Carnival’s Duck Hunt Tradition Could Be Ruined by This One Prank

For years, cruisers have enjoyed hiding and hunting little rubber ducks on Carnival ships – a fun, unofficial tradition that puts smiles on guests’ faces. But now, Carnival Cruise Line is warning passengers to be on the lookout for a new twist on the game that isn’t so harmless.

The Duck Prank That Went Too Far

Some of the ducks being found onboard aren’t just cute souvenirs – they’re carrying fake tags promising free prizes. One recent example read:

“Congratulations! You have found one of our ducks! 1 free drink redeemable at the casino bar! Thank you for sailing with Carnival!”

Sounds exciting, right? The problem is, those tags aren’t real. Carnival Cruise Line has nothing to do with them, and the “prize” doesn’t exist.

Brand ambassador John Heald stepped in to set the record straight, saying:

“Please, whoever is doing this STOP. It is not fair on the guest and it is not fair on the bartenders and bar servers who have to be the ones to say ‘sorry, there is no free drink.’”

Could Carnival Ban Ducks Altogether?

Carnival has generally embraced the duck-hiding trend and has no plans to ban it. But Heald hinted that if the prank continues, the cruise line may have to step in.

Carnival Ducky

Other cruise lines have already had to tighten rules. Royal Caribbean, for example, banned duck hiding in Central Park on its Oasis- and Icon-class ships because of damage caused by eager hunters searching through the plants.

Some Carnival fans even believe the prank is a deliberate attempt to ruin the tradition, with one guest commenting: “Looks like someone who doesn’t like the ducks and wants it cancelled. Outrageous.”

Have Prize Ducks Ever Existed?

While Carnival itself has never offered prizes through duck hunts, there have been special cases. Effy Jewelry once ran a promotion where passengers could find bedazzled ducks and trade them in for jewellery prizes. That campaign, however, was completely independent of the cruise line.

Some fans say it would be fun if Carnival introduced official prize ducks in the future – with rewards like free drinks, onboard credit, or even a famous “ship on a stick.” But for now, guests are reminded: duck hunts are just for fun, not freebies.