Because cruise ships are a shared environment, passengers seem to be more involved in what others are doing than they are when it comes to land-based vacations. That makes sense when the behavior of others actually impacts you.
Unruly kids splashing in the pool or running around on the pool deck creates a negative environment for other passengers. Someone smoking in an area where that's not allowed exposes people to secondhand smoke which can trigger asthma and other breathing problems.
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It's perfectly reasonable to be angry at the person who puts their stuff on a pool chair and then disappears for hours. Someone doing that is being inconsiderate, violating the cruise line's rules, and making it so there are fewer chairs for other passengers.
In many cases, however, some cruise passengers get worked up over the actions of other passengers that don't impact them. The most famous example of that is people angry about what other people wear to dinner.
While the rules in the Main Dining Room (MDR) on Carnival and Royal Caribbean ships may call for long pants and collared shirts for men, someone violating those rules does not actually impact your meal. You may have to avert your eyes on occasion and make sure you have the right backdrop for photos, but some guy wearing shorts and a T-shirt does not change your experience.
Hiding ducks on a cruise ship mostly falls in the "does not impact other people" category, as long as the people hiding and hunting are being respectful. That has not stopped some passengers from being angry about the practice and calling for it to be banned.
Image source: Pixabay
Carnival's Brand Ambassador shares a duck experience
Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald has been sailing with his wife and daughter on Mardi Gras. It has been a working vacation for him as he continues to answer questions on his Facebook page and he can't really stop doing his job when people recognize him onboard.
He shared an interaction on Mardi Gras that took an unexpected turn.
"I wish you could’ve seen that. It was 7:40 AM and I took a break from answering questions to go and get my coffee. The lady comes rushing towards me walking really, really quickly and I can see she’s holding a medium-size duck in her hand. She's shouting my name over and over again," he wrote. "I smiled and said is that for me, thank you so much."
Unfortunately, that's when the M. Night Shyamalan-worthy twist kicked in.
"She got within spittle distance and spent the next three minutes, telling me that the 'duck thing had gotten out of control' and that other cruise lines have done the right thing by banning them," he added.
Heald let her speak and listened to her entire argument.
"I explained that it was just a little bit of fun and if the other cruise lines want to cancel that fun then that’s entirely up to them. She told me that we were 'ignorant.' I have a cold coffee," he shared.
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Carnival passengers speak up for ducks, Heald
Over 1,500 people commented on Heald's post. The vast majority of them supported the idea of hiding ducks on ships.
"It’s funny how many people think they have the right to tell others what to do. If you see a duck, and you don’t like the duck, leave the duck alone. Just walk on by and enjoy your cruise. It can be done," posted Joey Thibodeaux.
Some shared stories of the joy finding a duck brought to their child.
"My 5-year-old daughter who was having a rough time boarding, was very upset and wanted to lay down but couldn't yet...She found a tiny purple duck near an elevator and immediately started laughing and smiling and the whole day was saved by the tiniest little duck," wrote Brandi Brown.
A number of passengers expressed their appreciation for Heald's patience and tolerance.
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"Bless her heart. Lol. Much love to you John, for having to deal. And even though other cruise lines have 'banned' them, you'll still find them," shared Nikki Natvig.
"Oh my, John has a heart of gold and duck feathers. I could not do a job where people complained to me about such mundane and petty issues. I'm sure I'd snap," added Sandie Hay.
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