Wacky World of Rubber: Hunting for rubber ducks on cruise ships

The rubber duck race season may be over, but that doesn't mean the fun will ever end.

Rubber ducks seem to be everywhere, Pittsburgh fans are petitioning for "Mama Duck" to make an appearance at a Steelers game in honor of quarterback Devlin "Duck" Hodges, who has won his first three starts.

And if you look closely during your next cruise, you might just find a rubber duck tucked away somewhere in the ship. Rubber duck sightings have been reported on ships from Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Princess and Crystal Cruises. As more passengers catch on, the unofficial game of hide-and-seek grows.

Legend has it the trend started in 2018 when Abby, a 10-year-old girl, started hiding away rubber ducks throughout the ship for other passengers to find. There is now a Facebook group devoted to people trying to find these secretly placed rubber ducks.

Those who find the ducks are encouraged to take selfies with them and post them online, also indicating what ship the duck was found on and whether the finder chose to re-hide the duck. The page describes itself as a "cute and entertaining way to have a blast on cruises and brighten other's days," citing Abby as the catalyst for the game.

Most of the time the ducks are just tucked away in secret places throughout the ship, but some go so far as to decorate the rubber duck, sometimes even attaching tiny passports onto them so finders can keep a running log of who found it and where.

The trend has expanded beyond rubber ducks as other toy animals—even Pokemon—have been found. The cruse lines don't seem to mind, but the Facebook group encourages people to be responsible about choosing a hiding spot. Namely, avoid gift shops, swimming areas and any place where the duck could easily be blown overboard.

So next time you find yourself on a relaxing cruise, keep a sharp eye. There's probably a rubber duck somewhere inside.

Chris Sweeney has probably never hidden a rubber duck on a cruise ship. Follow him on Twitter @CSweeneyRPN.