August 20, 2026, 3:08 pm | Read time: 4 minutes

You’re likely familiar with the small, bright yellow rubber ducks often found floating in bathtubs. However, these rubber ducks are currently causing some discontent among cruise lines. There’s a, let’s say, quirky trend among passengers. They hide the small ducks on board, and other passengers can find them and place them in a different location on their next trip. While this may sound amusing at first, it is becoming increasingly problematic for the cruise lines.

Rubber Ducks Cause Discontent

As reported by “Travel+Leisure,” the cruise line Marella Cruises has informed passengers in a newsletter to please refrain from bringing or hiding rubber ducks. A Facebook user uploaded a corresponding post about it.

The onboard notice states that while a bit of personality is appreciated, the ducks are slowly driving the crew crazy. For this reason, passengers are asked not to leave decorative ducks, toys, or other personal items on board or hide them at the ports of call. It is acknowledged that everything is done with good intentions, but the items could become safety hazards, the notice continues. Therefore, the crew disposes of them.

Additionally, the cruise line explains that they are working intensively to reduce plastic consumption and avoid waste. Leaving things behind does not align with these efforts.

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Several Cruise Lines Request Consideration

Marella Cruises is not the first cruise line to want to put an end to the hide-and-seek game. In early June, Disney Cruise Line also asked guests to refrain from hiding ducks in the future, as reported by “Cruise Hive.” Royal Caribbean, meanwhile, restricts the locations where ducks can be placed. The cruise line has established a rule that rubber ducks may not be hidden in Central Park, a green deck under the open sky on some ships.

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What’s Behind It All?

But what’s the deal with these rubber ducks on cruise ships? This “tradition” has been around for several years and has thousands of followers. In a Facebook group called “Cruising Ducks,” there are nearly 330,000 members who regularly discuss rubber ducks on cruise ships.

According to the group, they are a “fun-loving bunch” who have found a “cute and entertaining way to have lots of fun on cruises and brighten others’ days. Our goal is to see how far our ducks travel and where their journey might take them.”

This duck tradition is based on the idea of a little girl who, a few years ago, hid small rubber ducks on a ship in the U.S. for fun. This idea spread worldwide thanks to social media, and since then, cruise fans have been taking dozens of ducks on board and hiding them.

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But not just randomly. The ducks are tagged with a note. Name, date, and ship are noted on it. The hiders then take a photo of their duck and can post it in the group, among other places–or upload it with hashtags like #cruisingducks. The Facebook group states that photos of found ducks can also be posted. The rubber duck can then be kept or hidden again. An important rule is that the duck must never be thrown overboard.

And what’s the appeal? Apparently, it’s seeing how far a duck can travel thanks to this tradition. It’s likely a mix of fun, a sense of adventure, and community spirit.

However, whether cruise and duck fans will give up their tradition in the future if cruise lines request it is questionable. At least some Facebook comments suggest otherwise. One user aptly notes: “It would be helpful if they stopped selling these ducks in the ship’s stores! Last week they were still available.”

Not Just Ducks, but Also Decorations Are a Problem
Both Marella Cruises and Disney Cruise Line have issues not only with the ducks but also with decorations. Apparently, some passengers enjoy decorating their cabin doors with flags, banners, stickers, posters, or magnets. Both cruise lines ask that this also be refrained from.