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Surfside Splashaway Bay Kids with their parents

Cruise Ducks: Your Guide To a Fun Tradition

A Rubber Duck Hide-and-Seek Game

6 min read | By Ashlee Sierra | Published on October 7, 2026

The cruise ducks tradition is a guest-led hide-and-seek game that comes with great memories and a cute souvenir or two. Guests bring rubber ducks on their cruise, hide them in appropriate locations and look for others around the ship.

I’ve played a version of this game on land (and the evidence sits proudly on my SUV’s dashboard), but there’s something special about experiencing the tradition on a Royal Caribbean cruise. These unplanned, Insta-worthy moments are great fun for travelers of all ages — and you even get a little friend to take home with you.

Here’s everything you need to know to play the cruise duck game on your next Royal Caribbean cruise.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The cruise ducks game is a guest-led tradition across multiple cruise lines.
Guests bring ducks, hide them and look for others throughout the ship.
Cruise duck etiquette involves hiding ducks in appropriate places, respecting crew operations and always keeping safety in mind.
Royal Caribbean brings even more fun to the search with the “Quack Quest” game on Legend of the Seas.℠

The cruise ducks tradition is a game where cruise guests hide rubber ducks in appropriate locations throughout the ship. You can get involved by bringing ducks, tagging them, hiding them and searching for others along the way.

Cruising Ducks Explained

The cruise duck rules are simple: Hide your ducks in safe places and look for others without interrupting anyone else’s vacation (or the crew’s operations).

This game is fun for all ages, but it’s a particularly great cruise activity for kids because it’s interactive, spontaneous and comes with a free souvenir. Plus, there are all kinds of fun photo ops for parents. Here’s how to get involved:

1. Bringing Your Ducks

Pick up some rubber ducks before your cruise. Nautical- or beach-themed duckies are always a hit, but kids may enjoy picking their favorites to share from a random bulk order. I recommend packing a few in your carry-on so you’re ready to start playing as soon as your adventure begins.

2. Tips for Tagging

There are no specific rules for tagging ducks. Guests often create cruise duck tags or “passports” including information like:

Ship name.
Sail date.
A note to keep or rehide the duck.

If there are kids in your crew, they might enjoy giving each duckie a fun name, too.

3. How To Hide Ducks on a Cruise Ship

Hiding rubber ducks on cruise ships is fast and fun. Just choose a safe, easily accessible location where the duck won’t fall or get lost. Remember to vary your hiding places: Children may be more likely to find duckies hidden in lower spots or kid-friendly areas (like the Surfside family neighborhood), while grown-ups might enjoy spotting higher hiding places.

4. Search, Find, Keep or Rehide!

The search for cruise ducks has evolved since its early days. Guests can now use various apps or social platforms to give hints, post pictures and share the experience. When you find a duck, you can take it home or rehide it for another guest to find.

How To Play: Cruise Duck Etiquette

The cruise duck tradition is a guest-led game, not an official Royal Caribbean activity or event. However, there are still a few guidelines to keep the family-friendly adventure fun for everyone, including hiding ducks safely and avoiding inconvenience. Here’s what to keep in mind:

Don’t hide ducks in unsafe places: Ducks should be easily accessible and never hidden in a spot that would require unsafe reaching, climbing or tampering with landscaping.
Respect crew operations: Don’t place cruising ducks in spots that interfere with crew efforts like cleaning, serving, performances or ship operations.
Avoid inconveniencing others: Ducks should be fun, not frustrating — so avoid hiding spots that could be in someone’s way during activities or relaxation. (For example, guests often say that you shouldn’t hide ducks in adults-only areas, shops or pools.)

Cruise Ducks on Royal Caribbean Cruises

Royal Caribbean brings special fun to the cruise duck tradition. With unique experiences and incredible areas to explore, there are plenty of places to hide (and look for!) duckies.

If you’re on a ship with a Central Park neighborhood, remember that you can’t hide rubber ducks in the living plants. This helps protect the plants from excited searchers looking for duckies. However, there are plenty of other fun hiding spots — like near games on the Boardwalk®.

Cruise ducks are rubber ducks you bring with you on a cruise to hide throughout the ship.

Guests bring ducks, hide them in appropriate areas and find, keep or rehide them. The rules are to hide ducks in safe places and avoid inconveniencing others.

You can put any tag on cruise ducks, but most guests include the ship name and sailing date.

When preparing for a cruise, you can buy bulk orders of rubber ducks online. They come in different sizes, colors and outfits for maximum fun.

Hide cruise ducks by choosing safe, appropriate locations where people are likely to find them. Never hide in shops, pools, adults-only areas or Central Park.

Anyone can join the fun cruise ducks tradition. All you have to do is keep your eyes peeled on your next cruise — and maybe bring a duck or two to hide, too. Just remember the etiquette and rules, and you’ll have a hide-and-seek game ready to play as soon as you step on your ship.

Find a cruise today and start daydreaming about duck hiding places!