克鲁斯鸭:巡航传统旅行顾问应该知道
byDori Saltzman/Long-time cruisers and cruise-selling advisors understand there's a whole world of cruise traditions and customs out there. One of the most fun – and not yet widely known (despite a Facebook group several hundred thousand large) – is that of the Cruising Duck. Those little plastic duckies that come in all colors, designs and themes and are hidden around cruise ships for others to find.
Those who know about Cruise Ducks love them, and that includes even the most serious-minded cruise advisor.
"While there are plenty of fun activities to do while on a cruise, the 'draw' of both hiding and finding Cruising Ducks is addictive," Pris M. Phillips, an associate at a Dream Vacations franchise in South Carolina, told TMR.
"It's like being a kid at Easter," added Jenn Williams, an associate at another Cruise Planners franchise.
Lisa Bostedo, an associate at a Buffalo-based Cruise Planners franchise, told TMR she's only ever found one duck. "You would think I had just won the lottery! I can't wait to hide and hunt on our next journey."
Though some Cruise Duck finders re-hide them, many keep them as souvenirs of their cruise. Williams told TMR she keeps her ducks.
"When I find it, I keep it as my very own treasure. I especially love it when the crew finds duck. They are so excited and willing to give to the guest, but I always say, 'finders, keepers.'"
Debra Thune, owner of an Oregon-based Cruise Planners franchise, said she first heard about the Cruising Ducks in 2018 and ever since she's been hooked, hunting for and putting out ducks for others to find.
“我发现了大量的巡航鸭!甚至我的丈夫也在里面。他喜欢找到鸭子并把它们交给我,因为它总是在我的脸上露出灿烂的笑容。”
For some advisors, finding Cruising Ducks is an important part of their cruise experience and they take it very seriously.
Thune said the first time she bought a bunch of ducks to put out, she made sure to have all of the holidays covered, with ducks representing Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter and Christmas. "Plus, I had patriotic ducks for Memorial Day and Independence Day. And pirate ducks for everything else!"
其他人更认真地寻找鸭子。
“我在寻找隐藏的鸭子方面有一个隐藏的才能,”奥兰德梦境假期专营权的所有者布莱恩·维拉拉(Bryan Villella)说。“我是一名退休的警长的侦探,经过高度训练,可以注意到细节的关注,并且看起来不合时宜,就好像我们在犯罪现场收集一样。我使用精心调整的技能来“狩猎”其他巡洋舰。在典型的巡游中,我可以收集多种不同尺寸的10至20只鸭子。”
像其他人一样,他保留了一些鸭子,但告诉TMR,他将大约一半的“鸭子羊群”重新掩盖。
他补充说:“我一直以来最喜欢的是微型小鸭,因为它们更容易隐藏,而且很难找到。”
一些顾问在隐藏(或重新隐藏)鸭子时甚至有策略。
“当我重新隐藏时,我大部分时间都会半低,所以更多的孩子可以看到他们。”旅行社Cruise Mom Cruises的老板Maribeth Kring。“有时候,我将他们高高地与成年人混在一起。在5'8时,我可以达到比普通女人高。”
Advisors TMR spoke with said their clients love it just as much.
“当我们上航行时,我首先了解了隐藏的鸭子协会。我碰巧坐在电梯的壁架上,” Dream Vacations专营权的所有者Laurie Shuss说。“我认为这可能是一种有趣的方式,让人们对巡航以及隐藏和寻找来自世界各地的鸭子感到兴奋!在我们最近的除夕巡游中,我的一位客户找到了她的第一只鸭子!二月份的海洋交响曲中的人们,我鼓励他们带来野鸭。应该是个傻瓜!”
A Brief History of the Cruise Duck
克鲁斯鸭背后最常见的起源故事是一个叫艾比(Abby)的年轻女孩,她认为在2018年将一些玩具鸭藏在她的狂欢节中很有趣。到处都是,主要是在狂欢节巡航线船上,但他们很快就跳了船,扩展到了几乎所有主要的巡航线。
“自从我遇到传奇以来 - 一个小女孩如何决定通过将鸭子藏在游轮上来照亮其他人的生活 - 我对整个想法都感到迷恋,”邮轮计划师特许经营的Bribecktravel的Becki Bozart说。“我不仅隐藏了鸭子,在我主持的许多小组中,我会给每个客户一个标记的鸭子,以便他们躲藏。有些人在巡游中找到了鸭子,很高兴!”
Cruise Ducks可能只到2018年,但一位旅行顾问TMR与之交谈一直使她的客户鸭子在其巡航假期中拍照更长的时间。
"As a travel advisor, I began sending rubber duckies, themed according to either when they sailed (Christmas, Valentine's Day, July 4th, etc.) or what their occupations were (police, fireman, nurse, etc.) to my clients quite a few years ago, at least back to 2017," said Phillips. "I would attach a tag to their ducks asking them to post a photo on social media of what their ducks were up to on their trip."
她说,在几年之内,她开始注意到“一群鸭子被藏在船上,挂着小标签,指示发现者选择要保留或重新藏起来。, 你决定。”)
如今,将鸭子隐藏在游轮上(甚至在度假村和其他度假胜地)上的习惯非常受欢迎,整个商店都致力于销售各种各样的鸭子。beplay银行卡
多多益善
Several advisors TMR spoke with said they let their clients know about the ducks.
"As I speak to and sometimes travel with my clients I encourage them to participate in the fun exchange," Villella said. "It adds an extra element of fun to the cruise, especially on the days at sea."
威廉姆斯同意。“我确实向许多客户提到了鸭子的秘密。越多,越来越多。”
如何玩乐
Want to get in on the fun? While the easiest way to start is with hunting for ducks onboard, many of the advisors TMR spoke with have as much – or more – fun hiding ducks.
可以在亚马逊等网站上购买鸭子,并且有一个专门针对该主题的Facebook组。
但是Thune和Kring指出的一件事对于旅行顾问来说尤其重要的是不要将其代理名称放在鸭子上。
“邮轮公司非常讲究lowing travel agents to advertise while onboard the ships," Thune said. "Some agents will tell you that putting their agency info on a duck is not advertising, but I disagree. I think it is definitely advertising and I do not want to run the risk of getting into trouble with any of the cruise lines."
克林同意。“唯一让我感到困扰的是,当旅行社用卡片隐藏他们的代理商时。这与大多数邮轮公司的“无请求”政策违背。”