The first person eliminated in the musical chairs competition aboard the Carnival Magic won a consolation prize of a miniature model of the ship.

The last man standing in the musical chairs also got an award – a miniature model of the ship.

“Everyone wins on the Carnival Magic,” cruise director James Dunn explained. “This is a wonderful prize … We call it a ‘Ship on a Stick.’”

The gold-colored plastic ship looks like the Magic and even has the Carnival Magic name on its base. I’ve never won one of the trophies but a fellow cruiser let me hold hers and take a photo of it.

“I’m going to put mine on my computer desk at home,” said Susie Reese from Oklahoma who has taken 14 cruises and never won such a prize before.

“First one I’ve ever won, too,” said Bob Anderson with a grin. “Now I want to win one from every Carnival ship in the fleet. Or maybe I’ll have to buy them on eBay.”

At first I thought he was joking but, sure enough, I checked on eBay and saw several of the sought-after Ship on a Stick awards for sale.

Each Carnival ship has so many contests on a cruise that I saw several folks proudly carrying their Ships on a Stick. I was told that some people wear them on a chain around their necks, that one cruiser put his atop his Christmas tree and that one guy has his all lined up on the fireplace mantle in his home – next to his wife’s bowling trophies.

Tips for winning one? Just check the FunTimes on any Carnival cruise and enter as many competitions as possible. Participate in scavenger hunts, bean bag tosses, game shows, trivia, basketball, karaoke and on and on.

You, too, could be carrying home a Ship on a Stick when your Carnival cruise ends.

By Jackie Sheckler Finch