The Story Behind Cruise Ducks
How a simple idea became a worldwide cruising tradition.
It started with a simple idea
Sometimes the best traditions begin with the simplest idea: make someone smile.
The modern Cruising Ducks tradition is widely credited to a young girl named Abby Davis, who sailed with her family on a seven-day cruise from Galveston in 2018.
Before the trip, Abby had an idea — bring rubber ducks aboard and hide them around the ship for other passengers to discover.
Her family brought 50 ducks, hiding about seven each day. Soon, passengers of all ages were finding them, talking about them and joining in the fun.
One little duck reportedly remained hidden in plain sight for three days before someone finally discovered it.
What began as a child's simple idea to bring a little happiness to fellow cruisers became something much bigger.
From one ship to a worldwide tradition
As cruisers shared their discoveries online, the idea began traveling from ship to ship.
People started attaching tags to their ducks, sharing where they came from, where they were found and encouraging the next person to either keep the duck as a souvenir or hide it again for someone else.
Over time, Cruise Ducks became an unofficial cruising tradition enjoyed by families, couples, children, grandparents and travelers from around the world.
- 1
A duck
Tagged and ready to travel
- 2
A ship
Tucked away for someone to find
- 3
A port
The story crosses the gangway
- 4
Another ship
Re-hidden for the next traveler
- 5
Another traveler
A brand new smile
And now, the journey continues
A cruise duck may be small, but its story can travel thousands of miles.
That's why we created VG Cruising Ducks.
We wanted to take the joy of finding and hiding cruise ducks one step further — giving each duck its own identity and allowing its journey to continue from person to person, ship to ship and port to port.
With a VG Cruising Ducks tag, a duck isn't simply found.
Its story continues.
Find one. Share where you discovered it. Keep it as a memory or hide it again. Then watch as its journey grows.
Somewhere along the way, a duck you once held may cross an ocean, board another ship and make someone you've never met smile.
One little duck.
One big world.
Endless adventures.
Now you're part of the story. 🦆🌎🚢
Cruise responsibly
Keep the fun safe and respectful.
Always follow your cruise line's current policies and crew instructions. Never place ducks in restricted or unsafe areas, pools or spas, shops, food-service areas, restrooms, emergency-equipment areas, or anywhere they could create a hazard.
The goal is simple: create smiles without creating problems.
Ready to join the story?
Learn more
The historical section above is based on publicly reported accounts of the modern Cruising Ducks tradition, including coverage by outlets such as Good Morning America, USA Today and Cruise Critic.