faces when the kids (and adults, lol) find them,” said Linda, a recent guest on Star of the Seas. “We wondered why the last few cruises we’re having a hard time finding them and learned about the app day one of this cruise.”
The app Linda is referring to is called “Sea Ducks” and it connects cruising ducks users with leaderboards, push notifications, special challenges, and more.
Players can enter the deck numbers where they’ve hidden ducks, add messages or clues for each duck, arrange onboard exchanges, and note when they’ve found ducks themselves. There are even diagrams to clarify if a duck is hidden forward or aft, port or starboard, and what type of duck it may be.
For guests like Linda, however, the app is taking the spontaneity out of the duck hunt and making it less worthwhile.
“I guess I’m missing something,” she said. “It’s supposed to be ‘hunt’ for ducks, not watch an app where it’s put and go pick it up.”
Onboard Star of the Seas (which she does say was a great cruise!) Linda and her husband continued to hand out ducks, but she admits they may not hide ducks again. Typically, she brings 10 ducks to hide each day on a cruise, but for this 7-night sailing, more than 40 came home with her without ever being hidden.
Others may enjoy using the app for their duck hunting, but it’s not for everyone.
“Our duck days are done,” she told Cruise Hive. “I’m sure everyone else will love it, we just don’t now. I’ll take what’s left on our next cruises and give them out to kiddos directly like we did this time. But once they’re gone, we probably won’t even get anymore.”
It isn’t just one app that is changing the flight path of cruising ducks, however. It’s become increasingly common to be part of social media groups, pages, or roll calls for specific cruise sailings.
Within those groups, guests often post where or when they may be hiding ducks, and those clues can mean ducks are quickly found.
Posting photos of hidden ducks is another approach, and eager duck hunters use the clues in the photo to find the wayward waterfowl.
Read Also: What Happens to Cruising Ducks That Aren’t Found?
Of course, if guests prefer to digitally unplug for their cruise vacation or choose not to purchase internet packages, they may not be using an app or visiting social media pages while at sea. This could leave them very much out of the loop for the modern cruising ducks mayhem.
Cruise Lines Adapting as Well
Guests aren’t the only ones adapting to how cruising ducks are flying these days. While most cruise lines let the activity proceed naturally, there have been some industry responses.
Royal Caribbean, for example, has installed signage prohibiting ducks in the Central Park areas of its Icon and Oasis class ships. Too many eager duck hunters have damaged the onboard plants, and ducks are no longer permitted in those neighborhoods.
Carnival Cruise Line, on the other hand, has leaned into the duck phenomenon with an onboard “Ducky” character for impromptu photo ops. Ducky has different costumes on different ships and is always happy to pose with guests, though he doesn’t really play hide-and-seek.
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Disney Cruise Line, on the other hand, has requested that guests not hide ducks onboard at all. While it’s not an official restriction, the game is frowned upon aboard Disney ships.
Do you hide or hunt cruising ducks, or neither? Has your gameplay changed? Share your ducky experiences on the Cruise Hive boards!
