DUCKS

[Amberle3]

3 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

What do you do when you go into a toy store? Kids touch toys in there over and over when their parents don’t buy them. 

 

(oops, duplicate post)

Edited February 1, 2022 by Amberle3

[A&L_Ont]

2 hours ago, RobInMN said:

In a sense, they sort of belong to anyone that wants to play. They certainly don't belong to @crazyank

It's no different than geocaching. Geocaches don't "belong" to any one individual (at least I don't believe so). I suppose @crazyank would take and throw away any geocache they might happen across. The point is, they are purposefully spoiling the fun that others are having for no legitimate purpose. 

I have not actively played, but I've seen one. I looked at it and smiled, but I left it there for someone that wanted to play along. 

 

1 hour ago, cruiseguy1016 said:

 

Yes, they do. The container belongs to the person that hid the Geocache. The items that sometimes get placed in the container do not belong to anyone, they are there for the taking/trading.

 

54 minutes ago, RobInMN said:

Thanks for that correction. I did not know that. Doesn't really change my point though. So instead of the geocache container, it would be the same as just emptying the contents and throwing them away.

 

IMO the individuals that leave the ducks or geocache containers behind left them to the fates.  Then it becomes the ship’s issue to clean up, or another individual that comes along the way to do with it what they wish. If it’s kept or thrown out it really doesn’t matter who owns it.  Some will see it as a game, and others will see it as litter. I personally don’t like the ducks but that’s me. I would not bring any but nor would I tell someone it’s a dump thing to do.
 

We have 500 acres of land and around 8 years ago we had geocachers leave around 25 along the 4 miles of ditches that we own. They hid some of  them on the road allowance and the vast majority on our property. Some were even in our fields where there was livestock, to which they climbed over our fence onto our property.  Thankfully none of them were injured while climbing over, injured by our cattle or spoked our cattle. 
 

Once I found out what was going on I threw them out as I found them. It took a while and as I tracked the local geocaching web page which showed the route. Over a few months the route was less and less travelled. It was a 20 mile route, which someone made from the city, leaving the reporting papers inside of old film camera tubes.  
 

If people want to geocache on public property that’s great for the adventure.  No harm, no foul. (See what I did there😉) Once one steps foot onto private land, being our farms, and our liability insurance comes into play it’s game over for me. It’s the same reason we do not allow hunters on our farms. Thankfully geocaching faded away and I won’t miss the ducks if and when they do.  I’m equally sure many here would not be pleased to see people routing through their front yard gardens looking for geocache items. 
 

Ducks aren’t going to change my cruise experience and if someone is excited to find one that’s great. If another guest or crew throw it out it won’t bother me either. Once a person leaves an item behind, to me found, it’s all up to the fates. 

Edited February 1, 2022 by A&L_Ont

[RobInMN]

22 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

We have 500 acres of land and around 8 years ago we had geocachers leave around 25 along the 4 miles of ditches that we own. They hid some of  them on the road allowance and the vast majority on our property.
 

Once I found out what was going on I threw them out as I found them. 
 

If people want to geocache on public property that’s great for the adventure.  No harm, no foul. (See what I did there😉) Once one steps foot onto private land, being our farms, and our liability insurance comes into play it’s game over for me...  I’m equally sure many here would not be pleased to see people routing through their front yard gardens looking for geocache items. 
 

Ducks aren’t going to change my cruise experience and if someone is excited to find one that’s great. If another guest or crew throw it out it won’t bother me either. Once a person leaves an item behind, to me found, it’s all up to the fates. 

All true. It's on your property. They have no right to trespass. No one is trespassing here. It's also your right to decide what is allowed or not allowed on your property. Not mine, and not @crazyank.

 

However, I would say the comparable analogy here would be if you actually did tolerate/allow geocaching and hunting on your property and while @crazyank was hunting, they saw a geocache container. Instead of just leaving it, they picked it up (or at least the contents) and brought it to you and told you that geocaching was stupid and you should throw it away. It serves no point other than for them to intentionally ruin someone else's harmless fun. Like old tv/movie trope where some kids are playing and the ball goes on some guy's property, and instead of letting them get it or giving it back, the guy goes and gets it, then takes it in the house and throws it away. Total curmudgeon.

