It’s a fun new trend that’s taken over the cruise industry in which passengers will hide rubber ducks on cruise ships for others to find. Half scavenger hunt, half hide-and-seek, the viral trend aims to document just how far these squeaky toys will travel, with ‘hiders’ first buying them and hiding them onboard, and ‘finders’ snapping and posting pics upon their discovery to show their journey along the way.  

According to the Facebook group ‘Cruising Ducks,’ it all started with a sweet 10-year old girl named Abby who started hiding ducks on cruises to brighten up other people’s days. In that same spirit, ‘Cruising Ducks,’ now with over 285,000 members, describes itself as “a fun-loving bunch of Quacky Cruisers that found a way to have a blast on cruises.”

And what a blast they’re having! One finder on Reddit wrote: “One of the highlights of any cruise is ducking hunting, I think I enjoy it more than the kids!” Another finder wrote: “I found four on my last NCL cruise. We re-hid them – so much fun! Would like to bring some on my next cruise.” On the same Reddit thread, a hider added: “My wife and I went on Royal’s Oasis of the Seas in June and hid a handful. We joined the Facebook group and never saw our ducks get posted, but they were definitely gone from their hiding spots the next time we went by that spot!”

Duck hunting has become so popular that it’s no longer considered a myth, but an actual onboard activity for cruisers to look forward to. Said one traveller on Reddit: “I appreciate the people who hide them and I love the thought of people buying and hiding them for others. We are going on a cruise in May and I can’t wait for my kids to experience this.”

Like with any game, basic ground rules apply. Ducks should be hidden in public areas only, never in crew-only areas, restrooms, buffet tables, lockers rooms, pools, hot tubs or retail stores. If labelling a duck, hiders should keep messages short, friendly and free of vulgarity. Don’t place them too high where kids won’t easily see or reach them, and instead leave them in relatively plain sight. Stairwells, elevators, potted plants and a ship’s atrium are popular hiding spots. 

But it’s not all fun and games; some cruise lines are discouraging duck hunting altogether. Last year, Disney Cruise Line stated that “guests cannot hide things, such as rubber ducks, in staterooms or public areas on the ship.” 

So before you get all your ducks in a row for your next cruise, it’s probably best to check your cruise line’s policy on duck hunting. If all checks out, happy hunting!