Why Do People Hide Rubber Ducks on Cruise Ships?

If you’ve ever wandered around a cruise ship and spotted a tiny rubber duck peeking out from a planter, congratulations! You’ve just stumbled into one of the most wholesome, chaotic, and frankly adorable cruise traditions of the last decade.

And if you haven’t seen one yet? Oh, you will. Because this trend is everywhere.

Let’s get into it: why are people hiding ducks on cruise ships, and why are thousands of other people actively hunting them down?

The Quirky Origin Story

As with most internet-fueled traditions, no one can agree on exactly who started it. The most widely accepted story credits a 10-year-old girl named Abby who boarded a 2018 spring break cruise with 50 rubber ducks and a simple mission: make people smile.

But there are also reports of duck-spotting on ships before that, meaning Abby may have just poured gasoline on a pre-existing trend.

From there, the idea took off. A Facebook group popped up, then more. Today, the biggest one, “Cruising Ducks,” has hundreds of thousands of members sharing photos and hiding tips.

How the Duck Game Works

The game is pretty simple: You bring ducks, you hide ducks, and then people find them.

Each duck typically has a little tag with the hider’s name, where they’re from, the ship and sail date, and a small message. It’s basically geocaching, but cuter!

You May Also Like:

Add Mental Floss as a preferred news source!

Finders snap a selfie with their new duck friend and upload it to the Facebook group. Some keep their little buddy as a souvenir; others re-hide it and keep the cycle going.

The Controversy (Because of Course There Is One)

As wholesome as the trend may be, not every cruise line is quack-friendly. In all fairness, crew members sometimes find ducks stuffed in ceiling panels or tucked near safety equipment, which is, shockingly, not ideal on a giant floating vessel.

Disney Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Line have officially said, “Please… no ducks.” Carnival, on the other hand, basically shrugged and said: “Have fun.”

Even passengers are divided. Some think it’s messy or germy, while others treat duck-hunting like an added highlight to their vacation. 

In our opinion: When you’re bobbing around the ocean with 4,000 strangers, finding a surprise duck with a tiny pirate hat is exactly the kind of serotonin hit we all deserve.

Whether you think it’s charming or chaotic, the rubber duck trend isn’t slowing down anytime soon. So on your next sailing, keep your eyes open.