The hottest trend in cruising today isn't a new bar, beach, or waterslide; it's hiding rubber ducks.
What began as a small group of people looking to share their enthusiasm about going on a cruise has grown into a global phenomenon with at least a few people on every Royal Caribbean hiding ducks and many others seeking them out.
It's almost like an oral tradition passed down through social media, where someone goes on a cruise and sees others hiding and seeking rubber ducks, thinks its a fun idea, and then subsequently tries it on their next cruise.
The appeal of this activity is hard to describe until you see it in action on a cruise ship.
Essentially, some guests take it upon themselves to purchase small rubber ducks and then hide them around the ship for others to find. Some ducks are purposefully not-so-well-hidden, while others are truly placed in odd spots.
The idea is to provide a "thrill of the hunt" for other guests, primarily children. Parents seem to get into the spirit of it as well.
While sailing on 7-night Royal Caribbean cruise in Europe on Anthem of the Seas, it became clear to me hiding ducks on a cruise ship is not just an American thing. It's gone global.
Loz Griffin posted in the Facebook group for my sailing, "Is anyone hiding ducks on this cruise. We are. And we have LOADS. Can't wait."
That sparked over a dozen other people to respond they would be participating too, and for the duration of the sailing, most of the posts were seemingly about people either hiding ducks or looking for clues as to where their kids could find a hidden duck.
Lisa Hunke shared how it started for her, "My husband thought I was out of my mind when I was getting my ducks ready for our Icon cruise this past February."
"He ended up hiding more of them than I did and was always on the look out for hidden ones."
Why do people hide rubber ducks?
Hiding rubber ducks on a cruise is a relatively new trend in cruising, and it seems it began on Facebook.
The Facebook group "Cruising Ducks™ -Original group" claims it began with a 10 year old girl named Abby.
The idea was to give Abby something fun to do during her sailing, "a cute and entertaining way to have a blast on cruises and to brighten others days."
This particular group not only encouraged the hiding of ducks, but for those that found the duck to share a photo of their duck in the group so that everyone could see the journey the duck had made.
As of the writing of this article, the Facebook group has over 280,000 members.
Inside the group, there's inspiration for others to find creative looking ducks. Some people go beyond traditional cheap plastic ducks, and hide ornate ducks.
Jheri Mauai shared a photo of the 250 bedazzled ducks that will be hidden soon on a cruise ship.
One man actually prints his own ducks, creating glow-in-the-dark, giant, and very creative ducks.
"Cris the Cruising Duck Man" is his online moniker, and he shares his latest creations.
I sailed with Cris on Icon and Liberty of the Seas earlier this year, and he has a backpack full of ducks he keeps with him to hide.
When questioned why someone would hide a duck in the first place, Rense Dunn responded, "for the kids if you see their faces when they find them. Priceless!"
Pam Mull added, "[it's] just for fun. Everyone enjoys finding them and reading the tags & seeing where they come from."
Not everyone loves the fad
While most people seem indifferent to hiding ducks at worst, there are some cruisers that really despise the trend.
The issue some people have with hiding ducks is where they get hidden, such as in-between plants that get rustled in the process. Or someone hiding a duck in non-public space, such a restaurant.
Mike Simmons commented, "When I see one, or 5, or 20; now they're my ducks and they love to be re-hidden in the various garbage cans."
Laurie Bridges shared two issues with hiding ducks, "I do not like seeing the tiny ducks in places that small children can find them, as they're a choking hazard."
"It's also pretty disgusting to see one that has a tag attached that advertises a couple looking for others with whom to swing/swap. Yes, we've actually seen that."
How to find ducks on your cruise
The basics are simple, walk around public areas of your cruise ship and keep an eye out for a bright yellow rubber duck.
Most people attach a card to each duck they hide, as a kind of "calling card" to not only identify who hid it, but provide the rules because there's a good chance someone will find it without knowing about this new activity.
If someone stumbles across a duck, they can then either keep them, or re-hide for someone else to find.
Passengers like to hide ducks among plants, on top of signs, or in crevices.
In my experience, most of the ducks get hidden towards the beginning of the cruise, so if you or your family are hunting for them, seek them out early, especially on a sea day.
Another strategy is to join the Facebook group for your particular Royal Caribbean sailing, as those that hide ducks tend to announce when they're releasing their flock.
Some people will ask in the group about if there are more ducks hidden and for clues as well. Younger children can sometimes struggle with finding them, so clues can help.
How to hide ducks on your cruise
If this sounds like just the kind of fun you want to try, getting started is pretty easy.
Most people buy a batch of ducks on Amazon, such as this batch of 100 ducks that come with name tags and rubber bands. (Note: this link contains an affiliate link, which means we make a commission but costs you nothing extra!)
Then it's up to you how involved you want to be with sharing this experience. You could join your sailing's Facebook group or even the Cruising Ducks group.
There are some basic guidelines people that hide ducks tend to follow. Avoid areas where they could blow overboard, as well as pools, hot tubs or inside stores or restaurants.
