Ducks 101 The cruise ship duck hunt

A viral onboard scavenger hunt where passengers hide small captain rubber ducks in public areas of cruise ships for other guests to find. Spread smiles, create memories, and join thousands of “quackers” sailing the seas!

How to Play Register A Duck

What Are Cruise Ducks?

It’s like geocaching… but with adorable captain rubber ducks floating across the world’s oceans.

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Passenger-Powered Fun

No cruise line organizes this. Travelers bring captain rubber ducks onboard and hide them for strangers to discover.

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A Real Scavenger Hunt

Ducks are tucked into railings, planters, elevators, and lounges. Finding one is pure joy, especially for kids.

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Global Community

Hundreds of thousands of quackers share finds, decorating tips, and stories in online groups every day.

How It Works

Simple, wholesome, and ridiculously fun. Five easy steps.

1

Bring the Ducks

Pack 10–100 captain rubber ducks. Classic yellow or themed: pirates, sailors, holidays.

2

Register your Duck

Register each duck on Ducks101. You get a unique number so everyone can track its trip.

3

Tag Them

Add your name, hometown, ship, sailing date, registration number, and “Oh what luck, you found a duck! Keep or hide, you decide.”

4

Hide Them

Public areas only: elevators, atriums, stairwells, deck chairs, planters.

5

Find & Share

Photograph the duck, post the registration number, then keep it or re-hide it.

How It All Began

In 2018, a 10-year-old girl named Abby was heading out on a Carnival cruise from Galveston with her family. She wanted to hide captain rubber ducks around the ship so other passengers would smile.

They boarded with about 50 ducks and hid a handful every day. People of all ages lit up when they found one.

Her parents started a Facebook group called “Cruising Ducks.” That community and its spin-offs now count hundreds of thousands of members worldwide.

💛 It started with one girl’s kindness. Now it’s a global phenomenon.

The Golden Rules

Keep the fun going, and the cruise lines happy.

Public areas only. Elevators, atriums, lounges, outdoor decks, stairwells.
Never hide in pools, hot tubs, stores, buffets, restrooms, crew areas, or staterooms.
Kid-friendly spots. Don’t place ducks too high or out of reach.
Share the joy. Post your find so the original hider can see the adventure.
Check cruise line policy. Disney, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, and Marella have restricted duck hiding. Follow your ship.
Be kind. Positive messages only.

Ready to Become a Quacker?

Grab some captain rubber ducks, pack your bags, and make someone’s day.

Register A Duck Find the Community

Keep or hide… you decide. Just keep the smiles sailing.