What are Cruising Ducks?

Have you heard about cruising ducks? If you’re a seasoned cruiser you have probably heard about them or you may have been lucky enough to find a duck in one of your travels. But if you’re new to cruising, cruising ducks might be a strange concept to grasp. Keep reading to learn more about this craze and find out how you can join in on the fun!

 

 

What are cruising ducks?

It wasn’t until my family booked our first cruise holiday that I learned about cruising ducks, while searching the web to know more about traveling on a cruise. The idea is that you bring rubber ducks to hide on the cruise ship for other passengers to find. Like a random act of kindness, this trend can be a selfless way to bring joy to others.

The ducks usually come with a tag explaining the ‘game’, that encourages whoever finds them to either keep them as a souvenir of their trip, or re-hide them to keep the fun going. There are hashtags like #cruisingducks and dedicated Facebook groups that people use to share their findings and follow along on the journeys of the ducks they have hidden. Some frequent cruisers bring the ducks they found to re-hide on future cruises so they can literally travel the world!

 

Who started this trend?

There are a few different theories as to how this trend started but the most commonly cited origin story is that of a young girl named Abby who, when holidaying with her mother in 2018, brought rubber ducks to hide through the ship to make other passengers smile. They started a Facebook group that has since grown to thousands of members sharing photos of the ducks they find and tips for hiding cruise ducks.

 

What are the rules for hiding ducks on a cruise?

Although this is a pretty simple game, there are some common sense rules to keep it safe.

The first one is that you should never put it on a pool or hot tub. This is because of the danger of a child potentially jumping in the pool unattended to retrieve a floating duck.

You shouldn’t hide them in shops because if someone finds one and tries to take it with them it might appear as they are stealing something from the store.

Lastly, you shouldn’t leave a duck in any place where it might fall overboard. Tossing anything into the ocean is a big no-no and carries heavy fines on a cruise.

 

Where can you buy cruising ducks

You can find yellow rubber ducks in most dollar shops and variety stores. Big online retailers like Amazon and Ebay also stock them, often in different colours and themes, perfect if you’re going on a themed cruise or want to make your cruising ducks stand out.

 

Personalised tags for cruise ducks

A cruising duck is usually personalised with a tag around its neck with the name of the person/family who hid it, as well as the cruise details. You can find different printable cruising ducks tags in our shop. They are all editable, so you can type in your own details, and there are themed holiday tags available, such as Christmas cruising ducks, Halloween cruising ducks and St Patricks cruising ducks. Check some examples below.

 

 

So now that you know all about cruising ducks, will you join in on the fun of hiding or trying to find them on your next cruise?

If you’re preparing your ducks to hide, be sure to check our printable cruising ducks tags range. And don’t forget to tag @mypartydesign on Instagram if you use any of our printables, I would love to see your cruising ducks!