Cruise ship travelers go viral on social media for hiding rubber ducks on board

Travelers onboard cruise ships around the world are taking a new approach to souvenirs by bringing — and leaving — rubber ducks around boats. 

The trend has people purchasing rubber ducks and hiding them in spots around cruise ships. Over the last year alone, TikTok videos garnering thousands of views show users hiding and finding ducks like it’s a game.

In one Facebook group, named “Cruising Ducks,” which has more than 284,000 members, the trend is described as a “cute and entertaining way to have a blast on cruises and to brighten others’ days.”

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Reports say that a young girl named Abby Davis started the Easter-egg-like idea — and it has since taken off. 

Cruise ship travelers are taking rubber ducks onboard and hiding them in an online game of hide and go seek.  (iStock)

The Facebook group explains, “Our goal is to see how far our ducks will travel and where their journey might take them. Keep or hide, you decide, but please post your ducks’ travels here so everyone can enjoy.”

Members are then asked to post a photo of their rubber duck onboard a ship and to specify which cruise line they are on. 

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In the last month, roughly 3,500 posts have been featured on the Facebook page. 

Players online have posted photos and number counts of how many ducks they’ve collected on their trip — some upwards of 100 ducks.  (iStock)

One person posted a photo of their children, writing, “Kids came back with 20ish ducks. They loved finding them! Carnival Dream, September 21-29.”

Another person posted a photo of their 113 ducks found on the Carnival Cruise Lines Jubilee in September, saying they had five “active hunters” on the boat and brought over 400 to hide themselves. 

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The trend has made its way to Reddit as well, with one traveler posting on the “r/royalcaribbean” subreddit, saying they paid for a carry on just for their rubber duckies. 

While on board, cruisers can post a photo of their duck and the ship they’re on to a Facebook page to play the game.  (iStock)

Reddit users took to the comments to weigh in on the offbeat trend, with one person writing, “I hate to be a killjoy, but there’s really no reason for it. Just go on the cruise and enjoy what’s already there.”

Another user explained that hiding and finding ducks on the ship was a fun activity for their kids on sea days when the boat didn’t stop at ports.

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“My daughter works on the Utopia of the Seas and loves finding these! When her contract finishes, she plans to hide all the ducks she has collected around the ship,” another Reddit user commented. 

A game of hide-and-seek with ducks has taken over cruise ships, and passengers are sharing photos of their squeaky finds online. (iStock)

Cruising Ducks also has its own line of rubber ducks that can be purchased to take onboard cruise ships.

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For anywhere from $14 to $26, customers can purchase different types of themed ducks — Dorothy, Glinda the Good Witch, “The Godfather” and even Donald Trump. 

Several theories online claim that some cruise ships discourage guests from hiding ducks on board.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Cruising Ducks, Carnival Cruise Lines, Disney Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean for comment.

Brittany Kasko is a lifestyle production assistant with Fox News Digital. 

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