🐣 Cruising Ducks: The Wholesome Hide-and-Seek Game Taking Over the Seas

Paige Evatt
Jul 13, 2025
3 min read

Wait… Cruising WHAT?

That’s right. Cruising Ducks. If you’ve spotted a rubber duck with a tiny tag hiding behind a plant, tucked near a railing, or chilling by the elevators on your cruise… CONGRATULATIONS!

You've just met one of the most joyful, random, community-built cruise trends out there.

Cartoon-style illustration of three rubber ducks on a cruise ship deck, with one wearing a life preserver. A large cruise ship is in the background under a sunny sky with fluffy clouds. — Duck squad, reporting for cruise duty! 🐥🛟 You never know where these little adventurers will pop up next…

This viral tradition started back in 2018 with a girl named Abby Davis and her dad, Ashley, who hid 50 ducks on their Carnival cruise. Since then, it’s become a feel-good scavenger hunt across all major cruise lines - Royal, Carnival, NCL, Virgin - you name it. These days, where there is a ship out at sea... so are the rubber ducks, popping up in the most unexpected places. 🐥✨

So What Are Cruising Ducks?

They’re rubber ducks, usually tagged with a little card that includes:

The name of the ship
Your sail date
A short message like: “Oh what luck, you found a duck! Keep or hide. YOU decide!”

And then… you hide them! Or keep them. (No judgment.) Guests (of all ages) search for ducks while exploring the ship and either keep them as souvenirs or re-hide them for someone else to find.

Three-panel cartoon-style illustration of a yellow rubber duck on a cruise ship: one duck near a deck railing with a ship in the background, one beside a pool with lounge chairs, and one sitting on an indoor shelf next to a round porthole with an ocean view. — Spotted: Three suspects in the Duck Drop lineup 🐥🐥🐥 They’ve been seen lounging by the pool, peeking through portholes, and loitering near railings (don’t worry - we gave them a stern safety talk). Where will YOU leave your duck? 👀

Basic Duck Rules 🐥

Before you load up your suitcase with 100 ducks, do as I say and not as I do... Here’s what to know:

Buy your own ducks. (You can find bulk packs on Amazon and some even include the tags as part of a bundle.)
Tag each duck. Include ship name, sail date, and the phrase “keep or hide - you decide.”
DO NOT hide them in:
- Pools
- Hot tubs
- Shops
- Anywhere unsafe or off-limits for guests
Don’t go overboard - literally or figuratively. Keep your hiding places safe, and your total duck count manageable (12–24 is plenty; 50 MAX... and I'm a MAXIMALIST, so we do 50 per kid.)

Cartoon-style image of four yellow rubber ducks lined up at the Lime & Coconut bar on a cruise ship. The pool, lounge chairs, palm trees, and another cruise ship appear in the background under a sunny sky. — Rubber duckies walk into a bar… 👀 Looks like the whole flock hit up Lime & Coconut for a little pre-hide hydration. Someone get these cruisin' cuties a round of pineapple juice. 🍍🛳

My Top Duck Hiding Tips 💡

Avoid the floor. No one wants a trip hazard.
Get creative but not chaotic. Inside elevator signs? Cute. Balconies? Nooope.
Don't climb anything or sneak into closed-off crew zones or prohibited areas.
Public but clever is key. Think behind decor, on window ledges, or nestled by towel animals in public lounges.
Don’t stress if a crew member takes one! Some gift them to their kids, which is adorable and exactly the spirit of the game.
Don't overthink it! Get low and consider anything a duck can sit on. Often small children get left out of the game as they aren't on our eye level, so consider places children would be eye level with a duck. (Central Park on Royal Caribbean has tons of great locations.)

PIE Pro Tip

If you’re sailing with kids (or just kid energy), Cruising Ducks are a fun way to stay engaged during sea days. You’ll find Facebook groups dedicated to sharing found ducks, and some people even start Instagram accounts to track their duck’s “journey.” (Yes, really.)

And if you're sailing with me? You might just find a CRUISE WITH PIE-branded duck floating around your ship 😏