Wanderlust Travelby Heather Smith
I found a duck!
Illustration of cruisers on a ship deck at night, one holding up a rubber duck she found while another slips a duck into a life ring to re-hide it
Quack! You found a Wanderlust duck!

Welcome to the flock!

If you're holding a little rubber duck with a Wanderlust tag, one of my travelers hid it just for you! Tell me where you found it and see where else our ducks have turned up.

Sailing with me soon? Scroll down to see how your duck mission works.

I found a duck I'm hiding ducks
Heather in her inflatable duck costume in Central Park on a cruise ship Heather in her duck costume by the Utopia sign on Utopia of the Seas Cartoon of Heather as a duck in a captain's hat holding a tropical drink
Yes, I take the duck thing very seriously!
The backstory

Why are there ducks on cruise ships?

Nobody agrees on exactly who hid the first one, but the story most people tell goes back to 2018, when a 10-year-old girl brought a bag of rubber ducks on her spring break cruise and hid them around the ship just to make people smile. Fellow cruisers loved it, Facebook groups popped up, and now ducks turn up on ships all over the world.

Here's how it works. You hide a duck somewhere fun, someone finds it, snaps a picture, and then either keeps it as a souvenir or hides it again for the next lucky person. It's a tiny thing, but finding one makes grown adults squeal. I've seen it. (I've done it!)

And if you spot a giant duck waddling around your ship, don't be shy. She's very friendly! Snap a photo or give her a high five. There might even be a duck in it for you. Just don't call me a chicken! (Also, ducks are not good with elevators, so help me out!)

I never cruise without my inflatable duck, so of course my travelers get in on the fun too!

2018The year cruise ducking took off
Spotted on board!

The duck in action

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Heather in her duck costume beside a giant flip flop in a ship's atrium
Making friends in the atrium
Heather in her duck costume stepping out of an elevator
Ducks are not good with elevators
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Heather in her duck costume beside a holiday decorated vintage car
Holiday road trip!
Heather's daughter pretending not to know the duck behind her
My daughter, pretending she doesn't know me
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For Wanderlust cruisers

Your duck mission, step by step

  1. 1

    Watch your mailbox

    Your duck package from me shows up in the mail before you sail!

  2. 2

    Tag your flock

    Tie a tag on each duck. Every finder signs the back, so each tag collects a little travel history!

  3. 3

    Pack them

    Tuck the ducks in your carry-on or a beach bag so they're handy once you're on board.

  4. 4

    Hide and seek

    Leave them in fun spots around the ship and in port. The duck manners below cover where to hide them (and where not to).

  5. 5

    Watch them travel

    Finders sign the tag and check in here, so every duck adds a new pin to the map. Come back to see how far your flock has flown!

What's in the box

Ducks, tags and a little fun before you go

Every cruise client's pre-sailing package includes a handful of Wanderlust ducks in different colors, and the tags are in there too! Some ducks stay on the ship for years, getting found and re-hidden cruise after cruise. Others go home in a suitcase to a whole new state or country. That's the fun part. You never know how far yours will get!

Good duck manners

Hide them where they'll make someone smile

✓

Public places onlyStair rails, lounge tables, the library, a ledge by the elevators. Somewhere anyone could stumble on it.

✕

No shops, pools or hot tubsIt says so right on the tag! Ducks in the water or on store shelves cause headaches for the crew.

✓

Keep it or re-hide itFinders can take the duck home or hide it again for someone new!

✕

Skip the tricky spotsNever in ceiling panels, near life jackets or safety equipment, or anywhere crew only.

A couple of cruise lines ask guests not to hide ducks at all. If your ship is one of them, I'll let you know before you sail.

The duck tracker

Where our ducks have landed

Every little duck marks a port where Wanderlust ducks are hiding. When finders check in, their ducks pop up too, placed by where they call home!

    What happens to this duck now?
    Takes about a minute.

    Want your own ducks to hide?

    Plan your next cruise with me and your duck kit comes with it!

    Plan my cruise
    Illustration of an open duck kit box full of colorful rubber ducks with a cruise ship behind