Carnival Cruise Line has a brand-new "passenger" ready to set sail on the open seas
Carnival Cruise Line Is Making This Popular, Unofficial Trend Its Own
Updated on Mar. 05, 2025
If you’ve ever vacationed on a cruise ship, then you know it’s not uncommon to spot plenty of ducks as you sail the open seas. No, not live ducks! For the uninitiated: We’re talking about rubber duckies.
For years, cruise ship passengers have been hiding the cheerful, often bright-yellow rubber ducks all around ships for other passengers to find throughout their journey—and we’re talking about hundreds of ducks. While this isn’t an official activity that belongs to any particular cruise ship or line, cruise ducks have slowly but surely taken the seas by storm. And now, Carnival Cruise Line is embracing the trend with its newest costumed character.
Read on to find out more about the brand-new Carnival Cruise Line mascot and what makes this new character extra special.
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Who is the newest Carnival Cruise mascot?
Guests aboard Carnival Cruise Line ships will soon have a new passenger cruising alongside them: Ducky the Duck, a costumed character that’s a nod to the ongoing duck phenomenon. “The duck character introduced by our photo team is one of many characters available for guests to take fun photos with,” says Matt Lupoli, a representative of Carnival Cruise Line. While Ducky is not the official mascot of the cruise line, he’s no doubt destined to become a fan favorite.
Why is this new mascot so special?
Even though cruise ducks aren’t a new trend, the announcement of Ducky the Duck’s arrival is extra special. Ducky the Duck marks the first time any cruise line has endorsed or participated in the cruise duck phenomenon. It’s already making cruisers even more excited to bring their rubber ducks aboard and search for other ducks on every cruise.
“I love Ducky! I am loyal to Royal [Caribbean], but embracing the rubber duck is definitely enough to get me to try a Carnival Cruise!” wrote one member of the Cruising Ducks Facebook group, which has more than 290,000 members. “Way to lead the parade, Carnival!” cheered another member.
According to that same group, Carnival is the only cruise that’s ever sold rubber ducks on board the ships, so it’s not surprising the cruise line invited Ducky aboard.
It’s not just passengers who love Ducky the Duck, either. Carnival Cruise Line director Kyndall “Fire” Magyar shared a photo of herself and her feathered team member, nicknamed Officer Ducky, on Instagram. “For all our duck-hunting fans out there, make sure you are on the lookout for them when you get here!” she wrote. “Photos or it didn’t happen!”
Another Instagram user commented on her post, saying, “Can’t wait to meet officer Ducky!!!” Several others expressed excitement about catching a glimpse of him in person, adding that children, in particular, will be very happy to see Ducky on the high seas.
Why do people hide ducks on cruise ships?
The short answer as to why people hide ducks on cruise ships is that it’s fun. “We do it to spread happiness!” wrote one user in the Carnival Cruising Ducks Facebook group.
Though it’s unclear exactly why or how the hide-and-seek duck trend started, it’s one that frequent cruisers have come to know and love. People spend a lot of time buying, decorating and even crocheting ducks to hide on cruise ships for kids—and kids at heart—to find. Sometimes, they’ll include a note so people can share the ducks they’ve found on Facebook, Instagram or other social media platforms. Some cruises even have Cruising Ducks meetups aboard the ship, giving members of the Facebook group a chance to come together and hang out. What’s not to love about super-cute, family-friendly fun?
Cruisers aren’t the only ones who love rubber ducks, though. Jeep ducks are another rubber-duck-centric trend, and they’re beloved among people who drive Jeeps. Whether you’re planning your next cruise or buying a new Jeep, you’ll definitely want to stock up on rubber ducks in the near future.
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Sources:
- Matt Lupoli, representative of Carnival Cruise Line
- Cruising Ducks Facebook group
- Carnival Cruising Ducks Facebook group
