Hiding/Finding Rubber Ducks

[leerathje]

8 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

To answer your question Coastie 😉 The "rubber duck hiding scheme" on HAL, as far as I'm aware, never made it to the security level as a negative issue that had to be tackled. I have actually never heard of it until reading this thread.

 

Having said that, the ships facilities manager, chief housekeeper, beverage manager, etc. and their respective staff might have a different opinion re: the topic.

 

I guess it would depend on where these rubber duckies are being "hidden" onboard. Are the folks involved in this activity going into "crew only" or other "off limit to pax" areas to hide these little buoyant anatidae or are they limiting the hiding areas to staterooms and public areas of the vessel?

 

Just to public areas, Copper.  Like, around the statues that are in the elevator area, or along the window ledge of the dining area of the Lido.  Here's a photo of the location of one that I "hid", and a  photo of the people that found it.

[vicd1969]

While this may have been a fun activity in the past, I'm not sure it comports to the current war on plastics that HAL is waging. One can also argue that should a duck somehow get blown overboard - you now have a non-biodegradable piece of flotsam that can be swallowed by a sea creature. 

[Cruzaholic41]

29 minutes ago, leerathje said:

 

 

A picture tells a thousand words. This, right here, only strengthens my opinion of how incredibly stupid this is. There’s no way the hotel manager is ok with this. 

[Cruzaholic41]

41 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I freely admit that I don't have much of the child left in me, but do still have a bit of the mom. I worry that if something like this becomes a craze it could easily become a nuisance on what is essentially a small public space shared by a couple thousand people. I could easily imagine someone stepping on one inadvertently, being startled, losing their balance, and .... 

 

Even Ernie learned that at some point you have to "put down the Duckie".

 

Sesame Street: Ernie Learns to Put Down The Duckie - YouTube

 

Please hide in moderation.

As a mom, I wouldn’t want my kids finding these and following the instructions to contact and/or send selfie’s to the person who hid them. That’s just creepy. 

[RGEDad]

Of course - we all remember the great Duck Disaster in 1992...

When 28,800 Bath Toys Are Lost At Sea

Couple of articles:

https://www.treehugger.com/what-can-rubber-duckies-lost-at-sea-teach-us-about-4864165

https://www.iflscience.com/environment/28000-rubber-ducks-accidentally-embarked-on-an-epic-ocean-current-study-in-1992/

https://www.npr.org/2011/03/29/134923863/moby-duck-when-28-800-bath-toys-are-lost-at-sea

[pms4104]

4 hours ago, Cruzaholic41 said:

A picture tells a thousand words. This, right here, only strengthens my opinion of how incredibly stupid this is. There’s no way the hotel manager is ok with this. 

Wait til someone climbs on and damages the statue or artwork to place or retrieve the ducks.

 

What may be charming and fun for kiddos at a Disney park is just plain weird for adults on a cruiseship.

 

 

[I Luv Crusin]

On 7/28/2021 at 2:46 AM, atexsix said:

Over on Zuckerberg's folly in the HAL friends group they were talking about hiding rubber ducks on ships for people to find, anyone heard of it? I never have. But apparently it's been going on for awhile.  It might be something from when there's more children on board, I don't know.

 

***No doubt some of you will surely hate the idea or the discussion, so turn those frowns upside down, we can have some fun here.

 

 

No, please no.  That's a Carnival thing.  🤣 And I don't even participate when I sail Carnival!

[JRG]

14 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

I have actually never heard of it until reading this thread.

 

I'm not sure but the idea might have been grifted from good old Walt Disney....

 

Some say that you can find "hidden Mickey's"  all over the place in Disneyland...

 

You just have to look for them?        

 

[HunterBarb]

On 7/29/2021 at 3:07 PM, I Luv Crusin said:

No, please no.  That's a Carnival thing.  🤣 And I don't even participate when I sail Carnival!

