Heading on your first cruise? Don’t be surprised if you stumble upon some hidden rubber duckies between the breakfast buffet and bingo.
In recent years, hiding rubber ducks on cruise ships has become a popular pastime among passengers. These “cruising ducks” often come with tags that include instructions for finders, who can either keep the ducks or hide them again for others to discover. The tags usually say, “Keep or hide, you decide!”
Guests are also encouraged to share photos of their finds on social media, particularly in “Cruising Duck” Facebook groups that have tens of thousands of members.
“Just got off the Carnival Vista,” one excited Facebook user posted in a cruising duck group. “We had so much fun!! Found 7 ducks!”
The trend started with Abby Davis, who brought a bag of rubber ducks on her first cruise at age 10 in 2018. According to the largest “Cruising Ducks” Facebook group, which has over 264,000 members, Abby's mother, Ashley, said they hid 50 ducks over a seven-day trip. They noticed people of all ages enjoying the hunt for ducks, which added to the fun of the cruise.
However, there are rules for hiding cruise ducks. Guests should only hide ducks in public areas and avoid shops, pools, hot tubs, spas, and near emergency equipment. It’s also important not to place ducks in spots where they might fall overboard.
Despite guidelines to keep the activity fun and safe, some passengers are not fans. On Reddit, one traveler described the ducks as additional trash, while a frustrated passenger told John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s senior cruise director, that they would boycott the line until ducks were banned. Heald, however, encourages participants to either enjoy the game or ignore it.
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Photo: Getty