 

If RCI didn't want to tolerate/allow it, it would not be that difficult for the crew/staff to remove them about as fast as they are deposited. Or at least enough of them to take the fun out of it. While I've only seen one, and have not actually ever been specifically looking for them, I would imagine that most are not that hidden where crew would not run across them during routine duties, especially those involving cleaning.

 

[davekathy]

I wouldn't surprise me if a few of the ducks have been thrown overboard.  

[flamingos]

22 hours ago, crazyank said:

any we find go in the nearest trash can.

Wow, how presumptuous of you.

[Jasukkie]

I've never come across one of these ducks somehow. The rubber duck germ theory argument is a nonstarter for me. I see so many precious little angels rolling around on the floor, or excitedly pushing elevator buttons. Massage a little hand sanitizer on it and you're good to go.

[A&L_Ont]

 

1 hour ago, RobInMN said:

While I've only seen one, and have not actually ever been specifically looking for them, I would imagine that most are not that hidden where crew would not run across them during routine duties, especially those involving cleaning.

The ones I’ve seen on board were easy to find.
 

They weren’t hidden like the “original” Oasis garden gnones of Central Park. Those took a lot of hunting to find, especially after a few drinks late at night. Took us a few nights to locate them. 

 

[crazyank]

1 hour ago, flamingos said:

Wow, how presumptuous of you.

Your opinion matter not in the least to us.  We will continue to dispose of any ducks we find on cruise ships. 

Edited February 1, 2022 by crazyank

[crazyank]

6 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

 

removed

Edited February 1, 2022 by crazyank

[RobInMN]

41 minutes ago, crazyank said:

Your opinion matter not in the least to us.  We will continue to dispose of any ducks we find on cruise ships. 

 

So friendly...

Edited February 1, 2022 by RobInMN

[flamingos]

40 minutes ago, crazyank said:

Your opinion matter not in the least to us.  We will continue to dispose of any ducks we find on cruise ships. 

Wow.  What an awesome table companion you must be. Enjoy your day.

[SRF]

22 hours ago, binro01 said:

I find the duck thing akin to shouting "I was here!" similar to graffiti. The person feels good about, leaving their mark for others to find, but they leave that mark in public places not belonging to them.

 

Ducks are like graffiti??????

 

REALLY?
 

Ducks make no change or mark on the property.  They just sit there.  And people (especially kids) like finding them.

 

No, they are NOT the same as graffiti.

 

Make sure you post what cruises are you are on, so I can avoid sailing with such a grouch.

[binro01]

12 minutes ago, SRF said:

No, they are NOT the same as graffiti.

I said similar, not the same. The similarity is in intent not substance, Ducks and graffiti share a similar "Kilroy" I was here mentality. A similarity in leaving a mark anonymously for others to find. They share a similar dichotomy, some classify graffiti as art while others classify it as vandalism while with ducks, some find it "honest fun" while other find it as leaving "trash and ruining the environment"

 

Further down in the post, I said I would remove the duck and give it away to a child who would enjoy it, serving multiple purposes. It keeps the intent of the game "alive" but it removes the "trash" to those who it offends. It removes a burden from the crew, who is tasked to remove them, and it prevents them from being discarded in the trash reducing plastic waste. But I guess that makes me a grouch. Or it makes you unable to comprehend the written word in context.

 

I'll leave that for the board to decide.

Edited February 2, 2022 by binro01

[A&L_Ont]

Amazing that the ducks are almost as confrontational as the CDC.  I wonder if this thread will be deleted. 

[BND]

33 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

Amazing that the ducks are almost as confrontational as the CDC.  I wonder if this thread will be deleted. 

I just find it so funny because there are no "rules" lol.  Anyone who finds one can do what they want with it.  If someone wants to rehide it, go for it.  If they want to throw it away, that's their choice.  I do find it interesting that the cruise staff reportedly throws them away because that would indicate they've more than likely been told to.