Hello folks - Nope - NOT just a Carnival thing - It is across the Cruise spectrum!   I sail mostly on  Royal, and hid duckies on FREEDOM OtS in August - and am hiding a couple dozen on INDEPENDENCE Ots out of Galveston in a few weeks !  

Basically a little girl started this - hiding Duckies to see who found and would respond, and mainly for ENJOYMENT !  We do NOT hide in shops, pools, but only in Publicly accessible spots, all OVER the ships. 

We usually put a tag or write on them - something like *You are in LUCK ! you Found a DUCK - Keep or Hide ~ You Decide* -Maybe the participants name and state, and usually what ship and date -  and there are Social Media pages for generic hiding or specifically for a cruise line - I  am on two of them on the ~*Book~  But we who are hiding them,  and hoping to give a little smile to people, really APPRECIATE if we get a note or a post from someone - Last cruise I received a nice email from one finder, and a few photos on the ~ social media~ page !  

It's ALL in FUN !   SO if YOU find a  DUCKIE (many forms!) you can decide - Keep or  ReHIDE ! 

*OR Ignore it if you have sadly lost all of the child within ~ but to quote a famous imaginary friend-     ~~ I will NEVER Grow UP!  LOL!   

Smooth Seas all, and ~~ if you find one of MINE- just some simple not-required-to-be-personal note - TYVM ! 

[Mike07]

Reminds me of a senior prank I read once where the class printed up business cards and then placed them throughout the school.... I'm sure there are many still out there... Like, people would lift up the drop ceilings and throw handfuls up there.... and of course put them throughout library books....

[irishjim]

On 7/29/2021 at 11:02 AM, Cruzaholic41 said:

A picture tells a thousand words. This, right here, only strengthens my opinion of how incredibly stupid this is. There’s no way the hotel manager is ok with this. 

So whats the Diff between ducks and HALS scavenger hunts all over the ship.

[RuthC]

1 hour ago, irishjim said:

So whats the Diff between ducks and HALS scavenger hunts all over the ship.

With HAL's scavenger hunts the participants in the game are looking for things that are standard parts of the ship. For example, to find the replica Xian statues on the previous Rotterdam. 
They aren't looking for things that others have left about the ship. 

[cruisin'mama]

I drive a Jeep Wrangler and this is something that Wrangler owners do too. We leave a duck with a cute note on other Wranglers.

For holidays I get appropriately  themed ducks to share . It’s just a fun thing and I always love when I come out from somewhere to find a duck on my Jeep! Ive gotten them everywhere from. a grocery store parking lot to inside National Parks.

 

We have a couple of cruises coming up in the next few months so I may have to bring a couple ducks along with me. 😁

[Evilmuffin]

 I find it surprising that I have never heard of this…. Given this is my upstairs bathroom….   Over 100 of them.   I wouldn’t mind having one from a cruise.   So if anyone is on the Eurodam 05 Dec …. LOL

 

[Banditswife]

People have been doing this for years... I have found a few & hidden a few- but only in public spaces.   I have seen crochet or knitted ducks as well as the plastic ones & a few frogs thrown in.  They are usually pretty obviously hidden, so no turning over furniture to find them.

[HunterBarb]

 

9 hours ago, Evilmuffin said:

 I find it surprising that I have never heard of this…. Given this is my upstairs bathroom….   Over 100 of them.   I wouldn’t mind having one from a cruise.   So if anyone is on the Eurodam 05 Dec …. LOL

Simply SHOCKING that you have not been AWARE, given your penchant !  You MUST join in !  Look on the Social Media FB for the pages and see what it's all about.  I have just prepared 24 little passport tags for my upcoming cruise on INDEPENDANCE.  The social pages even have templates to use for such.   
Enjoy if you find any, and have fun if you HIDE any !

 

 

[Nymich]

I think any ducks found can be thrown in the trash if you wish.

Edited September 14, 2021 by Nymich