Guests aboard Carnival cruise ships in recent weeks have noticed fewer and fewer of the cruise line’s iconic trophies on a stick. While these kitschy souvenirs used to be given out for all kinds of games and competitions, they’ve been notably scarce lately.
About Ship-on-a-Stick
Carnival Cruise Line’s “24 carat plastic ship on a stick” Trophies are fun fleet-wide souvenirs, customized with the name of the vessel where the trophy was won. Measuring 5.25 inches (13.25 cm) tall and 6.25 inches (16.0 cm) tall, the “golden” ship is held aloft by laurel leaves, an ancient and classic symbol of victory.
Very popular as souvenirs of a cruise ship vacation, these trophies are often awarded as prizes for trivia contests, deck games, group games, game shows, dances and all kinds of other board competitions. Among Carnival Cruise Line fans, picking up a new ship can be the highlight of a cruise.
Trophies disappear
However, in recent weeks, these trophies have apparently begun to disappear from Carnival ships.
Instead of presenting winners with trophies, the Fun Squad members have given out generic carnival “bling-on-a-string” medals for each victory, reserving the coveted trophies for more intense group competitions or game shows. high profile.
This has led to rampant speculation about the fate of the trophies, with the most common theory being that the cruise line is eliminating the prizes as a cost-cutting measure, similar to others. permanent layoffs after the pandemic and introducing more room service options for a fee.
Official Answer
The rumors have caught the attention of Carnival Cruise Line brand ambassador John Heald, who has addressed the ship’s trophy-on-a-stick situation on his Facebook page.
“We have not stopped the trophies. I’m afraid there was a problem with the supply chain from the factory,” Heald said. “That’s settled and we should have them back on the ship no later than the end of this month.”
Depending on the ship, the supply of trophies may already be nearly exhausted, while other ships still have a limited supply of prizes available for contest winners.
Who makes the trophies?
Carnival Cruise Line has switched manufacturers for its molded plastic trophies in recent years. The original ship’s trophies on a stick were brighter and had a V-shaped laurel “stick” with adhesive plaques naming the ship.
The newer design is a bit more refined, with a matte finish and a more circular bay leaf holder. The name of each ship is still on a plaque at the base of the trophy, but it is now black letters on a gold background, rather than the original gold letters on a black background.
Both trophy designs are the same size, and the ships in individual trophies are the same, not adjusted for ship class or other details.
The older trophies were produced by MDR Industries, a division of MDR International, Inc., which also created plastic hurricane cups and other drinking accessories widely used on cruise ships and at various hotels and resorts.
The new trophies, however, are manufactured by Y-Not Design & Manufacturing, Inc., which also creates other trophy designs and a wide variety of corporate logo products such as drinkware, bags, electronics, stationery and more. excessively.
The new company has partnered with Carnival Cruise Line for nearly a decade, offering not only ship trophies but other loyalty items and branded merchandise.
It appears that the original supplier, MDR International, Inc., is no longer in business.
Meanwhile, Y-Not Design & Manufacturing, Inc. also supplies products for Norwegian Cruise Line and Disney Cruise Line.
Heald cited a “supply chain issue” as the reason for the trophy’s current shortage, which has affected all aspects of manufacturing and retail operations, not just the souvenir travel industry.
However, to allay fears of the trophies being discontinued, Heald stressed that the awards will return.
“They will come back and come back to the awards again.” he said.
This will be good news for Carnival Cruise Line fans who are looking forward to continuing to collect these strange trophies, especially with Carnival celebration soon to join the fleet – what better way to celebrate the new ship than by winning a new trophy?
