Among seasoned cruisers, it’s a well known fact that a pineapple symbol – especially when the pineapple is upside down – is a sign that a guest may be part of the swinging community.
But for novice cruisers who may not be in the know, a pineapple might simply seem like happy, tropical imagery that fits perfectly on a sailing bound for destinations like the sunny Caribbean or the Bahamas.
One such cruise guest, who recently spent his 7th anniversary with his partner on a Carnival Cruise ship, learned the true meaning of the Pineapple symbol during his sailing through his wardrobe choices – much to his chagrin.
The cruiser in question, who goes by Ricky Bobby on his TikTok (@prericky), posted about what happened when he wore a yellow shirt covered in pineapples onboard. The video has now been viewed a whopping 18.7 million times.
“Me: Wondering why random ppl kept on talking to him on our cruise,” reads the text, seemingly from Ricky’s partner’s perspective, over various clips of other passengers noticing Ricky’s attire.
As other guests walked by, they would clearly stare at the shirt, whisper under their breaths, and some would even go so far as to flirt.
At first, Ricky was amused by his unexplained popularity, but was “pissed” when he realized it was because of the symbol on his shirt – although his partner was clearly amused by the situation.
“We didn’t know what the shirt meant,” Ricky added in the caption.
By the end of the video, Ricky had discarded his festive shirt and was questioning if his partner knew the secret meaning the entire time. It’s unclear how he was finally clued in on what the Pineapple symbol meant.
But to be clear, there is nothing wrong with consenting adults participating in swinging – or the act of exchanging sexual partners, often between couples. However, the practice can feel uncomfortable for people who are not part of the swinging community.
An Easy Mistake to Make
Although Ricky may have felt a bit embarrassed by his fashion faux pas, he can rest assured that he isn’t alone in his now former ignorance.
I like to think that I’m somewhat of a cruise expert – afterall, I do write cruise news! – and even I didn’t know what the upside pineapple symbol meant for several years.
My excuse is that I always associated pineapples with Hawaii, where the fruit is synonymous with feelings of joy and hospitality.
Some cruise lines, such as Carnival, have actually started to prohibit pineapple door decorations due to the potential for unwanted or awkward situations – especially if the passengers staying in the cruise cabin also aren’t aware of the secret meaning.
Read Also: Upside Down Pineapple Meaning on Cruise Ships
Believe it or not, sometimes new crew members don’t even know what upside down pineapples really symbolize.
Lucy Southerton, who posts all about cruising on her YouTube channel (Cruising As Crew) after working as a cruise ship crew member for a decade, once shared what she described as an embarrassing story of how she was clued in to the hidden meaning.
Early in her career at sea, Southerton was working as a masseuse in the onboard spa and was trying to make friendly conversation with a couple that had come in for massages – and noticed that both of the guests wore silver upside down pineapple necklaces.
“Oh, I love your necklaces. I think it’s so cute that you’re both wearing matching necklaces… But why the pineapple? What does that represent to you in your relationship?,” she recounted asking.
Although the couple was very amused by her question, she was understandably “mortified” when her guests explained that they were part of the swinging community.
