AB Family Adventures | Published July 9, 2025
🦆 Introduction: What Are Cruise Ducks & Why Families Love Them
If you’ve ever stumbled across a tiny rubber duck hidden in a nook of your cruise ship, congratulations—you’ve discovered one of the most fun, family-friendly cruise traditions: Cruise Duck Adventures! Started by a young cruiser named Abby on a Carnival cruise in 2018, this unofficial game has taken over the cruise world, turning passengers into duck-hiding detectives and surprise seekers.
For families, it’s the perfect way to:
- Keep kids entertained during sea days
- Spark conversations with fellow cruisers
- Create memorable souvenirs from your travels
In this post, we’ll show you exactly how to join the fun step-by-step—from finding ducks to crafting and hiding your own. Let’s dive in!
✅ Step 1: Understand the Cruise Duck Rules (Yes, There Are a Few)
Before you start ducking, it’s important to know the basic etiquette so everyone can enjoy the fun:
- Don’t hide ducks in pools, shops, or food areas.
- Label your ducks so people know it’s a gift, not a lost toy.
- Don’t hide too hard—the goal is to surprise, not frustrate.
- One duck per family per day is a good “finder” rule (optional but courteous).
- Be respectful of the ship’s crew and guests—always hide safely.
You can even include a “Keep or Re-hide” message to let the finder decide what to do!
✅ Step 2: Get the Right Ducks for Your Adventure
🛍 Where to Buy Rubber Ducks:
- Amazon (look for mini ducks in bulk)
- Dollar Tree or Target party sections
- Etsy for custom ducks (pirates, unicorns, aliens!)
Tip: Choose ducks that reflect your family’s personality or your destination (e.g., tropical ducks for Caribbean cruises, pirate ducks for themed adventures).
🎨 Optional: Customize Your Ducks!
- Use paint pens or waterproof markers to add sunglasses, cruise logos, or names.
- Glue on tiny accessories (think mini lei necklaces or hats).
- Let the kids personalize a few—they’ll love decorating “their” duck!
✅ Step 3: Make a Duck Tag That Stands Out
Each duck should include a small tag with:
- Your name or family name (e.g., The Brown Family from NYC)
- Cruise line and sailing date
- A message like: “You found me! Keep or re-hide me. Share a pic with #CruiseDucks”
✂️ How to Make Tags:
- Use printable templates (we’ll include one at the end of this post)
- Laminate or tape the tag so it’s waterproof
- Attach using twine, string, or elastic bands
Bonus: Add a QR code to your family’s Instagram or YouTube channel to track your duck’s journey!
✅ Step 4: Choose the Perfect Hiding Spots
This is where the fun begins! Get creative—but not too sneaky. Here are kid-friendly hiding spots that are fair game:
🚢 Top 10 Duck Hiding Spots on Cruise Ships:
- Lounge chairs on the pool deck
- Behind a porthole or window ledge
- Nestled in a fake plant
- Under a towel animal (with permission!)
- Near elevators or staircases
- On your cabin’s door hanger (for someone to find)
- In the library or card room
- On a statue pedestal or art nook
- Inside a kid’s club check-in area (ask staff first)
- Duck-themed scavenger hunt route
Tip: Avoid hiding them near crew-only doors, buffet stations, or restrooms.
✅ Step 5: Start Finding Ducks with Your Family
Bring a small tote bag or backpack to collect the ducks you find during your cruise. Make it a daily ritual to explore new decks with the kids.
🕵🏽♀️ Family Duck Hunting Tips:
- Go out early in the morning or late at night—less foot traffic!
- Use sea days to explore every deck
- Ask the kids to take turns choosing a deck to search
- Keep a journal or photo log of the ducks you find
Want to share your finds? Post on:
- Facebook group: “Cruising Ducks – Original Group”
- Instagram with #CruiseDucks
- TikTok cruise communities
✅ Step 6: Start Your Own Duck Tracker
Make your duck adventure last longer by creating a “Duck Tracker” scrapbook or digital album.
Also you can search on App store to find ducks apps that have trackers and challenges depending on the ship to see who can find the most.
Include:
- Photos of every duck you hide or find
- Dates and cruise ship names
- Duck names (your kids can name each one)
- Messages from other cruisers if they find your ducks and post online!
This becomes an amazing keepsake of your cruise memories.
✅ Step 7: Turn It into a YouTube or Instagram Series
For content creators like us at AB Family Adventures, cruise ducks make perfect short-form video content!
🎥 Ideas for content:
- Time-lapse of decorating ducks
- Duck hiding adventures (POV-style)
- Top 5 duck finds of the trip
- Cruise Duck Packing Haul
- Interview your kids about their favorite duck discovery
Add your channel handle to the duck tag so your audience can follow along and help grow your community.
✅ Step 8: End-of-Cruise Duck Swap or Giveaway
Before disembarking, consider gifting a few ducks to a crew member’s child, another family, or at the kids’ club as a thank-you. It’s a great way to spread kindness.
You can even organize a duck swap meetup on sea day 3 or 4 by posting in the Facebook cruise roll call group.
