You would think a good natured game of hiding and finding rubber ducks on a cruise ship wouldn’t cause so much controversy – but here we go again!

If you haven’t heard of this game yet, cruising ducks is the activity of hiding rubber ducks around a cruise ship for other guests to find. Whoever finds it usually has the option to keep it or re-hide it – although the guest who hid the duck in the first place may attach instructions.

Usually, the hiders will also put a tag on the duck to let cruisers know where the duck’s journey started – such as the sailing dates and the guests’ hometown.

Cruisers who choose to re-hide the duck can then add their own information. This can be extra fun when the duck has been hidden multiple times across different sailings. 

One recent guest was thrilled when she found her first duck while sailing onboard Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas – until her sister-in-law stole her thunder by saying the game is only meant for kids.

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“On a 7 day aboard Odyssey and having a good time. Found my first duck yesterday and was excited of course. My sister in law tried to chastise me (33) for collecting another one today saying ‘You know they hide those for kids.’ Am I wrong for hunting and collecting?,” the cruiser asked on Reddit.

While there are certainly some who see the game as childish, there is no age restriction to participate in the activity – which is unofficially run by guests and not the cruise line. 

The only real requirement to play is to have a good attitude – and to keep the duck hunting onboard and not within the ports of call.

In my experience, more often than not, it’s the adults I’ve seen searching – and many of the ducks I’ve found were hidden way above the eye level of a child.

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My husband and I personally have a duck collection in the double digits (and hopefully counting!) and they now proudly live on a shelf in our home. 

Cruising Ducks are for Everyone

As the cruise fans sounded off in the comments, everyone made it clear that rubber duck hunting is for anyone who would like to participate. 

“I hide ducks. I don’t mind if adults play. Many do, and it seems to bring happiness. That’s what it’s all about,” one cruiser said.

“I hide ducks for anyone who happens to find them, no matter the age. If it makes them smile, then mission accomplished,” another added.

In fact, the game is so popular now, that some hiders dedicate time buying and tagging dozens of ducks to hide during their next sailing – and Carnival Cruise Line even introduced a new mascot inspired by duck hiding.

Of course, this isn’t the first time – and it probably won’t be the last time – that this game causes controversy. 

Cruise Hive Discussion Boards: Those Dark Ducks! 

While a lot of the pushback comes from people who think that the duck hiding should come to a stop, there was a debate last year on if crew members should be allowed to participate among Carnival fans. 

A cruise guest complained to Carnival Ambassador John Heald that the crew members were “stealing the hidden ducks” from paying passengers – which led to a poll on Heald’s public Facebook page. 

At least the majority of cruisers saw nothing wrong with letting the crew members be part of the fun. Crew members work long hours and spend months away from their families, so the guests were happy if cruising ducks could brighten their days.

Many crew members who are away from their kids also like to bring the ducks home as souvenirs for the children waiting for them at home. 

And to the people who don’t approve of the game, playing is not mandatory. If you don’t want to participate, don’t bring any ducks to hide and leave behind any that you find for a guest that is hoping to make that discovery.

A Perfect Day at CocoCay – Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas – can quickly turn imperfect when a guest’s personal speaker ruins the mood.

This is why Royal Caribbean has now banned personal and Bluetooth speakers from CocoCay. Some are wondering if this is the cruise line’s way of inching toward a total ban onboard and at other private destinations as well. 

“You’ll find music to set the soundtrack to your day playing throughout the island. But if you’d prefer to listen to your own selection of music, we ask that you please do so with personal headphones,” reads the Miami-based cruise line’s website.

This doesn’t mean that guests can’t listen to their own music or podcasts, but ensures that other visitors on the island don’t also have to hear it. 

Some are also wondering if the ban will extend to another private Royal Caribbean destination, Labadee, Haiti, after an inconsiderate family had their speaker confiscated by a lifeguard. 

“A large family comes down and sets up in the front row. Loads up the speaker and sets it to top volume. THEN they all head into the water as far as they could from their seats,” a cruiser, who visited Labadee recently, shared on Reddit.

A lifeguard came to investigate the noise, turned off the speaker, and took it back to the lifeguard stand – much to the ire of the family it belonged to. 

“Finally he grabbed it. Turned it off. And put it down. The guy of the group starts screaming at the top of his lungs from waaaay out in the deep end. The lifeguard smiles. Grabs the speaker and brings it to the life guard shack,” the poster continued.

“The guy swims back and is yelling at the lifeguard – who is just smiling at the guy. Finally the lifeguard says no speakers. He can get it back when he leaves. Or if he wants it back now he can have security make sure he gets it back on board. The guy picked security and the entire family left,” his tale concluded.

While speakers are not officially banned from Labadee as of the time of publication, this was a situation where the family was blatantly disrespecting the other guests – prompting the employee to act. 

Cruisers Encourage Widespread Ban

As of March 21, 2025, Bluetooth speakers are not on Royal Caribbean’s “prohibited items” list – although this doesn’t mean they won’t be added in the future.

It’s always important to check the current policies as your next sailing approaches, as these things are often in flux. 

That said, proper etiquette is to keep portable speakers at a low volume in public spaces or to only use them on your private balcony or in your cruise cabin – such as a source of white noise to help guests’ sleep at night. 

Even then, it’s important to be mindful of thin walls and other guests who may be trying to enjoy their own balconies.

But since showing this consideration for others has continued to prove difficult, Royal Caribbean fans don’t just welcome the ban on the island – but would be happy to see it expand to onboard the ships as well. 

“It is just irritating when someone is listening to their music in public. I would welcome this ban,” one cruiser said. 

“Please ban them everywhere. I have reached my limit with speakers being played constantly wherever I go. It wouldn’t be bad if they had any common sense as to the volume but they don’t,” another added. 

Cruise Hive Discussion Boards: Banned Wireless Speakers 

Similarly, many celebrated when Carnival Cruise Line decided to ban Bluetooth speakers in November of 2024. 

At the time, Carnival said the purpose of the ban was not only for the enjoyment of other passengers, but also for safety reasons. For example, it might be difficult to hear public announcements in an emergency situation if someone’s speaker is blasting. 

Anyone who tries to bring a Bluetooth speaker will see it confiscated and returned at the end of their voyage.