[Oceansaway17]

On 2/1/2022 at 4:44 PM, flamingos said:

Wow.  What an awesome table companion you must be. Enjoy your day.

yes what a grump.   

 

I once saw a duck and thought it was some kid that left it behind.  Now I know why.

[Oceansaway17]

On 2/1/2022 at 2:33 PM, davekathy said:

I wouldn't surprise me if a few of the ducks have been thrown overboard.  

wouldn't surprise me if there was a lineup of the ducks in security area. Wondering if the crew enjoy them.   

 

[cured]

On 2/1/2022 at 12:59 AM, crazyank said:

Nope,  we will continue to immediately dispose of any we find.  We have young grandchildren that travel with us and we certainly don't want them playing with something that has been handled by god knows how many people.  We've talked to crew members on several different ships and they all say the same thing,  the ducks are disposed of as soon as they are found.

So what you are saying is that your grandchildren are so unruly and you, as grandparents, have so little control over them they don't listen to a simple, gentle "please don't touch that?"

 

Did you have to go through any special training to become a self-appointed duck police? Do you get to wear a cool hall monitor sash?  Duckling yellow perhaps?"

 

And most importantly, since I didn't see you list it, what C&A tier level do you have to be to be a duck disposal officer? D? D+? Or can a lowly gold be a DDO?

 

We would never do ducks because I cannot fathom putting our name and address on something that will then be broadcast on a large social media site. BUT....since I don't work for Royal Caribbean and haven't seen any missive from RC that duck hiding is not allowed, I would never take it upon myself to impose my rules on somebody else's business.

Edited February 4, 2022 by cured

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, cured said:

We would never do ducks because I cannot fathom putting our name and address on something that will then be broadcast on a large social media site.

Not sure the ducks with name tags is the norm - many times it’s just a plain duck and advertising on social media is very much optional. 

[flamingos]

5 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Not sure the ducks with name tags is the norm - many times it’s just a plain duck and advertising on social media is very much optional. 

I have a friend who is a duck person. She has an email just for her duck connections. Her notes have some cutesy poem about finding the duck, and asks that you either leave it for someone else to find,  take it to keep, or place it in a new hiding spot.  She enjoys  it. 

[cured]

10 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Not sure the ducks with name tags is the norm - many times it’s just a plain duck and advertising on social media is very much optional. 

Tags are a big part of the finding/hiding duck game.

 

Check out Etsy or Zazzle for duck tags and you can order custom made   (Cruising friend has an Etsy store and sells the tags) Some examples:

 

 

 

There are even templates shared in many of the regular cruise groups on what to put on the tags if you want to make your own.

 

Edited February 4, 2022 by cured

[jean87510]

well at least this thread is amusing to say the least!

[davekathy]

Some posters have a bad quackitude about this quacky thread.  

[crazyank]

7 hours ago, cured said:

So what you are saying is that your grandchildren are so unruly and you, as grandparents, have so little control over them they don't listen to a simple, gentle "please don't touch that?"

 

Did you have to go through any special training to become a self-appointed duck police? Do you get to wear a cool hall monitor sash?  Duckling yellow perhaps?"

 

And most importantly, since I didn't see you list it, what C&A tier level do you have to be to be a duck disposal officer? D? D+? Or can a lowly gold be a DDO?

 

We would never do ducks because I cannot fathom putting our name and address on something that will then be broadcast on a large social media site. BUT....since I don't work for Royal Caribbean and haven't seen any missive from RC that duck hiding is not allowed, I would never take it upon myself to impose my rules on somebody else's business.

ROFL!  thanks I needed a good laugh today and your post certainly provided it.  

Edited February 4, 2022 by crazyank

[ZoeyVictoria]

On 1/31/2022 at 4:22 PM, crazyank said:

any we find go in the nearest trash can.

Just where do you find trash cans on ships?  Do you take them back to your cabin, since it is almost impossible to find a trash can in public areas on ships?